cast and creative
SALLY STRUTHERS is a two-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner for her performance in the groundbreaking series All In The Family. She has also starred in the Fox television series 9 to 5and her own CBS series Gloria. Currently Sally has recurring roles on both the WB’s highly acclaimed Gilmore Girls and as Mark Addy’s mom on CBS’ Still Standing. Sally was “heard” as the voice of the teenage dinosaur Charlene Sinclair in the ABC prime-time series Dinosaurs. She is also the voice of Pebbles Flintstone on the Pebbles and Bam-Bam cartoon series, the lead female character on the popular Disney cartoon Tailspin and she voices the teacher, Mrs. O’Connor, on the new PBS cartoon series Betsy’s Kindergarten Adventure. Struthers’ television movies include: A Gun in the House, And Your Name is Jonah, The Great Houdinis, Hey, I’m Alive, In The Best Interest of the Children, Deadly Silence, My Husband is Missing, and Intimate Strangers. Sally co-starred in two legendary motion pictures in the 70’s: Five Easy Pieces with Jack Nicholson and The Getaway with Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw. More recently she’s been featured in two independent films: Out of the Black and A Month of Sundays with Rod Steiger. Sally made a cameo appearance for actor/writer/producer Mario Van Peebles in the Sony feature Baadassss! Sally’s first two Broadway forays were in Wally’s Café with Rita Moreno and Jimmy Coco and in Neil Simon’s female version of the Odd Couple with Brenda Vaccaro. For three years she starred as Miss Mamie Lynch on Broadway and on tour in the Tommy Tune production of Grease. In the 20th Anniversary National Tour of Annie, Sally landed the coveted role of Miss Hannigan. Sally was recently named Best Actress/2004 by the Los Angeles Artistic Director Theatre Awards for her role as Louise Seger in the musical, Always, Patsy Cline, a true story based on the relationship between Seger and Cline. She also won the 2003 Ovation Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Agnes Gooch in the Los Angeles production of Mame. For thirty years, Struthers has worked tirelessly to help the hungry and uneducated children everywhere. She has visited these children in the United States and many Third World countries, and has filmed numerous public service announcements and documentaries on their behalf. Because of her devotion to children and animals, Sally has received numerous humanitarian awards. Her best reward, however, is her darling daughter Samantha.
KERRY ANDERSON (Ermengarde) is proud to make her Ogunquit Playhouse debut! A New Jersey native, Kerry is a Junior Theatre major at Wagner College in New York. Credits: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator); originated Ask Me (Judy) for the Samuel French Playwright Competition. Kerry is grateful for this opportunity and thanks all of those involved. For Mom, as always.
JIMMY BENNETT (Cornelius Hackl) is originally from the hills of North Florida, and interestingly played Horace Vandergelder as a child. Credits: The Off-Broadway “cult hit” The Nuclear Family (Cocreator/ Star); “The Extended Family,” Sundance Film Channel; “Temps, The Smoking Gun,” Court TV; Say You Do with Julia Murney; NEWSical, NYC, National Tour; Sundown, The York; Sail Away, NYTW; Measure for Measure, Playwrights Horizons; The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World, NYMF; The Pirates of Penzance, on a boat oddly; CATS, Gateway; Brigadoon, National Tour. He is re-writing the 1930 musical Fine and Dandy under director Tony Walton. His short PLAYER performs in festival play throughout the country. Winner 2004 World Domination Improvisation Tournament.
BIEJE CHAPMAN (Ensemble) began doing musical theatre in Louisville, Kentucky at seven. By 14, she was focused on dance training at the Youth Performing Arts High School. She attended the Colorado Ballet School and Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory on scholarship while performing on the side. Credits: Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Woodbury Ballet Company, The Kentucky Derby Festivals, local TV commercials, Ballroom/Latin dance in Manhattan. Bieje is happy to be “back in her musical theatre roots” and thanks God, family, Mr. Sheridan and sends a loving thank you to her fiancé Bryan.
DAVID CHRISTOPHER (Waiter) makes his Ogunquit Playhouse debut in Hello, Dolly! National Tours: Oklahoma! (Farmer Hank); Copacabana. Regional: Footloose (Bickle); Anything Goes (Sailor). Cruise Lines: Disney Wonder; Disney Magic. David is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Thanks to Di, friends and family for their support!
