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Emma Gingold / Friday, January 8, 2016 / Categories: Past Shows

The Music Man

Naperville Central High School Auditorium, July 29-Aug 7, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 3:00pm

Event date: 7/29/2016 8:30 PM - 8/7/2016 4:00 PM Export event

This 1957 musical by Meredith Willson originally starred Robert Preston in the role of Harold Hill, a con man from Illinois who travels to Iowa to sell band instruments and uniforms to the unsuspecting people of River City, planning to run off with the money before having to give a single music lesson. The skeptical librarian and piano teacher, Marian Paroo, attempts to convince the townspeople that he is a cheat, but Marian and Harold soon find themselves falling in love with each other. 

The musical boasts a cast of colorful characters taken directly from Willson’s Iowa childhood, including the comically serious Mayor Shinn and his loquacious wife Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn (played in the film by Hermoine Gingold), Marian’s Irish mother Mrs. Paroo, shy and awkward little Winthrop Paroo, and criminal-turned-homebody Marcellus Washburn. River City is also home to a school board that didn’t know it was a barbershop quartet, and a whole school full of children who just want to play in a band. 

Willson’s jam-packed musical score won a Grammy Award for such favorites as “76 Trombones,” “Till There Was You,” “Ya Got Trouble,” and “The Wells Fargo Wagon.” Set in pre-World War I America, The Music Man shows us a simpler time that most of us don’t remember, but that we recognize and yearn for; in fact, this rousing, all-American score is pumped through the speakers at Walt Disney World as you arrive on Main Street USA. 
 

A Quick Glimpse of the Show

 
The Music Man is the first musical Summer Place Theatre ever produced.

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Our Director: Katelyn Stoss

Katelyn is thrilled to be working with Summer Place Theatre on Meredith Willson’s charming classic, The Music Man!, as are we! 

A native of Hutchinson, Kansas, Katelyn graduated Magna Cum Laude with her BFA in Musical Theatre from Wichita State University in 2014. She is currently a Tour Actor/Director with Missoula Children's Theatre. 

Stoss has had the privilege of working with community theatres, high school drama programs, dance studios, and now hundreds of kids in communities across the North West and Canada. In 2015 she choreographed A Christmas Story, Beauty and the Beast, and the Wizard of Oz. She was most recently seen on stage playing Schwartzy in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and the Mad Hatter in Shrek the Musical as well as serving as the assistant to the choreographer. Her favorite collegiate role was Elaine in Crazy for You, which she again served as the assistant to the choreographer. She was also featured as Tracy Turnblad in The Best of Broadway Revue and Kate in Pirates of Penzance.  

With a couple decades of dance training in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, musical theatre, contemporary, and other disciplines, she can often be found teaching master classes.  She also has extensive experience as a tap assistant, dance captain, and choreographer. Outside of her vocal instrument, she also plays flute, guitar, ukulele, and kazoo. She loves pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. 

Our Cast

Keith Aarseth (Mayor Shinn) is pleased to be making his Summer Place debut in one of his favorite musicals. Keith has previously appreared in Wheaton Drama's productions of 1776 (Charles Thomson) and The Secret Garden (Lt Wright, Ensemble) and last summer's North Central College production of The Music Man (Oliver Hix). He also has appeared with The Naperville Light Opera in their productions of HMS Pinafore (Boatswain), Gondoliers (Ensemble), Princes Ida (Prince Guron), Iolanthe (Pvt Willis, Chorus), Trial by Jury (Jurist) and The Sorcerer (Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre). Many thanks to Katelyn, Evan and a wonderful cast for putting together a special show. "Special thanks to my wife Emily for encouraging and supporting me in one of my dream roles."

Janaki Amerson (Ensemble) has appeared in several small plays at the School for the Performing Arts but is excited to be in her first "grown-up" production at Summer Place! In the Fall she is looking forward to 3rd grade, singing with Young Naperville Singers, studying Musical Theater, as well as classical Indian Dance. She is so thankful for the generosity and patience the whole Music Man family has shown her throughout this summer.

