Fiddler on the Roof cast and creative team

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CAST

	JEN BRISSMAN* (Chava) is so happy to be making her Goodspeed debut! Regional: The MUNY: Little Mermaid (Atina), Little Shop of Horrors (Ronette), Bye Bye Birdie (Penelope Ann), Beauty and the Beast, Damn Yankees, The Sound of Music. TheatreWorks Palo Alto: Jane Eyre (Young Jane), The Water (Maddy), A Little Princess reading (Becky), Distracted (u/s Natalie), Ragtime. Spring Awakening (Wendla) at CCM. BFA from the University of Cincinnati-CCM and proud Bay Area native. Love to my family, friends, and teachers. Thanks to Judy Boals Inc. & Catapult, Paul, Rob, Parker, and the rest of the Goodspeed family! www.jenbrissman.com

	JOY DEL VALLE (Shprintze) is thrilled to be back at the Goodspeed after making her first appearance in Annie Get Your Gun in 2010. Some recent productions include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive), Funny Girl (Fanny Brice), Legally Blonde (Vivienne Kensington), Parade (Lucille Frank), and Company (Marta). Joy is going to be a sophomore in the fall at Baldwin Wallace University, where she is studying music theater.

	ELIZABETH DeROSA* (Hodel) is thrilled to be making her Goodspeed debut in this gorgeous musical! Broadway: Mary Poppins (Ensemble, US/performed Mary Poppins). National Tours: My Fair Lady (Ensemble). Regional: Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins) at Fireside Theatre; Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera; Utah Shakespearean Festival; My Fair Lady (Eliza), Kismet (Marsinah), and Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Dorothy) at Surflight Theatre. Elizabeth has a BFA in Acting/Music Theatre from Carnegie Mellon University. A special thanks to her Mom, Dad, family, and friends for their unwavering support. This performance is dedicated to them. www.BroadwayDemo.com/ElizabethDeRosa

	TIMOTHY HASSLER* (Fyedka) A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Tim is making his Goodspeed debut. He was most recently seen in New York in M-34 Theatre Company's production of The Importance of Being Ernest Hemingway. Regional credits include The Winter's Tale and Hamlet with Paul Giamatti (Yale Repertory Theatre). He received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama, where he appeared in Angels in America: Perestroika, Cloud 9, Arcadia, and Cymbeline, among others. He is also a member of the New York-based roots-rock band The Good Morning Nags.

	ADAM HELLER* (Tevye) Goodspeed: Pseudolus, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Harry, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Broadway credits include Elf; Baby It's You; Caroline, or Change; A Class Act; Victor/Victoria; Les Misérables. Off-Broadway: Fiorello! (City Center Encores!), Wings; Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn, The Immigrant, Endgame, Merrily We Roll Along, Normal. National Tours: Titanic, Falsettos. Recent Regional: David Malter, The Chosen (Barrington Stage); Juror #10, Twelve Angry Men (John Engeman); Jack Jerome, Brighton Beach Memoirs (St. Louis Rep); Feldzieg, The Drowsy Chaperone (NCT/CRT). Film: Random Unrelated Projects, Isn't She Great. TV: The Americans, Unforgettable, Law & Order (all), Submissions Only, The Sopranos, Oz. Graduate: NYU/Tisch. For my parents.

	BARRIE KREINIK* (Tzeitel) is thrilled to be making her Goodspeed debut! New York: A Little Night Music (Gallery Players), The Philanderer (Theater Ten Ten), Ubu: A Patamusical (NYMF), A Year With…Veronica Sexton (Emerging Artists Theatre), and numerous staged readings. Regional: The How and the Why (Trinity Rep); She’s Not There (Playwrights Rep); Othello, Love’s Labours Lost, Romeo & Juliet (Virginia Shakespeare Festival). A native of Connecticut, Barrie holds an MFA in Acting from Brown/Trinity Rep and a BA in Theatre and English from Cornell University. Love and gratitude to YP. www.barriekreinik.com.