ALISON CUSANO (Ensemble) is from Hampton and a Musical Theatre major at The Hartt School of Music. She returns having last performed here in Les Miserablés: Student Edition (Mme. Thenardier) – Spotlight Award Nomination Best Actress in a Musical. Next she will appear in The Rocky Horror Show – Live! (Magenta), The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (SRT). Credits: National professional premiere of Edges, Good Theater; The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), Prescott Park Arts Festival; Once On This Island: Student Edition (Asaka), SRT; Into the Woods (Witch), Winnacunnet High School; Annie Warbucks(Tessie), Hampton Playhouse. Hugs & kisses to family and friends for their continued support. Love you cuddlebug.
LAURA DANNELL (Ensemble) makes her debut at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Regional: Portland Stage, Good Theater, Maine State Music Theater, Portland Players, Lyric Theater, Biddeford City Theater. Laura has soloed with the Portland Symphony Orchestra in The Magic of Christmas and A Little Night’s Music. Laura enjoyed raising money for children’s cancer through A Very Special Christmas, produced on Maine PBS and with her Christmas CD. She attends NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she studies drama. She would like to thank her parents, Kate and the staff at Ogunquit Playhouse as she continues to hone her skills.
MARISSA DOMPE (Ensemble) is originally from California, she attended UC-Irvine as a dance major. She danced with Ballet San Joaquin before joining the cast at Disneyland as a dancer in the Mulan Parade. After relocating to NYC, Marissa was a principal dancer with the Morganscott Ballet, and Dance Captain/Company Manager for Celebrity Cruises. Most recently, she appeared in Downtown Cabaret’s production of Sweet Charity (Ursula/Ensemble/Dance Captain/Assistant to Choreographer). Lots of love to Mom, Dad and Mike!
HILLARY ELLIOTT (Ernestina) is originally from Northern California, she returns to the Ogunquit Playhouse having performed here in Chicago (Go-to-Hell-Kitty). Regional: Sweet Charity (Carmen), Downtown Cabaret Theatre; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Babette), Cabaret (Lulu), both at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre; HAIR (Emmaretta/Death), Theatre Under The Stars; Chicago (Go-to-Hell-Kitty), North Shore Music Theatre; Crazy for You (Elaine), Westchester Broadway Theatre. She performed as a showgirl in Jubilee in Ballys and Las Vegas and at Le Lido de Paris in France and appears as a dancer in the films The Stepford Wives and the upcoming Enchanted. Love always to Mom and Dad!
STEVE GAGLIASTRO (Judge) is pleased to return to the Ogunquit Playhouse stage, having just performed in Cabaret. Credits include: Cabaret, Asian Tour, the Regional premiere at the Foothills Theatre; Kong’s Night Out, Lyric Stage; Evita, Miss Saigon, Titanic, A Christmas Carol, all at the Foothills Theatre; Jerry Finnegan’s Sister, First Night, both at the Majestic Theatre; Pippin, Turtle Lane. Steve is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a BA in Music/Music Education.
MATT GIBSON (Ambrose Kemper) is grateful to return to the Ogunquit Playhouse and once again share the stage with Sally Struthers after performing in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas last summer. Credits: A Chorus Line (Don), Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Hawaiian Tour; Oklahoma!, National Tour; Sweet Charity, Downtown Cabaret Theatre; West Side Story (Diesel), Grease (Teen Angel), Reagle Players; Footloose (Ren), Fiddler on the Roof (Fyedka), Surflight. NYC: Aida, Metropolitan Opera; Pursuit of Persephone, Prospect Theater Company. TV: “The Sopranos;” “Saturday Night Live.” BFA – NYU. Thanks to friends and family for continued support and to John and Robert for the opportunity.
BRYAN R. KNOWLTON (Waiter) Broadway: EFA Easter Bonnet, New Amsterdam; The Public Sings with Meryl Streep, Ben Stiller, Cynthia Nixon, Betty Buckley and Savion Glover, City Center. Off-Broadway: Portraits in Motion, American Theatre for Actors. Tours: Camerson Mackintosh’s Oliver! (Noah Claypole), First & Second Nation Tours; A Chorus Line, Hawaiian Tour. Regional: A Chorus Line(Paul), Casa Mañana; Children of Eden (Abel); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat(Benjamin); West Side Story (Baby John); The Who’s Tommy. Much love and thanks to his amazing family and friends for their continuous support.
DOUGLAS LYONS (Waiter) is a New Haven, Connecticut native and will be a junior Music Theatre at Hartt School. He is ecstatic to perform at the Ogunquit Playhouse this season in Hello, Dolly and Cinderella! Credits: Edges; Crazy for You (Jimmy); Swing!; A Chorus Line (Richie); A New Brain(Roger); Five Guys Named Moe (No Moe); Songs for a New World; Sweeny Todd. He thanks his parents for their unconditional love and support as well as Janine Pardey-Levine, Burrell, Kyla, Harold, family and friends. “All gifts come from above,” I am here because of God’s hands. Enjoy!