Lisa Baggott-Miller (Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn) has appeared with Summer Place in the Sound of Music, Man of La Mancha, 1776, and two of the Cabarets. She has performed with many other theatres in the Chicago area over the years. Some of her favorite roles are: Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Amalia Balash in She Loves Me, Abigail Adams in 1776, the Old Lady in Sunday in the Park with George, and Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit. She is the manager of The Canterbury Carollers who have performed at the White House five times since 2005. Lisa lives in Villa Park with her very patient husband, Daniel. She has degrees in Graphic Design and Speech Communication and she works as an artist at Trader Joe's. "Thanks to Katelyn and Ted for giving me the chance to play Eulalie! Special thanks to Lisa and Dr. Kaszuba!"

Bruce Bell (Oliver Hix) is excited to be performing with the barbershop quartet in the Music Man, truly a lifelong dream. Thank you Summer Place! He loves singing and has been performing with the Naperville Chorus since 2009 and the Fox Valley Orchestra Chorus since 2011. Prior to that he sang in a small opera in Chicago in 1973 and performed in various school musicals including playing trumpet in the pit band for the Music Man at Deerfield HS. "Special thanks to my patient wife of 30 years, Mary."

Mary Boyadzhiev (Ensemble) is new to Naperville and has fallen in love with the city and the people. "I have always dreamed of being in a play and my dream has finally come true. The Music Man will be my very first play and I am very grateful to be a part of the production." We're happy you're now part of the family, Mary!

JohnWesley Brown (Jacey Squires/Featured Dancer/Ensemble) is pleased to join Summer Place Theater for the first time. Wesley is a music teacher, director and performer in and around the greater Chicago area. Pasted performance opportunities include Les Mis with the Racine Theater Guild, Fidelio with Skylight Music Theater in Milwakee, and Puccini's Turandot with the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee. Past directing includes Seussical, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Music Man Jr.

Jay Cantrell (Ewart Dunlop) grew up in Wauwatosa, WI. His hobbies include scuba diving, electronics, writing apps, reading, historical research. If you were in doubt as to how interesting you are, compare yourself to Jay, who is a direct descendent of Miles Standish (the military advisor who travelled on the Mayflower and organized the defense of Plymouth Colony) and who also holds 12 patents. Jay has performed in Summer Place Theater shows including: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Issachar), How to Succeed in Business (Mr Jenkins), Jesus Christ Superstar (Follower) and several cabarets. Whiterock Community Theater: You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown). "Thanks to my wife Gloria for all your support. Love to my family and much thanks to the cast, crew, and directors of this show."

Madeline Collins (Featured Dancer/Ensemble) is a Naperville native and new to our stage, but not to acting. She was the witch in Into The Woods and Sandy in Grease, both at Center Stage. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Samar Dababneh (Featured Dancer/Ensemble) is so excited to finally be back on the stage again! Her last show was Grease where she played Marty. She took a break from theatre to focus on pursuing her Master's in Communications and teaching Public Speaking, while coaching the speech team. A few of her most memorable shows were: The Diary of Anne Frank, My Favorite Year, Guys & Dolls, The King & I, and Annie where she made her first musical theatre debut as a nervous and timid 7th grader playing the role of "The Star To Be." She couldn't be happier to work with such a talented cast!

Andrew Dearing (Ensemble) is a 2nd grader at Ellsworth Elementary. He is a proud Cub Scout and is excited to be in his first show with his whole family.

Elizabeth Dearing (Ensemble) is a 5th grader at Ellsworth Elementary. She has previously appeared in Gypsy, The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh. She is looking forward to performing in her first musical in Naperville, which also happens to be the first musical she ever attended as a toddler. She loves reading, computer coding and making up plays with her friends.

