Sweet Charity Playbill

ON AN ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY BY

BASED

FEDERICO FELLINI, TULLIO PINELLI AND ENNIO FLAIANO

Thank you to our Supporters

Season Angels

Jane & Steve Akin

Patty & Jay Baker

Glenda & Rich Struthers

Season Benefactors

Nancy & Tom Gallagher

Karen & Gary Gregg

Jenny & Rich Housh

George & Patricia Kraus

Nancy Lauridsen

James & Brigitte Marino

Sandi & Tom Moran

Susan Regenstein & Barry Frank

Ralph & Shelly Stayer

John & Carol Walter

Season Ambassadors

Lee & Peter Bewley

Richard & Jane Borchers

Patricia & Jim Bosscher

Grampy’s Charities - Jim & Jonatha Castle

Bev & Art Cherry

Kyla & Rich de Asla

Mary F. Drazan

Bobbi & David Drobis

Christine & Terrance Flynn

The Habbershon Family

Marguerite Hambleton

Mitchell Hertz & Anne Carlucci

Paul & Barbie Hills

Steven & Sarah Jackson

Liz & Jim Jessee

Anonymous (x3)

Mary & Phil Beuth

Cheryl & Randall W. Byrnes

Bob & Laurie Champion

Robert & Joan Clifford

John & Patricia Cochran

Norman & Suzanne Cohn

Margaret Cox

Jim & Shirley Curvey

Dyan Fazzone

Kathleen & Brendan FitzGerald

The Gialamas Family

Matthew Hagan

The Harold Alfond Foundation

Ken & Karen Heithoff

Jean & Leo Hertzog

Sabrina & Craig Jensen

Sarah Raup Johnson

Catelyn Juliano & David Deutsch

Kimberly Moss & Bob Fisher

Bettina McKee

Dan & Ann Meyer

Joanne & Jeffrey Miller

Vicki Herche & Graeme Murray

Pamela & Bob Krupka

Simone & Scott Lutgert

F.E. & Jack Nortman

Kathy & Ned Sachs

Cynthia & Mike Scholl

The Vincent Von Zwehl Memorial Fund

Jane & Dave Wilson

Tereska & Jerry Whitson

Debbie & Bruce Yarde

E xecutive Producers

Heidi & James Kargman

Diane Landgren

Dolly & Jenny Lenz

Laird A. Lile

Jody & Gerald Lippes

Barbara K. Lupient

Debra & Vince Maffeo

Sherie Marek

Phil McCabe

Carolyn & Don McCulloch

Gerry McGraw

Pat & Tony McMunn

Kristin & John Miller

Geraldine Moss

Louise & Larry Ost

Cindy & Tony Panzica

Joan & Mahendra Parekh

Gail Kern Paster

Anthony & Beverly Petullo

Dear Friends,

It is with joy and gratitude that I welcome you to Gulfshore Playhouse at the new Baker Theatre and Education Center! It’s hard to believe that we are getting close to bringing the curtain down on our inaugural season. What a whirlwind it has been! It is truly a dream realized to walk into the building and find it bustling with activity at all hours of the day with people from near and far experiencing art and community within these walls. Thank you so much for being a part of it.

There is still so much left in store this season. For any children in your life, be sure to check out the exciting Gulfshore Playhouse Education programs coming this summer.

I also want to make sure you know that we’ve officially announced our 2025-2026 season! Flex Passes are now available to purchase. This allows you to choose your dates and seats to the shows you want to see at the best prices. I would highly encourage you to consider purchasing one if you plan on coming back to us next season, I hope you will because it’s a not-to-be-missed lineup.

Kicking off in the fall of 2025, experience Edward Albee’s iconic drama Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in the Struthers Studio and then get in the holiday spirit with the classic musical with a score that’ll have you tapping your toes, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas in the Moran. In 2026, join us in the Moran for Agatha Christie’s thrilling mystery The Mousetrap, Oscar Wilde’s timeless comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, and finally the Broadway smash hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. In the Struthers Studio, experience the world premiere of Circle Forward by Deb Hiett, a fan favorite from our New Works Festival, and last but by no means least, the heartfelt World War II romance, Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise.

Ann Ratner

Dottie & John Remondi

DeAnna & Rick Rondinelli

Pam & Fred Sasser

Melissa & David Shockley

Alice & Charles Simons

Sharon & Paul Stein

Patricia Sweet & Bill Marsh

Janet & Peter Swinburn

Roberta & Rodger Taylor

Julie & Steve Vanderboom

Julie & Phil Wade

Kathy & Paul Weaver

Michael Wilens & Carolyn Longacre

Julie Wyman

Kristen & Michael Wynn

Joanne Wyss

My dream has always been to create an iconic, elegant building to serve the city with world-class art, engagement and educational opportunities, rental spaces for community groups, peaceful gardens, and gorgeous architecture. Every choice we made was in service to this goal, and each day we work to serve you and all of those in our region. Gulfshore Playhouse is truly your home for professional theatre.

Thank you and enjoy the show!

With gratitude,

Kristen Coury Founder, CEO & Producing Artistic Director

Thank you to our Supporters

C orporate Season Ambassadors

Corporate Executive Producers

Grants and Endowments

Thank you for being an essential part of our community. We look forward to sharing more magic with you in the seasons to come!

From attending performances to spreading the word about our productions, your enthusiasm and passion inspire us every day. It is your belief in the power of professional theatre that drives us to push boundaries and strive for excellence.

Dear Friends,

As the Chairman of the Board, I am honored to welcome you to the 20242025 season on behalf of the entire Board of Directors. Whether you are a long-time supporter or a first-time patron, I am thrilled you are joining us for this most auspicious season, our first in the Baker Theatre and Education Center.

Gulfshore Playhouse has accomplished an incredible feat both locally and nationally with the construction of this building. It is a stunning reflection of the dedication and support of this community. I look forward to seeing how its presence shapes our entire region in the years to come.

Producing theatre of this magnitude is no simple task; it has required significant growth of the budget, staff, and resources of the organization. Everyone at Gulfshore Playhouse works tirelessly to create exceptional theatrical experiences. All of it is made possible through the excellence of the organizational leadership, the knowledgeable, generous, and engaged Board of Directors, the incredibly talented and ever-growing staff, the generous donors, and the curious and dedicated audience who make it all happen.

You may also notice that this building’s name is the Baker Theatre and Education Center because it is home not only to staged productions but also an expansive and growing education department. Gulfshore Playhouse Education serves thousands of people both in our community and nationally each year, through a variety of theatre-based programs. If you are curious about opportunities for yourself or the children in your life, I would encourage you to see what is being offered this season.

This is a difficult time for the arts in our nation, so it is especially incredible to see Gulfshore Playhouse thriving, and that is thanks to your continued support. The arts are a vital part of a flourishing community both culturally and economically. The impact of the Baker Theatre and Education Center will be felt across Southwest Florida and our nation as the organization continues to grow.

I hope you find this season inspiring, entertaining, and healing. Thank you for your continued support of Gulfshore Playhouse.

Enjoy the show!

Sincerely,

Steve Akin Chairman of the Board

Cody Nickell, Ian Peakes, and Geoffrey Cantor in the Gulfshore Playhouse production of The Lehman Trilogy. Photo by Nick Adams.

Donor Spotlights

We thank you for your continued passion, generosity and support.

Jenny & Rich Housh Season Ambassadors

We are honored to showcase Jenny and Rich Housh, dedicated supporters whose generosity and leadership has made a lasting impact on Gulfshore Playhouse and the greater Naples community. They both share a love of live theatre and support the arts locally and in Cincinnati, OH.

Jenny has been a member of the Gulfshore Playhouse Board of Directors since 2011, bringing a lifelong passion for the arts to her role. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning, she has a rich history of philanthropy in Ohio, having served on the Cincinnati Opera board and playing a key role in the transformation of the CAC into the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art. Jenny’s love for theatre extends beyond her leadership—she was deeply involved in producing and acting in The Lebanon Community Theater in Lebanon, Ohio. Jenny also serves on the board of the Shelter for Abused Women and Children.

