La Cage aux Folles Cast and Creative Team

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CAST

	CHRIS HIETIKKO* (Renaud) Chris is beyond thrilled to be spending his summer at Goodspeed. New York: The Actors Company Theatre, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Theatre Row Theatre. Regional: Shakespeare Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, Old Globe, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse, Portland Center Stage, Denver Theatre Center, Humana Festival/ATL, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Pioneer Theatre Company, Meadowbrook. International: English Theatre of Frankfurt. Film and Television from Law and Order to feature films. Special love and thanks to Jeff, Henry, and the entire Professional Artist Team.

	CEDRIC LEIBA, JR.* (Jacob) A native of Puerto Rico, Cedric feels incredibly blessed to be making his Goodspeed debut! National Tours: Rent (Angel), Miss Saigon (Ensemble), Go Diego Go Live! (Diego). NYC: Kingdom (Juan), Public Theater; Yellow Brick Road (Mountain Lion), Lucille Lortel; The Happy Embalmer (Tenzing), NYMF; Sweet Charity "Caridad" (Vittorio Vidal; HOLA Award for Outstanding Performance, Audelco nomination), NHAT. Regional: Old Globe Theatre, Cape Playhouse, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. Film: Millie and the Lords, Elliot Loves, Last Night at Angelo’s. Proud ensemble member, Pregones Theater/Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre and Bombazo Dance Company. BM Stetson University, MM Boston Conservatory. Many thanks to God, mi familia, friends, and especially Paul Hardt and Rob Ruggiero!

	KRISTEN MARTIN* (Anne) is so excited to be back after having played Peggy Sawyer in Goodspeed's production of 42nd Street! Broadway: Original cast of Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark (u/s Mary Jane). Off-Broadway: The City Club (Crystal LaBelle), 1st National Tour of A Chorus Line (Val), 42nd Street Asia Tour (Peggy Saywer), Footloose at Pittsburgh CLO (Ariel), Footloose at Mainstate Music Theatre (Ariel), Dames at Sea at the Baystreet Theatre (Ruby), CATS National Tour (Demeter). TV: Deception.

	SUE MATHYS* (Jacqueline) Goodspeed debut! Born and raised in Europe. Germany/Austria/Switzerland: Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard (German premiere production); Maria Callas, Master Class; Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd (German premiere); Edith Piaf, Piaf (Prix Walo Award); Johanna Spyri, Heidi (World and German premieres) and Heidi and Johanna (World Premiere); Sally Bowles, Cabaret; Candide; Irma La Douce; La Belle Hélène; My Fair Lady; Nunsense; Jesus Christ Superstar; Grease; Company; Mass; West Side Story; Rocky Horror Show (German Premiere). US Regional: Rose in Gypsy, Deathtrap, Chicago, Cabaret. International solo shows, concerts, and recordings, include Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall, and KKL Lucerne with the Lucerne Symphony. www.suemathys.com

	JAMES LLOYD REYNOLDS* (Georges) Goodspeed: 42^nd Street as Julian Marsh and Mame as Beauregard. Regional: Cal Porter in Mothers and Sons at Philadelphia Theater Company, Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird at The Weston Playhouse, Captain Keller in The Miracle Worker at Syracuse Stage, Sidney Bruhl in Deathtrap at The Engeman Theater, Arthur Pape in Love! Valour! Compassion! and JFK in Dirty Business at Florida Stage. He has originated roles at Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, PS 122, and 59 E 59^th. TV: The Affair on Showtime, In Treatment on HBO, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, White Collar, Law and Order SVU, and Deception. MFA, Yale School of Drama.

	CONOR RYAN (Jean-Michel) was last seen starring opposite the Tony-nominated Kate Baldwin in this season's Off-Broadway revival of Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald's john and jen. He has also recently been seen on Broadway in Cinderella and in the Public Theatre's production of The Fortress of Solitude. Training: BFA University of Michigan, Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Many thanks to all of his teachers throughout the years, his family and friends, the folks at the Goodspeed, Katie and Miguel, and CESD. You can follow him on social media @conorrrryan. Everything is for Mom.