Matthew T. Dearing (Charlie Cowell) recently relocated to Naperville with his family and is ready to get back into community theatre. A few of his past performances include Juror #8 in Twelve Angry Men, Thomas Jefferson in 1776, Mitch Albom in Tuesdays with Morrie, The Historian (and others) in Spamalot and Yvan in 'Art'. He also directed QED: A Play whiched merged his interests in science and theatre by bringing together regional physicists for lively discussions with the audience during and after the show. Matthew is ecstatic to have his entire family together on the stage.

Michelle Dearing (Pick a Little Lady/Ensemble) is a freelance writer and substitute teacher for Naperville School District 203. Favorite roles include Martha in 1776, Martha in White Christmas, Lizzie in the Rainmaker, Alice in You Can't Take It With You, Mollie in The Mousetrap and Bobbi Michele in Last of the Red Hot Lovers. She is excited to be spending her summer in River City with her family.

Rich Gannon (Travelling Salesman/Ensemble) appeared in 10 productions for The Summer Place from 1974-84, most staged in the tent, and is delighted to be a part of our 50th anniversary. An actor, director, and scenic designer, he is a life member of Grove Players. He serves as a board member of the American Association of Community Theatre and is co-chair of next April's Region III AACTFest in Champaign, IL. Rich and his wife, Nanci, reside in Naperville.

Nicole Giunta (Amaryllis) is a 7th grader at Hill Middle School. She has done 12 musicals with Kidz Kabaret and she is currently in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Nikki also participated this year in her middle school's musical, Bye Bye Birdie, where she was Margie and the understudy for Rosie. This is her very first show with us and she would like to thank the director and everyone at the auditions for giving her the opportunity to have such a big role in her first show here. Nikki would like to tell any young individual out there, that you CAN follow your dreams and don't ever be afraid to try something new.

Lexi Grueneberg (Gracie Shinn) is excited to be performing with us for the first time! After seeing a local theater group perform The Music Man in the spring, she couldn't wait to audition with us. During the school year, Lexi performs with Spotlight Youth Theater. Past shows: The Wizard of Oz, Annie, A Year with Frog and Toad, and Seussical the Musical. When not performing, Lexi can be found reading Harry Potter, swimming, cooking and baking for her family and friends. She is looking forward to 5th grade in the fall!

Nicole Grueneberg (Alma Hix) is in her first production with us, and her debut performance in an acting role. Having both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education, and a background in dance, she is no stranger to the stage, though. She was encouraged by her daughter Lexi (Gracie Shinn) to audition with her, and is grateful for the opportunity to work with such amazing people (especially her awesome Pick-a-Little peeps)! When she is not at rehearsals, she is the Operations Manager at OneWay Ministries in Aurora, and also teaches group and private string instrument lessons.

Shannon Hansen (Mrs. Squires) hails from the beautiful state of Pennsylvania and now lives in St. Charles. She enjoys sunshine, laughter, American flags and breakfast food. After participating in dance and theater from a young age and into college, she took a long break, but is thrilled to be joining Summer Place Theatre as a pickalittle lady in The Music Man! When not rehearsing, Shannon loves to spend time with friends and adores her job as Children's Ministry Director at her church, The Well, in Geneva, where she also leads high school girls and sings with the youth worship team. Great, big thank you to her friends and family for being as excited as she is, and the greatest thank you of all to Jesus, apart from whom she could do nothing. 2 Cor 5:21

Barb Higgs (Ensemble) is so excited to be in the Music Man. This is her second Summer Place Theater production. She was in Camelot last year. She is having great fun with the wonderful cast and crew.

Paige Kennedy (Zaneeta Shinn) is thrilled to be a part of Summer Place Theatre for the first time. She is a Music Education Major with a minor in Theatre Arts at Taylor University. Paige recently returned from a mission trip to Greece with the school's choral groups, visiting eight different cities there. A few of her favorite past productions have been Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Marriage of Figaro, and "Working" the Musical. She gives a big thank you to her parents who have supported, loved, and encouraged her since day one, and to her dear friend Greta, who has supported her through all of the shows over the years and loves musicals as much as she does. "Enjoy the show! Ye Gods!"

