FRED WILLARD (Jimmy) Born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Willard began his career by spending a year at Chicago's famed Second City. Willard's improvisational performance as Buck Laughlin in “Best in Show” earned him the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor and an American Comedy Award for funniest performance by a supporting actor, as well as nominations for Best Supporting Actor from the New York Film Critics and The National Film Critics Society, and a Official Selection Award from AFI. Fred appeared in the previous Christopher Guest film “Waiting for Guffman,” which earned him an American Comedy Award nomination and a Screen Actor's Guild nomination for Funniest Supporting Actor. Additional film credits include “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Roxanne,” “The Wedding Planner,” “How High,” “American Pie 3,” “A Mighty Wind,” and “Anchorman” with Will Ferrell. Willard has received three Emmy nominations for his role as Martin Mull's gay lover on “Roseanne” and his recurring role on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Fred also co-starred with Martin Mull in Norman Lear's innovative cult classic talk show satire “Fernwood 2-Night,” which aired recently on Nick At Nite and was celebrated at the Museum of Television & Radio and the HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. Fred has also had recurring roles on “Ally McBeal,” “The Simpsons,” and “Mad About You.” In addition, he has made more than 50 appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. Willard has numerous stage roles to his credit, including off-Broadway performances in Little Murders, directed by Alan Arkin, and Arf, directed by Richard Benjamin. Some of his regional roles include Call Me Madam in Chicago, and in Los Angeles for the Reprise! series, the musicals Promises, Promises with Jason Alexander, and Anything Goes with Rachel York. He starred in Wendy Wasserstein's Isn't It Romantic and Elvis and Juliet, which was written by his wife Mary. He recently completed a sold-out run of his one-man show, Fred Willard: Alone at Last! (actually a sketch show with a cast of 12) and received two Los Angeles Artistic Director Awards for Best Comedy and Best Production.
REBECCA LUKER (Lucille) was last seen on Broadway, at the Eugene O’Neill Theater, starring in Maury Yeston’s Nine. She also starred in Meredith Wilson’s acclaimed musical, The Music Man, for which she received Tony, Drama Desk, & Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for Outstanding Leading Actress in a musical for the year 2000. Other professional credits follow. Broadway: The Sound of Music (Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination), Showboat (Tony Award Nomination), The Secret Garden (Drama Desk Nomination) and The Phantom of the Opera. Off Broadway plays: Vagina Monologues and Can’t Let Go. Regional: She Loves Me (LA’s Reprise); Time and Again (Old Globe) and Harmony (La Jolla Playhouse/Drama-Logue Award). Television: CBS movie “Cupid and Cate,” “Matlock,” “David Letterman Show,” “Rosie O’Donnell Show,” Rodgers & Hart and Oscar Hammerstein tributes, and “An Evening with the Pops.” Film: “Spectropia.” Concerts: “Solo Evening with American Songbook Series” (Lincoln Center), Carnegie Hall: No, No, Nanette; Gay Divorce; My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies; The Boys From Syracuse (Encores!); “Lincoln Center Songbook Series;” has performed with the London, Stockholm, American, Arkansas, Alabama, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Nashville, and Hollywood Bowl Symphonies, among others. Recordings: “Anything Goes: Rebecca Luker Sings Cole Porter” (Fynsworth Alley), “Aria,” “Aria 2” (Profile) & “Aria 3” (Koch), “Wonderful Town,” “Jerome Kern Treasury,” “Broadway Showstoppers,” “Brigadoon,” and “Strike Up the Band.” Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Luker received a Bachelor’s of Music degree from the University of Montevallo. She resides in NYC with her husband, actor Danny Burstein, and stepsons Alex and Zach.