Rich, an energy, HVAC, and automation expert, is also actively involved with Champions For Learning, inspiring students by introducing them to careers in construction through hands-on experiences with new building technologies. Rich recently organized a Champions For Learning student trip to tour Gulfshore Playhouse to see firsthand the technologies utilized during a new building project. Rich also serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Collier County.

Jenny and Rich have been enjoying Gulfshore Playhouse productions for many years and have generously contributed to both the annual fund and the capital campaign, helping to ensure the continued growth of professional theatre in Naples. Their favorite Gulfshore Playhouse production was Native Gardens

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Jenny and Rich for their unwavering dedication to Gulfshore Playhouse. Their passion, generosity, and leadership continue to make a meaningful difference.

As a not-for-profit organization for the greater good, Gulfshore Playhouse relies on the support of generous donors.

With your support and passion, we hire exceptional talent to perform on our stage, foster new voices, and enhance the lives of the 80,000 patrons we welcome each year. Over 16,000 children engage in the art of theatre each year through our robust and ever-growing education department.

You play a vital role. By supporting Gulfshore Playhouse, you are transforming a region and transforming lives. Have questions or wish to make a

The cast of the Gulfshore Playhouse production of Anything Goes Photo by Matthew Schipper.

with

Maya J. Christian*

Taylor Nolan Daniels*

Tassy Kirbas*

Lily Kren*

Jessie Lawyer*

Scenic Designer Kristen Martino**

Stage Manager Danny Kuenzel*

Assistant Stage Manager

Madelyn Hawver*

Charity Hope Valentine .......................... Kate Marilley

Charlie/Vittorio/Oscar ....................... Benjamin Lurye

Allan Lopez

Benjamin Lurye*

Kelly MacMillan*

Erica Mansfield*

Cayla Primous* Kyra Sorce*

Nick Traficante

Candace J. Washington*

Mat Webb Matt Wolpe*

Costume Designer Leon Dobkowski** Lighting Designer Dalton Hamilton** Sound Designer Ryan Marsh**

Intimacy Director Erica Mansfield Wig Designer Bobbie Zlotnik Dialects Jennifer Burke

Orchestrators Frank Galgano & Matt Castle

Associate Music Director/Conductor Michael Uselmann

Casting by Michael Cassara, CSA

Nickie/Ensemble ............................... Kelly MacMillan

Helene/Ensemble ................................. Cayla Primous

Carmen/Ensemble ...................................... Kyra Sorce

Herman ....................................................... Matt Wolpe

Daddy Brubeck/Ensemble ............... Maya J. Christian

Ursula/Ensemble ........................................... Lily Kren

Director of Production Ray Inkel

COO & Managing Director Joel Markus

CEO & Producing Artistic Director Kristen Coury

Director/Choreographer

Dann Dunn

Produced for the Broadway stage by: Fryer, Carr and Harris

Conceived, Staged and Choreographed by Bob Fosse

Sweet Charity is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com

(*) Denotes members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

(**) Denotes member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829

Special thank you to The Naples Players for assisting with props. Starring

Ensemble ...................................................... Mat Webb

Ensemble .................................... Taylor Nolan Daniels Ensemble ................................................... Allan Lopez

Elaine/Ensemble .................... Candace J. Washington

Suzanne/Ensemble ............................. Erica Mansfield

Rosie/Ensemble ........................................ Tassy Kirbas

Swing/Dance Captain ............................ Jessie Lawyer

Swing .................................................... Nick Traficante

Musicians

Conductor/Keyboard .................... Michael Uselmann

Percussion .............................................. Shane Corwin

Guitar .......................................................... Matt Patton

Bass ................................ Chuck Bergeron/Ian Stewart

Trumpet .............. Kristofer Marshall/Miguel Santiago

Trombone ........................................... George Mancini Horn ....................................................... Megan Hurley Reed ................................. John Yoakum/Don Rhynard Band Contractor ........................................... Jim Dallas

Understudies

Understudies never substitute for the listed performers unless a specific announcement is made at time of the performance.

Charity Hope Valentine ............................ Tassy Kirbas

Charlie/Vittorio/Oscar ................................ Mat Webb

Nickie ................................................... Erica Mansfield

Helene/Daddy Brubeck ......... Candace J. Washington Herman ...................................................... Allan Lopez

Runtime

2 hours and 30 minutes, with a 15 minute intermission.

S etting New York City, 1960's.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to the to the Lighting Assistant, Mackenzie Scales, and Music Copyist, Matthew R. Meckes, for assisting in this production.

BOOK BY NEIL SIMON MUSIC BY CY COLEMAN LYRICS BY DOROTHY FIELDS

BOOK BY NEIL SIMON MUSIC BY CY COLEMAN LYRICS BY DOROTHY FIELDS

NEIL SIMON MUSIC BY CY COLEMAN LYRICS BY DOROTHY FIELDS

Musical Numbers

Act I:

"Charity's Theme" ..................................................................................................................................... Charity

"You Should See Yourself" ....................................................................................................................... Charity

"Big Spender" ...................................................................................................................... Fandango Hostesses

"Charity's Soliloquy" ................................................................................................................................ Charity

"Rich Man's Frug" ................................................................................................................................. Company

"If My Friends Could See Me Now" .......................................................................................................... Charity

"Too Many Tomorrows" ........................................................................................................................... Vittorio

"There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" ........................................................... Charity, Nickie, Helene

"I'm the Bravest Individual" ......................................................................................................... Charity, Oscar

Act II:

"Rhythm of Life" ....................................................................................................... Daddy Brubeck, Company

"Baby Dream Your Dream" .......................................................................................................... Nickie, Helene "Sweet Charity" ......................................................................................................................... Oscar, Company

"Where Am I Going?" ............................................................................................................................... Charity

"I'm a Brass Band" .................................................................................................................. Charity, Company

"I Love to Cry at Weddings" .................................................................................................. Herman, Company

"Finale" ..................................................................................................................................................... Charity

Gulfshore Playhouse operates under agreements between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), a consortium of regional theatres throughout the nation; Actors Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States; the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), an independent national labor union; and United Scenic Artists (USA), a union of scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre, founded in 1985, is a not-for-profit organization serving the musical theatre community. The 165 organizational members and 75 individual members, located throughout 33 states and abroad, are some of the leading producers of musical theatre in the world, and include theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and individual producers.

Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) was founded in 1913 as the first of the American Actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, promote and foster the art of theatre as an essential component of our society. Today, Equity represents more than 40,000 actors, singers, dancers and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres across the United States. Equity members are dedicated to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding the highest artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans for its members. Through its agreement with Equity, this theatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors and stage managers employed in this production. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. For more information, visit www.actorsequity.org.

The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production and distributing recordings or streams in any medium including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author(s)'s rights and actionable under United States copyright law. For more information, please visit: concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists

Director's Note

When I first began work on creating this production of Sweet Charity I knew that I wanted to dust it off for a modern audience while maintaining the integrity of the musical that people know and love. With wonderful music and lyrics by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, a hilarious book by Neil Simon, and stylized movement inspired by Bob Fosse, it is clear as to why this musical has stood the test of time. Throw in a top-notch, talented cast that has the ability to make you laugh while they tug at your heart strings, and you’ve got yourself a perfect evening at the theatre.

Now a period piece, taking place in 1966, Sweet Charity couldn’t be more relevant. While some people might say that it is a love letter to the underbelly of show business, deferred dreams, and broken hearts, I actually believe it is a Valentine, as it were, to resiliency, friendship, and realizing that you’re never too old to make a change or to see the bright side of a situation. Whether you see the adventures of Charity's journey as a fairy tale or as a cautionary tale one thing rings true: We are all trying to do our best with what we've been given and the information we have as we continue to dream our dream.

I’ve fallen in love with Charity’s hopeful optimism and positivity in a time where I believe we could all use it most. She brings us humor, compassion, and most importantly, Hope. Hope for today and hope for tomorrow.

It has been a lesson in unparalleled joy to be in the rehearsal room with this cast and creative team. We have had a blast bringing Charity’s world to life in a fresh and innovative way. We have worked to breathe a new life into a production created with a new sound and a new vocabulary of storytelling, specifically for Gulfshore Playhouse audiences. We couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with the world.

Thank you for your continued support of live theatre and the world class entertainment that we strive to bring to Naples.