Gavin Knight (Winthrop Paroo) is an eleven year old who loves all things science, nature and when in season, a little football and baseball too. This is his first musical production, but he performs with his varsity choir at his local Junior High. He is the middle child of three and the life of the big family gatherings often had at our home. He is really looking forward to playing the role of Winthrop in the Naperville Community Theatre this summer!

Kelsey Kott (Featured Dancer/Ensemble) is thrilled to be back at Summer Place! She made her debut two years ago as Smitty in H2$. Other favorite credits include Assassins (Sara Jane Moore) and Crooked (Maribel). This fall she will be student teaching and then will graduate with a degree in Theatre Education from Illinois State University, where she has directed several shows. Special thanks to the company for a fun summer!

Ismael Leechuy (Olin Britt) - "Ish" - is very delighted to be part of The Music Man, and he is absolutely tickled to be cast as a member of the barbershop quartet. This is his 2nd project with Naperville's own Summer Place Theater and he continues to be impressed with the level of talent and enthusiasm of the entire cast and crew. He wishes to thank Katelyn, Evan and Ted for this wonderful opportunity to be part of such a creative and invigorating endeavor.

Caleb Lindgren (Travelling Salesman/Featured Dancer/Ensemble) is excited to be returning to the stage and fulfilling a childhood dream of being in the Music Man. A native of the West Coast, Caleb has previously appeared in a variety of roles from shows as varied as Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio), Arsenic and Old Lace (Jonathan Brewster), and Death of a Salesman (Willy Loman), and he couldn't be happier to make his musical debut with this show! Thanks and admiration to Katelyn, Evan, and a wonderful cast for putting together such a great show!

Kate Loeffler (Maud Dunlop) is a first time performer with the Summer Place, but she is no stranger to the stage. She has sung the National Anthem at several Joliet Slammers games, played Sister Margarethe in The Sound of Music and was Vocal Director for a community production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Currently, Kate teaches elementary general music and junior high chorus in Justice, IL, and has a private music studio. She also sings with Cantores Community Choir in Downers Grove and directs the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Choir in Woodridge. She is a former director of the Bolingbrook Community Chorus. Kate is very happy to be in this production of The Music Man! Love and thanks to friends and family for your support and encouragement.

Jessica Lotz (Featured Dancer/Ensemble) is thrilled to be back on stage after a 5 year hiatus and very excited to be joining the cast of The Music Man. Her love for theater started young and some of her credits include Little Shop of Horrors, West Side Story, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, Anything Goes, and many more. When not on stage or at work, Jessica enjoys directing small skits for her church's drama team, reading, running and cooking. She wants to give a big "Thank You" to all the friends and family who have supported her throughout the years!

George Lowery (Marcellus Washburn) is very excited to be in this wonderful production! George's past credits include Jean Valjean in Les Miserables (SPA), Sir Danvers in Jekyll and Hyde (NNHS), and Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde (NNHS). George enjoys building Lego spaceships and playing fantasy card games in his free time, and would like to thank his family for their support and anyone who's ever laughed at his terrible jokes! Enjoy the show!

Olivia Marr (Ensemble) is a Potterhead and Jedi who resides in Naperville with her 3 cats and 1 dog. The Music Man is her first play and she is super excited! Her hobbies include reading, obsessing over Harry, drawing, watching Cutthroat Kitchen, baking and cooking. She also adores Percy Jackson and the Olympians (a daughter of Athena herself) while despising the Twilight saga. Her most recent accomplishment was making delightful lemon bars with an almond shortbread crust. Enjoy the show!

Sharesa Uher Moffitt (Ethel Toffelmier) is thrilled to be joining SPT on stage again this summer as Ethel, the pianola girl! Previous shows include The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Spamalot, Hello Dolly, Once on this Island, Annie, Oliver, No No Nanette, Little Shop of Horrors, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Seussical and Jesus Christ Superstar. When not performing, she can be found teaching private voice/acting and piano. Vocal directing credits include Beauty and the Beast in 2016. She resides in La Grange Park. Much thanks to the staff and performers here for making this a memorable experience! Extended thanks to her husband, friends and family who are so supportive of her stage life!