	STACEY SCOTTE* (Marie Dindon) Off-Broadway: Strictly Personal, Eat the Runt, Boobs! The Musical, The Morning After/The Night Before. Regional: August: Osage County; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; Ruthless! The Musical; Hairspray; A Marriage Minuet; Becky’s New Car; Absurd Person Singular; Company. TV: 30 Rock, The Practice, Unsolved Mysteries. Film: Julie & Julia, Me & Will, Pretty Little Thing, Judy’s Child, The German Friend. Thanks to Craig and everyone at Avalon Artists Group!

	JAMISON STERN(Albin) Broadway/Tours: Broadway/Tours: By Jeeves, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast.* Regional: Torch Song Trilogy (Human Race); Young Frankenstein, The Producers (Fulton); Sound of Music (Westchester Broadway); Sweet Charity (Oklahoma Lyric); [title of show] (TheatreWorks); Fully Committed (Alley, La Mirada); The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged) (Cincinnati Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); Around the World in 80 Days (Triad Stage); Chapter Two, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Theatre Aspen); It’s Only Life: The Songs of John Bucchino, She Loves Me (Rubicon); Black Comedy, The Invention of Love, As Bees in Honey Drown, A Flea in Her Ear, The Comedy of Errors (Alley). Film/TV: My Bakery in Brooklyn, Day Zero, The Entrepreneurs, Law & Order.

	MARK ZIMMERMAN* (Edouard Dindon) Goodspeed: Good News, Paper Moon. Broadway: Rocky, West Side Story, A Catered Affair, The Rainmaker, Shenandoah, On The 20^th Century, Brigadoon. 1st National Tours: Mamma Mia!, Kiss of the Spider Woman. Regional/Off-Broadway: A Little Night Music (Joseph Jefferson Award), Moonlight and Magnolias, Paper Moon, Olympus on My Mind, 110 in the Shade, 1776. Television: Unforgettable, Political Animals, A Person of Interest, NYC 22, Royal Pains, 30 Rock, Damages, Law & Order (including Criminal Intent and Special Victims Unit), Murphy Brown, Ed. Film: The Thomas Crown Affair, A Price Above Rubies, Dash and Lilly, Claire Dolan, The Giraffe, For Love or Money, Bonfire of the Vanities.

	DARIUS BARNES* (Phaedra, Ensemble) Goodspeed Debut! Broadway: Memphis (Gator u/s), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Tours: Memphis, 1st National Tour (Wailin’ Joe u/s). TV/Music Videos: NBC’s Smash, 65th Tony Awards Show, CBS Thanksgiving Day Parade, Estelle’s “Conqueror”. Regional: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Moth, Guthrie Theater). NYC: (workshops) Hazel, Superfly. Aida (Metropolitan Opera), Radio City Christmas Spectacular!. Companies: New York City Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, Suzanne Farrell Ballet. (Joshua 1:9) @dblexicon

	MICHAEL BULLARD* (Chantal, Ensemble) is thrilled to be joining Goodspeed for La Cage aux Folles, having just appeared in Guys and Dolls. Michael recently returned from two years on the international tour of West Side Story as Baby John. Other notable productions: The Music Man (Ogunquit Playhouse); Drowsy Chaperone, 42^nd Street, and Cabaret (Surflight Theatre). Michael was raised in Saranac Lake, NY and earned a B.A. in Theatre Performace from Wagner College. Thanks CTG, family, and friends for the love and kikis.

	ALEXANDER CRUZ* (Mercedes, Ensemble) is thrilled to be performing at Goodspeed for the summer! Alexander has a BA in Mass Media Communications and a minor in Dance from Rhode Island College. His previous credits include Paul in A Chorus Line ('12-'13 National Tour), Bolo/Jet Swing in West Side Story ('13-'14 National Tour), Paul in A Chorus Line (North Carolina Theatre), Featured Dancer in One Thrilling Combination (The Public Theatre), Billy McCaffery in South Pacific, and Plato/Macavity in CATS. Special thanks to Bloc and his family, especially his two nephews. "In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different." —Coco Chanel.