Enjoy the show!

Dann Dunn Director/Choreographer

Gulfshore Playhouse is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network.

BOOK BY

About the Playwrights

Neil Simon (Playwright) is widely regarded as one of the most successful, prolific, and performed playwrights in theatre history. In addition to Lost In Yonkers, which won a Tony Award® and Pulitzer Prize, his plays and musicals include Come Blow Your Horn, Little Me, Barefoot in the Park , The Odd Couple, Sweet Charity, The Star-Spangled Girl, Plaza Suite, Promises, Promises, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Gingerbread Lady, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Sunshine Boys, The Good Doctor, God's Favorite, California Suite, Chapter Two, They're Playing Our Song, I Ought to be in Pictures, Fools, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, The Odd Couple (female version), Broadway Bound, Rumors, Jake's Women, The Goodbye Girl, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, London Suite, Proposals, Hotel Suite, The Dinner Party, 45 Seconds from Broadway, Oscar and Felix, and Rose's Dilemma. In addition to the film adaptations he wrote of many of his plays, his screenplay credits include After the Fox, The Out-Of-Towners, The Heartbreak Kid (original 1973 version), Murder by Death, The Cheap Detective, Seems Like Old Times, Only When I Laugh, Max Dugan Returns, The Slugger's Wife, The Marrying Man and The Odd Couple II. Other motion pictures based on stage plays include Come Blow Your Horn, Sweet Charity, and The Star-Spangled Girl. For television, Mr. Simon wrote series, teleplays and motion pictures, including "The Tallulah Bankhead Show," "The Sid Caesar Show," "The Phil Silvers Arrow Show," "The Phil Silvers Show," "The Garry Moore Show," "The Trouble with People," "ABC's Broadway Bound," and "Jake’s Women." Books by Neil Simon include Rewrites, A Memoir, The Play Goes On, four omnibus collections of Neil Simon's plays (The Comedy Of Neil Simon, The Collected Plays Of Neil Simon, Vol. II, The Collected Plays Of Neil Simon, Vol. 3, The Collected Plays Of Neil Simon, Vol. 4) and Lost In Yonkers (screenplay).

Cy Coleman (Music) was a renowned composer known for his Broadway hits like Sweet Charity, Wildcat, Little Me, and City of Angels. A child prodigy, he began his career in classical music before transitioning to popular and jazz music. He collaborated with lyricists like Joe A. McCarthy, Carolyn Leigh, and Dorothy Fields, producing classics such as “Witchcraft” and “Big Spender.” Coleman earned 3 Grammy Awards, 3 Tony Awards®, 3 Emmy Awards, and an Oscar nomination. He also composed for films and TV specials. His contributions to musical theater earned him induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Richard Rodgers Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Dorothy Fields (Lyrics) was an award-winning American librettist and lyricist. The brother and sister team of Herbert and Dorothy Fields was part of a vibrant New York theatrical family that also included their brother, Joseph, a prolific librettist and playwright, and their father, Lew, the famous producer, actor, and director. Together, Herbert and Dorothy Fields wrote the books for eight Broadway musicals, including three with scores by Cole Porter (Something For the Boys starring Ethel Merman, Let's Face It! starring Danny Kaye, and Mexican Hayride); By The Beautiful Sea with music by Arthur Schwartz; Up in Central Park with music by Sigmund Romberg; Arms and the Girl with music by Morton Gould; Redhead with music by Albert Hague; and the classic Annie Get Your Gun with a score by Irving Berlin. In a career spanning more than 45 years, Dorothy Fields wrote the lyrics to such standards as "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," (a timeless classic featured in the film A League of Their Own), the Academy Awardwinning "The Way You Look Tonight" with music by Jerome Kern, "On The Sunny Side Of The Street," "Exactly Like You," "Don't Blame Me," "I'm In The Mood For Love," "I Won't Dance," "A Fine Romance," "I Feel A Song Coming On," "Lovely To Look At," "I'll Buy You A Star," "Pick Yourself Up," "Remind Me," "Big Spender," "If My Friends Could See Me Now," "Where Am I Going?," "There's Got To Be Something Better

Than This," "It's Not Where You Start," "Nobody Does It Like Me," and "Seesaw." In addition to Kern, her great collaborating composers included Harold Arlen, Cy Coleman, Morton Gould, Albert Hague, Burton Lane, Oscar Levant, Jimmy McHugh, Arthur Schwartz (with whom she wrote the score for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn), Sigmund Romberg and Harry Warren. Her final Broadway scores, written with Coleman, were Sweet Charity and Seesaw. In March 1971 Dorothy Fields became an inaugural inductee of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.

About the Cast

Kate Marilley (Charity Hope Valentine) is overjoyed to return to Gulfshore Playhouse after playing Ilona Ritter in She Loves Me in Gulfshore’s final production at the Norris Center! Recently she played Countess Lily in Anastasia at the Bucks County Playhouse, & starred as Delia Deetz in the 1st Broadway National Tour of Beetlejuice. Other Broadway: original casts of Flying Over Sunset at Lincoln Center Theater, The Prom, My Fair Lady, and Billy Elliot Broadway tour! Favorite regional: White Christmas (Judy Haynes) and The Secret Garden (Alice/Mrs. Winthrop) at the Denver Center; Damn Yankees (Lola) and A Chorus Line (Sheila) at The Rev; Something’s Afoot (Lettie) at Pioneer Theater Co.; Can-Can (Marie) and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (Ruth) at Paper Mill Playhouse; My Paris (Yvette Guilbert) at the Long Wharf Theater; Amazing Grace (Mrs. Catlett) at Goodspeed; The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Birdie) at the Muny; 42nd Street (Peggy Sawyer) at Musical Theater West, On the Town (Ivy Smith). TV/Film: “The Gilded Age” (HBO), “Skwidz” (Nickelodeon). BFA from Carnegie Mellon. So much gratitude to this stellar creative team, and my fabulous managers Megan & Robert at Lohne/Graham Management! Check out more info/updates on her website: www.katemarilley.com. Instagram: @katemarilley

Benjamin Lurye (Charlie/Vittorio/Oscar) is excited to make his Gulfshore debut! Originally from the DC area, Ben began his career performing on the stages of the area’s great theaters, including the Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre (Sweeney Todd 2010 and 2023, A Little Night Music, Sheryl Crow and Barry Levinson’s Diner), Ford’s Theatre (Hello, Dolly! - Helen Hayes Award; Outstanding Ensemble), Olney Theatre (My Fair Lady, Sweeney Todd, Mary Poppins, Forever Plaid, Joseph… Dreamcoat), Rep Stage (Songs for a New World, Sweeney Todd, The Fantasticks), The Kennedy Center, Adventure Theatre, Virginia Rep, and many more. Since moving to NY at the beginning of 2020, he’s performed across the country at Theatre Under The Stars (Frozen, Sweeney Todd), the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (The Last Five Years), Opera in the Heights (The Light in the Piazza), Bristol Riverside Theatre (A Comedy of Tenors), and North Shore Music Theatre (Titanic). Ben has also appeared in concert with the National Symphony Orchestra (Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Ben Folds and Mo Willems, Music of the Mad Men Era with Cheyenne Jackson), the Lawton Philharmonic (On The Town), and the American Pops Orchestra (Around the World in 80 Days). Online: benlurye.com; IG: @ben_lurye_sings_high. Ben is proud to be represented by Lohne Graham Management. Izzy, I love you (so).

