Cast Bios
* Indicates member of Actors’ Equity Association.
 | BEN ABBOTT (Charlie Cowell) This is Ben’s Pioneer Theatre Company debut! Utah credits: Millet/Widow Tillou in Is He Dead? (Hale Centre Theatre). Other credits: Twelfth Night (Indiana Festival Theatre),Knuffle Bunny (Cardinal Stage Company), Macbeth(Central Coast Shakespeare Festival). Training: Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), B.A. Theatre and Performance Studies from UC Berkeley. His multi-award-winning solo-show Questions of the Heart has been performed in dozens of venues around the country.
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 | JARON BARNEY (Conductor, Wayne Bradburn) Jaron has been seen in the Pioneer Theatre Company productions of The Rocky Horror Show, Sweet Charity,Elf-The Musical, Something’s Afoot (Clive), and A Christmas Carol. This past summer Jaron was also seen in Saturday’s Voyeur as John Swallow at SLAC. Favorite University of Utah credits include Melchior inSpring Awakening, George in She Loves Me, and Mr. Black in The Wild Party. Thanks to PTC, the University of Utah Musical Theatre Program, and my family! |
 | JESSICA BLAIR* (Zaneeta Shinn) is excited to be returning to Pioneer Theatre Company where she was last seen in Sweet Charity and A Christmas Carol: The Musical. Some of her other credits include: Brigadoon(Goodman Theatre) Hello Dolly! (Drury Lane Oakbrook) A Year with Frog and Toad (Dorset Theatre Festival) A Christmas Carol and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Alabama Shakespeare Festival). Jessica holds a B.F.A. from University of Michigan. Love and gratitude to her family. |
 | MICHELLE BLAKE (Maud Dunlop) is delighted to return to PTC after previously appearing in Man of La Mancha, Annie, and Sunset Boulevard. Recent credits include Mary Poppins (Winifred Banks), Catch Me If You Can (Paula Abagnale), White Christmas (Betty Haynes), Curtains (Georgia Hendricks), Kiss Me, Kate(Lilli/Kate), and Jekyll & Hyde (Emma Carew). Trained in vocal performance at Utah State University. Love to my brilliant family and friends. |
 | MARIA BRIGGS* (Zaneeta’s Friend) is thrilled to be making her Pioneer Theatre debut! NYC: Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Second Stage Gala, Transport Group Concert (The Music Man). Touring: Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Regional: Fulton – The Producers; Goodspeed-Carousel; Ogunquit-The Music Man; Ordway-Yankee Doodle, Beauty and the Beast, Singin’ In the Rain. A huge thank you to my family, Karen, Bob Cline, Bloc, Kevin, my friends and YOU for supporting! www.mariabriggs.com |
 | ASHLEY GARDNER CARLSON (Mrs. Squires) Regional Credits: Alabama Shakespeare, Welk Resort San Diego, Starlight Musical Theatre, Moonlight Amphitheater, Disneyland Entertainment. Ashley most recently appeared as Madame Thenardier in Les Misérables at HCTO. Other PTC credits include: The Rocky Horror Show (Janet) Miss Saigon (u/s Ellen), A Chorus Line (Kristine), Annie, A Christmas Carol: The Musical (u/s Emily), Les Misérables (u/s Cosette) andSweet Charity (u/s Charity). Ashley holds an MBA from Westminster College. |
 | SUSIE CARROLL (Zaneeta’s Friend) is so excited to be back at Pioneer Theatre Company this spring. She was last seen here in the production of Elf-The Musical. Some past credits include Little Red Riding Hood in Into The Woods and Gigi in Miss Saigon. Susie will be attending Pace University in New York City this fall. Susie would like to thank her friends and family for everything they do. |
 | MARY FANNING DRIGGS* (Mrs. Paroo) is thrilled to return to PTC, having been seen earlier this season as Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Ms. Driggs has also appeared in several PTC productions, including Les Misérables, Sunset Boulevard, White Christmas, 42nd Street, LesMisérables, The Producers, My Fair Lady, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Smokey Joe’s Café. Originally from Texas, Mary holds a B.F.A. from Brigham Young University. Her favorite local and regional credits include Annie Oakley in Annie GetYour Gun, The Narrator in Joseph…, Winnifred inOnce Upon a Mattress, Charity in Sweet Charity, Lizzie in Baby, and Alonso in The Tempest (directed by Tony Kushner). Mary maintains a private vocal studio and teaches workshops specializing in pop-belt techniques. A proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, Mary and husband David are the parents of six remarkable children, two beautiful in-laws, and one amazing grandson. |
