Who’s
Who in the Company
September 12 - October 12, 2008
Mackey Main Stage
Scott Spence (Artistic Director/Director) Scott is excited to enter into his 19th season at the Beck Center. He hopes that as always you are enjoying the great diversity Beck Center offers. In his tenure as Artistic Director and Associate AD, Scott has produced well over 200 productions, directing over 50 himself. The list of favorites grows every season, and includes Altar Boyz, Parade, A Man of No Importance, Sweeney Todd, Hair, The Secret Garden, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Greater Tuna, Reefer Madness, The Fix, Zombie Prom, Tommy, and so many more, including Urinetown The Musical being revived as this season's opener. He is very proud of the awards and acclamations Beck has received over the past several years, and is especially grateful for having won the Northern Ohio Live Award for Achievement in Theatre in 2006. Outside of Beck's walls, Scott's directorial assignments have included Das Barbecü at Opera Cleveland and Noises Off at both Weathervane in Akron and Berea Summer Theatre. Occasionally on the other side of the footlights, Scott has appeared in Dick Deadeye (Berea Summer Theatre), Man of La Mancha (Jewish Community Center), The Secret Rapture (Dobama) and closer to home at Beck in Big River, The Boys Next Door and Laughter on the 23rd Floor. He also recently had the privilege of joining the cast of Passion, directed by Victoria Bussert, in his first onstage stint in the Studio Theater. Scott holds an M.F.A. in Directing from Western Illinois University and is a trained stage fight choreographer, having studied extensively with the SAFD. As always, he dedicates his work to the two leading ladies in his life – Rachel and Carleigh.
Larry Goodpaster (Musical Director) This production of Urinetown marks Larry’s 101th musical production and his 46th at the Beck Center. Highlights of his Beck Center work include the recent summer hit, Altar Boyz, Beauty and the Beast, Urinetown The Musical (2005), Parade, A Man of No Importance, The Rocky Horror Show, Eating Raoul, and Evita. Larry’s formal training and work experience are in marketing, management and operations. Larry would like to thank Scott Spence and Martín Céspedes for mentoring him in his pursuit of this hobby and passion; to thank the Urinetown cast – for making this experience a pleasure; and to applaud you, the audience, for your generous support, donations and attendance. As performing arts organizations throughout the area struggle to survive, it is YOU that keep us going! Thank you for making this the best year yet for Beck Center.
**Martín Céspedes (Musical Staging/Choreography) Most recently staged Idaho Shakespeare's production of Into The Woods, directed by Victoria Bussert which will open at the newly renovated Hanna Theater in October. Some favorites are Nine The Musical, The Breakup Notebook: the Lesbian Musical directed by Victoria Bussert, and Beck Center's critically-acclaimed production of Equus, for which he has received a 2007 Northern Ohio Live nomination for choreography. Some favorites include Smokey Joe's Café, Five Guys Named Moe, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and My Way (the Music of Frank Sinatra). He has appeared in several Broadway national tours including Man of La Mancha with Jack Jones and Ron Holgate; The King and I with Hayley Mills, Marie Osmond, Maureen McGovern and Faith Prince; South Pacific with Robert Goulet; and West Side Story with Bebe Neuwirth. In New York, Martín staged choreography for the Off-Off-Broadway production of Scrooge and Marley. He choreographed the opening acts for Earth, Wind and Fire and the Bee Gees and has appeared on TV's Dance Fever and NBC's Weekday Fever. His most recent opera credit was the lavish PBS production of Le Cid with Placido Domingo and the Washington Opera live from Kennedy Center where he served as associate choreographer. He is an alumnus of Jacque d'Amboise’s National Dance Institute at New York City ’s PS 161. Martín was featured in Bravo magazine for his work in the theater. He has won numerous Times Tribute Awards and was named in Scene Magazine as Cleveland ’s Best Choreographer of 2006. Upcoming productions include I Love You Because at the 14th St. Theater, Peter Pan, Grey Gardens, Reefer Madness, Evil Dead: The Musical, and Little Shop of Horrors.