Kelly MacMillan (Nickie/Ensemble) is beyond thrilled to be doing her first show at Gulfshore Playhouse! Theatre credits include the Pre-Broadway tryout of The Karate Kid: The Musical (Stages St. Louis), Linda in The Wedding Singer (Gateway Playhouse), Footloose! (The Muny), Associate Choreographer/Dance Captain of Rock of Ages (Gateway Playhouse), LuLu/Dance Captain in Cabaret (Phoenix Theatre Company), DeLee in Smokey Joe’s Cafe (ACT of CT), Associate Choreographer/ Dance Captain in The Addams Family (Gateway Playhouse), Principal Performing Artist/Dance Captain at Transcendence Theatre Company and more throughout the country. TV Credits: Principal Dancer on Apple TV’s "ROAR" (choreographed by Marguerite Derricks). Kelly would love to thank her parents, boyfriend, and cat for their constant love and support. Kelly would also love to thank her representation: Hudson Artists, IG: xoxo_kellymac

Cayla Primous (Helene/Ensemble) is excited to make her Gulfshore Playhouse debut! Cayla is an alumna of Texas State University’s B.F.A. Musical Theatre Program. She has recently relocated to New York after two years traveling through the Caribbean, Mexico, and Alaska. As a main stage performer and dance captain for Disney Cruise Line's Walt Disney Theatres, she could be seen telling the stories of fan favorites including Belle, Elsa, and Tiana. Regional: Wagon Wheel Theatre, Southern Orange Performing Arts Center. Favorite Roles: The Cat in the Hat in Seussical, Ms. Phelps in Matilda and Captain Redd in Pirate's Rockin' Parlay Party. Cayla would like to thank everyone at The Mine, Logan and her family for their love and support. Go Bobcats! @mscaylachristine, caylaprimous.com

Kyra Sorce (Carmen/Ensemble) loves Sweet Charity! Raised in Malibu, California she now lives in New York City! Some of her credits include Anita in West Side Story (International tour), Kiss Me Kate, Grease, Sweet Charity, West Side Story, Oklahoma! (Marriott Theatre), Mamma Mia! (Drury Lane), Graziella in West Side Story (Lyric Opera of Chicago) and Associate Choreographer for On Your Feet (Paper Mill Playhouse). Her tv credits are; “Dancing With The Stars” (RTE One, Dublin) “Chicago PD”, “Power Book IV: Force”, and “Etoilé”. She has a B.F.A in Musical Theatre from The Chicago College of Performing Arts. Endless love and gratitude to her father and stepmother, you two are her greatest supporters and role models. IG: Malibu_Chicken Rep: MMVTalent.

Maya J. Christian (Daddy Brubeck/Ensemble) is thrilled to be making her Gulfshore Playhouse debut! Favorite credits: Jagged Little Pill 1st Nat’l Tour (Swing/ Frankie cover), SIX (Cleves, Norwegian Cruise Lines), The Color Purple (Doris/ Ensemble, Phoenix Theatre Company), The Wolves (#13, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis). B.F.A Musical Theatre ’20, Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. Maya would love to thank her friends, family, and partner for their continued support! Instagram: @mayathemusical, mayajchristian.com

Matt Wolpe (Herman/Ensemble) is thrilled to be back in the sun and excited to be in this beautiful new theatre at Gulfshore Playhouse. A California native who currently lives in New York’s picturesque Hudson Valley. Broadway/Off-B’way/ Tours: Rock of Ages (Lonny), Finding Neverland (Cromer), Once, A Wonderful World (Joe Glaser), Hells Belles’. Regional Favorites: School of Rock (Dewey) Virginia Musical Theatre, Guys and Dolls (Nicely Nicely) Weston Playhouse, Once (Billy) Cape Playhouse, Buddy Holly Story (Jerry Allison) La Mirada, Into The Woods (Jack) Sacramento Music Circus, The Liar (Cliton) Ensemble Theatre Co. SB, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Freddy) NOHO Arts, Escape to Margaritaville (Brick) Ogunquit. TV: "We Crashed," "SNL," "Every Other Wednesday," "The Intermission Talk Show," and many commercials. Most notably the former singing spokesman for Bumblebee Tuna! Wolpe is also an award winning songwriter and multi instrumentalist with music available on all streaming platforms. His band Matt Wolpe and the Bedside Romeos have residencies in NYC and Matt also gigs all around the country playing solo acoustic shows and concert halls. He has opened for Robert Klein and has had the honor of sharing the stage with k.d. Lang, Glen Hansard, and Dick Van Dyke. He hosted "Master Chef Live" and fronted the Blues Brotherhood. For more info and music check out MattWolpe.com or @MattWolpe. Special thanks to Michael Cassara, the whole cast, crew, and creative team. Love to Leah, Mom, Pops, The Reads, Cocktail, and Miss Trudy, our new standard poodle pup. Thanks for supporting the Arts!

Lily Kren (Ursula/Ensemble) is so happy to be returning to Gulfshore Playhouse for Noises Off and Sweet Charity. Recently she has appeared in the Tony® Nominated Broadway Revival of The Who’s Tommy. You may have seen her perform on the 2024 Tony Awards, Jimmy Fallon and Good Morning America. She has also previously been seen in the National Tour of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Regionally: The Who's Tommy (The Goodman); Mamma Mia! (Casa Mañana) Beauty and The Beast (The Argyle). Lily is signed with Avalon Artists Group and attended Texas State University for a BFA in Musical Theatre. Lily would like to extend a HUGE thank you to her family (who all live locally and love getting to see her), everyone at Gulfshore Playhouse, Kristen for leading the way, Dann and Trevor for unparalleled joy, Michael Cassara for ENDLESS support. Find Lily across all platforms @lilykren_official

Taylor Nolan Daniels (Ensemble) is delighted to join the cast of Sweet Charity at Gulfshore Playhouse! Previous credits include Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Hamilton, and Memphis! I want to express my gratitude to my loved ones for their unwavering support and to my management, GBM. @tndanc3r

Tassy Kirbas (Rosie/Ensemble/U/S Charity) is so happy to be making their Gulfshore Playhouse debut by revisiting sweet, Sweet Charity! They were most recently seen making their Broadway debut in the Ensemble of The Who’s Tommy last spring, shortly after traveling with Mamma Mia!: The 25th Anniversary North American Tour (Work Light Productions). Favorite credits include Sally Bowles in Cabaret (Woodstock Playhouse), Babette in Beauty and the Beast (Woodstock Playhouse), Inez Serrano in No Exit (Jubilee Theatre) and Charity in Sweet Charity (Festival Playhouse). Kirbas earned their B.F.A from Wright State University and is represented by Dave Secor with Daniel Hoff Agency. All my love to mommy, daddy, boo and astéri mou. www.tassykirbas.com. @tassykirbas

Jessie Lawyer (Swing/Dance Captain) is thrilled to be part of Sweet Charity at Gulfshore Playhouse! Originally from Kentucky, she’s danced her way across the country, performing in many regional theatres including the Off-Broadway production of The Goodbye Girl. Her favorite credit is dancing the original choreography of West Side Story! When not on stage, she loves taking her dogs to the beach, attempting DIY projects and gardening. Endless gratitude to her husband, her family, the entire Sweet Charity team and Michael Cassara for making this experience so magical. Thank YOU for supporting live theatre!

@Jessie_Lawyer

Allan Lopez (Ensemble/U/S Herman) Regional: West Side Story (Bernardo) at OFC Creations; Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Swing) at ZACH Theatre. Allan is a recent B.F.A. Musical Theatre graduate from Texas State University, credits include: Rent (Angel), Pippin (Co-Choreographer), Into the Woods, Seussical, Hair, Bed of Stone (Pipín), and Spring Awakening (Ernst & Georg U/S). Allan would like to thank his friends, family, and the Henderson Hogan Agency. insta: @allan.lopezzz | allan-lopez.com

Erica Mansfield (Suzanne/Ensemble/U/S Nickie) is overjoyed to perform in Sweet Charity at Gulfshore Playhouse! She had the honor of dancing for Shirley MacLaine at the Kennedy Center Honors, and this show has been on her bucket list! Her Broadway credits include Mamma Mia!, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (u/s Miss Jones), Evita, Pippin (u/s Fastrada), On the Twentieth Century, On the Town (u/s Claire), Finding Neverland (u/s Mary Barrie), Bandstand (u/s June), Kiss Me, Kate, Mrs. Doubtfire (u/s Miranda), and Almost Famous (u/s Elaine). She also toured nationally and internationally in Mamma Mia! (u/s Sophie) and A Chorus Line (u/s Cassie, Sheila, Maggie, Judy). Favorite regional roles include Donna in Mamma Mia!, Cassie in A Chorus Line, Lily in Annie, Marty in Grease, and Lorraine in Jersey Boys. Her TV credits include "FBI," "Law & Order," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "The Best Man," "That Damn Michael Che," "Jimmy Fallon," "SNL," the Tony® Awards, and "PBS: 50 Years of Broadway." Erica also serves as intimacy director for Gulfshore Playhouse. www.ericamansfield.com | @ericamansfieldny For my sweet Dad.

