Brooks Almy as Dolly
BROOKS ALMY returns to Music Circus, where she has been seen as Golda in Fiddler on the Roof, Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, Fraulien Schneider in Cabaret and Mrs. Paroo in The Music Man. Broadway, off-Broadway and other New York appearances include Beauty and the Beast, Grand Hotel, The Little Prince, Sweeney Todd, Nunsense, The Pajama Game and Annie Warbucks. Other credits range from Shirley Valentine, Dancing at Lughnasa and The Sisters Rosensweig to the world premieres of Jane Eyre, Brothers Karamazov and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. In the Los Angeles Reprise! series, she has had leading roles in Bells Are Ringing, The Pajama Game, Brigadoon and Assassins. On television, she has performed recurring roles on “The George Lopez Show,” “Frasier” and “Dharma and Greg” and has guest starred on numerous television series such as “CSI,” “Without a Trace,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “West Wing,” “According to Jim,” “ER,” “The Practice,” “Nip/Tuck,” “Dexter” and “Hannah Montana.”

Bradley Benjamin (official website) as Ermengarde
BRADLEY BENJAMIN is delighted to be back with Hello, Dolly! after appearing in this season’s Kiss Me, Kate and the 2005 production of West Side Story. She performed on Broadway in the Susan Stroman and Trevor Nunn revival of Oklahoma! and in the Las Vegas production of Hairspray as Tammy, Penny and Amber. On tour she performed Ethel Peas in the first national company of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Other favorite credits include The Merry Widow at the Los Angeles Opera; Brigadoon, On the Town and My One and Only at Reprise!; and The Top Hats, directed by Dan Mojica. Her television credits include “Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Today Show,” “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” “Passions,” Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Tony Awards. She sends thanks to loved ones.

Melissa Bohon as Minnie Fay
MELISSA BOHON was in the original cast of the Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, where she performed the roles of Chava, Bielke and Shprintze. She played Little Sally in Urinetown and Ado Annie in Oklahoma! at the Gateway Playhouse, Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly! at Stages St. Louis, where she was nominated for a Kevin Kline Award, Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress, Sandy in Grease, Zaneeta in The Music Man, Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and Anne Shirley in the original production of the musical Green Gables at the Victoria Theatre. She has been involved in several New York readings, including Earnest in Love as Cecily and Take Me Along as Muriel.

Ed Brazo as Rudolph
ED BRAZO returns to Music Circus, where he performed as Eugene Fodor in Crazy for You in 2005. On Broadway, he performed in Take Me Along and toured nationally with Angela Lansbury in Gypsy. After maintaining a professional career for over 25 years, Ed joined the theatre and dance faculty at CSU Sacramento in 2002 as head of the musical theatre program. He teaches tap, jazz, acting and musical theatre, and he directed Cabaret, Crazy for You, A Chorus Line and Company for the theatre department. In addition to teaching theatre and dance workshops nationwide, his Sacramento credits include directing and choreographing A Salute to the Arts starring Carol Channing and A Christmas Carol at Sacramento Theatre Company. He has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers since 1975.

Shawna M. Hamic (official website) as Ernestina Money
SHAWNA M. HAMIC is making her Music Circus debut with Hello, Dolly! Recent credits include Mrs. Hurley in The Molly Maguires and General Cartwright in the award-winning production of Guys and Dolls for the Macao International Music Festival in China. Other credits include Betty in The Screams of Kitty Genovese, Madame de la Grand Bouchè in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Princess Winifred in Once Upon a Mattress, Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Smitty in How to Succeed … Shawna would like to send her love and gratitude to her friends and family, who have always been her biggest support system.

Mitch McCarrell as Barnaby
MITCH McCARRELL is making his Music Circus debut. Since completing his training at Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, Mitch has appeared in Forever Plaid as Jinx, Hair as Claude, Songs for a New World as Man 1, The Secret Garden as Dickon, Hello, Dolly! as Barnaby and Bat Boy as Bud/Daisy/Pan. In New York, Mitch recently read the role of George for the workshop revival production of Fine and Dandy. He sends continued thanks to Mom, Dad and De, the Luedtke Agency, Vicky Bussert, Carol Pribble and especially to his endlessly supportive and beautiful friends.

