Meet the Cast
LEAD ROLES
SALLY STRUTHERS (Mayor Matilda Hyde), a two-time Emmy Award winner, attended the famed Pasadena Playhouse College of Theatre Arts. She won the Gloria Stivic role in “All in the Family” and the rest is television history. She appeared in the classic films, “Five Easy Pieces” and “The Getaway” and in several television movies. Sally also starred in the television series, “9 to 5,” “Gloria,” “Still Standing,” and “Gilmore Girls.” She appeared on the Broadway stage in Wally’s Café, The Odd Couple, and Grease and has starred in numerous theatre productions around the country. Sally has starred several times as Louise Seger, Patsy Cline’s most avid fan, in the musical, Always Patsy Cline. Sally was named Best Actress 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.
CHRIS CRITELLI (Chad) is proud to be back at Artpark, his old stompin’ grounds, once more! Off-Broadway: The New Hopeville Comics (Perfect Man). Off-Off: The Hypochondriac (Clay). NYC: Kidnapping Laura Linney (Steve); Plight of the Platypus (Robbie Donnelly - Reading). REG: Tinyard Hill (David Kingsley - World Premiere); Tales From the Bad Years (Man 2 - Workshop); Othello (Cassio); Urinetown (Bobby Strong); A Man of No Importance (Robbie Fay); Star Quality (Bryan Snow). A veteran of the university stage, Chris earned his BFA in Music Theatre (Magna Cum Laude) at the University at Buffalo. "Much love for the people, past, present & future that put thoughts in my head and love in my heart. Mom, Dad, Ali - for you."
Carey Anderson (Natalie) is thrilled to be making her ARTPARK debut! Carey has appeared - and holds the title of being the longest running Sophie- in Broadway's Mama Mia, as well as appearing as Kate Monster/Lucy in Avenue Q on Broadway. Her favorite regional credits include Cathy in The Last Five Years; Edwin Drood in The Mystery of Edwin Drood; Nellie Forbush in South Pacific; and Emily Webb in Our Town. Carey is currently finishing up her solo debut album "Middle of Three," to be released in September and will be touring Japan this fall playing Belle in a concert version of Beauty and the Beast with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Carey would like to thank her Buffalo Bills-loving husband, Devon Goffman. For more information, please visit www.careyanderson.com
Keith Ersing (Jim) is excited to return to Artpark after playing the role of Potiphar in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast! Some of his additional favorite credits include: The History Channel’s Documentary, “The Hauntings of New York” (Sullivan Brother); The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s Fiddler on the Roof “In Concert” (Motel); The Music Man "In Concert" (Charlie Cowell); Artpark: Aida (Ensemble), The Full Monty (Tony/Police); Musicalfare: Pippin (Pippin); Alleyway: Suburb (Man 1 - World Premiere); Studio Arena/Musicalfare: Bat Boy (Bud). Keith received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from SUNY at Fredonia and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Florida State University. He has been the Choral/Drama Director at West Seneca West Senior High School for the past 10 years and is also a professor on the Musical Theatre Voice Faculty at the University at Buffalo. A special thanks to George, Randy, Lynne, and Susan for this opportunity!
BETTI O (Sylvia) was born and raised in St. Louis, MI, and has traveled all over the world while making her home in Manhattan, KS. Her credits include theatre, TV, voiceover, movies, commercials, as well as lead vocalist roles with several different bands. She was honored with the “Most Memorable Performance” award at the legendary Showtime at the Apollo Theatre and recently traveled back to Europe to record a new CD. Betti O has sung the national anthem at numerous special events, including NASCAR races, Major League Baseball games, the annual Country Stampede, and once entertained a presidential candidate. She has had the honor of performing live onstage in Germany, Japan, Guam, and Hawaii and is sooo excited to be performing at Artpark. Thanks so much to Wayne Bryan aka Sweet Papa!!! This one is for my family, Richard Sr. and Richard Jr. and in loving memory of Raina Marie.