Tod Huffman (Stage Manager) Tod is thrilled to be associated with this revival of the hugely successful Beck Center production of Urinetown The Musical. Tod has been stage managing for many years. He has worked around the Cleveland area at such places as Beck Center, Rocky River Community Theater, Jewish Community Center, Cleveland Public Theatre, Tri-C Metro, Cassidy Theatre, Clague Playhouse, and Dobama. When not stage managing or working as a computer programmer for Macy’s Inc., he travels all over China. In addition to this show, his favorites include Grease, Beauty and the Beast, Hair, The Fix, Perfect Ganesha, Tommy, Chicago, Five Guys Named Moe, Smokey Joe’s Café, A Raisin in the Sun, La Cage aux Folles, Beehive, Joe Turner, and Aida. Please support your arts organizations. Ni hao to Jim, Christopher, Sarah, and Solomon. Wo ai nimen.
*Matthew Wright (Officer Lockstock) Matthew is excited to the point of pants-wetting to be back at Beck in this remounting of Urinetown. Beck audiences will remember Matthew from his appearances at Beck Center in My Favorite Year, Equus, A Man of No Importance, Reefer Madness, The Imaginary Invalid and The Fix. A proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) for twenty years, Matthew has worked across the country at many wonderful theaters such as Trinity Rep, Studio Arena of Buffalo, La Jolla Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, The Clarence Brown Company, Florida Stage, New Theatre, Actor’s Playhouse, Florida Studio Theatre, and many others. Matthew dedicates this performance to Thomas R. Malthus, who tried to warn us 200 hundred years before Al Gore did!
Betsy Kahl (Little Sally) Betsy happily returns to Urinetown. Since the show last ran, Betsy moved to New Hampshire to train for her Advanced Certification as a NARHA therapeutic riding instructor. She now resides in the woods of Brecksville with 62 horses, a Chihuahua, and probably countless other animals she does not want to think about. Betsy works as a riding instructor at Valley Riding's Brecksville Stables. She encourages everyone to volunteer for the therapeutic riding program. Love to Mama J. And a loving welcome to Tim, who is seeing the show for the first time.
Lenne Snively (Penelope Pennywise) Lenne is happy to be back for a second shot at this crazy show with this fun bunch of crazy people. Since Beck's last production of Urinetown The Musical, she has appeared in A Man of No Importance (Lily), The Full Monty (Jeanette Burmeister) and Equus (Dora Strang), all at Beck and in Our Town (Mrs. Soames) and Quilters (Sarah) elsewhere. Later this season she will be performing in Grey Gardens (Big Edie) in Beck's Studio Theater. When not acting or directing, Lenne is a traditional weaver and the owner of The 1919 Weaving Company. Lenne lives with her husband, singer/songwriter Jim Snively, three dogs and a talking bird, all of whom love spending time on their vintage, (read fixer-upper) houseboat in Southeastern Ohio. (Said boat is still un-named...all suggestions will be given serious consideration.)
Colin James Cook (Bobby Strong) Colin is extremely pleased to return to the Beck Center after a three-year ban imposed by director Scott Spence. He would like to make it known that there are no hard feelings and he now understands how Mentos and diet cola can affect a relationship. Colin was most recently seen locally in Don’t Hug Me at Actors' Summit. Favorite Beck credits include the 2005 production of Urinetown The Musical (Bobby Strong), Parade (Frankie Epps), Zombie Prom (Josh), and Saturday Night (Bobby). He would like to thank everyone; however, he would especially like to thank his wife, Stephanie who happens to be the most spectacular person in the entire world.
Maggie Stahl-Floriano (Hope Cladwell) Maggie is so happy to be back onstage after a one-year hiatus and reunited with her fellow pee-ers! Beck audiences have seen her in Miss Saigon (Ellen), The Full Monty (Joyce Nichols) and, most recently, Jekyll & Hyde (Lisa Carew). Favorite roles include Ragtime (Mother), Children of Eden (Yonah) and Beck’s previous production of Urinetown The Musical (Hope). Much thanks to Scott, Larry and Martin. Love and gratitude to Aidan, Abby and my wonderful hubby, Paul.