GEORGE DVORSKY (Billy) is thrilled to return to the Cape Playhouse for his seventh show. He most recently played Count Ludovic in Passion: Live at Lincoln Center on PBS. He also starred on Broadway in the title role of The Scarlet Pimpernel, and played Henry Spofford in the revival of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Other Broadway credits include Pete Bartel in Pete N Keely, the revival of Dames at Sea and And The World Goes Round. George starred in the NYC premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella as Prince Charming at Lincoln Center, where he also played Tommy in Brigadoon. George has performed with symphonies all over the glove including Hong Kong, Sweden, and Italy. He starred with Bea Arthur and the Boston Pops in Bernstein’s Broadway, also on PBS. George’s many recordings include “EMI/Angel’s Broadway,” “Showstoppers,” “The Jerome Kern Treasury,” Gershwin’s “Of Thee I Sing/Let ‘Em Eat Cake” on CBS Masterworks and his solo CD, “In the Still of the Night” and “Brigadoon” on JAY Records.
DOROTHY STANLEY (Sue) BROADWAY: 13 shows including La Cage Aux Folles (revival), 42nd Street (original and revival), Follies (revival), High Society, Show Boat, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Toronto/London/NY) and Annie. She has performed in National Tours as well as in more than 90 plays and musicals in theatres throughout the country. Favorite shows include Gypsy, The Royal Family, Hay Fever, The Cherry Orchard, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music and Born Yesterday. Cape audiences have seen Dorothy in Dames At Sea and Anything Goes. She is thrilled to return in 2005!
BARBARA MARINEAU (Pauline) The Women (Roundabout revival), Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), King David, Christmas Carol, Falsettos (Dr. Charlotte), Grand Hotel (Raffaela & Mme. PeePee), Into the Woods (Witch understudy), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Doatsey Mae), The Robber Bridegroom (Rosamund - Carbonell Award/Best Actress), Shenandoah (Anne). Off Broadway: Lincoln Center’s Man of No Importance, Noel Coward’s Long Island Sound, Bittersuite, I’m Getting My Act Together. Among many regional: Sweeney Todd at the Goodspeed Opera House and with the Kentucky Symphony (Mrs. Lovett – Connecticut Critics Circle Award/Best Actress), Noises Off (Dotty). TV: “Law and Order: SVU & Criminal Intent,” “Third Watch,” E-bay commercial directed by Sam Mendes. Current works-in-progress: Slow Dance with a Hot Pick-up (New Harmony Project) and the recent New York Musical Theatre Festival productions of A Hundred Years into the Heart and The Enchanted Cottage.
GARRETT LONG (Nanette) has had a very busy year since On Your Toes last year, and couldn’t be happier to be back at the Cape Playhouse to create more great memories. Since last summer, she performed the role of Mary Turner in Of Thee I Sing at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Fan in Christmas Carol at the McCarter, Maggie in Lend Me a Tenor at George Street Playhouse, and most recently, she just finished up a run of She Loves Me at the Guthrie as Amalia. She originated the role of Percy Talbot in The Spitfire Grill at Playwrights Horizons, earning a Drama Desk and Drama League nomination. Other favorites include Gertrude McFuzz in the first national tour of Seussical the Musical starring Cathy Rigby, The Women in Jolson and Co. at Coconut Grove Playhouse, Nellie in Floyd Collins at Signature in D.C., and Annie in Annie Get Your Gun at MTW. Thanks Uncle Bud. Love to Deek!
ZACHARY HALLEY(Tom) is thrilled to be making his Cape Playhouse debut. Zac’s New York credits include the Off Broadway productions of the musical Six Of One and the play Mary Carpenter. Regionally, Zac has performed roles with the Goodspeed Opera House in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Call Me Madam, and Mack and Mabel. He has also performed roles at Pittsburgh CLO, the Muny St. Louis, and his hometown’s Pioneer Theater Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was a member of the Utah Opera Young Artist’s program, performing small roles in La Boheme, Don Giovanni, Carmen and the World Premier opera, Dreamkeepers. Zac is also co-owner of an entertainment technology company involved in producing, among other things, CD-ROMs and other interactive entertainment. A recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Zac is a proud member of Actor’s Equity.