Nick Traficante (Swing) Gulfshore Playhouse debut! Regional: The REV, New London Playhouse, Sharon Playhouse. National Tour: Annie. Thank you to Avalon Artists Group, Mom, Johnny, Elena, and Santina! @nicktraf

Candace J. Washington (Elaine/Ensemble/U/S Helene/U/S Daddy Brubeck) is excited to debut at Gulfshore Playhouse in Sweet Charity! Candace recently starred in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, on both the 1st National Tour (u/s Disco Donna) and Norwegian Cruise Lines (Lead, Disco Donna). Biola University alumna, holding degrees in Vocal Performance and Clinical Psychology. Credits: LA Clippers Dance Team, Oklahoma! (Pittsburgh CLO), Ragtime (Pasadena Playhouse), Cabaret, Singin’ in the Rain, and The Little Mermaid (McCoy Rigby), Disneyland Park Swing Performer, and Princess Tiana (Opening cast of Disneyland’s …Magical Map). #PraiseHIM

Mat Webb (Ensemble/U/S Charlie/U/S Vittorio/U/S Oscar) is thrilled to make his debut at Gulfshore Playhouse in Sweet Charity. Some of his recent credits include A Chorus Line (Bobby), Crazy For You (Mingo), and The Cher Show (Ensemble). A proud graduate of Ball State University, Mat is grateful for the opportunity to pursue his passion for the arts. He would like to express his heartfelt gratitude to his previous mentors, friends, family, and About Artists for their unwavering support. “Love your art and spread your art!” Instagram: @ Matwebb_ | Website: @Mat-webb.com

About the Creative Team

Dann Dunn (Director/Choreographer) has created and maintained professional works as a Director/ Choreographer and Live Events Producer around the world with Tony®, Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy Winning Artists. NYC: Miracle On 34th Street (Madison Square Garden), Sesame Street On Broadway! (MSG), The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer (Symphony Space), First Date (Workshop). National Tour: CATS, The Music Man, The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, Sesame Street Live!. International: CATS, The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber, La Traviata. Regional: Walnut Street Theatre, Bucks County Playhouse, Delaware Theatre Company, Fulton Opera House, Arden Theatre, Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, Riverside Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Cardinal Stage, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Weathervane Repertory Theatre, Prather Entertainment, Totem Pole Playhouse, Forestburgh Playhouse, Jenny Wiley Theatre, Society Hill Playhouse, Media Theatre, Resident Theatre Company (Barrymore Nomination), The Eagle Theatre (Barrymore Nomination), Dallas Summer Musicals, Ocean City Theatre Company. Contributing Choreographer: Norwegian Cruise Lines, The Red Cross, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Merck Pharmaceuticals, The National Liberty Museum, Circus Circus Las Vegas, Siegfried and Roy, Macy’s, and The X Games. Dancer: Mariah Carey, Anastacia, Mark Kanemura (Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, "So You Think You Can Dance?"). Pre-Broadway: Duncan Sheik’s Because of Winn-Dixie. Original Cast: Created the role of ‘Tennessee’ in YANK. Recording: The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber: In Concert. TV/Film: "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," The Emmy Award-winning PA Cardiovascular

Health Project, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, "Sesame Street Workshop," "Repetition Rhapsody." Dann was fortunate to join the Fosse legacy training under Gary Flannery, subsequently dancing back-up for Chita Rivera and working beside Ann Reinking on the National and International companies of CHICAGO. Dann is a Faculty alumni of New York City’s famed ‘Camp Broadway’, teaching musical theatre around the world as well as in conjunction with the Broadway companies of Legally Blonde and The Drowsy Chaperone. Dann has been on Guest Faculty at more than eight universities and is the Founder and former Producing Artistic Director of Music Theatre Philly, an award-winning professional training ground for children and adults in Philadelphia. Dann is currently the Associate Artistic Director at Gulfshore Playhouse. @thedanndunn

Trevor M. Pierce (Music Director) is a New York-based music director/arranger/orchestrator, is thrilled to return to Gulfshore for his 15th collaboration with longtime colleague and friend, Associate Artistic Director Dann Dunn. Previous Gulfshore Playhouse credits include: Anything Goes (2024), Once Upon A Dream Gala (2025), Winter Wonderettes (2023), Stompin' At The Savoy Gala (2024). NYC: BCEFA Broadway Backwards/Easter Bonnet, Broadway Dreams, Whiskey Pants (HERE Arts), Once Upon A Mattress (St Jean's Theater), Green Gables (DR2), Fire Island (TheatreRow), concert series at GreenRoom42 & 54 Below. Tours/Int'l: Elf Nat'l Tour, Anything Goes Nat'l Tour, Celebrity Cruises. Regional: Goodspeed Opera House, Ogunquit Playhouse, Hartford Stage, Northern Stage, Kimmel Center, Gateway Playhouse, Argyle Theater, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Walnut Street Theater, Fire Island Performing Arts Project, and others. Singing adjudicator for NYU Tisch Drama admissions, & touring MD for Broadway sensation Alysha Upmhress. B.A in Theater/Music, University of Pennsylvania. Proud 802 member. www.trevormpierce.com

Michael Uselmann (Associate Music Director/Conductor) is thrilled to make his Gulfshore Playhouse debut. National Tour credits include: Dear Evan Hansen, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Sound of Music. Regional: Frozen, Young Frankenstein (Ogunquit Playhouse). Off-Broadway: Heist! (Composer, Players Theatre). Lots of love to Mom, Dad, and the Bratz.

Frank Galgano & Matt Castle (Orchestrators) are multi-faceted theatre artists who work primarily as musical arrangers, orchestrators, music supervisors, directors and producers. Next up: Madame Clicquot: A Revolutionary Musical (42nd Parallel Productions & Pittsburgh CLO). Favorite projects include: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Seas the Adventure (Disney Cruise Line); Scotland, PA (Roundabout); Found (Atlantic Theater Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, IAMA); Into the Woods (Roundabout/Fiasco); String (Village Theatre); Chick Flick the Musical (Off-Broadway); Once Upon a Mattress starring Jackie Hoffmann and Lypsinka (Transport Group), A Dog Story (Off-Broadway), The Elf on the Shelf and American Girl Live! (Mills Entertainment); Up and Away (Pittsburgh CLO); Kris Kringle (Town Hall, Proctors); The Donner Party and A Little Princess (Sacramento); and many new works for TheaterWorksUSA, Kennedy Center, and George Street Playhouse. The duo has also written arrangements for all kinds of wonderful performers including Cynthia Erivo, Kristin Chenoweth, Santino Fontana, Carole King, Aloe Blacc, Heidi Blickenstaff, Beth Leavel, Deborah Vogt, Debra Monk, Randy Newman, and Randy Rainbow – to drop a few names! Frank & Matt are writing music for a new show for Disney Cruise Line and are composing the score for their first documentary film! The duo curates the boutique record label Brainstorm Records to help put new music into the world. Frank has also partnered with Steven Johnston to produce new theater, film and TV under the auspices of Brainstorm Live Entertainment.