Patrick Carroll (Officer Barrel) Patrick Carroll is very happy to be re-united with the Urinetown The Musical original cast! Most recently Patrick has been seen in Damn Yankees at Carousel Dinner Theatre and We Gotta Bingo at the 14th Street Theatre at Playhouse Square. Thanks and love to his wonderful and beautiful wife, Diana.
John J. Polk (Senator Fipp) John’s most recent appearance at the Beck Center was in My Favorite Year (King Kaiser). Other favorite Beck Center roles include A Man Of No Importance (Father Kenney), A Raisin In The Sun (Karl Lindner/The Man), Spinning Into Butter (Dean Burton Strauss), and You Can’t Take It With You (Mr. Kirby). Many thanks to Scott for arranging this fabulous revival, and to Laura and the family for understanding that when the house shakes, it’s just Dad working on the choreography.
Jon M. Fancher (Mr. McQueen) Jon is deliriously ecstatic to return with the rest of the “Urine-Nation” for this production re-mount. Other credits include The Diary of Anne Frank, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and, of course, Urinetown The Musical (2005) at Beck Center; An Empty Plate…at Clague Playhouse; Mame at Mercury Summer Stock; and Music Man and Bye-Bye Birdie at Rocky River Community Theater. Directing credits include No Man’s Land and Charley’s Aunt; other acting credits include Cyrano, Oklahoma, St. Joan, Guys & Dolls, The Time of Your Life, Kiss Me Kate, Godspell, Rainmaker, West Side Story, and Most Happy Fella. Jon, his wife Mary and their three sons share a love for live theater. Jon is the pastor at Rocky River Presbyterian Church, “open Sundays for your convenience.”
Dan Bush (Tiny Tom/Dr. Billeau/Cop) Dan is happy to return to the Beck Center, having appeared in last season’s Holy Ghosts. He has been seen here previously in Urinetown The Musical (obviously), By Jeeves and Assassins. He has performed at various local theaters including Cassidy and Brecksville Theatre on the Square, and has sung with the Cleveland Opera Chorus. Many thanks to Scott for the opportunity to once again be part of such a magnificent ensemble. All the love in the world to his talented wife, Kimberly.
Kimberly Bush (Old Woman/Josephine Strong/Cop) Kimberly recently directed The World Goes Round and High School Musical at BTOTS. She is excited to be back at Beck Center with her husband Dan, the love of her life, reprising the role of Josephine Strong in Urinetown The Musical. Kimberly has been performing on and off stage for over 25 years. She was last seen in World Goes Round at BTOTS. Last year she performed in Violet and Cabaret at Cassidy Theatre, which earned her two nominations for featured actress in a musical and a win for her performance as Fraulein Kost in Cabaret. Favorite roles include Chicago (Mama Morton), Cabaret (Sally Bowles), West Side Story (Anita), Pipin (Fastrada), Bye Bye Birdie (Rosie), Lucky Stiff (Dominique Dumonico), and the Mothers in Little Me (Featured Actress Award). After the fourth week of Urinetown, Kimberly will join the cast of Assasins (Sarah Jane Moore) at Cassidy Theatre. Kim and Dan have four children, their kitties Owen, Maddie and Oliver and an American foxhound, Charlie Newton. Special thanks to Scott, Larry, Martin, Tod, and Ali.
Monica Olejko (U/S for Old Woman/Josephine Strong/Cop) Her cabaret act with Lora Workman at Cain Park and at Playhouse Square marked the return of this award-winning actor to the legitimate stage after a long hiatus. Monica had been performing at local theaters regularly until the turn of the century. A few of her Beck performances include A Chorus Line (Val), Lend Me a Tenor (Maria) and Lies and Legends (the woman that was not Tracee Patterson) in both the 2006 and the 1991 productions. She has performed in Alaska at the Malemute Saloon and in Africa at the Harare International Festival of the Arts. Her career is now on the other side of the footlights as a local director and choreographer. Mo teaches dance at Beck Center and also at Above The Barre studios. She’s the proud mother of Daniel Folino and Amanda Recko who are both performers, and she’s pleased to announce that on August 27 she became a grandmo to Kristiana Grace Recko. So far, it’s her favorite career.