 | GEORGE DVORSKY* (Harold Hill) Broadway credits include the title role in The Scarlet Pimpernel,Gentlemen Prefer Blonds, the Tony Award-WinningPassion, Marilyn: An American Fable and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Off-Broadway: The Fantasticks, the revival of Closer Than Ever, Pete ‘N’ Keely, Dames at Sea and ‘And The World Goes Round. George starred in the NYC Premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella as Prince Charming at Lincoln Center. He was featured in PBS’ Emmy Winning Passion: Live at Lincoln starring Patti LuPone and starred with Bea Arthur and the Boston Pops in Bernstein’s Broadway also on PBS. His solo CDs, In the Still of the Night and All Through the Nightare available on the Jay Records label. www.georgedvorsky.net |
 | CECILY ELLIS-BILLS (Ethel Toffelmier) holds a performer’s diploma in musical theater from the AMDA New York, as well as a BM and MM in vocal performance from the University of Utah. She has worked in regional theater across the United States. Her favorite roles include Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Cunegonde in Candide and Magnolia in Show Boat. Cecily is currently on voice faculty for the U’s Musical Theater program. |
 | LEAH HASSETT (Townsperson, Zaneeta’s Friend) Leah has performed with PTC in Sweet Charity, The Rocky Horror Show and Elf-The Musical. She was seen in Saturday’s Voyeur 2013 and 2014 at SLAC and at the Hale Center Theatre in Is He Dead?, Catch Me If You Can, 9 to 5, and Zorro: The Musical. Leah graduates this Spring from The University of Utah where she played Amalia in She Loves Me and Thea in Spring Awakening. She thanks y’all for being here: enjoy! |
 | GARETT HAWE* (Tommy Djilas) is thrilled to be here! Broadway: Newsies (Original Cast–Albert, u/s Davey, Crutchie), Mary Poppins (Neleus), Matilda. TV: “Peter Pan Live!” on NBC (Lost Boy), “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime), “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC). National Tour: Hello, Dolly! (Barnaby Tucker), Mary Poppins(Neleus). Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse, Sacramento Music Circus, North Shore Music Theatre. Cast Recordings: Newsies (Ghostlight Records), Peter Pan Live! (Broadway Records). Garett holds a BFA from University of Cincinnati. Love and thanks to DGRW, DBA, family, and friends! Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @Ghawe. www.garetthawe.com |
 | ROBERT ANTHONY JONES* (Marcellus Washburn) is thrilled to be returning to PTC where he most recently appeared as Mr. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol: The Musical. NYC credits include: The 101 Dalmatians Musical (National Tour, originated the role of Jinx Baddun, director Jerry Zaks, choreography Warren Carlyle), Dorian Gray (Sir Henry Wotton, York Theatre) and The Prince and the Pauper (Original Cast and Original Cast Recording Lamb’s Theatre). Regional credits include The Producers (Max Bialystock) and Anything Goes (Moonface) at West Virginia Public Theatre, Chicago (Amos) at Riverside Theatre and Sweeney Todd (The Beadle) at Gateway Playhouse. www.robertanthonyjones.com |
 | HOWARD KAYE* (Salesman, Constable Locke) is happy to return to Pioneer Theatre Company where he recently appeared in Peter and the Starcatcher. Other regional theaters include Actors Theater of Louisville, Alliance, Long Wharf, Alabama Shakespeare, St. Louis Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Westport Playhouse, Virginia Stage, Syracuse Stage, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Florida Studio, Merrimack Rep, North Carolina Theater, Signature, Pittsburgh Public, Center Stage, Maltz Jupiter and The Gretna. On Broadway inMiss Saigon. Off-Broadway in Silence! The Musical. Toured with Mamma Mia!. Disney Cruise Line entertainer. Graduated from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Juilliard Drama Department. Thanks again, Karen. |