Jayne Paterson as Irene Molloy
JAYNE PATERSON joins Music Circus for the first time. Recently, she performed in the off-Broadway hit, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and won a Kevin Kline Award for best actress for her performance as Hope in Urinetown at the St. Louis Repertory. On Broadway, she performed the role of Fantine in the closing company of Les Misérables and was also in Jane Eyre as Helen Burns, understudied Jane and was associate director to John Caird and Scott Schwartz. Other favorite credits include leading roles in Cabaret, Romeo and Juliet, The Wizard of Oz, The Tempest, Swing, A Little Night Music, Godspell and A Clockwork Orange. She also provided additional recordings as the voice of Judy Garland for the Emmy Award-winning ABC miniseries “Me and My Shadows.” Following Hello, Dolly!, Jayne will head straight to Goodspeed Opera House to play Abigail Adams in 1776. She sends love to Dan and her family.

Efren Ramirez as Ambrose
EFREN RAMIREZ returns to Music Circus, where he was last seen in Fiddler on the Roof and A Little Night Music. Efren graduated from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in 2005. He has since worked on various productions, including Romeo and Juliet as Romeo, Much Ado About Nothing as Claudio, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers as Joel, As You Like It as Silvius, Phantom, Guys and Dolls and the world premiere of One.

John Scherer as Cornelius
JOHN SCHERER has appeared at Music Circus in Oklahoma!, Brigadoon, The Most Happy Fella, 42nd Street, The World Goes ‘Round and as Hysterium in last year’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He recently appeared on Broadway in LoveMusik directed by Harold Prince, and he also worked with Mr. Prince on 3hree. Other Broadway credits include By Jeeves (also on television), Sunset Boulevard, The Most Happy Fella at New York City Opera and the all-star Actors Fund benefit performance of Funny Girl. Off-Broadway credits include Olympus on My Mind and Dames at Sea. He toured in Cats, 42nd Street, Hello, Dolly! with Michele Lee and Mame with Juliet Prowse. He won critical acclaim for his performance as the lead in George M! at the Goodspeed Opera House. Other credits include leading roles at the Kennedy Center, Goodman Theater, Arena Stage, Ahmanson Theater, Geffen Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, St. Louis Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Studio Arena and many others. He has appeared on television in “Crossing Jordon,” “The Shield,” all three “Law and Order” series and “Titus.” Recordings include LoveMusik, By Jeeves, 3hree, Preppies and Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now and Forever. Later this season he will be playing Felix Unger in The Odd Couple at the Pittsburgh Public Theater.

Steve Vinovich as Horace
STEVE VINOVICH has appeared on Broadway in Loose Ends, Lost in Yonkers, The Magic Show, The Robber Bridegroom, Jerry Herman’s The Grand Tour and David Hare’s The Secret Rapture. In Los Angeles, Steve has played the leads in The Foreigner and Special Occasions at the Pasadena Playhouse, The Price at the Laguna Playhouse, On Golden Pond with Charles Durning, The Robber Bridegroom at the Mark Taper, as well as Bells Are Ringing, Strike up the Band and Babes in Arms. At the Pacific Resident Theatre, he performed in Awake and Sing, Golden Boy, Divorcons and All My Sons. He played George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Uncle Peck in How I Learned to Drive at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre. He also performed with the Broadway tour of Neil Simon’s The Dinner Party. Steve’s films include “The Santa Clause,” “Awakenings” and “Mannequin,” and he performed as the voice of Puffin in the animated feature “The Swan Princess.” He has done hundreds of commercials and television shows, most recently, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Cold Case” and “Malcom in the Middle.” He is a graduate of the Julliard Acting School and studied under John Houseman. Steve is a three-time winner of the Los Angeles DramaLogue Award. He is married to singing coach/teacher Carolyn Mignini and they have two great sons.

Deanna Aguinaga as Ensemble
DEANNA AGUINAGA is returning to Music Circus, where she was last seen in The King and I. Recently she performed in Mamma Mia! in Las Vegas. She understudied Serena and Mabel for the national tour of Fame, the Musical and performed in Evita, West Side Story, Joseph … and Gypsy. Deanna has also performed at Disneyland in Aladdin and Animazement. She is a proud graduate of California State University, Long Beach with a B.A. in sociology. Deanna thanks her family, friends and Ryan for their love and support.