SHANNON ANTALAN (Lorraine) has been seen on Broadway in Caroline or Change and Xanadu; and Off-Broadway in Junie B. Jones and Rosa Parks. She has performed on the first national tour of Hairspray as Inez, as well as several shows across the country, including Abyssinia (Abyssinia), High School Musical and High School Musical 2 (Taylor), and Crowns (Yolanda). Represented by Bret Adams Ltd & Atlas Talent, Shannon has also appeared in several commercials. “Success is a Journey, not a destination.” Live and Love. xoxo Gabrielle
GRANT GUSTIN (Dean) is very excited for his first year at Artpark! Some previous regional theatre credits: Cats (Mungojerrie); Annie Get your Gun (Tommy Keeler); The Drowsy Chaperone (Robert Martin); and White Christmas. Other theatre credits: Cabaret (Emcee); 110 In The Shade (Jimmy Curry); Kiss Me, Kate (Hortensio); and Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour). Grant would like to thank his Elon family and his real family for all of their love and support.
JARED LOFTIN (Dennis) is so excited to be returning to Artpark after last summer's production of Joseph... Jared is a rising senior at Elon University, where is a Music Theatre major and has been seen in productions of 110 in the Shade, Nine, Sweeney Todd, A Chorus Line, Assassins, and Edges, as well as some new works, i.d. and West of Marion. Love to my family and Elon family, especially M, T, and J. Thanks Lynne.
COURTNEY MARKOWITZ (Miss Sandra) is thrilled to be returning to Artpark after being seen last summer in Joseph... Previous credits: Oliver (Rose Seller) and Bye Bye Birdie (Ensemble) at Pittsburgh CLO; The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet), The Producers (Ulla) and Company (Susan) at Central Piedmont Summer Theater. A graduate of Elon University with a BFA in Music Theatre, Courtney can be seen as "Ilse" in the upcoming National Tour of Spring Awakening. Much love and thanks to family, friends, and Miss Lynne.
ROBERT INSANA (Sheriff Earl), last seen In Kaleidoscope’s production of Jake’s Women, has performed on virtually every major stage in the Western New York area over his 24-year career. Some of his more notable roles have been “Billy Flynn” (Chicago), Groucho Marx’s ”Captain Spaulding” (Animal Crackers), “Felix Unger” (The Odd Couple), “George Bailey” (It’s a Wonderful Life), “The Baker” (Into the Woods), and “Jim” (Pumpboys & Dinettes) for which he won the very first “Artie” award for best Actor in a Musical. Also an accomplished singer/guitarist, Robert has performed his solo act from here to Florida for over 35 years.
ENSEMBLE
Matt Allen is pumped to be joining Artpark this summer! A Kansas City native, Matthew's past credits include Fat Camp at NYC's NYMF 2009 (Titus); Asst Choreographer to Dave Parsons, Artistic Director at The Parsons Dance Company in NYC; HAIR! 40th Anniversary European National Tour (Tribe/Us Woof/Dance Captain); Cats (Dance Captain); West Side Story (Action/Assistant Choreographer). BIG thanks and all my love to Mom & Dad, T&E, J&T and MSA! Enjoy!
Delius Doherty is elated to be a working actor - thank you Artpark! A graduate of the High School for the Performing Arts in Houston, TX, he recently received his B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Penn State and would like to thank MTX, 712A, The Colony, the faculty and staff. WE ARE PENN STATE! His favorite credits include Richie in A Chorus Line; Adrian in Smokey Joe's Café; Simon in Jesus Christ Superstar; and Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls. Continual love and gratitude goes out to family and friends for being a constant support system!
Christian Donnelly is thrilled to return to the Artpark stage where he has played characters such as Snowboy in West Side Story, Will Parker in Oklahoma! and Mike in A Chorus Line. Other theater credits include Andy Lee in the National Tour of 42nd Street, Don Lockwood in Singing in the Rain at The Crown in Wichita (where he was also resident choreographer for a year), and Lucky in Dames at Sea at Cohoes Music Hall. Most recently he has been working for the Northeast Ballet Company and Northeast Dance Ensemble where he was a choreographer and principal dancer.
Dameka Hayes is thrilled to be working with this talented cast. Some of Dameka's favorite stage credits include The Lion King on Broadway and the first national tour of The Color Purple. She was also a Laker Girl and toured with Diddy. Among her television and commercial credits are “Boardwalk Empire,” “Scrubs,” “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” and Budweiser's "Whassup!" campaign. Dameka is currently a student of an amazing, two-year acting program at the Maggie Flanigan Studio in NYC.