	JOHN PAYONK* (Lazar Wolf) is excited to be back at Goodspeed, where he was last seen as The Postman in The Most Happy Fella. He has performed such varied roles as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, Carriere in Phantom, Old Deuteronomy in Cats, Tony in The Most Happy Fella, Captain E. J. Smith in Titanic, Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Germont in La Traviata, Canio and Tonio in Pagliacci, and the title roles of Falstaff, Rigoletto, Don Pasquale, and Gianni Schicci. Much thanks to Rob and Donna Lynn. This one's for you, Dad! www.johnpayonk.org

	DAVID PERLMAN* (Motel) is thrilled to be making his Goodspeed debut. Broadway: Baby It’s You!. Off-Broadway: Rotelli in Yank! (York Theatre), Melman in Madagascar Live! (Radio City Music Hall), Anna Nicole the Opera (BAM), Murray in Iron Curtain (Prospect Theatre Company). National/European Tours: Woof in Hair, Joe in Schoolhouse Rock Live!. Regional favorites: Motel in Fiddler on the Roof (PCLO), Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors (Penobscot Theatre), Abe in Altar Boyz (Riverside Theatre, Arvada Center), Artie in Sunset Boulevard (PCLO, Ogunquit Playhouse). TV: 30 Rock, Law and Order. David is also a photographer: www.DavidPerlmanPhotography.com. Thanks and love to Mom, Dad, and Trey. www.David-Perlman.com

	ALLEGRA ROSA (Bielke) age 13, is thrilled to be making her Goodspeed debut! Regional credits include Hartford Stage, A Christmas Carol (Fan); other theater credits include Dear Edwina (Edwina), Shrek (Young Fiona), 13 (Charlotte), Alice in Wonderland (Alice), Les Misérables (Young Cosette), Annie (Tessie). Film: English, Beyond, Duty Trumps Doubt. Commercials: Middlesex Music Academy, National Association of Health Underwriters CT Chapter; Special Events: Orange Bowl halftime show. Love and thanks to so many who are supporting me, in particular, my family, friends, and vocal coach Rebecca Degnan.

	CHERYL STERN* (Yente, Grandma Tzeitel) Broadway: La Cage aux Folles (2010 Tony-winning revival), The Women, Laughing Room Only. National Tours: Les Misérables, Evita, Fiddler. Off-Broadway: Fiorello! (Encores); Being Audrey; First Lady Suite; Game Show; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. Regional: Candide (IRNE Award, Huntington Theatre), Into the Woods (Westport Country Playhouse), Falsettos (Barrington Stage), Light Up the Sky (Seattle Rep), The Sisters Rosensweig (Geva). TV: Unforgettable, L&O:CI, Sondheim at Carnegie Hall. Film: Brooklyn Lobster, This Is Where I Leave You. A Jonathan Larson Award-winning writer, Cheryl is developing a new solo show, Shoes and Baggage, with music by Tom Kochan. Graduate Northwestern University.

	ABDIEL VIVANCOS* (Perchik) was born and raised in Miami before training with Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama as an Andrew Carnegie Scholar where he played John Wilkes Booth in Assassins and Jack the Ripper in Lulu. Theatrical credits include Masked (GableStage), The Tin: a new musical (Beckett Theatre), Dinner with The Stevensons (Cabrini Repertory Theatre), and Death of a Salesman (Jim Kempner Fine Art Galley). Vivancos recently starred in the world premiere adaptation of the revolutionary farce Pantagleize at Quantum Theatre. Later this summer, Vivancos will play the messianic Rusty in his screenwriting debut, The Only Ones. Goodspeed premiere!