Holly Ann Butler as Ensemble
HOLLY ANN BUTLER was recently seen as Miss Dorothy in Thoroughly Modern Millie at Fulton Opera House, the Anne/Diana standby in Anne of Green Gables at Lucille Lortel and in Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway 101, an Actors Fund benefit. Other credits include Hope Cladwell in Urinetown, Louise in Gypsy, Rumpleteazer in Cats and Babette in Beauty and the Beast. She has also been seen on television and film in “Seaquest 2032,” “Figure It Out” and “Looking for Trouble.” Holly received her B.F.A. from Florida State University and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. She would like to thank her family, The Mine and Jeff.

Janna Cardia (official website) as Ensemble
JANNA CARDIA happily returns for her third season at Music Circus. Some of her credits include Nancy in Oliver!, Rizzo in Grease, the Witch in Into the Woods, the Narrator in Joseph … (all at the Fulton Opera House), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Allenberry Playhouse, Georgie in Full Monty at Arkansas Repertory, Prudie in Pumpboys and Dinettes at Fireside Theatre, Eve/Mama in Children of Eden and Mary in It’s a Wonderful Life both at Wagon Wheel Theatre. She received Chicago’s After Dark Award for her role as Trina in Falsettos at Porchlight Theatre.

Kevin Covert as Ensemble
KEVIN COVERT comes directly from the Broadway cast of Monty Python’s Spamalot and will return after his summer in Sacramento. He was previously seen at Music Circus as Farleigh in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Kevin’s national tour credits include Jerry Zaks’ production of South Pacific starring Robert Goulet and as Munkustrap in Cats. His favorite productions include the world premiere of Memphis, Goodspeed Musicals’ Call Me Madam and Red, Hot and Blue and North Shore’s My Fair Lady. He gives thanks to family and friends for their continued love and support and to all at Spamalot for giving him time off to perform in Sacramento.

Kurt Domoney as Ensemble
KURT DOMONEY is making his Music Circus debut this summer. New York credits include A Naughty Knight, Roadside, All Is Love, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the national tour of 42nd Street. Other credits include Action in West Side Story at Theatre Under The Stars (directed by Alan Johnson), Billy in Urinetown, Bobby in A Chorus Line at the Geva Theatre, Watt in Very Good Eddie at Goodspeed Musicals and in Hot Mikado at Ford’s Theatre. He has a BFA from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He also has been a soloist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops. He gives thanks and love to his amazing friends and family.

Manoly Farrell as Ensemble
MANOLY FARRELL returns to Music Circus, where she was last seen as Zaneeta in The Music Man. Other favorite credits include Anita in West Side Story at the 5th Avenue Theatre, as a member of the original cast of the David Marquez Project performed at the Duke Theatre in New York, Hattie in Kiss Me, Kate, Michelle in Dreamgirls, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Helene in Sweet Charity and both Judy and Maggie in A Chorus Line. Manoly sends love and thanks to her parents, friends and especially David for their constant love and support.

Kristin Gaetz as Ensemble
KRISTEN GAETZ is delighted to make her debut at Music Circus with Kiss Me, Kate and Hello, Dolly! She has most recently been seen as Phyllis in the Broadway production of 42nd Street and Lorraine in the first national tour. Kristen is excited to return to California, where she has performed in productions of Evita, The Will Roger’s Follies and Crazy for You at the Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities in Los Angeles. She would like to thank her family and Marco for their endless love and support.

Jeanne Marie Jacobson as Ensemble
JEANNE MARIE JACOBSON received her classical ballet training from the Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica under the direction of Yvonne Mounsey and Rosemary Valaire. She has appeared at Music Circus in The Wizard of Oz and danced professionally with The Sacramento Ballet for four years, performing soloist roles in Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Stars and Stripes and Graduation Ball. She currently acts as dance captain for E:motion Dance Ensemble and is a proud member of the Screen Actors’ Guild and Actors’ Equity. Jeanne would like to thank her big sister Sunny for her never-ending encouragement and support.