Julianne Katz is thrilled to be making her Artpark debut. She hails from Tucson, AZ, and is a recent graduate of Elon University with a BFA in Music Theatre. Credits include Chava in Fiddler on the Roof (Sacramento Music Circus); The Who's Tommy (Arkansas Repertory Theatre); Kiss Me Kate; Crazy for You; 42nd Street; and Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Julianne will be making her National Touring debut in the fall as Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof. Much love and gratitude to my supportive family!
Patrick Leahy currently is a B.F.A. dance student at the University of Buffalo. While at UB, Patrick is a member of the Zodiac Dance Company and has performed in shows such as Dancers Workshop and the Emerging
Choreographers Showcase. He also holds an observership position in Buffalo's renowned dance company,
Lehrerdance. Patrick also teaches dance at studios in both Rochester and Buffalo, including The Royal
Academy of Ballet, and Spins Dance Studio. Patrick is thrilled to return to the stage and share his love for theatre in this year's production of All Shook Up.
Adam Lendermon holds a B.F.A. in Acting and a Dance Minor from Adelphi University. He has toured nationally with Cats (Skimbleshanks) and internationally with West Side Story (Big Deal). Regional credits include: The Specialist/US Cousin Kevin in The Who’s Tommy (Arkansas Rep); Greg in A Chorus Line (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse); A Christmas Carol (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); Beauty and the Beast (Artpark); La Cage Aux Folles (Arvada Center); and Cabaret (Gateway Playhouse). Thanks to Lynne and Randy for having me back for round two!
Anna Marszalkowski is excited to be returning to Artpark after appearing in Artpark’s Beauty and the Beast in the summer of 2008. As a double major in Dance and Communication at the University at Buffalo, she plans on performing often after she graduates next year. This summer, she is participating in the Radio City Rockette’s Summer Intensive Program and hopes to become a Rockette someday. She would like to thank her parents for their endless love and support.
Danielle Rae McKay is thrilled to be returning to the Artpark stage after performing in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Simeon’s wife) last summer. She is receiving her Music Education degree this year at Buffalo State College. She was most recently seen in Anything Goes (Angel) and Hair (Jeanie) at Buffalo State College and the Card Index Scattered at the University at Buffalo, as well as Forty-Second Street (Annie), West Side Story (Velma), and numerous shows with Silvertree Productions. Danielle would like to thank her incredible family and friends for their love and support and would like to tell the cast to rock on!
Tracey Mellon is a New York City native currently double-majoring in Musical Theatre and Dance at the University at Buffalo. Prior to college, she trained in dance at the Alvin Ailey School while attending Professional Performing Arts High School in Manhattan. Favorite past shows include Little Shop of Horrors (Ronette), RENT (Ensemble/Dance Captain), The Cherry Orchard (Madame Lubov), Nine (Sarraghina) and Miss Saigon (Gigi). She dedicates this show to her parents, friends, and Eddie for always giving her all their love and support.
Jessica Miranda is a recent graduate of Dean College where she received a B.A in Dance. She is trained in all styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, modern, and hip hop with a concentration in musical theater. Jessica has been a cast member in theatrical productions such as My Favorite Year, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sweet Charity, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Chicago, and Godspell. Currently, she is under the representation of MSA and is actively performing while still focusing on developing her craft.
Immanuel Naylor, a Maryland native, is a founding member and Associate Director of LehrerDance, a professional touring dance company based in Buffalo. Since moving to Buffalo, he has performed as Ensemble in Artpark's Aida, as Ensemble in Musicalfare Theater’s American Rhapsody and as Soldier Doll/Russian in Dancenter North’s The Nutcracker (Waukegan, IL) in addition to touring around the country with LehrerDance. He is also a founding member of Kearns Dance Project based in Burlington, NC. Immanuel appears courtesy of LehrerDance.
Alex Pepper is currently a senior, Music Theatre and Dance major at Elon University in North Carolina. He has appeared in Nine, Kiss Me Kate, 110 in the Shade and numerous dance concerts at Elon. He was also a tap dancer in the Kennedy Center’s 2005 Spring Gala, hosted by Julie Andrews. Other Regional performances include: Oklahoma (Will Parker), Gypsy (Tulsa) and La Cage Aux Folles (Jean-Michel).
