Cast Bios
LUCY ANDERS (Ensemble) is excited to return to PTC after playing Marty in Grease last season! 1st National Tour: Something Rotten! (Ens/u/s Portia). Off-Broadway: Baby! (Lizzie). Regional includes: Grease, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Love Story: The Musical (Jenny), Richard III (Young Richard), Much Ado About Nothing, A Little Night Music (Anne), Startmites (Bizarbra/Eleanore), The Sound of Music (Liesl), Oliver! (Charlotte). Other favorite roles: A Chorus Line (Maggie), Follies (Young Heidi), and Humperdink’s Hansel and Gretel (Gretel). Anders is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University and hails from Findlay, Ohio. Instagram: @lucsqueal
BRENT BARRETT (Lawrence) starred as the Phantom in Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular and in the German production. In New York, Brent has starred in Chicago – The Musical, Annie Get Your Gun opposite Reba McEntire, Dance a Little Closer, Grand Hotel, Candide, Brigadoon, and West Side Story. He originated the role of Dr. Hannibal (the cannibal) Lecter in Silence! The Musical. Barrett played the role of Ben in Follies at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Other credits include London: Kiss Me, Kate (Olivier nomination) filmed for PBS and Grand Hotel. National tours: Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies; Annie Get Your Gun opposite Cathy Rigby; Chicago – The Musical (L.A. Drama Critics Award). Off-Broadway: Closer Than Ever, March of the Falsettos. Barrett has recorded three solo albums. On Screen: The Producers, Longtime Companion, Hercules, “All My Children.” www.BrentBarrett.com.
GINGER BESS (Ensemble) is thrilled to be back on the PTC stage where she last seen as Svetlana in Chess and Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show. She recently performed the role of Esther in the pre-Broadway production of A Wall Apart by Lord Graham Russell of Air Supply. Bess also received national recognition as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Bernstein’s Mass with Utah Symphony. She was featured in record-breaking runs of Les Misérables, Rent, and Sunset Boulevard. Favorite roles include: Baker’s Wife (Into The Woods), Clara (Passion), Roxie Hart (Chicago), Mary Magdalene (Jesus Christ Superstar), Mrs. Walker (Tommy), Susan (Tick, Tick, Boom), Betty Haynes (Irving Berlin’s White Christmas), Aldonza (Man of La Mancha), and Sally Bowles (Cabaret). gingerbessmusic.com
JESSICA BLAIR (Ensemble) is so excited to be returning to Pioneer Theatre Company where she was last seen in Oliver! Other PTC credits: Zaneeta Shinn in The Music Man, Sweet Charity, It Happened One Christmas, and A Christmas Carol: The Musical. Regional credits include: Brigadoon (Goodman Theatre), Chicago, and Hello Dolly! (Drury Lane Theatre), A Year With Frog and Toad (Dorset Theatre Festival), A Christmas Carol, and Beauty and the Beast (Alabama Shakespeare Festival). Blair holds a BFA from The University of Michigan.
LENNY DANIEL (Associate Director) Choreographed Mary Poppins (Utah Shakespeare Festival) and Spamalot (Geva Theatre Center and Arkansas Repertory Theatre). Directed and choreographed Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical (TexARTS); choreographed The Little Mermaid (Forestburgh Playhouse); assistant directed The Wizard of Oz National Tour starring Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt; assistant choreographed Gigi (Paper Mill Playhouse), Assisted Ann Reinking and performed in Here Lies Jennystarring Bebe Neuwirth (NYC & SF). Performing credits include Broadway: Cats (final original company) and The Wizard of Oz.NYC: Sinatra (Radio City Music Hall), Wonderful Town (NYC Opera). Tours: Spamalot, Chicago, South Pacific, Camelot, Jekyll & Hyde. Favorite Regional: La Cage aux Folles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Newsies, Chess, Oliver!, The Last Ship, (PTC), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Baltimore Center Stage), Mary Poppins, Peter Pan (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Gigi and Evita (Paper Mill Playhouse).