Elizabeth Morgan (Featured Dancer/Ensemble) is so excited to be a part of her first Summer Place production! She's been on stage since 4th grade as Pecos Bill; favorite roles were in The Sound of Music, Seussical, Singin' in the Rain, Guys and Dolls, Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, Oliver!, Beauty and the Beast, and Peter Pan. Elizabeth teaches English, directs theatre productions and dabbles in costumes and makeup at Neuqua Valley High School. She would like to thank Summer Place (especially Katelyn, Evan, and Ted) for a fantastic and fun production, and a big shout out to her family for coming to see all her shows.

Abigail Munar (Ensemble) is new to Summer Place this year. She is going into 4th grade at Emily G Johns in Plano. She has been acting for 2 years. Music Man is her 11th production. She has been seen on stage with Indian Valley Theatre (Sandwich), Fox Country Players (Sugar Grove), and Stagecoach Players (DeKalb). Other musicals she has been in are Oliver, Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, as well as IVT's summer workshop productions of Scare O'Clock News, It's a Hard Bark Life and May the Rock be With You. "I want to thank my mom for driving me everywhere."

Ramona Ory (Pick a Little Lady/Ensemble) "Hurrah! I want to thank all of my co-workers who encouraged me to be on the stage once more; last time was 30 years ago. Thank you to all of my co-cheepers!"

Andrew Rye (Harold Hill) is very excited to return to the Summer Place after 2015's Camelot! His stage background is primarily in the world of opera and operetta, some highlights being the title role in Gianni Schicchi, Ko-Ko in The Mikado, and Schaunard in La Bohème. Some favorite solo concert memories are Handel's Messiah and Fauré's Requiem. Many years of choral experience include four with the Chicago Symphony Chorus and thirteen (and counting) with Grace United Methodist Church. Andrew is especially thrilled to have recruited his wife and sons to join the production for their first family show!

Charlie Rye (Ensemble) is a newcomer to the big stage, but a veteran of church musicals with the Grace United Methodist Children's Choirs. He is excited to be joining his parents and big brother as they move to River City for the summer! Charlie plays piano, holds a red belt in Tae Kwon Do, and loves retro video games.

Henry Rye (Travelling Salesman/Featured Dancer/Ensemble) has jumped with both feet into his first full-scale production with this year's Music Man. He has had lead roles in multiple musicals at Grace United Methodist Church, where he is also a member of the Children's Bell Ensemble. Henry had no plans to audition for The Music Man until he tagged along with the rest of his family to the open call and saw how much fun he would miss! Henry is a competitive swimmer, avid reader, sports fan, walking encyclopedia of car knowledge, and loves to play piano.

Jill Rye (Marian Paroo) is thrilled to appear in her first Summer Place production alongside her husband and sons and in a role she has always wanted to play! She has a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance, and enjoyed many years of professional singing. Some favorite roles include Nannetta (Falstaff), Micaëla (Carmen), Adele (Die Fledermaus), and Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance). Concert performance highlights include the soprano solos in Carmina Burana and Faure Requiem. Her love of the concert repertoire continues locally, where she sang the Faure, Rutter, and Forrest Requiems with the Grace United Methodist Chancel Choir and Orchestra, of which she is a regular member. When not performing, Jill happily shares her love of music with her students at Hobson School, where she is a preschool teacher.

Troy Schaeflein (Tommy Djilas) is a native of Bolingbrook making his debut at Summer Place thanks to his Zaneeta, Paige Kennedy. Past roles include Moritz in Spring Awakening and Robert Loeb in Never the Sinner. Welcome, Troy!

Markos Smith (Ensemble) is a young actor who loves music with all his heart. Previous roles include Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, and Shrek in Shrek the Musical. In his free time, Markos enjoys playing Guitar, Football, and Folkstyle Wrestling.