Zac Hudak (Old Man Strong/Hot Blades Harry) Zac is thrilled to return to appear in another Beck Center encore production. He would like to thank Scott and the staff for allowing him to work (at least) once a year. Zac would also like to suggest the following productions (roles) which he has done which require minimal rehearsal: Cabaret (Emcee), The Rocky Horror Show (Dr. Frank-N-Furter), Footloose (Chuck Cranston), Fiddler On The Roof (Perchik), Anything Goes (Billy Crocker), and Crazy For You (Bobby Child). As a resident of the fair hamlet of Manhattan, Zac recently made his NYC stage debut in Jennifer Danielle's sell-out comedy Shucked, in a role written for and based on Mr. Hudak himself. Rumor has it a film version is in production starring Dan Folino as Zac.
Amiee Collier (Soupy Sue/Cladwell’s Secretary/Cop) Amiee is pleased as punch to join this merry band of rebels. She was last on stage at the Beck Center in Jekyll & Hyde (Lucy Harris) and has been seen around Cleveland in Blood Brothers (Mrs. Lyons) at Mercury Summer Stock, Sunday in the Park with George (Dot/Marie) at Lakeland and The Last Five Years (Cathy) at Ashtabula; and in Boston in Respect: A Musical Journey (Eden). Amiee would like to thank Scott, Larry, Martín, and Tod for all their patience and hard work and to her fellow cast members for welcoming her with open arms! Previously at the Beck Center: Beauty & the Beast (Mrs. Potts), On the Town (Hildy), Moby Dick: The Musical! (Starbuck), Seussical (Bird Girl), Reefer Madness (Mae), and La Cage aux Folles (Paulette). Up next: Come do the Time Warp with Amiee as she dons some fishnets as Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show at Cassidy Theatre.
*Sandra Emerick (Little Becky Two-Shoes/Ms. Millennium) Much has changed since the first go-round of URINETOWN when Sandra actually WAS three months pregnant. Her now 2 year old son, Evan is a regular at the amenities! Sandra herself was last seen visiting the public stalls at Porthouse as “Reno Sweeney” in ANYTHING GOES, but has frequented the Beck facilities often - during URINETOWN No.1, PARADE, EVITA, EATING RAOUL and JOSEPH. Other familiar roles include Aldonza (Man of LaMancha), Eliza (My Fair Lady), Eve (Children of Eden), and Velma and Roxie (Chicago). When20not finding relief in the theatre, Sandra is happily married to Scott and pees privately in Twinsburg.
Eric A. Neumore (Robby the Stockfish/UGC Man #1/Cop) Eric is excited to reprise his role in Urinetown The Musical after an absence from the Beck Center stage since the close of the show’s initial run. Eric’s recent performances include the role of Sky Masterson in Fine Arts Association’s production of Guys and Dolls. Favorite past performances include Fine Arts Association’s special engagement of Liz Swados’s Missionaries, the role of Charles in Karamu House’s world staged premiere of Gail Parrish’s 2001 DaimlerChrysler Dreambuilder Scribe Award-winning play Elevator, and the role of Simon Stride in Cassidy Theatre’s Ohio premiere of Jekyll & Hyde The Musical. A graduate of the University of Dayton, Eric is honored to have the opportunity to once again work with Scott, Larry, Martín, and Tod; as well as with this exceptionally talented cast and crew.
Ryan Bergeron (Billy Boy Bill/UGC Man #2/Cop) Ryan was last seen in the '05 production of Urinetown here, and is thrilled that this revival is his first show returning from that hiatus! Since then, he's been busy completing his nursing license - which he finishes THIS MONTH! Ryan is a vocal coach and musical director, and former faculty member here at Beck. Favorite credits include Songs for a New World (Man 1), Sweeney Todd (Pirelli), Hello Again (Young Thing), Children of Eden (Adam/Noah), Godspell (Lamar), and many others. He's appeared just about everywhere around town including many stints with Cleveland Opera and Carousel Dinner Theatre, in regional houses such as the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, NY's Artpark and Baltimore Centerstage, and Off Broadway and touring productions. Ryan is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory, and plans to start work on his MM in musical theatre in the next year.