Kristen Martino (Scenic Designer) is excited to be returning to Gulfshore Playhouse after previously designing several shows including Into the Breeches, Camelot, Higher, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The

Revolutionists, and The Price. Kristen is currently the Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at the University of South Florida. Before moving to Florida, she spent several years in Chicago as a freelance designer where her work was seen on stages including Drury Lane Theatre, The Goodman, Steppenwolf, and Porchlight Music Theatre. While in Chicago, she also spent time assisting prominent designers in the area which has given her the opportunity to work on museum exhibits and theatrical productions internationally including the 2020 West End production of The Prince of Egypt. Kristen was also a part of the team selected to represent the United States by designing the USA’s Emerging Artist Exhibit for the 2019 Prague Quadrennial. Kristen is the recipient of the 2022 USITT Rising Star Award and a proud member of USA829. www.kristenmartino.com

Leon Dobkowski (Costume Designer) Gulfshore Playhouse debut. Off-Broadway: Rock and Roll Man (New World Stages). Additional design credits include The Muny (St. Louis Theatre Circle Award Seussical and The Wiz), Paper Mill Playhouse, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, Weston Playhouse, Irish Repertory Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Drury Lane Theatre, Yale Repertory Theater, Pittsburgh CLO, Music Theater of Wichita, Engeman Theater, Feld Entertainment’s Disney Live, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Penguin Repertory, NYMF (Outstanding Costume Design, Claudio Quest), TheatreWorks Hartford (CT Critics Choice Award nomination, The Legend of Georgia McBride). M.F.A Yale School of Drama. www.LeonDobkowski.com @MrLeonD

Dalton Hamilton (Lighting Designer) works around the country as a designer, associate, and programmer. His work extends from theater, opera, and dance to corporate events and theme park entertainment. Credits include: Bay Street Theater, Gulfshore Playhouse, Tuacahn Center for the Arts, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Nashville Repertory Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, FreeFall Theatre, American Stage, Norwegian Cruise Line, City Springs Theatre Company, and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Dalton has also been an Associate Designer for numerous theme park shows at Busch Gardens Williamsburg under Lighting Designer Ken Billington for the past 10 years. Other notable Associate/Assistant credits include The Prince of Egypt (West End) with Lighting Designer Mike Billings, Dungeons & Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern (Chicago & Off-Broadway), and Rogers: The Musical, "Hawkeye" Series (Marvel Studios: Disney+) with Lighting Designer Mike Wood. Proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829. daltonhamiltonlightingdesign.com | @dhlightingdesign

Ryan Marsh (Sound Designer) is a sound and lighting designer whose work spans across theatre, concerts, opera, and dance. Originally from San Diego, his designs have been seen on both coasts and internationally. Some favorite designs include: On The Right Track, Bettinger’s Luggage (AMT Theater, Off-Broadway), Peter Pan (McCoy Rigby Entertainment); Tootsie, Escape to Margaritaville, 42nd Street, Cinderella, Into The Woods: In Concert (Moonlight Stage Productions); Sweeney Todd, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Cloud 9, Bus Riley’s Back In Town (NYU). Ryan received his B.A. in Lighting and Sound Design from UCLA and a M.F.A in Lighting Design from NYU.

Bobbie Zlotnik (Wig Designer) is excited to return to Gulfshore after designing wigs for many recent shows including: Anything Goes, Dial M for Murder, Noises Off, She Loves Me, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill and Winter Wonderettes. Off-Broadway: Emojiland (Drama Desk Nom.), Ibsen’s Ghost, Gatsby Immersive, Fairycakes, Forbidden Broadway, and countless others. Regional Theatres: Barrington Stage, The Lex, Pittsburgh CLO, Theatre Aspen, The Ordway, George Street, Syracuse Stage, and many more. Film/TV; "The Gilded Age," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Stranger Things," "RuPaul’s Drag Race," "Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness." www.BobbieZlotnik.com

Erica Mansfield (Intimacy Director) is thrilled to be back at Gulfshore Playhouse, where she previously served as Intimacy Director for She Loves Me, Anything Goes, Dial M for Murder, and Noises Off. Most recently, her work was seen in New York in the developmental workshop of Memoirs of an Amorous Gentleman, directed by Rob Ashford. She trained with IDC and is also a certified lactation education counselor, yoga teacher, and Pilates mat instructor, in addition to serving as a visual stylist for Hearst TV stations. On the creative side, Erica has worked as Associate Director/Choreographer on Jersey Boys at Casa Mañana, Phantom at the Westchester Broadway Dinner Theatre, and Fiddler on the Roof at both Paper Mill Playhouse and The Muny. She is thrilled to be performing here in The Fandango Club! Her performing bio can be found under cast credits.

Jennifer Burke (Dialects) is pleased to join the team at Gulfshore Playhouse for Sweet Charity. Jennifer has been a dialect coach for fifteen productions at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre; some favorites include Murder on the Orient Express, Billy Elliot, West Side Story, and most recently, The Lehman Trilogy. Since 2009, Jennifer has been a member of the artistic team at the Texas Shakespeare Festival where she has served as voice and text coach for more than twenty of Shakepeare’s plays as well as many classic plays and musicals. Jennifer is the Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Miami, and is a Professor of Voice and Speech in the BFA theatre training program. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting degree from Brandeis University and is a certified Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework.

Danny Kuenzel (Stage Manager) is back once again managing her third production on the brand-new Moran Mainstage having already completed Dial M for Murder and Anything Goes earlier this season. Prior to this she’s managed Gulfshore Playhouse’s Into the Breeches, Winter Wonderettes, Barefoot in the Park, Steel Magnolias, The 39 Steps, Another Revolution, and Bedlam’s Saint Joan. Other regional credits include: Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Mason Street Warehouse, Clarence Brown Theatre, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, The Alley Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival. Danny is a proud 20+ year member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union for performers and stage managers. During college, Danny was tasked with wrangling student directed one acts while all of her friends got to feel the “Rhythm of Life” working Sweet Charity. Today she is over the moon to finally be managing this production. Much love to the Tech Annex clan.

Madelyn Hawver (Assistant Stage Manager) is so excited to be back at Gulfshore Playhouse. This is where Madelyn began her career as an intern, and she could not be happier to be returning to where she learned so much from the incredible staff of artists. She would like to thank the Gulfshore Playhouse production staff for their patience and kindness in teaching her how to be a theatre technician, and she would especially like to thank Danny Kuenzel, Kelli Karen, and Jamie Eckhold for training her, believing in her, and showing her how to be a great stage manager. Much love to her family, Brittany, Hunter, and her fiancé, Daniel, who is a source of endless encouragement and love.

Michael Cassara, CSA (Casting Director) casts theatre and film in New York City and is thrilled to return to Gulfshore Playhouse for a 16th season, having cast over 70 productions here since 2009. Recent credits include American Eclipse (Michael John LaChiusa, dir. Bill Rauch), An American In Paris (Int’l Tour, dir Christopher Wheeldon), Spamilton (NYC/Chicago/Pittsburgh CLO/tour), Forbidden Broadway (last five editions/albums), and over 750 plays and musicals since 2003. Regional credits include Weston Theater Company, Argyle Theatre, Hangar Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Denver Center, Asolo Rep, and many more. Residentcasting director for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) since 2013.

Michael is a native Clevelander and serves on the BFA faculty at Wright State University. Member, Casting Society of America (CSA). BFA, Otterbein University. MichaelCassara.net /@michaelcassara

Joel Markus (COO & Managing Director) is thrilled to be in his seventh season as Gulfshore Playhouse’s COO & Managing Director. Joel enjoys working side by side with Kristen to produce Broadway caliber theatre while focusing on cultivating a great staff and culture. In his time at Gulfshore Playhouse, Joel has helped grow and quadruple the theatre’s budget, triple the staff, has co-managed the design and construction of the new $72M Baker Theatre and Education Center, the production shop construction project, has been instrumental in joining LORT (most recently, being on the negotiating committee for LORT and Actors’ Equity Association), and navigated and guided the organization through the pandemic and Hurricane Ian. Joel’s thirty year career has taken him to some of our nation’s leading professional regional theatres. He most recently spent seven seasons at America’s oldest theatre, Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Joel has played integral roles in the production of hundreds of plays over ten seasons at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, four years at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY, five summers at the Weston Playhouse in Vermont, American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts. Joel is a graduate of Indiana University and originally from Miami, Florida.