KRISTIE KERWIN (Betty) is thrilled to be returning to the beautiful Cape Playhouse with No, No, Nanette, having been a part of the casts of On Your Toes and Anything Goes (Purity). Since last season at the Cape, Kristie appeared in the world premiere of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (original cast, Susan Waverly u/s) at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. She’s also been seen in New York’s City Center Encores! production Bye Bye Birdie. Additional credits include Anything Goes (The Shubert Theater), Gypsy (Louise), Annie Get Your Gun (Annie Oakley u/s), Carousel (Louise), and most recently, Fame at North Shore Music Theatre. A member of Actor’s Equity, Kristie also holds a B.F.A. in Theatre from NYU/Tisch/CAP21. “Thank you to everyone at the Cape!! And thank you, Mom, Dad, Katie, Ben, and Happy 1st Birthday, Arthur!”
JACLYN MINERVA (Winnie) most recently performed the role of Sofia in North Shore Music Theater’s production of Nine. She is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory where she received a B.F.A. in Musical Theater. Favorite credits include: West Side Story (Rosalia), Chicago (June/ u/s Roxie), Crazy For You, Cabaret, Meet Me in St. Louis, Gypsy, and Oklahoma. “Thank you to my four parents and Mr. Seth for all your love and support.”
CHRISTINA MARIE NORRUP (Flora) Broadway: The Producers, Putting It Together, The Red Shoes. National Tours/Regional: A Chorus Line (Cassie, Judy); West Side Story (Anita); My Way; The Joffrey Ballet. Film: The Producers (Opening Nighter/Asst. Choreographer). Christina is thrilled to be a part of this production at the Cape! “Thanks to Mark Martino, Phil Reno and my fabulous family.”
MICHELLE HAMMAR (Dance Captain) is excited to be performing here at the Cape Playhouse. A Radio City Music Hall Rockette, she is an Assistant Choreographer and Dance Captain for their Christmas Spectaculars in various cities across America. As a Rockette, Michelle has performed in the Presidential Inauguration, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Today Show and the Tony Awards, just to name a few. Other credits include: Sugar Babies at both Gateway Playhouse and Candlewood Playhouse, “Saturday Night Live,” “MTV Music Awards” and the movie “Uptown Girls.” Michelle would like to thank Alex and her parents for their love and support.
KEVIN DUNNIGAN (Ensemble) returns to the Cape Playhouse after tapping away in On Your Toes last season. Regional credits include: Anything Goes starring Sandy Duncan, The Prince and the Pauper (world premiere), Chicago, My Fair Lady, Good News, to name a few. This coming holiday season he will be supporting the Radio City Rockettes in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. Love to Matty!
LUIS FIGUEROA (Ensemble) can be seen in movie theatres and televisions nation wide this summer in a remake of a Coca Cola Classic commercial. Broadway: 42nd Street. Film/TV: “The Interpreter,” “Guiding Light.” Regional: Evita, Anything Goes, Baby. “This and everything in life to the three women who raised me. Enjoy the show.”
JAIME FISHER (Ensemble) Excited to be back at the Cape Playhouse! Credits include performances at Radio City Music Hall (Rockette, 2004 Tony Awards), Anything Goes (Shubert/New Haven), My One and Only, On Your Toes (Cape Playhouse), Crazy For You (Reagle Players), Will Rogers Follies (National Tour), and Dance With Me (David Marquez Project). “Thanks to friends and family for all of their love and support!”
BRIAN OGILVIE (Ensemble) A Houston native and Northwestern graduate, Brian is excited to make his Cape Playhouse debut. Regional credits include Will Parker in Oklahoma! and the title role in Joseph. Brian recently finished Crazy for You starring Kirby Ward at the Reagle Players in Waltham. “Thanks to Family and Jim. Dana, I love you.” www.BrianOgilvie.com
JEFF QUAST (Ensemble) is thrilled to be back after his Cape Playhouse debut in On Your Toes last summer. Other credits include: Tours—Evita (Europe), The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and The American Spirit Dance Co. (Asia/US). Regional—Swing! (Maine State Music Theatre), Camelot (Stages St. Louis), The Will Rogers Follies, My One and Only, HONK! and Ragtime (Music Theatre of Wichita). Others: The Queen Elizabeth 2 and Tokyo Disney Resort. OCU graduate and member of Actors’ Equity. “Thank you, Cape Playhouse!”