*Greg Violand (Caldwell B. Cladwell) Greg has been seen here at Beck Center most notably in La Cage Aux Folles (George) and in 1776 (John Adams). He has performed in numerous productions at The Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Playhouse Square, Dobama, Lakeland, Actor’s Summit, Ensemble, JCC Halle, and other venues. Greg most recently appeared in Virginia Beach in the Virginia Musical Theatre’s production of Titanic (Thomas Andrews), and will be joining VMT later this season in a production of Aida.
* Actor appears courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Associate (AEA), the union of actors and stage managers.
** Member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC).
Don McBride (Scenic Designer) Don is pleased to be back at Beck Center after spending more than 20 great years here. He is now teaching at Cleveland State University.
Alison Garrigan (Costume Designer) Alison begins her 9th season as a designer at Beck with the remount of Urinetown, which she is pleased to be doing again, having costumed the show in its original inception on this stage. Past designs here include My Favorite Year, Jekyll & Hyde, Anne Frank, The Seagull, Miss Saigon, Hamlet, and many, many others. Elsewhere, her work has been seen at CPT in such productions as Our Town, Pulp, A Bright Room Called Day, The Rocky Horror Show and Hedwig and the Angry Inch; for Bad Epitaph Theater it includes Lysistrata, Santaland Diaries, American Revolution, and Sin. She also designs for the Cleveland Institute of Music's Opera Stage and has been pleased to design for the GLTF/CMSD All-City Musicals. Alison is also an actress and a singer, seen on the Beck stage as well as many others, and is the front-woman for two Gothic/Industrial bands--Queue Up and The Deadward Goreys. Cariad, Wolf.
Trad A Burns (Lighting Designer) Trad’s career has spanned theater, dance, amusement parks, as well as architectural and retail lighting. Designing over 400 productions during the last two decades, his varied work has been seen around the world. His extensive credits include designs for Cincinnati Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, Ballet Hawaii, Spectrum Dance, Verb Ballets, New York Theatre Workshop (NYC), La Mama ETC (NYC), HERE (NYC), Classic Stage Company (NYC), The Public Theatre (NYC), Cleveland Public Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Cedar Point, ValleyFair, Knott’s Berry Farm, Kings Island, Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Japan, Disney Sea, Disney Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Universal Studios Florida & Japan, Woodstock Ice Productions, and The Family of Charles M. Schulz. Trad is happy to be back at the Beck Center after having designed Altar Boyz, The History Boys, Jekyll & Hyde, Song & Dance, Equus, Lies and Legends, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Porgy and Bess, The Full Monty, and the original Beck Center production of Urinetown The Musical.
Casey Jones (Sound Designer/Sound Board Operator) Casey has showcased his sound design talents at many Cleveland area stages including the Halle (Jewish Community Center), the Beck Center, Karamu, Berea Summer Theater, Baldwin Wallace College, Clague Playhouse, Ensemble Theatre, Elyria Summer Theater, Willoughby Fine Arts, Greenbriar (Cassidy), Dobama, Lorain Community Music Theater, Elyria High School, Parma High School, and Westlake High School. Productions include Talley’s Folly and Anna in the Tropics at Ensemble, Something to Hide at Clague, On the Town at the Beck Center, Nunsense II (annual AIDS Benefit Concert), South Pacific (JCC at Tri-C East), and Black Nativity (Karamu).
Joseph Carmola (Technical Director) Joe enters his third season as Technical Director at the Beck Center. Hailing from Canton, in the past he has served as Technical Director/Lighting Designer at the Canton Players Guild, The Magical Theatre Company, as well as Paul Green’s Trumpet in the Land, and numerous freelance credits as well as a design for Les Miserables Jr. which has been seen in many student programs throughout Northeast Ohio. He is also the proud father of Clayton who has always brought light to his life.
