DARE TO DREAM THEATRE
ANASTASIA: THE MUSICAL
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Inspired by the Twentieth Century Fox Motion Pictures by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical
From the play by Marcelle Maurette as adapted by Guy Bolton
ANASTASIA is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited
Dare to Dream is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to giving youth and their families opportunities to learn, play, discover and grow through theatre. Programs are designed by formally trained and educated theater professionals to create nurturing opportunities for personal growth and stimulate creative thinking. Here, all children are equal and free to explore. There are no wrong answers, or unhealthy competition. Only the chance to explore imagination, exercise creativity, and discover a little more about oneself and the world around.
Dare to Dream offers a safe and caring environment for all children, whether healthy or at-risk, socially adept or challenged, to develop their imagination and creativity by learning fun theatre skills, making new friends and working together to perform for family and friends.
A child’s dreams are the foundation of her or his future life. We invite you to help the children of our community to dare to dream.
Please help more children realize the dreamers within themselves. Donate online at www.DareToDreamTheatre.org or mail your check to Dare to Dream Theatre, P.O. Box 482, Sheboygan, WI 53082-0482
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
At its core, this spectacular journey is about the search for identity, resilience, and the true meaning of home. Tonight’s adventure leads us on a journey to the past with Anya, an escape from the present with Vlad, and discovery of an unreachable future for Dmitry.
Each of us is on our own journey to discover who we are and how we impact the world around us. Whether we are looking to the past to define our future, seeking ways we can make a difference in the present, or looking toward a brighter future, we do not travel alone. When we acknowledge the paths of others around us, our journey becomes richer and so much more rewarding.
Through Anastasia’s journey, we discover that home is not a place on a map or a title in a history book. It is found in the courage to face our truths, the strength to forge our own path, and the love we choose to hold onto. Thank you for joining us tonight as we journey through memory, music, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit
If you enjoy what you see today, we invite you to join us! Check out our website to find out how you can become involved, onstage, offstage, in a class or workshop, or as a sponsor or donor.
We hope you will share your experience with your friends and family after the production and look forward to seeing you again soon!
Rachel Elizabeth Schmidt Artistic Director & Founder
Dare to Dream Theatre
www.DareToDreamTheatre.org
THANK YOU
To our show sponsors and partners, thank you for helping us bring joy to children.
PLUS, A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR THE GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION OF AN ANONYMOUS DONOR.
DARE TO DREAM BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jaime Marchi (President)
Jason Bemis (Vice President)
Andi Igowsky (Secretary)
Kim LaPoint (Treasurer)
Teresa McAlpine
Jennifer McCormick
Sarah Rudnick
Radhika Sharma
CAST LIST
(In Order of Appearance)
YOUNG ANASTASIA ........................................ Ivy Barkley (7/31, 8/1, 8/9) Olivia Hackbarth (8/2, 8/7, 8/8)
DOWAGER EMPRESS
MARIA FEODOROVNA ROMANOV ............................. Kristin Sorenson
TSAR NICHOLAS .................................................................... Dakota Tyler
TSARINA ALEXANDRIA ................................................. Glynnis Shircel
OLGA ............................................................................... Skylar Montambo
TATIANA ......................................................................... Jaslyn Lauersdorf
MARYA .................................................................................... Lena Farnum
ALEXEI ................................................................................ Morgan Emmer
TEEN ANASTASIA ..................................... Abigail Barkley (7/31, 8/1, 8/9) Aliyah Kartes (8/2, 8/7, 8/8)
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
GLEB VAGANOV .............................................................. Colin Hackbarth
DMITRY SUDAYEV ........................................................................ Fox Slife
VLADIMIR “VLAD” POPOV ............................................... Adam Barkley
ANYA/GRAND DUCHESS ANASTASIA
NIKOLAEVNA ROMANOV ................................................ Annelise Frank understudy Lily Goedeke (8/7)
BLACK MARKETEERS ................................................. Emily Golabiewski, Charlie Heim, Ava Karl
MARFA............................................................................. Nylomah Albertin
CAST LIST
(In Order of Appearance)
PAULINA ................................................................................. Lily Goedeke understudy Priya Castillo (8/7)
DUNYA ........................................................................ Rebecca Shvartsman understudy Priya Castillo (8/1)
DRUNK ............................................... Charlie Heim , Emily Golabiewski, Glynnis Shircel, Dakota Tyler, Ava Karl
YOUNG DMITRY ..................................... Olivia Hackbarth (7/31, 8/1, 8/9) Ivy Barkley (8/2, 8/7, 8/8),
COUNT IPOLITOV Saulo Solis
COUNT IPOLITOV’S FAMILY .................................... Nylomah Albertin, Naomi Solis, Eden Solis
POLICE ............................................................. Dakota Tyler, Charlie Heim
COMMISSIONER GORLINSKY Glynnis Shircel
COUNTESS LILY
MALEVSKY-MALEVITCH ........................................... Emily Golabiewski
COUNT LEOPOLD ................................................................ Charlie Heim
SERGEI .................................................................................. Maggie Shircel
COUNT GREGORY ........................................................................ Ava Karl
COUNTESS GREGORY ........................................................... Leah Milatz
ODETTE AND SWANS ................................................... Jaslyn Lauersdorf, Macy Koene, Lena Farnum
CAST
(In Alphabetical Order)
Nylomah Albertin (Marfa, Ensemble)
Nylomah is a Senior at Sheboygan Lutheran High School. Although this is her first production with Dare to Dream Theatre, she has been involved in many plays and musicals at LHS. She is very excited to put on this show for you. Nylah loves sharing her voice and laughs during rehearsals!