CHUCK REA (Ensemble) Chuck is thrilled to return to the Cape after previously appearing here in 42nd Street. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, he has been seen in the regions in West Side Story (Riff), Assassins (John Wilkes Booth, Bay Area Critics Circle Award Nom.), and every year in the world famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular. A thousand thanks to Evans, Mark, and Eileen, his family for their constant support, and his beautiful and talented wife Natalie for her love and laughter.
CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS (Ensemble) This is Chris’s debut at the Cape Playhouse. Recent credits: Carousel (Carnival Boy), Fulton Opera; West Side Story, Pioneer Memorial Theater; Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Detroit; Pajama Game (Steamheat Boy), Marriott Lincolnshire Theater.
STEPHANIE STEVENSON(Ensemble) returns for her fourth appearance at the Cape Playhouse, previously in 42nd Street, My One and Only, and Anything Goes. Her most recent performance was the role of “Mae Jones” in Street Scene at The Portland Opera, a role she also performed at The Lyric Opera of Chicago. Other credits: Broadway Tours—Show Boat, Hello, Dolly! NYC—The Merry Widow (Metropolitan Opera), La Rondine (New York City Opera) and a few of her favorites in regional theatres across the U.S.: The Pajama Game, Singin’ in the Rain, Crazy for You, and The Most Happy Fella.
MARK MARTINO (Director) is a director/choreographer with extensive experience in theater, film, television, opera, and special events productions. In addition to his happy return to the Cape Playhouse, where Mark last appeared in 42nd Street, Mark will be up and down the Northeast corridor this season as director/ choreographer of Forever Plaid for the Tri-Arts Playhouse in Sharon, CT, and as director/choreographer of Pete ‘N’ Keely for Maine’s Arundel Barn Playhouse. This past Christmas season, Mark served as Associate Director (with author Stuart Ross) on the premiere of Plaid Tidings at the Tony Award winning Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and again for the Cleveland Playhouse. Among Mark’s many other theater credits are: two seasons as assistant director in residence with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera where shows included My Fair Lady, starring Noel Harrison, Paint Your Wagon, starring Jose Ferrer, and Fanny starring Giorgio Tozzi; a season as resident choreographer for Indiana’s Wagon Wheel Playhouse, where Mark’s work included choreography for West Side Story, Oklahoma, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Under the artistic directorship of Jon Jory, Mark choreographed two shows for the award winning Actor’s Theatre of Louisville: Beehive and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. At the renowned Chautauqua Arts Festival at New York’s Chautauqua Institution, Mark spent two seasons as a director/choreographer in residence. While there, Mark conceived/directed/choreographed the world premieres of his original musical reviews: Songs for a Summer Hotel: The Rodgers and Hart Songbook and It Only Takes A Moment: The Words and Music of Jerry Herman. For the Tri-Arts Playhouse in Sharon, CT, Mark directed their 2004 critical and box office summer smash Hello Dolly! Mark’s staging of Those Glorious MGM Musicals! has been seen on the Pops series of the nation’s leading symphony orchestras—among them Baltimore, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and our nation’s National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. In the world of film and TV, Mark’s work has been seen on NBC’s “Miss America Pageant,” the feature film “Rock-n-Roll Hotel,” and as director/choreographer of the nationally syndicated PBS Christmas special, “The U.S. Chorus in Count Your Blessings.”
EILEEN GRACE (Choreographer) Eileen was in the Broadway casts of 42nd Street, Will Rogers Follies (original cast member and dance captain) and in the international tour of My One and Only (with Tommy Tune). Her television credits include the Grammy Awards, the Tony Awards, “One Life to Live,” the “Today Show,” “Good Morning, America,” Macy’s Parade, “Christmas at Rockefeller Center,” “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and “Oprah.” Eileen’s choreography credits include Crazy For You, On Your Toes, Guys and Dolls, My One and Only (for which she won two IRNE awards for best director and choreographer), Will Rogers Follies, Cabaret, Anything Goes, 42nd Street, Annie Get Your Gun (starring Andrea McArdle), Fiddler on the Roof, the World Cup Opening Ceremonies, and many industrials. She also choreographed the Rockette appearances on Jay Leno, Donnie and Marie, Oprah and the Columbus Day Parade and the Today Show. She is currently a director/choreographer for Radio City Music Hall, where she performed as a Rockette for eight years.