Christopher Staskel is psyched to be a part of Artpark's production of All Shook Up this summer! He is a recent graduate of Elon University, where performance credits include Sweeney Todd (Tobias), Assassins (Lee Harvey Oswald), and Kiss Me, Kate (Gremio). Professional credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour) at Heritage Theatre Festival; Meet Me in St. Louis (Warren Sheffield) and All Shook Up (Ensemble) at Flat Rock Playhouse. This fall, Chris will be earning his MFA in Musical Theatre Writing at NYU.
Lyndsey Thuerck is a recent graduate of the University at Buffalo where she received her BFA in Music Theatre and BA in Communications. A Buffalo native, she has studied dance for several years at Eugenia's Dance Studio and loves to help her parents out at the Broadway Deli! She is also thrilled to be back on the Artpark stage for the third consecutive year. Recently, Lyndsey has been seen in Scarcity (Martha), On The Town (Ivy Smith), Joseph… (Levi's Wife), and, coming soon, Shout! (Red Girl). Lyndsey would love to thank her loving parents, sisters, and boyfriend James for all of their love and support. BOW!
Hayley Williams leads an international dancing and teaching career. She has toured with numerous artists and dance companies throughout China, Japan, Iraq, Kuwait, and the U.S. Hayley started her career cheering for the Buffalo Bills and then danced professionally for the Cleveland Cavaliers Dance Team. She was a principal dancer in the companies Le Femme, VIP Dolls, and Torey Nelson's Live Co. Hayley has been a backup dancer on tour with artists including Grammy Award winner Brian Mcknight, Bow Wow, Omarion, Vic, Estelle, Ryan Leslie, and Lloyd, and opened shows for Fabolous. Hayley has danced on MTV's “My Super Sweet Prom,” “America’s Best Dance Crew,” and was featured in National Dance Week’s “NYC Performance Showcase.” Hayley was in the cast of Artpark's Joseph… last summer and is looking forward to another amazing summer in All Shook Up.
APPRENTICES
JORDYN HOLKA is extremely excited to be a part of this talented Artpark cast! As a rising senior at Nardin Academy, she looks forward to participating in the winter musical, heading her school’s Glee Club, and dancing at Lewiston Dance. Some of her more recent theater productions include The Wiz, High School Musical, and High School Musical 2. She would like to thank her family and friends for all of their constant love and support. Love you all!
Marina Laurendi is proud to be making her Artpark debut in All Shook Up. A junior at Lewiston-Porter High School, Marina has performed throughout WNY in numerous roles and venues, including Suessical the Musical (JoJo), and Joseph… (wife, prisoner) at Lancaster Opera House, The Wiz (road, monkey, tornado, dancer) at Erie Community College, Green Eggs and Ham (Soprano soloist) at Southern-Tier Symphony Orchestra, Gypsy (Baby June) at Niagara University, Cinderella (Cinderella) and Bye Bye Birdie (Ursula) at LPHS, and numerous other productions. Many thanks to her family and friends for all their love and support.
MATTHEW MOULIN will be a senior this fall at Williamsville East. Matt has been a proud member of the Academy Encore Ensemble at the Academy of Theatre Arts for the last four years, and has been taking classes there since he was nine. His favorite roles include: Mereb in Aida, Agwe in Once on This Island, Ichabod Crane in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Chino in West Side Story, and Charlie in Charlie’s Aunt. Matt would like to thank his life-long director and coach, Dina Slawson, director at the ATA theatre. Matt would also like to thank his family and, above all, Artpark for such a wonderful opportunity. To the cast and crew: BREAK A LEG!!!
THOMAS NEWTON, a recent graduate from St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, is excited to return to Artpark this summer after having previously appeared in The King and I and Oklahoma. T.J. was last seen as Tommy in Annie Get Your Gun at the Palace Theatre. He gives thanks to his family and friends for all their love and support. T.J will be attending Marymount Manhattan College for musical theatre in the fall.
MADISON YANOFSKY is a singer and actress who has performed in theatre for many years. With a recent move from Burlington, VT to Western New York, this is Madi's second show this year. This spring, Madi played the role of Kim Macafee in Lewiston-Porter High School's production of Bye Bye Birdie. Madi has also appeared on stage in numerous VT theatre productions such as Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street, the Baroness in The Sound of Music, Tess in Crazy For You, and many others. Madi has taken six years of dance and voice lessons and has been playing the guitar and songwriting for the past two years. She hopes to follow a career in acting as well as music. Madi enjoys her time on stage and is very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this summer’s production of All Shook Up.