Brian Kuchta as Ensemble
BRIAN KUCHTA made his New York City debut as Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore. Past new works have included From Where I Stand (original off-Broadway recording), The Karaoke Show (original U.S. cast), Scalpel and Grace Falls at the New York International Fringe Festival, The Freedom Toast (co-writer) and The Phantom Tollbooth with Sheldon Harnick. He has also performed readings of Skylar’s Story, Hurricane, Paradise Lost, Sessions and Vanity Fair. Other credits include The Cherry Orchard at McCarter Theatre, Picasso at the Lapin Agile at the Depot, Jekyll & Hyde in Atlantic City and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Kia Lee as Ensemble
KIA LEE is making her Music Circus debut this summer. Some of her favorite roles include Peep-Bo in The Hot Mikado at Westchester Broadway, Nehebka in Aida also at Westchester Broadway and in Fame at the Bristol Riverside Theatre. She would like to send many thanks to her family and friends for their undying love and support. And a special thank you to Stephen Harding, whose passion shines through all of his students.

Ivory McKay as Ensemble
IVORY McKAY is excited to return to Music Circus. He was last seen making music on the roof as the Fiddler in Fiddler on the Roof, carefully following orders as Yeoman Quayle in South Pacific and dancing to the sound of 76 trombones in The Music Man. Other wonderful theatre moments include Judah in Joseph … with Jon Secada and Dreamgirls with Jennifer Holiday at Atlanta’s Theatre of the Stars, dancing with Mary Ann Lamb as Eddie in Damn Yankees and Ragtime here at Music Circus, Anxious in West Side Story at The MUNY St. Louis, Protean in … Forum at the Denver Center and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

Joe Paparella as Ensemble
JOE PAPARELLA is returning to Music Circus this summer, where previously he appeared in The Pirates of Penzance, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Music Man and Aida. On Broadway, Joe has performed in Les Misérables, Jesus Christ Superstar and Good Vibrations. He has also toured the country in Mamma Mia!, Ragtime, Joseph … Dreamcoat and Martin Guerre and performed at the Guthrie Theatre in Martin Guerre and the Kennedy Center in Mame. He has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity since 1995.

Michael Ramey as Ensemble
MICHAEL RAMEY is making his Music Circus debut. Some of his credits include Pepe in West Side Story, in which he also understudied Bernardo, Richie in A Chrous Line, Joseph in Joseph … Dreamcoat, Bill in Kiss Me, Kate as well as Andy Lee in 42nd Street. Michael is a graduate of American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York and has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity for seven years.

Natalie Ross as Ensemble
NATALIE ROSS is pleased to be returning to Music Circus after appearing in Oklahoma!, Footloose and Jesus Christ Superstar. She was most recently seen in the North American touring company of Evita directed by Harold Prince. Other recent credits include the European tour of Evita, The Mikado at City Center and Bard SummerScape Music Festival. She has also toured the U.S. and Europe as a concert vocalist with symphonies, cruise ships and the musical revue Broadway Tonite! Originally from Detroit, Natalie is a graduate of the University of Michigan and a proud member of Actors’ Equity. www.nycasting.com/natalieross

Jacob Ben Widmar (official website) as Ensemble
JACOB BEN WIDMAR is proud to be back at Music Circus, where his past shows include Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific and The Music Man. He was in the Los Angeles and Detroit companies of White Christmas. On the West Coast, he was in On the Town with the Reprise! Series, A Chorus Line as Mark with the American Musical Theatre of San Jose and My Fair Lady at La Mirada. Favorite credits include Singin’ in the Rain at Goodspeed Opera House and 42ndStreet, which won him a Robbie Award nomination as Billy Lawlor. He has also appeared on “General Hospital” and “Passions.” Jacob has a BFA in theatre from BYU.

Gabriel Williams as Ensemble
GABRIEL WILLIAMS has danced principal and soloist roles with New York Theatre Ballet, Oakland Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet II and currently dances with the Sacramento Ballet. He has performed works by Balanchine, de Mille, Ashton, Tudor, Dwight Rhoden, Twyla Tharp, Donald McKayle, Eugene Loring and Trey McIntyre among others. He is extremely excited to perform with Music Circus and to return to his first love: musical theatre.

May 2013 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

See full calendar