Abigail Barkley (Teen Anastasia, Ensemble)
Abigail is entering 8th grade at Trinity Lutheran School. This will be her first show with Dare to Dream Theatre. She loves her school and reading book after book. Abigail also loves all things horses.
Adam Barkley (Vladimir Popov)
Adam serves as a Lutheran pastor in the Sheboygan area. This will be his first show with Dare to Dream Theatre. After an 18-year break from the stage, Adam is excited to be performing again. He enjoys movies, reading, and playing with his six children.
Evonne Barkley (Young Anastasia, Young Dmitry, Ensemble)
Evonne (Ivy) is entering 4th grade at Trinity Lutheran School. This is her first show with Dare to Dream Theatre. She loves dancing, crafts, singing, and homework (she really does).
Priya Castillo (Ensemble)
Priya is entering her last year at Lake Country Academy (8th grade) and loves to crochet, play volleyball and soccer. This is her 5th performance with Dare to Dream and theater is fast becoming one of her favorite passions.
Morgan Emmer (Alexei, Ensemble)
Morgan is a soon-to-be 6th grade at Riverview Middle School. She is so excited to be in her sixth show with Dare to Dream Theatre! When not on stage, she loves playing volleyball, drawing, reading, and spending time with friends.
Lena Farnum (Marya, Ensemble)
Lena is going into her senior year at St. Norbert College where she studies mathematics and psychology. Anastasia is her 8th production with Dare to Dream Theatre, as cast or choreographer. When not working with Dare to Dream, Lena competes as a part of the SNC dance team.
Annelise Frank (Anya/Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov)
Annelise is very excited to be in her 1st production with Dare to Dream Theatre! Previously, she has been in productions with Lakeshore Productions Inc., Gateway Theatre, and Kewaskum Theater Company. While not in rehearsals or at work, she enjoys reading and drawing.
Lily Goedeke (Paulina, Ensemble, Anya Understudy)
Lily is thrilled to be in her second show with Dare to Dream Theatre! Some of her recent credits are: Mary Poppins (STC), Legally Blonde (STC), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (DTD), Mamma Mia (Musical Masquers), and The Humans (Dirigo Theatre Company). She enjoys spending her free time drawing or hanging out with family and friends.
Emily Golabiewski (Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch, Ensemble)
Emily is honored to perform in her second production with Dare to Dream Theatre. Previously she had played the Baron and Lord Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. More recent roles include Rosie in Mamma Mia and Truvy in Steel Magnolias. She would like to thank her husband Andrew and her family for their support.
Colin Hackbarth (Deputy Commissioner Gleb Vaganov)
Like Gleb, Colin thrives within a clear and orderly system. Everything has a place! However, having 4 kiddos, he has traveled a character arc similar to Gleb’s where the real world does not fit that system. In his 3rd show with Dare to Dream Theatre, the arc continues…
Olivia Hackbarth (Young Anastasia, Young Dmitry, Ensemble)
This is Olivia’s 6th show with Dare to Dream Theatre and her first main role! Having 3 siblings to play with all day, it’s sometimes hard leaving to do something she loves. But it’s always fun acting and singing with friends! She hopes you enjoy the show!
Charlie Heim (Count Leopold, Ensemble)
This is Charlie’s first production with Dare to Dream Theatre. He hopes you enjoy the show.
