Cabaret Playbill This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the State of Florida. Pictured left to right: Nick Anastasia, Nygel Robinson, Emily Dennis, and Mike Backes. Photo by Matthew Holler. THAT’S AMORE!' By Richard Hopkins and Rebecca Hopkins, Arrangements by Jim Prosser. CAST NICK ANASTASIA MIKE BACKES EMILY DENNIS NYGEL D. ROBINSON with ANDREW DEEB on drums JIM PROSSER on piano Music Director Costume Designer Lighting Designer DARREN SERVER SUSAN ANGERMANN MICHAEL CUMMINGS Sound Designer Sound and Light Board Operator THOMAS KORP AMANDA BALTER Directed by CATHERINE RANDAZZO Season Underwriters Gaele Barthold, Wendy & Bob Grady, Dennis & Graci McGillicuddy, Patrick & Mary Mulva, Anne H.S. Nethercott Series Underwriters Joan & Larry Castellani, The Exchange of Sarasota, Dr. Ty Gardner & Liza McKeever-Gardner, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Robert & Bonny Israeloff Co-Producers Jan & Larry Coleman, SCENE Magazine That’s Amoré! will be performed The taking of photographs and in two acts with one 15-minute the use of recording devices during the intermission. show is strictly prohibited. Florida Studio Theatre is a Constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American Theatre. ARTIST PROFILES NICK ANASTASIA is multi-instrumentalist thrilled to be returning based in NYC. His recent to FST for That’s Amoré! theatre credits include Five FST: Unchained Melodies, Guys Named Moe (Nomax) Burt & Me, and Laughing at Opera House Theatre Matters (vol. 5). Other Company, Godspell (Jesus/ professional credits: Hair Musician) at St. Michael’s (Claude, International Playhouse, Beau (Larry/ Tour), Voca People (Tenoro, Off-Broadway*/ Musician) at MTF and Lincoln Center, and The All National/International Tours, *Lucille Lortel Night Strut (Actor/Musician) at Milwaukee Rep. Award), Monster Jam (Host/Announcer, Fox His single “One More Chance” is available on Sports 1), The Love Note (Adam, Original Spotify and Apple Music. Off-Broadway Cast), In The Heights (Sonny, ANDREW DEEB (Drums) Regional Premiere), Scab (featuring Alice A St. Petersburg, FL native, Ripley), Disney Cruise Line (Disney Fantasy), he received his training at bare (Jason, Licensed Premiere). Instagram: The American Academy @nottherussianprincess of Dramatic Arts NY, Class MIKE BACKES is grateful of 2011. Credits include: to be back at FST! FST: Mack the Knife (FST), Mack the Knife, Next to Rumplestiltskin (FST), The Normal. Most recent: A Hot L Baltimore (MM Theatre NY), The Wayside Bronx Tale (1st National Motor Inn (MM Theatre NY), On The Uptown 2 Tour-Directed by Robert Express Train (NY). He is also a member of FST De Niro). Highlights: Jersey Improv. Andrew is thrilled to be back at FST Boys (Original Las Vegas Cast); Rock of Ages (1st performing in That’s Amoré! Proud member of National Tour); Grease (National Tour, starring AEA. Frankie Avalon); and Ren in Footloose (North JIM PROSSER (Piano/ American Tour). Workshops (Regional): Carl in Arrangements) This season Ghost at The Fulton Theatre and Maine State marks Jim’s 26th season Theatre. TV/Film: Orange Is The New Black and as FST's resident pianist, Discovery ID’s Most Likely To. where he most recently EMILY DENNIS is thrilled appeared in the Summer to make her FST debut Mainstage show Ethel with That’s Amoré! Her Waters: His Eye is on the most recent theatre credits Sparrow. He has arranged and co-developed include a one woman many shows including: The Wonder Years, Guitar Andrew Lloyd Webber Girls, Unchained Melodies, Mack the Knife, Blue musical entitled, Tell Me Suede Shoes, Dancing In The Street, By Gershwin, On A Sunday. Additionally, European Cabaret, That’s Life Again, British A Chorus Line (Cassie), Oklahoma (Laurey Invasion, Too Darn Hot, and Older Than Dirt. Williams), Smile (Doria Hudson), and Rock He has served as Composer/Music Director for of Ages (Waitress #1), have been some of FST’s Education department, writing numerous Emily’s favorite roles to perform. Film and TV scores for children’s shows such as Deck the credits include Sidelined (A&E and Lifetime), Halls, Androcles and the Lion, RAP-Punzel, The Disposable (Amazon Prime), and Ghost Source Velveteen Rabbit, and WRITE A PLAY Elementary Zero (Amazon Prime). Tours. Jim is also a Music Director for FST Improv, NYGEL D. ROBINSON returns to FST after for which he has played many shows including being seen in the 17-18 season hit Cabaret the improvised musical, When X Meets Y. Blue Suede Shoes. He is a Singer/Actor and ARTIST PROFILES CATHERINE RANDAZZO (Director/Associate College with a BA in Theatre Studies with a Artist) is thrilled to work with the talented focus in Stage Management. She is originally team of That’s Amoré! She directed last season’s from Seattle, Washington. Her recent credits Cabarets The Wonder Years, Guitar Girls, and include Production Assistant at Seattle Opera Unchained Melodies. She also directed FST’s for Rigoletto, Production Stage Manager at Winter Cabarets Blue Suede Shoes; Mack the Ithaca College for Violet, Twelfth Night, The Kid Knife: The Bobby Darin Songbook; Piano Men; Thing, The Apple Tree, and The Baltimore Waltz. Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves; and Yesterday. In SUSAN ANGERMANN (Costume Designer) addition to directing FST Cabarets, Catherine has began designing for Florida Studio Theatre in been on the development team for Guitar Girls, 1993 for the WRITE A PLAY production of The Mack The Knife, and Piano Men. Catherine also Emperor’s New Clothes. She has designed for leads the artistic oversight for FST’s Summer FST’s Mainstage, Stage III, Cabaret, and WRITE Cabaret Sidekick Series. For the 18-19 Stage III A PLAY productions. Recent productions include season she directed Buyer & Cellar. Catherine has The Marvelous Wonderettes, Wednesday’s Child, been a part of the Sarasota artistic community Hand to God, Straight White Men, The Wonder since 1990 and has appeared in plays, Years: The Music of the Baby Boomers, Guitar musicals, cabarets, new play readings, voice Girls, Unchained Melodies, Other People’s Money, overs, commercials, fundraisers, and toured in Murder for Two, Always...Patsy Cline, Honor national and international productions. She is Killing, Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits, Robin Hood, the recipient and nominee of various awards Once, The Exonerated, Stalking the Bogeyman, for education, national arts awards, and local Yesterday, Older Than Dirt, Piano Men, and performance awards including “Best Actress in a Chapatti. Musical” for her performance as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Other favorite performances include MICHAEL CUMMINGS (Lighting Designer/ Forbidden Broadway, Cats, The Rocky Horror Lighting Supervisor) recently obtained his Show, and The Full Monty, to name a few. Most M.F.A. in Lighting Design & Technology from recently, she appeared as Eve in FST’s Mainstage the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. production of Rich Girl. She was named one of Lighting design works include February Dance “Sarasota’s Funniest People” for her comedic 2019 (UIUC), Jesus Christ Superstar (Salisbury styles seen in Sarasota’s original political University), La Bohème (UIUC), In the Next Room comedy group, License to Bash, which was a (or the Vibrator Play) (UIUC), and Studio Dance part of FST’s Cabaret Fringe Festival in 1996. 1 (UIUC). Assistant lighting designs include As Associate Artist, Catherine serves as Literary Barbecue (UIUC) and Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Manager, In-Residence Director, Teaching Artist, Play (UIUC). He also served as the Master and professional actor. Catherine is a graduate Electrician at Adirondack Theatre Festival. of Otterbein University in Ohio with a BFA in THOMAS KORP (Sound Designer) As FST’s performance, and she is a proud member of Sound Supervisor, Thom does more than Actors’ Equity Association. wrangle rogue microphones. Sound design credits include: Who Loves You, The Swingaroos: DARREN SERVER (Music Director) is proud to Hollywood Serenade, The Cottage, Ethel Waters: be back at FST for his fifth season. Most recently, His Eye is on the Sparrow, Come Together: When Darren music directed and played keyboard for the 60s Met the 70s, The Marvelous Wonderettes, The Marvelous Wonderettes. Last season, he Wednesday’s Child, The Curious Incident of the music directed: Unchained Melodies, The Wonder Dog in the Night-Time, The Wonder Years: The Years, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Music of the Baby Boomers, Straight White Men, Murder. Interesting fact: Darren’s grandfather Guitar Girls, Unchained Melodies, A Gentleman’s is “Curly” Howard of The Three Stooges and his Guide to Love and Murder, and Once. Mixing greatuncles are Moe and Shemp Howard. This Credits: Next to Normal, Smokey Joe’s Café, The has always been a source of pride and inspiration World Goes Round, Tango: Buenos Aires, and We for him. Will Rock You. AMANDA BALTER (Sound and Light Board Operator) is new to FST as a recent graduate of Ithaca EXECUTIVE STAFF REBECCA HOPKINS (Lead Developer) has been RICHARD HOPKINS (Developer) is the actively involved in development of FST’s Cabaret Producing Artistic Director of Florida Studio productions since her arrival in 1998. In addition Theatre. Mr. Hopkins has fostered the to being lead developer for That’s Amoré!, this development of FST’s Mainstage and Cabaret season she is also part of the development productions. His many directing Mainstage team for Outlaws & Angels and Light My Fire. credits include: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Previously she was the lead developer on The Night-Time, Honor Killing, Inspired Lunacy, The Wonder Years: The Music of the Baby Boomers; Best of Enemies, Next to Normal, Race, Ruined, The Unchained Melodies; Blue Suede Shoes; Gypsies, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Boleros Tramps, and Thieves; Yesterday; American Pie; and for the Disenchanted, Permanent Collection, and Poems, Prayers, and Promises. She has been the Metamorphoses, among numerous other plays.