 | LIZZIE KLEMPERER* (Marian Paroo) is thrilled to be making her PTC debut. New York: A Christmas Story(Broadway), The Most Happy Fella, Fiorello (City Center Encores), Somewhere in Time (NY Workshop),Mother Jones and the Children’s Crusade (NYMF) andBunked! (Fringe). 1st National Tours: The Addams Family and Little House on the Prairie–The Musical. Regional: North Shore Music Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and Papermill Playhouse. As a soloist, she has appeared with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and the Southwest Florida Symphony. This August, you can catch Lizzie as “Crissy” in Hair and “Mary-Jane” inBig River at Sacramento Music Circus. Proud graduate of the University of Michigan. www.LizzieKlemperer.com |
 | ANNE STEWART MARK* (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn) is happy to be returning to PTC, where she was most recently seen in Les Misérables and Annie. Other PTC favorites include My Fair Lady, Noises Off, Paint Your Wagon, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Macbeth,Peter Pan, Tartuffe, The Three Musketeers, Laughing Stock, Misalliance, Arcadia, Private Lives, Blithe Spirit,Camelot, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Sundayin the Park with George and Evita, to name a few. She has been seen at Salt Lake Acting Company in The Clean House, Hold Please, Going to St. Ives, Master Class and Nine; at the Peterborough Players in Hay Fever, 1940s Radio Hour and Noises Off; and for the Utah Opera Company as ZoZo in The Merry Widow. Anne is also a director of some note, and has been a proud member of actors’ Equity Association for 32 years. |
 | MICHAEL MCARTHUR* (Salesman, Tommy’s Friend) is honored to be performing at PTC for the first time! From New Jersey, Michael was seen most recently in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, for his 7th year. Some favorite credits include Can-Can and Newsies at Papermill Playhouse and Hello Dolly! and Legally Blonde the Musical at The Cape Playhouse. Michael holds a B.F.A in dance from Marymount Manhattan College. |
 | BRIAN NELSON (Salesman, Tommy’s Friend) is very excited to be returning to both PTC and River City for the second time. He is currently studying how to look good in tights (Ballet) at the University of Utah where, due to his love of baked goods, he is performing below average. You may recognize him from his extensive work in the food industry as “that guy that served us one time.” Other companies include: The Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Utah Ballet, and Egyptian Theater. He would like to thank his family for all their support, encouragement, and help for making rent. |
 | RICKY PARKINSON (Salesman, Olin Britt) is excited to bring his love of acappella and theatre together. Acappella credits: BYU Vocal Point, Moosebutter, Voice Male, U of U Infrared, and currently, Consortium. Recent theatrical roles: Javert (Les Misérables–HCTO), Adam/Noah (Children of Eden–CPT), and Henry Ford (Ragtime – HCTWV). An architect by day, he has also designed sets for many local productions, including Jekyll and Hyde, Shrek and Noises Off. |
 | KILTY REIDY* (Salesman, Ewart Dunlop) Broadway:The Drowsy Chaperone and In My Life. Other credits: Mr. Braithwaite in Billy Elliot (National Tour); Mike Nulty in Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (Original Cast and Tour); Bye Bye Birdie at Encores!, Roger De Bris in The Producers (KC Starlight/MTW); Crazy For Youat PaperMill/PBS. An alumnus of The Public Theater’s Shakespeare Lab and proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. kiltyreidy.com |
 | DON REY* (Salesman, Jacey Squires) is pleased to be making his Pioneer Theatre Company debut. In NYC Don was proud to be a part of Andrew Lippa’s I Am Harvey Milk in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center last fall. Tours include the National Tours of White Christmas (Mike Nulty), The Sound Of Music (Herr Zeller), Camelot, The Music Man and the International Tour of Evita. Regional credits include the Paper Mill Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Walnut Street Theatre, Fulton Theatre, Geva Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse and California Music Theatre. Some favorite productions include several of The Music Man, City Center Encores! Pardon My English, Evita(Peron), Sweeney Todd (the Beadle), A Little Night Music (Mr. Erlanson) and Beauty and the Beast(Cogsworth). Thanks to Craig, Bernadette and Avalon Artists as well as the entire team here at the Pioneer Theatre Company. |