	WADE DOOLEY* (Francis, Ensemble) Goodspeed Debut! Film: The Last Five Years. Off-Broadway: NEWSical The Musical, The Awesome 80s Prom. Tour: The Trip to Bountiful with Cicely Tyson and Vanessa Williams, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Web: PZAZZ 101. Wade is also a playwright and currently working on the book to the new musical Sunset City, developed at Goodspeed’s Johnny Mercer Foundation Writer’s Colony, Running Deer Theatre Lab, and The Pitch with composer/writer Bobby Cronin. Wade is a summa cum laude graduate of Bradley University with a B.S. degree in Business Administration. Thanks to Paul, Rob, Whole Artist’s, Goodspeed, Mohawk, and my family. For Phoebe.

	ERIN M. KERNION* (Nicolette, Colette, Ensemble) is delighted to make her Goodspeed debut. She hails from New Orleans, where she trained with Giacobbe Academy of Dance and Delta Festival Ballet. Erin was most recently seen in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of The Merry Widow. Other credits include Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, The Producers (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina), Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre summer seasons, and A Very Murray Christmas (Netflix). Love to Stephen, Mom and Dad. Thanks to Ralph and Rob for this incredible opportunity.

	BARBARA McCULLOH* (Babette, Mme. Renaud, Ensemble) Broadway: Mrs. Darling, Peter Pan; Anna, The King and I. Lincoln Center, The House in Town. National Tours: Brighton Beach Memoirs, South Pacific, Peter Pan. Off Broadway: Manhattan Theatre Club, Jewish Rep, York Theatre. Television/Film: In the Foxhole, Hallmark Movies; A&E’s Peter Pan; Courage the Cowardly Dog; Law and Order, SVU; and many soap operas. Founding producer, Angels of Music concerts, raising funds to save the African cheetah from extinction. Barbara is Phi Beta Kappa and the voice of over 100 audio books. Off-Broadway Award: 2015 Best Actress, Transitions. Her performance is in honor of Jay Tramel.

	ALEX RINGLER* (Hanna, Etienne, Ensemble) is excited to be making his Godspeed debut in La Cage! No stranger to heels, Alex starred as Miss Texas in the Drama Desk Award-nominated Off-Broadway revival of Pageant: The Musical. Other credits include West Side Story on Broadway and Tours of A Chorus Line, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, CATS, West Side Story. Regional: Seussical, Naked Boys Singing. Thanks and love to my family and friends, The Mine, and the entire cast and crew of La Cage!

	NICK SILVERIO* (Clo-Clo, Ensemble) is ecstatic to be making his drag debut at Goodspeed! National Tour: Elf (Featured Ensemble). Regional Theatre: Foothills - The Full Monty (Nathan), A Christmas Carol (Young Ebeneezer), Beauty and The Beast (Chip). TV/Film: So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, The Fighter, Freedom Park. Nick is a student at UPenn’s Wharton School, where he dances with Arts House Dance Company. Thanks and love to his family, Elite, Lauren, Clear Talent Group, and the incredible team of La Cage aux Folles. We are what we are!

	NIC THOMPSON* (Bitelle, Ensemble) is honored to be onstage at Goodspeed for the first time. Broadway: Mary Poppins. Tours: Mary Poppins, The Who's Tommy, Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Regional favorites: 42nd Street (Billy Lawlor)—BroadwayWorld Award, A Chorus Line (Billy), Gypsy (Tulsa), Camelot (Mordred). Special thanks to everyone at Goodspeed for the opportunity. Love to Family and Friends.

	BRETT-MARCO GLAUSER (Swing) is a recent graduate of Pace University, where he earned his BFA in Commercial Dance. Recent credits include Christmas with the Crawfords (NYC, Abrons Art Center), Cabaret (Weathervane Playhouse), and Anything Goes (CPS Potsdam). Thanks to the entire team that is making this production possible and spectacular! He'd also like to thank his family and friends for their interminable support.