Jennifer Stocks (Pick a Little Lady/Ensemble) This is Jennifer's second show with us. She was last seen in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat as Levi's wife. Other community productions she has performed in include: Annie (servant/ Boylan Sister) with Overshadowed Theatrical Productions in Itasca and in the dance ensemble in Mary Poppins with the Rising Stars Theater Company in Chicago. Off stage, Jennifer works as the Communications Specialist for the Government and Public Affairs Department at the CITGO Lemont Refinery. She's honored to be a part of bringing River City, Iowa to Naperville, Illinois.

Rebecca Sweeney (Featured Dancer/Ensemble) will be a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this fall. She is studying Marketing with a minor in Theater. She was last seen in the ensemble/featured ballet of Elgin Summer Theatre's production of A Chorus Line. Previously, she was seen in Up and Coming Theater's Broadway World Award-Winning production of American Idiot. Notable roles include: Penny in Hairspray and Vivienne in Legally Blonde the Musical. She would like to thank her parents and friends for always being supportive and coming to all of her performances. Enjoy the show!

Mary Vercellino (Mrs. Paroo) returns to Summer Place after an extended absence, when she first played a slave girl in "Kismet". She has taken classes at Second City, where she co-wrote a sketch comedy show called "Can We Do Me A Favor", which was presented there last summer. She also appeared in "The Mighty Ted", a musical written by longtime friend Ted Waltmire about his life after a stroke. She writes a blog called "The Hot Flash: Musings of a Menopausal Mind", and promises to actually update it soon. When not dabbling in comedy or theater, she is employed as a registered nurse at Edward Hospital. She is very excited to play Mrs. Paroo in this production, and hopes to do more community theater in the future!

Ted Waltmire* (Constable Locke/Travelling Salesman/Vocal Director/Producer) The Music Man is Ted's favorite musical ever since he played Winthrop the summer he turned 11. Ted grew up in Peoria and is thrilled one of his closest friends, Mary Vercellino is playing Mrs. Paroo in this production. "Thanks to Evan and Katelyn for your leadership bringing The Music Man back to Summer Place for our 50th anniversary."

Tina St. Angelo Wetzel (Ensemble) is thrilled to be returning to Summer Place after an absence of 37 years. SPT musicals were My Fair Lady, Showboat, Oklahoma!, Damn Yankees, Sound of Music and Guys and Dolls. Tina is dedicating this performance in loving memory of her parents, Betty and George, for all their encouragement and love of all music; to the late John Pearce, chorus director at Naperville Central, who made high school kids fall in love with musicals. Tina was in Music Man in 1973 at NCHS. Finally to Don Shanower for many reasons but specifically for creating a wonderful theatre experience. "Some of us were lucky to have Don as our director. He taught us so much and we are forever grateful. Happy 50th Anniversary Summer Place!"

Evan Witte (Ensemble)

Dana Yu (Featured Dancer/Ensemble) is thrilled to be a part of Summer Place Theater for the first time. Soon to be a freshman at Naperville North high school, Dana has participated in several school musicals, as well as being a leading role in her most recent show, The Sound of Music. She is a well-rounded string musician with a strong interest in theater. Dana strongly encourages anyone with even the slightest interest in theater to go out there and pursue their dreams, as it is never too late to try something, especially when it comes to music.

Steve Zeidler* (Train Conductor/Producer) is currently President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Summer Place. He’s a long-time actor and producer of our shows. He played Don Quixote in the Man of La Mancha (1996), Andrew Carnes in Oklahoma! (2013), Big Jule from Guys & Dolls (2008), Miles Gloriosus in Forum (2007), Julian Marsh in 42nd Street (1998), Daddy Warbucks in Annie (1999), Samuel Chase in 1776 (2001), Cinderella’s father in Into the Woods (2001), Uncle Jocko and Cigar in Gypsy (2011), J.B. Biggley in How to Succeed in Business (2014), and King Arthur in Spamalot (2015).