Ava Karl (Count Gregory, Ensemble)
Ava is a senior at Sheboygan Lutheran High School. This is her first show with Dare to Dream Theatre. When she isn’t performing, she enjoys hanging out with friends, watching movies, and trying new foods.
Aliyah Kartes (Teen Anastasia, Ensemble)
Aliyah is 13 years old, and is going into 8th grade at Howards Grove Middle School. She has done multiple plays and thrives being on the stage with all of her friends. When she isn’t singing or performing, she is traveling with her family, swimming, running track, or making art.
Macy Koene (Ensemble)
Macy is going to be a junior at Sheboygan North High this upcoming school year. She is so excited to be part of her second show with Dare to Dream. Last fall, Macy was Jasmine in “Aladdin JR” and had so much fun. When not doing theater, she loves to do aerial and dance. Macy is a part of Warped Dance Company as a student and a coach.
Jaslyn Lauersdorf (Tatiana, Odette, Ensemble)
Jaslyn is a junior at Sheboygan Falls High School. She is excited to be in her 6th show with Dare the Dream Theatre and her 13th show overall! This production is especially meaningful to Jaslyn because she gets to dance ballet, a hobby that she loves but is currently no longer pursuing.
Leah Milatz (Countess Gregory, Ensemble)
Leah is a recent Sheboygan Lutheran High School graduate and will attend Concordia University Wisconsin in the fall to become a secondary social studies and drama teacher. She’s excited to be in her first show with Dare to Dream Theatre. She wants to give a special thank you to her friends from the LHS theatre department.
Skylar Montambo (Olga, Ensemble)
Skylar is an incoming Junior at Sheboygan Falls High School. She has been in several productions with Dare to Dream Theatre, and is thankful to have been a part of this one. When not on stage, she enjoys creating art in visual and instrumental form.
Glynnis Shircel (Tsarina Alexandria, Commissioner Gorlinsky, Ensemble)
Glynnis is excited to be in her 2nd show at Dare to Dream. Last summer she played the Toymaker in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. When not on stage, she is a busy mom of four awesome kids and an elementary/middle school music teacher. Glynnis is a long-time member of the Sheboygan Symphony Chorus and also sings at her church and the Lakeshore Chorale.
Maggie Shircel (Sergei, Ensemble)
Maggie is a 7th grader at CCA. She is very excited to be in Anastasia. When she’s not performing with Dare to Dream, she loves to read, draw, sing, play trumpet and piano, play volleyball and hang out with her family and friends.
Rebecca Shvartsman (Dunya, Ensemble)
Rebecca is going into her freshman year of college at the UMN Twin Cities and plans to major in journalism! She has previously worked with Dare to Dream in Frozen (2019), Moana (2022), Tuck Everlasting (2023), and camps throughout the years. When not on stage she loves playing guitar and going to concerts!
Fox Slife (Dmitry Sudayev)
Fox is super excited to play the role of Dmitry. This isn’t the first time he played a Russian though. Last year he played Fyedka in Fiddler on The Roof. Maybe he’ll play another Russian next year, and the year after... Wait, how many more musicals with Russians are there?
Eden Solis (Ensemble)
Eden is 8 years old and is excited to be performing in her 4th production with Dare to Dream! This show is especially meaningful because she gets to share the stage with her daddy and her little sister. Eden loves making new friends, learning new songs and choreography, and bringing stories to life on stage. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Naomi Solis (Ensemble)
Naomi is 7 years old and a second grader at Sheboygan Christian School. This is her fourth production with Dare to Dream Theatre, and she’s especially excited to share the stage with her big sister and her dad. When not on stage, Naomi can usually be found playing soccer, singing at the top of her lungs, or keeping everyone laughing with her silly personality.
Saulo Solis (Count Ipolitov, Ensemble)
This show will be Saulo’s 3rd time on stage. Being a part of the cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang last year was such a fun experience. He joins this stage with his 2 youngest daughters, Eden and Naomi. He would like to thank Dare to Dream Theatre for this opportunity to sing, dance, and make some new friends along the way. Enjoy the show.
Kristin Sorenson (Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna Romanov)
Kristin has performed in classical venues throughout the United States and Europe. Her favorite local experiences include Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), The Secret Garden (Lily) with the Sheboygan Theatre Company; Annie (Grace Farrell) with TYA; Matilda (Miss Honey), Tuck Everlasting (Mae Tuck) with Dare to Dream. Kristin teaches elementary music.