Kristen Coury (CEO & Producing Artistic Director) is the CEO and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse. She founded the Playhouse in 2004, after moving to Naples from New York City. Under her leadership, the Playhouse has grown to a staff of nearly 100, an annual budget of $12M with no debt. She led the charge to create a $72M state-of-the-art Theatre and Education Center at the gateway to downtown Naples. As part of this project, Coury ignited a public/private partnership with the City of Naples, donating an acre of land upon which to build a public parking garage. While in New York, she worked on Broadway for Walt Disney Theatrical’s production of Beauty and the Beast, both nationally and internationally, and for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company, The Really Useful Group, working on Sunset Boulevard and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Kristen made her feature film directorial debut with Friends and Family a comedy starring Tony Lo Bianco, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and Tovah Feldshuh, which was released around the US and Europe. Kristen has directed several new works, produced a CD, and worked on a variety of musicals in various stages of development. Kristen is also a frequent investor in Broadway productions, most recently The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise. Kristen has directed over 40 productions for the Playhouse. Including a ten person, 2 piano My Fair Lady, world premieres, the world premiere of The God Game by Suzanne Bradbeer and The Butcher by Gwydion Suilebhan. Kristen was named one of the “Top 40 Professionals Under 40” by Gulfshore Life Magazine in 2008, a “Star in the Arts” by the United Arts Council of Collier County in 2011, and was named one of the Men and Women of the Year twice by Gulfshore Life in 2013 and 2024. She served two terms on the board of Theatre Communications Group, the national advocacy group for professional theatres. She is a member of the board of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, and was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Business Leaders in Collier County in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Most recently, she received the Murray Hendel Civic Achievement Award and was appointed to the Florida Council for Arts and Culture by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.

Dramaturgical Notes

by Audrey Zielenbach, Line Producer & Dramaturg

1. It’s Based on a Film

The musical is based on the film Nights of Cabiria, a 1957 film directed by famed Italian director Federico Fellini. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. For the musical, the location was changed from Rome to New York, and to make the story more palatable for American musical audiences, Charity’s occupation was changed to a taxi dancer at the Fandango Ballroom.

2. Bob Fosse Wrote the Original Book

Sweet Charity started as a one-act, but eventually, Fosse decided to develop it into a full-length musical. Fosse wrote the first draft by himself, but he needed help so he turned to playwright Neil Simon. Simon made a few notes on the script but he wasn’t able to help any further because he was in Rome to film his screenplay After the Fox and was in the midst of writing the screenplay for Barefoot in the Park. Not taking no for an answer, Fosse flew to Rome and managed to sway Simon by playing a recording of the song “Big Spender.”

Rehearsals began only a few short weeks after Simon came on board, so early sheet music for the show lists the book writer as ‘Bert Lewis’ which is a pen name for Fosse, derived from his full name Robert Louis Fosse.

3. Sweet Charity Opened the Palace Theatre

The Palace Theatre on Broadway and 47th Street, right in the middle of Times Square, is a legendary theatre. It was the be-all and end-all for the vaudeville circuit. There was no greater honor than getting to “play the Palace.” The likes of Charlie Chaplin, Fanny Brice, the Marx Brothers, Weber and Fields, and so many others graced the stage of the Palace. Over the years, however, vaudeville started to die out and the theatre began showing movies. In the face of poor upkeep and waning interest, the theatre was purchased by the Nederlanders, who renovated it and reopened it as Broadway’s newest legitimate theatre with the opening of “Sweet Charity.”

4. Gwen Verdon’s Unfortunate Conundrum

The role of Charity Hope Valentine was originated by legendary performer Gwen Verdon. Verdon won four Tony ® Awards, including one for playing Lola in Damn Yankees. Verdon and Fosse were frequent artistic collaborators and were married to one another until Fosse’s death in 1987, though they’d separated many years prior.

During the show’s pre-Broadway run in Philadelphia, Verdon began to complain of a sore throat and eventually started to have trouble breathing. As it turned out, she had inhaled a feather from a prop feather boa, which had wrapped around one of her vocal chords. She continued to perform until no sound came out of her mouth, and the pain was unbearable. She ended up leaving the show for a full week to get it surgically removed.

5. Sweet Charity’s

Sweet Charity opened on Broadway on January 29, 1966 and closed after 608 performances. The original production was nominated for 9 Tony ® Awards and won for Best Choreography. The 1986 Broadway revival, also directed and choreographed by Fosse, won four Tony ® Awards including Best Revival. The latest Broadway revival opened in 2005 and starred Christina Applegate as Charity. Prior to Applegate’s casting, a slew of actresses had been named to the titular dance hall hostess role such as Jenna Elfman, Marisa Tomei, and Jane Krakowski. There was a wild rumor that Applegate would be replaced by pop icon Britney Spears, but that recasting never came to fruition.

6. Taxi Dancing

Sweet Charity brings us back to the gritty, tumultuous, but never boring late 1960s New York City. The musical features a group of women, including our titular Charity, who work as taxi dancers at the Fandango Ballroom.

What is a taxi dancer, you may ask? This was a real job that existed throughout the first part of the twentieth century and still exists today in countries

around the world. A taxi dancer is a paid dance partner. As with a taxi driver, the dancer’s pay was proportional to the time they spent dancing with a customer. Patrons would typically purchase the ticket for ten cents, giving rise to the term “dimea-dance girl.” Taxi dancers were also known as “dance hostesses,” which is a phrase you’ll hear in Sweet Charity.

Taxi dancing first began in the Barbary Coast district of San Francisco, a neighborhood that evolved during the Gold Rush in the late 19th century. Because it was an area inhabited primarily by men from all around the world, it gave rise to a form of dance hall where female employees danced with male patrons and earned their living from commissions paid for by the drinks they enticed those men to buy.

In 1913, San Francisco enacted a law against dancing in cafes or saloons where alcohol was served, so in the dance halls that didn’t shut down, a new pay-to-dance scheme emerged. Female customers were not allowed; the only women permitted in the venue were employees. It was in these “closed dance halls” that the ticket-a-dance system was born.

Broadway History

Bob Fosse, 1965.

Gwen Verdon in the Original Broadway production.

Taxi dancing then migrated eastward to Chicago where struggling dance academies adopted the ticket-a-dance model for their students.

Taxi dancers received half the ticket price as wages while the other half paid for the orchestra, dance hall, and operating expenses. Though they only worked a few hours a night, they frequently made two to three times the salary of a woman working in a factory or store.

Taxi dance halls flourished in major cities across the United States during the 1920s and 30s. These halls ran the gamut from classy to seedy, appealing to different castes of patrons, though they mostly catered to working-class clientele. Songs like “Ten Cents a Dance” and the movies The Taxi Dancer (1927) starring Joan Crawford and Ten Cents a Dance (1931) starring Barbara Stanwyck reflected its cultural significance. By 1931, there were over 100 taxi dance halls in New York City, estimated to have served between 35,000-50,000 men each week.

But its booming popularity brought it under increasing scrutiny from moral reformers who saw these halls as dens of inequity. Better-known establishments had rules against "mingling" (socializing with men away from the dance floor) that were rigidly enforced, and no liquor was served even after Prohibition was repealed. It was considered a viable profession, albeit one that lurked outside the bounds of respectability. However, the movement against it gained momentum which led to more licensing and police supervision, leading to some halls being shut down for lewd behavior. After World War II, the popularity of dance halls largely diminished and they began to disappear. A handful held on in New York City, but by the time Sweet Charity takes place, they were nearly extinct.

Specialized Vocabulary

In 1932, the University of Chicago Press published an examination of Chicago’s taxi-dancing milieu in a book called The Taxi-Dance Hall: A Sociological Study in Commercialized Recreation and City Life. The book featured firsthand interviews of dancers and patrons. The book also gathered the specialized vocabulary in Chicago halls:

• black and tan – a colored and white cabaret

• buying the groceries – living in a clandestine relationship

• class – term used by Filipinos to denote the taxi-dance halls

• fish – a man whom the girls can easily exploit for personal gain

• fruit – an easy mark

• hot stuff – stolen goods

• line-up, the– immorality engaged in by several men and a girl

• make – to secure a date with

• mark – a person who is gullible and easily taken advantage of

• monkey-chaser – a man interested in a taxi dancer or chorus girl

• monkey shows – burlesque shows with chorus girls

• nickel-hopper – a taxi dancer

• on the ebony – a taxi-dance hall or taxi dancer having social contacts with men of races other than white

• opera – burlesque show

• paying the rent – living in a clandestine relationship

• picking up – securing an after-dance engagement with a taxi dancer

• playing – successfully exploiting one of the opposite sex

• professional – a government investigator; one visiting the taxi-dance hall for ulterior purposes

• punk – a novitiate; an uninitiated youth or young girl, usually referring to an unsophisticated taxi dancer

• racket – a special enterprise to earn money, honestly or otherwise

• shakedown – enforced exaction of graft

Ten Cents A Dance Film Poster (1931).