DAVID ELDER (Andre) is making his debut with the PTC! Broadway: Curtains (Bobby Pepper), 42nd Street Revival (Billy Lawlor, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire Award Noms), Kiss Me Kate (Bill Calhoun/ Lucentio), Titanic: A New Musical (Frederick Fleet, the Lookout), Once Upon a Mattress starring Sarah Jessica Parker (Sir Harry u/s), Damn Yankees starring Jerry Lewis (Bomber on Broadway, Joe Hardy on the National Tour), Beauty and the Beast (Salt, Beast u/s), and Guys and Dolls starring Nathan Lane (Guy, Crapshoot specialty). Recent roles: Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz at Stages! St. Louis and Billy Flynn in Chicago for Music Theatre of Wichita. Next up: Bob Wallace in the national tour of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Film/TV: Across the Universe, Cradle Will Rock, Jeffrey, and “Guiding Light.”
KATE FAHRNER (Christine Colgate) This is Fahrner’s first time at PTC, and subsequently in Utah, and she is super excited. Broadway: Wicked (standby for Glinda), National tours: Chicago company of Wicked (Glinda), Lincoln Center’s South Pacific, The Full Monty, Cats. Off-Broadway: Under My Skin, The Gig, Sarah Plain and Tall. Regional Favorites: Fun Home (Alison Bechdel), Blackbird (Una), The Mouse Trap (Miss Casewell), Evita (Evita), Newsies (Katherine), An Ideal Husband (Mrs. Cheveley), Born Yesterday (Billie Dawn), Sam Mendes’ Cabaret (Sally Bowles), Miss Saigon (Ellen), Elf (Jovie), Les Misérables (Fantine), A Chorus Line (Maggie), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie), Annie (Lily St. Regis). www.katefahrner.com I love you goobs.
TALYA GROVES (Jolene Oakes) is thrilled to be making her PTC debut! Some previous credits include Broadway: Mean Girls, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Motown: The Musical and; Off-Broadway: Clueless, the Musical. Most recently, Groves was seen in the world premiere of Becoming Nancy at The Alliance Theater. Love and thanks to Bob, Karen, my gals at BWA, mama, and all my KC fam! Insta: @missgroves_ifyourenasty
DAVID GUY HOLMES (Ensemble) is excited and grateful to be doing another show with PTC. PTC Credits: Vince Fontaine in Grease, La Cage aux Folles – Concert Production, Mamma Mia!, In the Heights – Concert Production, Snyder in Newsies, Eddie in The Rocky Horror Show, Fiddler on the Roof, Peter and the Starcatcher, Sweet Charity, A Christmas Carol, In the Heights, and Rent. Other credits: Norwegian Cruise Line Rock of Ages as Hertz, Alabama Shakespeare Festival Mary Poppins, Sonny in Xanadu at HCTO, Thénardier in Les Misérables at HCTO, and singing backup for “Kristin Chenoweth in Concert.” Special thanks to Karen and the rest of the amazing PTC family!