 | LATOYA RHODES (Alma Hix) is ecstatic to return to PTC in this great show, with this incredible cast! PTC:Elf-The Musical, A Raisin in the Sun (staged reading) and Rent.Off-Broadway: Shelter, The Musical (New York Musical Theater Festival). Closer (Wasatch Theater Company), Saturday’s Voyeur (Salt Lake Acting Company), Hedwig and the Angry Inch(Yitzhak) and Different = Amazing (Plan-B Theatre Company), Greenshow, Fiddler on the Roof and A Christmas Carol: On the Air (Utah Shakespeare Festival), to name a few. She would like to thank Karen, Helen, Mary and the PTC staff. |
 | MAX ROBINSON* (Mayor Shinn) was last seen at Pioneer Theatre Company in One Man, Two Guvnors. He has also appeared here in Much Ado About Nothing, Noises Off, My Fair Lady, The Producers, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Les Misérables(Thénardier), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,Amadeus, The Importance of Being Earnest and nearly 100 other productions at PTC. Max played Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde at The Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., which earned him a Helen Hayes Award nomination. He has also appeared the last four seasons at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, at Salt Lake Acting Company, The Grand Theatre and regional theatres from Seattle to New York. Film and TV credits includeOther People’s Money, All My Children, One Life toLive, Touched by An Angel, Woody Allen’s Shadowsand Fog and Disney’s Pixel Perfect. |
 | TYLER SCHANK (Salesman, Tommy’s Friend) is a Florida native who recently graduated from BYU with a BFA in Music Dance Theatre. His Utah theatre credits include Annie Get Your Gun at Sundance; Ghost: the Musical, Mary Poppins and Brigadoon at Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley and “Smokey” in Damn Yankees at Hale Center Theater in Orem. Tyler would like to thank PTC for this opportunity. |
 | FALLON SCHWURACK (Zaneeta’s Friend) started her dance training in ballet at the age of three at the Utah Artist School of Ballet. Since then she has continued her training with various dance academies, including Ballet West Conservatory, Virginia School of Arts, Boston Ballet and The Winner School. Some of her favorite roles have been Clara and Arabian Soloist in The Nutcracker, and Swanhilda in Coppelia. For the last four years Fallon has been a Principal Company member of local dance company Transfusion Hype. She is very excited to make her way back to the stage. |
 | BILLY SHARPE* (Salesman, Oliver Hix) A native North Carolinian, Billy has a Music Education degree from East Carolina University and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. He has appeared Off-Broadway inFive Course Love, Take it Easy, and Space Trek – A Musical Parody. His touring credits include The Scarlet Pimpernel, 42nd Street, Annie and On The Town. Some favorite regional credits include Mary Poppins, A Christmas Carol, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Peter Pan, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Nerd, Lend Me a Tenor, Sylvia, I Love My Wife, Blood Brothers, The Big Bang, Forever Plaid, Batboy, A Tuna Christmas and The Rocky Horror Show. He is thrilled to be making his Pioneer Theatre Company debut with special thanks to Karen for this opportunity. When not performing, Billy is the director for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s production ofMamma Mia! billysharpe.com |
 | JAKE WEINSTEN* (Salesman, Tommy’s Friend) Jake Weinstein is thrilled to make his Pioneer Theatre debut! Off-Broadway: The Music Man in Concert(Transport Group), Peter in Peter and the Wolf (BAM),One Thrilling Combination (The Public Theater),Angelina Ballerina (Union Square Theatre). National Tour: A Chorus Line (Mark). Regional: Chasing the Song (La Jolla Playhouse), A Chorus Line (PCLO),White Christmas (Arkansas Rep). Co-Founder and Artistic Director of True North Theatre Lab. B.A. from NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study concentrating in Musical Theatre Performance, Producing and Music Composition. Many thanks to the cast and creative team, Craig and Avalon Artists, and my wicked cool friends and family. JakeWeinstein.com |
| The Children of River City | |
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