STEPHEN LUKAS (Waiter) returns to the Ogunquit Playhouse having last performed here in the acclaimed Les Miserablés: Student Edition (Marius). Regional: Grease (Danny Zuko) Footloose, Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserablés: Student Edition (Marius), Peter Pan, The King and I, The Seacoast Repertory Theatre; Into the Woods (Jack); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Rough Crossing (Adam). Stephen is a Musical Theatre Major at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he will appear in HAIR in the fall. Thanks to Brad, Kim and all the others who have helped along the way.
MICHAEL MACLAREN (Ensemble) is originally from San Jose, California. Most recently he performed in Sweet Charity, Downtown Cabaret Theatre. At American Musical Theatre of San Jose he appeared in West Side Story (Diesel), A Chorus Line (Larry), and Wizard of Oz. Other favorite shows include Gypsy (Tulsa), Annie Get Your Gun (Tommy) and Mame (Older Patrick). He holds a BA in Chemistry and Theatre Arts from Santa Clara University. Before moving to the East Coast, he was a Senior Research Associate at Cell Biosciences. Between shows, he can be found at the beach! Much love to Mom, Dad and Katie.
TRIPP PETTIGREW (Waiter) hails from Chattanooga, Tennessee and is thrilled to return to season in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. While last summer’s production required audiences to see “a lot” of Tripp, audience members in Indianapolis enjoyed his full moon in Grease (Roger) last fall. Credits: Crazy For You (Bobby Child); Anything Goes (Billy Crocker); CATS (Skimbleshanks); The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Bazzard). Tripp received a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, is a proud Equity member and just bought an apartment in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. www.tripp-pettigrew.com IL&MYG.
GEORGE F. PIEHL (Horace Vandergelder) lives in Manchester, New Hampshire. Performing professionally since 1975, he has acted in or directed over 70 musicals and 60 comedies and dramas across the nation. In 1981 George and his wife, Jeannemarie Thorpe, founded Stage One Productions, a local, professional theatre company which produces dinner theatre throughout the winter months. Mr. Piehl is best known for Fiddler on the Roof (Tevye) and Man of La Mancha (Don Quixote). This is Mr. Piehl’s second appearance at the Ogunquit Playhouse and he is very pleased at being given the opportunity to perform for you once again
STEVEN RILEY (Ensemble) is thrilled to make his debut performance at the Ogunquit Playhouse and is proud to perform in his home state of Maine. Steven recently finished a short tour of CATS(McCavity/Plato). Credits: Cabaret (Bobby); Chicago (M.C./Roxie’s Boy); Oliver!; The New Hampshire Theatre Awards. He has appeared in numerous local and national commercials, infomercials and magazines, although performing live theatre is his true aspiration. This performance is dedicated to David; thanks for believing in me.
CHAD RITER (Waiter) Regional: Anything Goes (Dance Captain/Swing), Trump Plaza Atlantic City; Surflight 2005 (Dance Captain); Gavleston Island musicals 2003/2004 (Assistant Choreographer). A graduate of The Boston Conservatory, his favorite performance was Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party (Jackie). He is pleased to be a part of Hello, Dolly. For Dad.
CHRISTOPHER SERGEEFF (Ensemble) is excited to join the Ogunquit Playhouse Hello, Dolly. Regional: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Lefou); Footloose (Ren McCormack); Oklahoma! (Will Parker); Forever Plaid (Sparky); West Side Story (Action); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Gideon); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Benjamin). He has portrayed “the dead guy” twice on “Law & Order” and hopes next time he will be alive. Christopher is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
AMY SHURE (Minnie Fay) is excited to perform a dream role and be back at the Ogunquit Playhouse having danced in last season’s Swing!. NYC credits: The Mikado, New York City Opera at Lincoln Center; Radio City Music Hall; The Joyce Theatre. Tours: CATS (Rumpleteazer); The Wizard of Oz. Europe: Golden Musicals of Broadway. Regional: Pittsburgh CLO; Maine State Music Theatre; KC Starlight; Atlanta TOTS. Other credits: West Side Story (Anybodys); Grease (Frenchy); A Chorus Line(Connie); New Jersey Tap Ensemble. Recordings: Watch Your Step, Musicals Tonight! She sends hugs and kisses to her nephew and niece, Jack and Erin.