PHIL RENO (Musical Director) currently conducts the Broadway production of the smash hit The Producers, which won a record twelve Tony awards when it opened in 2001. Also on Broadway, Phil has conducted Thou Shalt Not (music/lyrics by Harry Connick, Jr.), the long-running hit Cats, and was musical director and on-stage pianist for Dame Edna. Since its inception in 2002, Phil has been the Musical Director and Conductor of the highly successful “Broadway Under the Stars” concerts in Bryant Park, televised by CBS. Stars have included Jewel, Tom Wopat, and numerous Tony Award winners, including Brian Stokes Mitchell, Anne Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, Faith Prince, and Chita Rivera. National tours include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (starring Donny Osmond), Music of the Night (world premiere tour with various stars including Colm Wilkinson, Melissa Manchester, and Betty Buckley), Starlight Express and Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity starring Donna McKechnie. Off-Broadway credits include: A New Brain at Lincoln Center, Chess, The Diva is Dismissed at the public, Nightmare Alley, and A Little Night Music. Phil is a graduate of the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.
DAN KUCHAR (Set Designer) is happy to once again be designing sets for Cape Playhouse, where he designed Rupert Holmes’ Thumbs. He has designed the past eight seasons of Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center, as well as their national tour Oops! The Big Apple Circus Stage Show directed by Tony Walton. Selected other credits include Blithe Spirit starring Twiggy and Dana Ivey, and Accomplice at Bay Street Theatre. The FeMale Heart, The Last 5 Years, A Life, Company, Noises Off, Sleuth, Quilters, That Championship Season. He has also worked as an assistant art director on the films Hide and Seek, Mothman Prophecies, You’ve Got Mail and Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds. “Thanks to Evans for inviting me back, and David for all your help and support.”
JOSE M. RIVERA (Costume Designer) returns to The Cape Playhouse for a fourth season after designing productions of On Your Toes; I Do, I Do; Anything Goes; Swingtime Canteen and My One and Only. An award winning designer, originally from New York and currently residing in Los Angeles, you can see his work on the hit VH1 show “Strip Search,” on Disney’s Soap net with “One Minute Soap Opera,” and if visiting Las Vegas, at the Excalibur casino with “Thunder Down Under” and at the Riviera casino with “American Storm.” He has designed, assisted and coordinated over 200 productions for film, theatre and television. Recent credits: the motion picture “Idol” (starring Scott Nelson, Ellen Degeneres, Lucy Liu, Mark McGrath, and Betty White); National Lampoon’s “TV: The Movie;” the national tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; the Los Angeles productions of Man of La Mancha, Come Blow Your Horn and The Boyfriend, and the feature films “The Story Teller” (Starring Sean Patrick Flannery, Dina Meyer and Fred Kohler) and Evil Alien Conquerors (Starring Deidrich Bader, Chris Parnell and Tori Spelling). Mr. Rivera is represented by The Shapiro Lichtman Talent Agency in Los Angeles.
JESSE LOWENSTEIN (Lighting Designer) Off Broadway: Streptococci: A Love Story, Heavenly Bliss & Lady in a Box (Cherry Lane Theater). Off-off Broadway: I Vermin, The Hollywood Success Story (NYC Fringe ’03); Runaways (Developing Artists, Center Stage NY). Regional: Sweet Charity, Children of Eden, Grease, Mother Posture, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (John Harms Center for the Arts). Other projects include Electronic Ensembles, Turntables as Ensemble Instruments, A Celebration of the Theremin, Nyabinghi Spirit, Mizik Racine and Trade Winds of Trinidad (Lincoln Center Summer Festival 2000). Repertory Lighting Designer for Armenian dance group, Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston (North American Tour). Education: Carnegie Mellon School of Drama ’04.