	LORI WILNER* (Golde) Broadway: The Assembled Parties, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, A Catered Affair, The Diary of Anne Frank, Fiddler on the Roof, Awake and Sing!, The People in the Picture, Everett Beekin, and Those Were the Days. Off-Broadway: Hannah Senesh (Drama Desk nom, Goldy and DramaLogue Awards), Domesticated, Dancing on Nails, Milk and Honey, Yiddish Trojan Women, Hannah 1939. Regional: Giant, Cabaret, Beau Jest, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound, Broken Glass, The Sisters Rosensweig, The Glass Menagerie, The Heidi Chronicles, Lost in Yonkers, When Something Wonderful Happens, Conversations with My Father, Sweepers, The Immigrant, Butterfingers Angel, Waiting for the Parade.

	MATTHEW AMIRA* (Avram, Ensemble) was last seen at Goodspeed in The Most Happy Fella. Recent Regional and Collegiate credits include Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof (Music Theatre of Wichita), Stephen Kodaly in She Loves Me (Infinity Theatre), and Macheath in The Threepenny Opera (CCM). A New York City native and company member of Project Rushmore Theatre Co (NYC), he holds a BFA from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Many thanks to Rob, Parker, MOF, Paul, and CTG. Much love to the Lookers, family, Kat, and all those in Anatevka!

	WILL BURTON* (Ensemble) is thrilled to be back at the Goodspeed this summer after appearing in Hello, Dolly! last season. Recent credits include South Pacific at the Paper Mill Playhouse, My Fair Lady and The Music Man (Tommy Djilas) at Arena Stage, and the Big Fish workshop production (Zacky Price). BFA degree in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan, Class of 2011. Thanks to all his teachers, family, friends, Maddy, and the whole KMR crew!

	MAX CHUCKER* (The Fiddler, Ensemble) is thrilled to be making his Goodspeed debut! Max was last seen as A-rab in the National Tour of West Side Story. Recent Regional credits include performances at Music Theatre of Wichita, The Wagon Wheel Theatre, and Virginia Musical Theatre. Proud BM Musical Theatre Major at Florida State University. Many thanks to the Fiddler team, Mrs. Chris (violin teacher), Wayne, Joey, Hugh, Chip, Gayle, and lots of love to his family, 408, and Emmy.

	MICHAEL J. FARINA* (Mordcha, Ensemble) is pleased to return to Goodspeed, where he played Arnold in Happy Days at The Norma Terris Theater. Broadway: In My Life (Al/God), Seussical the Musical (Grandpa Who), A Christmas Carol (Fezziwig), My Fair Lady and Fiddler (also National Tours of both). Off-Broadway: Fanny Hill (York Theatre), Gifts of the Magi (Lamb's Theatre). Regional: The Pirates of Penzance (Guthrie), Man of La Mancha (Paper Mill Playhouse), Urinetown (Geva), Carousel and Guys and Dolls (Westchester Broadway Theatre). Thanks to the gang at TKO. Proud member of AEA. www.michaeljfarina.com.

	JOY HERMALYN* (Fruma-Sarah, Ensemble) is thrilled to debut at Goodspeed as Fruma-Sarah, the role she played on Broadway for two years! Broadway: Cyrano, Candide, A Christmas Carol, Baz Luhrmann’s La Bohème. Off-Broadway: Death Takes a Holiday, many Encores!. Carnegie Hall: The Sound of Music (Sister Berthe), Andersson and Ulvaeus’s Kristina. Opera from Austin to Spoleto to Utah. Recent: Sweeney Todd (NY Philharmonic), The Sound of Music Live! (NBC), Seven Deadly Sins (standby for Patti LuPone, NYC Ballet), Gypsy (Rose), Into the Woods (Witch). Voice teacher, Mom, yoga instructor. JoyHermalyn.com.