	EMILY GRACE TUCKER (Swing) Originally from California, Emily is elated to be making her Goodspeed debut! Favorite regional credits: Crazy For You (Polly Baker), CATS (Jennyanydots), and The Will Rogers Follies. She also spent two years on the high seas with Disney Cruise Line portraying some of your favorite Disney characters (Rapunzel, Belle, Cruella DeVil). Emily is based out of New York, where she recently starred in the promotional filming of NCTC's new show, The Tortoise and the Hare. Thanks to Heather and BLOC talent agency. Love to Mom, Josh, and James. www.emilygracetucker.com

CREATIVE TEAM

	ROB RUGGIERO (Director) is thrilled to be returning to Goodspeed for his ninth season, after directing past productions of 1776, Big River, Camelot, Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, Carousel, The Most Happy Fella, and last season’s highly praised production of Fiddler on the Roof. He directed another production of Fiddler in Athens, Greece this past spring. 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 The Asolo and Good People at TheaterWorks. Upcoming projects include a revival of Oklahoma! at The MUNY in St. Louis this fall. www.robruggiero.com

	RALPH PERKINS (Choreographer) is thrilled to be returning to Goodspeed after choreographing Camelot and 1776. Among his other credits are South Pacific at Paper Mill Playhouse and the Asolo; Hello, Dolly! (St. Louis Critics Circle nomination), South Pacific and The King and I for The MUNY; Sweet Charity for Barrington Stage Company; Sunday in the Park with George, Urinetown (Kevin Kline nomination), and Kiss Me Kate (Kevin Kline nomination) for The Repertory Theater of St. Louis. In Las Vegas, Ralph choreographed for many shows, including EFX at the MGM Grand, Siegfried and Roy at The Mirage, and Tournament of Kings. He was artistic director and cofounder of The New Works Project, a contemporary dance company in Las Vegas. Ralph is currently the Director of Dance for the Theater Division at The Hartt School; he teaches the Martha Graham technique for The Hartt School Dance Division and has assisted on restaging and reconstructing some of Graham's classic works there. Upcoming projects include a revival of Follies for The Repertory Theater of St. Louis.

	MICHAEL O'FLAHERTY (Music Director) is in his 24^th 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: Fiddler on the Roof, 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, Bloodsong of Love at Ars Nova. 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. Over 25 productions with TheaterWorks in Hartford. Marie Antoinette and Phantom for EMK International in Seoul, South Korea. www.msportfolio.com

	MICHAEL McDONALD (Costume Design) Broadway and West End: Hair (Tony Award, Drama Desk and Hewes Award nominations). Off-Broadway: Hair (Delacorte Theater), Jericho (59E59), The Irish Curse (Soho Rep), Almost Home (The Directors Company), Craving for Travel (Peter Jay Sharp Theater), Tartuffe (Tribeca Playhouse), Amahl and the Night Visitors (Lincoln Center). Regional: God of Carnage, [title of show], (George Street Playhouse);* Take Me Out* (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Kevin Kline nomination); The Foreigner (Maltz Jupiter Theater); Oklahoma! (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival); Johnny Baseball (American Repertory Theater, IRNE nomination, Diane Paulus, Dir.); Dirty Blonde, Omnium Gatherum, Crowns, Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, Peter and the Starcatcher, All The Way (Zach Scott Theatre).

	JOHN LASITER (Lighting Design) Connecticut: Goodspeed (Fiddler on the Roof, 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, The MUNY, New Mexico Repertory, Northlight, Pittsburgh Public, South Coast Repertory, Syracuse Stage, Virginia Stage. www.johnlasiter.com

	JAY HILTON (Sound Design) is pleased to continue his long association with Goodspeed Musicals and to be once again working with director Rob Ruggiero and this extraordinarily talented creative team. Other Goodspeed collaborations with Mr. Ruggiero include 1776, Big River, Camelot, Show Boat, Carousel, The Most Happy Fella and last season’s Fiddler on the Roof. Jay has designed countless productions at both the 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 (Hair, Wig, & Makeup Design) 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, 42^nd 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.