Michelle Zhou (Featured Dancer/Ensemble) is honored to be a part of the Music Man cast. She is going to be a sophomore at Naperville North High School and has been in multiple productions such as The Sound of Music and Music Man Jr. (among others). Michelle would like to encourage young aspiring actors and actresses to be confident in their abilities and try out for the shows they want to be in, even if auditioning seems like a daunting task at the time.

* board member

Creatives & Crew

Giana Biddle (Sound Designer)

Sarah Eaves (Costume Designer) has always had a heart for the performing arts. She started acting on stage at age 2 and still shares the spotlight in her spare time. She is the costume director for Refuge Productions, Take 9 Productions, Smile for Nikki, and Family Christian Center, and has loved every bit of it. She has designed costumes for Jesus of Nazareth, Scrooge: The Musical, Choices, and Let Freedom Ring. Jesus Christ Superstar was her first production with The Summer Place Theatre and she is excited for this new opportunity.

Marissa Gil (Scenic Designer) is excited to be in her third year with us. Marissa graduated from Southern Illinois University in 2013 with her BFA in Theater Design and Technology. Currently, she works as Technical Director at Glenbard South High School, as well as working as a freelance Scenic Designer and Painter in Chicago. Most recently she worked at Prisco Community Center where she designed and directed over 30 productions a year ranging from Dinner Theater to Children’s Theater and Adult Improv. Marissa hopes to continue designing and painting and one day be able to design and paint for film and television. Favorite Credits include Designing and Building The Addams Family for Prisco Community Center two years ago and again last October for Glenbard South High School as well as scenic painting The Heathers at Theater Wit in Chicago. She lives in Aurora.

Evan Hay (Stage Manager) for the past year has been touring with Missoula Children's Theatre as a Tour actor director. She traveled throughout the northwest and British Columbia teaching life skills through theatre. She graduated from Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa with degrees in theatre arts and digital media productions. She has a wide variety of experience both on and off stage. She has previously stage-managed productions like The Mouse Trap and assistant stage-managed for Stop Kiss. Being an Iowa girl, she is so thrilled to be a part of Summer Place's production of The Music Man.

Kenny Impastata (Lighting Designer)

Tim Janiszewski (Music Director) is a recent graduate of Elmhurst College where he double majored in Music Education and Music Theory composition. During his time there, he was the winner of six student conductor competitions. Tim is also an active composer, performer and conductor in the Chicagoland area. He has performed and conducted in a number of musical productions such as Evita, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, She Loves Me, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Dames at Sea.

Ricky Lopez (Assistant Master Carpenter) is excited to be with us for his second year of theatre. Ricky is a student at Illinois State University to get his degree in Theater Design and production. Most recently he worked on Jesus Christ Superstar and 50 Years of Musicals and before that at Prisco Community Centers show Mary Poppins as well as Illinois states scene shop building sets. He is from Darien.

Deven Majcan (Props Master) is from Lombard. It's his first year with us. He worked on Jesus Christ Superstar earlier in the season and previous favorite projects include The Three Sisters and You Cant Take It With You. "I want to thank my family for supporting me."

David Martin (Master Carpenter)

Grayce Sutcliffe (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore at Neuqua Valley High School, where she works behind the scenes in their theatre department. Other than The Music Man, Grayce has worked backstage for The Little Prince and Thoroughly Modern Millie, and acted in the original cast of a new play Things To Not Do. This is her first Summer Place show and she's thrilled to work with this talented cast and crew!

John Vales (Technical Director) first worked for Summer Place as the Stage Manager for Sweet Charity. He is currently working as a freelance technical director, and scenic/lighting designer and Technical Director at Glenbard East High School. When he is not working on shows he can be found attending theatre performances, going to concerts, writing, painting, spending time with friends and family. John is a Director on the Summer Place Board. From John: "My goal for 2016 is to make the opportunities to volunteer backstage more accessible to the community. I'm having a great time working with our awesome crew!"

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