	JEREMY LAWRENCE* (Rabbi, Ensemble) Off-Broadway: Five by Tenn at Manhattan Theatre Club, three shows at the Mint Theatre, New York premiere Tennessee Williams’ Noteboook of Trigorin, and his award-winning one-man Berlin cabaret Lavender Songs. Regional: Selsdon in Noises Off at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at Hanover Center of the Performing Arts, Mysterious Man in Into the Woods at Baltimore’s Center Stage and Westport Playhouse. He has won international acclaim for his one-man Tennessee Williams shows. www.jeremylawrence.net

	DARREN MATTIAS* (Constable, Ensemble) Tours: Macbeth,Tommy, Seussical, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Regional: The Shakespeare Theatre (DC), Richard II and Henry V; Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Goodman Theatre; Kennedy Center; Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; Ordway Center; North Carolina Theatre; Cincinnati Playhouse; Idaho Shakespeare Festival; Clarence Brown Theatre; Remains Theatre; Great Lakes Theatre; and Marriott Theatre. Off-Broadway: Harold Clurman Theatre, York Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Source, and Prospect Theatre Company. Film: The Definite Maybe. Television: Law & Order; L&O: Criminal Intent; L&O: SVU, and Chappelle's Show.

	JEANETTE MINSON (Ensemble) is thrilled to be making her Goodspeed debut! Recent Regional credits include George M! (Agnes) at Westchester Broadway Theatre and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Fifi) at Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. In NYC, she has sung at Joe’s Pub, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Public Theater, and Town Hall. BFA with honors, NYU/Tisch. Jeanette thanks everyone at Goodspeed, the cast, crew, and team of Fiddler, Paul Hardt, her family, friends, and teachers. For Granny. www.jeanetteminson.com

	CURTIS SCHROEGER* (Ensemble) What a Ditza to debut at the Goodspeed with this ever-resonant classic! National Tours: Lincoln Center's South Pacific, Disney's Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof with Topol and Harvey Fierstein. NYC: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the Opening of the 65th Tony Awards. Proud AEA member and Florida State Alum. High Fives to Parker, Rob, Paul, Craig, and YOU for supporting this incredible theater. For the air I breath and my sister Katherine. www.iamcurtis.info

	DERECK SEAY (Ensemble) starred in Footloose (Ren) and Cats (Munkustrap) at The Little Theatre on the Square, The Wedding Singer (George) at Wagon Wheel Theatre, and was recently featured in Show Boat at The Asolo Repertory Theatre. Proud 2013 graduate from The University of Michigan, where he was seen in many productions, including Brigadoon (Charlie) and Aida (Radames). Special thanks to Rob, Paul, everyone at The Mine, and his mother for her continual support.

	CHARLES SOUTH (Mendel, Ensemble) is thrilled to be back at Goodspeed. He was last seen on this stage at the Festival of New Artists in 2012 where he played The Guest in Not Wanted on the Voyage. International Tour: Bernardo, West Side Story. Hartford Stage: Ghostly Apparition, A Christmas Carol. Regional: Les Misérables, Carousel, Swing!, Seussical the Musical, Equus, The Cherry Orchard. Hartt BFA. To Life!

	JESSE SWIMM* (Nachum, Ensemble) returns to Goodspeed Opera House where he was last seen in High Button Shoes. Recent: Bert in the regional premiere of Mary Poppins (Tuacahn). Broadway: Mary Poppins(u/s Bert). Tours: Mary Poppins (u/s Bert), My Fair Lady, West Side Story (Action), and A Chorus Line (Mike). Thanks to my agents at The Mine, and love to my family. Jesse is the proud dad of a rescue dog and encourages everyone to open their home to a four-legged friend. jesseswimm.com.

	EILEEN TEPPER* (Shaindel, Ensemble) is thrilled to return to Goodspeed where she appeared in the original musical Cutman A Boxing Musical. She played Tzeitel in National Tours of Fiddler on the Roof, as well as regional and summer theaters around the country starring Theodore Bikel, and played Golde at the Fireside Theater. Favorites: Rose in Caroline, or Change at TheatreWorks; Factory Girl in the National Tour of Les Misérables. TV: Law & Order: SVU, As the World Turns, and All My Children.