Dakota Tyler (Tsar Nicholas, Ensemble)
Dakota is a soon-to-be 10th grader at Sheboygan Falls High School. He is very excited to perform on stage with his peers instead of the usual stage crew that he has been a part of for a few years. When he is off stage, he enjoys playing video games and spending time with his family.
SPECIAL THANKS
Thank you to all the volunteers who helped in so many ways. Without the dedication and involvement of every cast family, what you see here today would not be possible. Our apologies and thanks to those who may have been omitted.
CARMEN DOLSON
And the entire staff of Sheboygan Lutheran High School
JOSH FOGARTY Videography
SETH BARKLEY
Lightboard Operator
MAYA BISTAN
Master Painter
KIRK LONGHOFER Sound Design
LENA FARNUM, MACY KOENE, REBECCA SHVARTSMAN Dance Captains/Choreography
STAGE FAMILY VOLUNTEERS
Backstage Crew & Lobby Team
SHEBOYGAN THEATER COMPANY Various Props & Set Pieces
PRODUCTION TEAM
RACHEL ELIZABETH SCHMIDT Director
Rachel is pleased to spend her time working with children and theatre, helping them find the magic in themselves and discover their dreams. With a lifelong passion for theatre and the wonder of the arts, Rachel spends time onstage (when possible) offstage (as Artistic Director for Dare to Dream Theatre) in front of the camera (as an actor in regional film/television projects) and backstage (doing whatever needs to be done!) Rachel has a BA in Theatre from Wisconsin Lutheran College. For over 25 years, Dare to Dream Theatre has been a labour of love for Rachel, and she treasures the many people who have joined her in this dream over the years. She is proud of the growth she sees every day from the talented young people she works with, and can’t wait to be a part of their journey as they continue to Dare to Dream!
ZACH HOLDEN
Music Director
Zach is a freelance educator and musician from the Plymouth area. He is the vocal director and arranger for Plymouth High School’s Momentum show choir and most recently music directed Sheboygan Theatre Company’s production of RENT. Before returning to Wisconsin, Zach worked with the New York Youth Symphony as a musical theatre songwriter and teacher, toured with Academy Awardwinning songwriter Franke Previte (Dirty Dancing), originated “Steve” in the Off-Broadway run of Good Morning New York, and appeared as “Aaron” in the Gabriel’s Inferno film series. In 2020, he debuted his original stand-up musical comedy show, All About Love (Mostly), which can be found, along with other original material, on his Youtube channel. As a performer in NYC, Zach’s groups have been featured on Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Today Show, and SiriusXM Radio.
GRACE RAUTMAN
Choreographer
Grace,18, is a 7 year aerialist and dancer at Warped Dance Company. When not performing, or choreographing, she’s mentoring studio students, reading voraciously or caring for animals at a local sanctuary. This will be her 4th show she has choreographed for Dare to Dream. She’s excited for you to see what this talented cast has created!
AMANDA JOHNSON DeWALL
Costume Designer
Amanda is a graduate of Valparaiso University. She’s worked with Dare to Dream Theatre on many shows over the years, including Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Finding Nemo JR, Tuck Everlasting, The Wizard of Oz, and Descendants, amd more. She spends her spare time adding glitter and spikes to anything anyone leaves within arms’ reach.
KEV KOLLMANN
Lighting & Scenic Designer
Kev is a MFA student in Lighting Design at Northern Illinois University. He received his BA in Theater from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh focusing on Directing and Stage Management. Since his graduation he has turned his attention to the design aspects of the entertainment industry. Kev is an active advocate for folks of marginalized communities especially within the disabled community. He uses the artistic capabilities of design and his real life experiences as a disabled person to help create a more equitable theatrical experience.
LEE KOEPPEN
Master Builder
Lee is handy with tools and happy when the set is safe and ready to go. He’s built sets, set pieces and occasional props for shows from Jungle Book to The Tempest. This is Lee’s 11th production as the Dare to Dream Theatre Master Builder, and 13th show with us, overall.
ERICH SCHMIDT
Technical Director
Erich has been running sound for 12 years, since taking a position as teacher at Sheboygan Lutheran High School. This is his 12th production with Dare to Dream Theatre. He enjoys overseeing the technical side of productions. This allows him to work with the performers to make their hard work heard and seen by everyone.
Dare to Dream Theatre offers interactive, growth-centered theater classes, camps, and performance opportunities for early childhood through teens.
To learn more about our upcoming programs, visit www.DareToDreamTheatre.org or email Rachel@DareToDreamTheatre.org