KRISTYN D. SMITH (Ensemble) is grateful for this opportunity! “To mama, grandma, and sis, thanks for being a constant source of light.” Credits: 42nd Street, Broadway, First National Tour; Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Boston; Anything Goes (Purity), Theatre Under The Stars; The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, C.A.A. BA Psychology - Northwestern University. EccB: 1-8.
STEVEN STEIN-GRAINGER (Rudolph) is thrilled to join the company of Hello, Dolly. Broadway: Sunset Boulevard (Max von Mayerling) opposite Glenn Close, Betty Bucklet and Elaine Paige. National Tours/Toronto: The Phantom of the Opera (Ubaldo Piangi) directed by Harold Prince. Regional: Williamstown, Two River Theater Company, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Bristol Riverside. Credits: Sweeney Todd (Beadle Bamford); Oliver! (Mr. Bumble); My One and Only (Prince Nikki); Man of La Mancha (Padre); A Little Night Music (Mr. Erlanson). Animation: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kirby, One Piece. Proud member of Actors Equity Association.
KRISTEN BETH WILLIAMS (Irene Molloy) makes her Ogunquit Playhouse debut. Credits: “Capitol Fourth” with Jason Alexander, PBS; White Christmas (Rhoda), Los Angeles; Swing!; On The Town(Flossie), Applause, (Debi) Reprise!; Call Me Madam, Goodspeed; The Sound of Music, Paper Mill Playhouse; Bye Bye Birdie (Rosie Alvarez), Downey CLO; Jesus’ Kid Brother (Mary Pilate) ICT Long Beach; Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbit); How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Hedy La Rue), Music Theatre of Wichita; Sondheim’s 75th Celebration; Camelot, Hollywood Bowl. Recordings: White Christmas. University of Oklahoma graduate; proud member of Actors’ Equity. Love to Joe and “The Fam,” and thanks to Steve and the team at KSA.
BRADFORD T. KENNEY (Executive Artistic Director) is thrilled to join such an outstanding staff and Board of Directors in shepherding the Ogunquit Playhouse through one of the most exciting times in the history of both the Playhouse and Ogunquit itself. As the Artistic Director at the Foothills Theatre in Worcester, Massachusetts, he oversaw such productions as: Miss Saigon, Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, Cabaret (National Regional Premiere), Dick and Jimmy Van Patten in The Sunshine Boys, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Regional Premiere) and Ragtime. He is Co-Founder of the Wachusett Theatre Company in Massachusetts which produced: The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Aida (Northeast Regional Premiere), Ted Lange in Damn Yankees and Eddie Mekka in Fiddler on the Roof. Mr. Kenney’s productions have been nominated for five Independent Reviewers of New England Awards. In addition to his production credits, Brad was named one of Worcester’s top business and community leaders by the Worcester Business Journal and is listed in Who’s Who. Performance credits include: the title role in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Sorcerer, Salisbury Lyric Opera; Iolanthe (Strephon), Savoyard Light Opera; Carousel (Billy Bigelow); Titanic (Barrett the Stoker); Company (Bobby); Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson); The King and I (King); Hello, Dolly(Cornelius). He dedicates this time in the theatre to the memory of Ryan Curtis.
KIMBERLY STARLING (Associate Artistic Director) arrived in 2001 as the Box Office/Subscription Manager but was so involved with the operations of the Playhouse; she was named the Director of Operations by the end of that year. A native of Rollinsford, New Hampshire, Kim attended Plymouth State College in the White Mountains. She became Box Office Manager at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire, which led to a five-year stint as the Front of House & Audience Services Manager at the Emerson Majestic Theatre in Boston. Next, Kim returned to her beloved White Mountains as the Managing Director at the North Country Center for the Arts. Missing her family and friends brought her back to the Seacoast and the Playhouse. Kim’s most important role in life is sister, niece, daughter, granddaughter, cousin and most especially aunt to a crazy clan in Dover, New Hampshire; she enjoys travel to her homeland of Northern Ireland.
BT MCNICHOLL (Director) will direct the European premiere of The Producers in September, followed by Cabaret at the Folies Bergère in Paris in October, after which he will work again on Broadway with Sam Mendes on the new David Hare play The Vertical Hour starring Julianne Moore. In December, he opens A Christmas Story, based on the fi lm, at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. Favorite productions include: Very Good Eddie – Best Musical 2004, Goodspeed Opera House; Camilla – 2002 Kleban Award, Walnut Street Theatre; The Cherry Orchard – Best Production 2003, Dorset Theatre Festival; Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, International tour. He won the Australian “Tony” award for Cabaret, which he also staged in Amsterdam and Madrid, where it is the longest running play in Spanish history. He wrote the lyrics for the well-received musical The It Girl and is co-writing and directing new theatrical entertainment for Busch Gardens in 2007. McNicholl served on the creative teams of seven Broadway shows, including Sondheim’s Passion and the Nathan Lane revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He is currently a Development Consultant for MGM, for whom he has also created a new version of Some Like It Hot.