	ROB MONTGOMERY (Swing) is ecstatic to be making his Goodspeed debut! Favorite credits include 42nd Street at Pittsburgh CLO and Hello, Dolly! (Cornelius Hackl), The Nerd (Axel Hammond), Legally Blonde (Kyle B. O’Boyle), The Wedding Singer (Glen Guglia), and others at Wagon Wheel Theatre. All his love and gratitude to his family, T, and everyone who has loved and supported Rob on his journey. Proud Penn State graduate.

	PAIGE SOMMERER (Swing) is delighted to be a part of Fiddler on the Roof at Goodspeed. Off-Broadway: Spandex. Regional: South Pacific at the Paper Mill Playhouse and NYMF’s Marina. Many thanks to the cast and creative. Love to my family!

	GRACE DODD (Bielke understudy) age 12, is delighted to be debuting at Goodspeed. Gracie’s credits include The Great Gatsby (Urchin) at the Kennedy Center and The Nutcracker (Snow Angel) at the Warner Theater, both with The Washington Ballet; Folger Shakespeare Theatre Educational One Act Competition Hamlet (Queen Gertrude). Other local credits: Oklahoma! (Ado Annie) and THEARC Sleeping Beauty (Sprite). Gracie enjoys writing, Sean Nos dance, and basketball. She is grateful for the love and support of her family and friends.

CREATIVE TEAM

	ROB RUGGIERO (Director) is thrilled to be returning to Goodspeed for his eighth season, after having directed past productions of 1776, Big River, Camelot, Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, Carousel, and last season’s highly praised production of The Most Happy Fella. His Broadway credits include Looped (starring Valerie Harper in a Tony-nominated performance) and High (starring stage and screen star Kathleen Turner), which premiered here in Connecticut. Other New York credits include conceiving and directing the original musical revue Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn (Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award nominations). Regionally, Mr. Ruggiero has earned national recognition for his work on both plays and musicals, having received numerous awards including multiple Connecticut Critics Circle Awards. His production of The Most Happy Fella recently won a CCC Award for Best Director of a Musical and Best Musical. Connecticut audiences are also familiar with Mr. Ruggiero's work through his association with TheaterWorks in Hartford, where he is currently the Producing Artistic Director. He conceived and directed the highly successful Ella (Kevin Kline and Joseph Jefferson Awards) at TheaterWorks, which has been produced at major regional theaters around the country. Recently, he directed productions of South Pacific at Paper Mill Playhouse and The Other Place at TheaterWorks. Upcoming projects include a revival of Hello, Dolly! (starring Beth Leavel) at The MUNY in St. Louis and a new chamber production of South Pacific at The Asolo this fall. www.robruggiero.com

	PARKER ESSE (Choreographer) is honored to return to Goodspeed after choreographing The Most Happy Fella and Carousel (Connecticut Critics Circle nomination and BroadwayWorld’s Choreographer of the Year). Recently choreographed Smokey Joe's Café at Arena Stage, A Bed and A Chair: A New York Love Affair for City Center Encores! and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Guys and Dolls at Shaw Festival Canada. Choreographed several productions for Arena Stage, including nationally acclaimed Oklahoma! (Helen Hayes Award) and The Music Man (Helen Hayes nomination). Broadway: Associate Choreographer, A Tale of Two Cities and Tony-nominated Finian’s Rainbow. Upcoming Broadway: Chasing Rainbows: The Road To Oz and Bull Durham.

	MICHAEL O'FLAHERTY (Music Director) is in his 23rd season as Goodspeed's Resident Music Director. Broadway: By Jeeves, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, A Streetcar Named Desire. Also: Paper Mill Playhouse, North Shore Music Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Ford's Theatre, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Kennedy Center, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, and the Smithsonian Institution. Musical Supervisor and Cabaret Director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival for 11 years. His original musical, Genesius, for which he wrote music and lyrics, was recently showcased in NYC.