MATTHEW HYDZIK (Freddy Benson) is thrilled to return to beautiful PTC. Broadway credits include West Side Story, The Cher Show, Side Show, It Shoulda Been You, and Grease. Off- Broadway: Tomorrow Morning. National tours include If/Then, Rent, Fame, Grease, and Flashdance. Favorite regional performances include concerts with the LA Philharmonic, Kennedy Center, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, MUNY, Fulton Opera House, Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, Stages St. Louis, ACT Connecticut, and of course, PTC. Proud graduate of Penn State University’s Musical Theatre Program. All my love to my Megan. Follow @matthew_hydzik
ELIZABETH WARD LAND (Muriel Eubanks) Broadway: Amazing Grace, Scandalous, The Scarlet Pimpernel (all three versions), Memphis, City of Angels, Passion. National Tours: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Les Misérables, Singin’ in the Rain. Off-Broadway: Curvy Widow, Southern Comfort, Green Heart, Spoolie Girl, Chess. Regional theatre credits include: Geva Theatre Center, The Old Globe, TheatreWorks, The Alliance, Pasadena Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, Asolo Rep, Musical Theatre West, Alpine Theatre Project, Barrington Stage, and five seasons at Sacramento Music Circus. Film/ TV: Young Adult, Boy Meets Girl, Good Daughters, The Gathering, “The Good Fight,” “High Maintenance,” “Elementary,” “The Blacklist,” “Madam Secretary,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Law & Order,” “[Blank] My Life,” “The Amanda Show.” Her acclaimed CD, “First Harvest,” is available on iTunes/Spotify. For more info: www.ElizabethWardLand.com
TITO LIVAS (Ensemble) is very excited to be returning to PTC for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels! He was last seen on the PTC stage in In the Heights, and he just finished working with Princess Cruise Lines on the show The Secret Silk by Stephen Schwartz and John Tartaglia. Locally he’s worked with Salt Lake Acting Company and Plan-B. Nationally/internationally he’s worked with Walt Disney World, Holland America, the National Theatre for Children, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theatre in NYC, and other theatres in the US.
EDWARD TOLVE (Ensemble) is elated to be staying on at PTC after just concluding Cagney. Off-Broadway: Funny Face, Sayonara. National: Teacher From the Black Lagoon…, Hooray for Hollywood. Regional: Fulton Theatre, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Totem Pole Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, Cape Rep, Reagle Music Theatre, Northern Stage, Nora Theatre and Underground Railway Theater. Tolve can be seen tap dancing on TV on VICE’s “The Untitled Action Bronson Show” and used to jam at Sleep No More on select nights. BFA Boston Conservatory. Lots of love and thanks to my family and friends. @tolvetapsalot
HAYLEY CASSITY (Ensemble) is a senior in the Musical Theatre Program at the University of Utah. This is her second show at PTC and she cannot be more ecstatic to return to this wonderful stage. Other credits include: Cagelle in La Cage aux Folles – Concert Production (PTC), Lucy Westenra in Dracula (U of U Theatre), Joanne in Company, (U of U Theatre), and Saturday’s Voyeur (SLAC). Thank you to family, friends, teachers, and mentors for endless love and support.
ELIJAH EMMIT CURRY (Ensemble) Thrilled to be making his PTC debut! A New York City-based actor and Western Michigan University Alumnus, Curry’s previous credits include Jersey Boys (Barry), Hairspray (Seaweed), and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Judah). Curry would like to thank his mother and The Mine Agency for their continued love and support!
CAMERON HOLZMAN (Ensemble) is a senior in the MTP. Most recently, he appeared as Sonny in Grease (PTC), a Cagelle in La Cage aux Folles – Concert Production (PTC), and Anatoly in Chess (U of U Theatre). He would like to thank his parents for their continued belief in his passion, all of his friends who have supported him along the way, and his voice teacher, Dave.
MICKI MARTINEZ (Ensemble) is thrilled to be back for her third concert production at PTC! She previously appeared in La Cage aux Folles and as Nina Rosario in In the Heights. Martinez is a senior in the Musical Theatre Program at the University of Utah, and has performed in several department shows, as well as many other productions across the Salt Lake Valley. She would like to thank her mom for all of the love and support.
MARY C. NIKOLS (Ensemble) is thrilled to be returning to PTC after appearing in Grease (Rizzo, Marty u/s/Ensemble) and In the Heights – Concert Production (Bolero Singer/Ensemble). She recently graduated from the University of Utah with a BFA in Musical Theatre where she appeared in Chess (Florence), Big Love (Olympia), Company (Sarah), and Jesus Christ Superstar (King Herod). Grateful to Karen and everyone at PTC for this wonderful opportunity! All my love to my incredible friends and family. DMJY. Enjoy the show!
SETH PIKE (Ensemble) is super excited to be back at PTC! He was last seen in Sting’s The Last Ship. He wants to thank his family for their support through everything, and Karen and Lenny for the great opportunity!