ROBERT V. THURBER (Associate Director) is very happy to be back at the Cabaret well with BT McNicholl and Susan Taylor, having worked on this production variously as Stage Manager (1st National Tour), Production Consultant (Madrid), and Assistant Director (2nd National Tour). He’s also happy to be back at the Ogunquit Playhouse, where he worked in 1999 as the advance stage manager for their production of Deathtrap. He can most often be found stage managing. NYC credits include 700 SUNDAYS (Assistant Stage Manager), Dinah Was, The Rat Pack Is Back!, Now Hear This!, Deep Down, Avow, Goodwill, and A Good Swift Kick (all as PSM). National Tours include the afore-mentioned Cabaret as well as Les Misérables (also as 1st ASM). Regional PSM credits include Goodspeed Opera’s premieres of Actor, Lawyer, Indian Chief and Silver Dollar, Dennis DeYoung’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Tennessee Repertory Theatre, and various shows at Portland Stage Company, Arizona Theatre Company, and Paper Mill Playhouse.
BRUCE BARNES (Musical Director) is delighted to return to the Ogunquit Playhouse where he served as Musical Director for Nunsense II, starring Pat Carroll. Recently, he was the Musical Director of Damn Yankees at North Shore Music Theatre. Broadway: Peter Pan (Conductor) with Cathy Rigby; The Roundabout Theatre’s Cabaret (Assistant Conductor), Studio 54. Credits include: West Side Story, European & Japanese Tour; Lincoln Center’s Meet the Artist Series, International Tours. National Tours: Kiss Me, Kate; Cabaret; Peter Pan; CATS. As a pianist, Bruce has accompanied a range of artists from Eartha Kitt to Beverly Sills.
SUSAN TAYLOR (Choreographer) is thrilled to work on her seventh production of Cabaret with BT. Currently there are productions running in Amsterdam, Madrid and soon in Paris. She performed in the production of Cabaret on Broadway as well as the first National Tour. On Broadway she also performed in Victor/Victoria with Julie Andrews and Sideshow, which she also can be heard on the cast album of. In Vienna she performed in Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Marta/Spiderwoman) – cast album, CATS, Elizabeth, Kiss Me, Kate, Grease (Cha-Cha) – cast album, Sweet Charity (Charity), Freudiana, West Side Story as well as many TV shows and commercials. She starred opposite Jerry Lewis in Damn Yankees (Lola) on the National Tour as well as the West End in London. Regionally she performed at The Radio City Music Hall in New York City and a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. She performed as a principal dancer with the Oakland Ballet Company for eleven years and was privileged to work with Eugene Loring and Agnes DeMille, to name of course just a few. She is married to Corey Brill, has a beautiful daughter named Chloe and lives in Southern California.
ROBERT LEVINSTEIN (Production Stage Manager) Robert is very happy to return to his Maine extended family at the Playhouse for his 5th season. Broadway: Waiting in the Wings (with the legendary Lauren Bacall), Voices in the Dark, Parade (Lincoln Center). Off-Broadway: Clue: The Musical. Pre-Broadway Workshop: The Jazz Singer. National Tour: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Regional Tours: AIDA, Fame. Regional: Resident PSM for North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA 2000/2001 Seasons. Resident PSM for the Ogunquit Playhouse 2003/2006 seasons which included Always…Patsy Cline with the lovely Sally Struthers. This winter, Robert will be the PSM for the National Tour of Camelot starring Michael York. Robert is a proud member of Actors Equity Association. All my love to Alan for all his years of love and support.
RICHARD ELLIS (Scenic Designer) NYC credits: Yardbird, Gardens of Frau Hess, Home of the Brave, Fifth of July, Cradle Song, The Radio City Music Hall. Stock: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, CATS, Evita, Chicago, Aida, Smokey Joe’s Café, Footloose, Always…Patsy Cline. Industrials/Theme Park: American Brands, Showtime, Pizza Hut, Dollywood, Opryland, Silver Dollar City. Scenery for Alley Theatre, American Theatre Company, Stages St. Louis, Maine State Music Theatre, Stamford Theatre Works, Westport Playhouse, Tennessee Repertory, Helen Hayes Theatre, Downtown Cabaret, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Playhouse on the Square. Graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Design Program and currently on faculty at the Theatre Program at Lehman College.