	MICHAEL SCHWEIKARDT (Scenic Design) For Goodspeed Musicals: The Most Happy Fella, Carousel, Show Boat, Hello! My Baby, Annie Get Your Gun, 1776, Big River, Camelot. World premieres of Nobody Loves You and Duncan Sheik’s Whisper House at The Old Globe. Motherhood The Musical, G4 Productions. Ella, a musical about Ella Fitzgerald. Bloodsong of Love, Ars Nova. Barnum, The Asolo. American premieres of Frank McGuinness’ Gates of Gold and The Bird Sanctuary. Oklahoma! starring Kelli O’Hara and Will Chase, and National and International Tours of James Taylor’s One Man Band. Upcoming projects include Phantom for EMK Productions in Seoul, Korea. www.msportfolio.com

	ALEJO VIETTI (Costume Design) Goodspeed: 1776, Big River, Annie Get Your Gun, Camelot, and Carousel. New York: Beautiful (Broadway). Works at New York City Opera, Manhattan Theatre Club, Primary Stages, MCC, Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, Irish Repertory, and The New Group, among others. Selected Regional: Alley Theatre, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, Long Wharf, Colorado Ballet, Old Globe, Pasadena Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, Guthrie, Ford’s Theatre DC, Signature Theatre, 5th Avenue, New York Stage and Film, Pittsburgh Public, Saint Louis Repertory, Arizona Theatre Company, Paper Mill Playhouse. Others: Chicago Lyric Opera, Minnesota Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Donetsk Opera Ukraine, Edinburgh Festival Fringe; Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey. TDF Young Master Award.

	JOHN LASITER (Lighting Design) Connecticut: Goodspeed (The Most Happy Fella, 1776, Big River, Camelot, Carnival!, Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, City of Angels, Hello! My Baby, Carousel), Long Wharf, Hartford Stage, TheaterWorks. Broadway: High. Off-Broadway: Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn, Alarm Dog Repertory Company, Blue Light Theater Company, Music Theatre Group. Regional: Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arena Stage, Arizona Repertory, Asolo Repertory, Centerstage Baltimore, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Play House, Dallas Theater Center, Florida Stage, George Street Playhouse, Geva, Milwaukee Repertory, New Mexico Repertory, Northlight, Pittsburgh Public, South Coast Repertory, Syracuse Stage, Virginia Stage.

	JAY HILTON (Sound Design) is pleased to continue his long association with Goodspeed Musicals and to work againg with director Rob Ruggiero and this extraordinarily talented creative team. Other Goodspeed collaborations with Mr. Ruggiero include 1776, Big River, Camelot, Show Boat, Carousel, and last season’s The Most Happy Fella. Jay has designed countless productions at both Goodspeed Opera House and The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester. In addition to being Goodspeed’s Resident Sound Designer, Jay serves as their Lighting & Sound Supervisor. His work has also been heard on Broadway, National Tours, and at regional theatres from coast to coast. He and his wife, Goodspeed Line Producer Donna Lynn Hilton, make their home (and garden) in Hadlyme, Connecticut.

	MARK ADAM RAMPMEYER (Wig & Hair Designer) is very happy to return to Goodspeed for this production. His work has been seen here in The Most Happy Fella, Good News!, Something’s Afoot, 42nd Street, Big River, and Half a Sixpence, to name a few. Broadway: West Side Story, Lysistrata Jones, The Farnsworth Invention. Off-Broadway: The Toxic Avenger, Horton Foote’s Orphans’ Home Cycle, The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore with Olympia Dukakis, and, most recently, Talley’s Folly at Roundabout Theatre Company. Mark is the Costume Rental Manager for Goodspeed Musicals and makes his home here in East Haddam. Thanks to all for their continued support on this journey. peep

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.