Gulfshore Playhouse Education provides programs that enhance the lives of students of all ages through transformative theatrical experiences.

Pre-professional training through theatre productions, classes, and camps.

Available for all ages.

Designed specifically for our region, this program infuses theatre-based pedagogy with curriculum standards to enhance learning.

Our community partnership program strengthens the fabric of our region by bringing the transformative power of live theatre and education to communities.

ThinkTheatre pairs core curriculum with performing arts education. By introducing theatrebased pedagogy, our professional teaching artists engage students’ creativity, encourage teamwork, and boost self-confidence while enhancing their understanding of curriculum content. If you are seeking ways to energize your classroom through fun, creative, and learning-focused residencies, be sure to check out our offerings.

John and Mary were very vested in their teaching and I as a teacher truly appreciated their enthusiasm as well as knowledge of what they were teaching!

Students always enjoy a break from the normal routines in their schedules. The work did not seem like work for them and some students really enjoyed working in groups.

Sarah Anzuelda, Eighth Grade, ICA

We currently offer ThinkTheatre residencies for grades K-12 in the following subject areas:

• English/Language Arts

• Social Studies

• Science

• Mathematics

• Theatre

If your organization is interested in creating a partnership with Gulfshore Playhouse, contact Director of Education, Steven Calakos at 239.261.7529 ext. 207 or scalakos@gulfshoreplayhouse.org.

The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Photo by Matthew Schipper.

Melissa Zizzo, Kindergarten, St. Ann School

Are your kids passionate about being on stage?

At the Conservatory at Gulfshore Playhouse, we offer pre-professional training through exciting theatre productions, engaging classes, and fun-filled camps for students of all ages.

Young Actors (Ages 8-13)

Mondays, March 24-May 5, 2025

5:30PM-7:30PM Tuition: $300

Teen Directors (Ages 13-18)

Mondays, March 24-May 5, 2025

5:30PM-7:30PM Tuition: $300

Story Explorers: Inside Out (Rising 1st-3rd grade)

Adult Classes

Through acting classes, painting classes, vocal lessons, and lecture series, lifelong learners experience professional training and theatrical experiences that expand horizons and inspire artistic growth. Broaden your understanding of the work we do on stage while getting to know Gulfshore Playhouse and fellow theatre lovers.

Founder Friday

Offered once per month: May 2, 2025

10:00AM-11:00AM Tuition: $25

The Lecture Series

Explore the world of theatre with The Lecture Series at Gulfshore Playhouse – a monthly series of insightful discussions about theatre and the arts.

Teen Conservatory Cabaret (Ages 13-18)

Rehearsals: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays April 15-May 9, 2025

5:00PM-8:00PM

Performances: May 12 & 13 7:00PM Tuition: $300

Wellness Offerings:

Yoga

Monday - Thursday, Saturday at varying times

Flow, Sculpt, and Beginner Yoga Tuition: $20

Songwriting for the Stage with David Cohen (A Three-Part Series)

March 27, Apr. 3, Apr. 10, 2025

10:30AM-12:00PM

Tuition: $135

Monday-Friday, June 2-6, 2025

1:00PM-4:00PM Tuition: $250

Story Explorers: The Jurassic Era (Rising 1st-3rd grade)

Monday-Friday, June 9-13, 2025

1:00PM-4:00PM Tuition: $250

Scan here to learn more about our Youth and Teen Classes Spring

Summer

Broadway Bootcamp: Trolls (Rising 4th-6th grade)

Monday-Friday, June 2-6, 2025

9:00AM-12:00PM Tuition: $250

Broadway Bootcamp: Descendants (Rising 4th-6th grade)

Monday-Friday, June 9-13, 2025

9:00AM-12:00PM Tuition: $250

Broadway Zumba!

Every Monday through May 26, 2025

9:00AM-10:00AM

Tuition: $15 drop-in, 10-class package for $135

Chair Fitness: Move & Groove

Every Monday starting January 20 10:00AM

Tuition: $15 per class

Directing the Stage April 17, 2025

11:00AM-12:00PM

Stage Stories: Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage in Theatre with Dan Bacalzo May 15, 2025

11:00AM- 2:00PM

Scan here to see our Adult Classes

To learn more, Call our box office 239.261.7529 or visit our site at gulfshoreplayhouse.org

Thank you to our Supporters

With your support and passion, we hire exceptional talent to perform on our stage, foster new voices, and enhance the lives of the 80,000 patrons we welcome each year. Over 16,000 children engage in the art of theatre each year through our robust and ever-growing education department.

To find out more about how to make an impact, please contact Lisa Halsey, Chief Advancement Officer at 239.261.7529 ext. 203 or Lhalsey@gulfshoreplayhouse.org

Gulfshore Playhouse Education is proud to forge community partnerships with other local cultural institutions such as the Holocaust Museum, Artis—Naples, and the Collier County Public Schools to bring unique theatrical experiences to thousands of students across Collier and Lee Counties.

Remember: The Story of Abe Price

Remember: The Story of Abe Price by Jeffrey Binder, an original play based on a true story, is brought to you in partnership with The Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Center.

At just 16-years-old, Abraham Piasecki’s life is uprooted by the Nazi invasion of Poland. From living in the ghetto of Kielce to imprisonment at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Remember brings to life the harrowing true story of a Holocaust survivor who escaped Nazi captivity five times.

So Much Drama: Midsummer

So Much Drama is a collaboration between Gulfshore Playhouse, the Naples Philharmonic, and Collier County Public Schools, offering free musical adaptations of Shakespeare classics to over 3,000 eleventh-grade students. This partnership enhances students’ understanding of Shakespeare’s work while providing them the rare opportunity to experience performances by professional actors and musicians.

Drama-Based Corporate Training

Led by skilled facilitators, our tailored sessions infuse dynamic drama techniques into corporate settings, enhancing team building, communication, leadership, and creative problemsolving. Unleash the power of drama in your workplace, equipping your team with practical skills through engaging, customizable workshops.

• Presentation Skills: The Art of Public Speaking

• Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace

• The Power of Teamwork: Ensemble Building

Gulfshore Playhouse creates special student matinee performances for each of our mainstage productions so students in our region can experience live professional theatre free of charge.

These educational opportunities are made possible thanks to the Anthony and Beverly Petullo Endowment for Student Matinees and VIP Experiences.

Scan here to fill out our interest form

For further inquiry, please contact Director of Education, Steven Calakos at scalakos@gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 239.261.7529 ext. 207

Jim Corsica, Victor Caroli, and Sue Schaffel in Remember: The Story of Abe Price Photo by Matthew Schipper.

Carolina Miranda, Brian Nelson Jr., and Angie Janas in Midsummer Photo by Matthew Schipper.

Create an indelible legacy

Join the Standing Ovation Society

We understand that the choice to designate a planned gift is a deeply precious and personal one, and we thank you for your consideration. When you become a member of the Standing Ovation Society, you are joining an ensemble of thoughtful and imaginative visionaries who believe, as you do, in the transformative power of world-class professional theatre and educational opportunities in our region. Your gift will touch the lives of all who walk through our doors and ensure our ability to carry out our mission. Annual recognition in the Gulfshore Playhouse playbill

place to Breathe

and

Bayfront Inn: Where mornings start with sunrise views and breakfast at Bambu Tropical Bar & Grille, followed by a day of poolside relaxation, marina adventures, and tropical escapes.

By including Gulfshore Playhouse in your estate plan, you are supporting Gulfshore Playhouse’s longterm fiscal stability and leaving a lasting legacy that will allow us to create, engage, and inspire for many years to come.

Invitation to periodic events honoring members of the Standing Ovation Society Invitation to other Gulfshore Playhouse special events If you would like to notify us of your intent or discuss your options, please contact Lisa Halsey at 239.261.7529 ext 203. or lhalsey@gulfshoreplayhouse.org

Standing Ovation Society Members

Playhouse production of She Loves Me

Photo by Matthew Schipper.

A.

Thank you to our Dining Partners

We are thrilled to announce our new Dining

Enjoy an elevated evening pairing a stellar dining experience at handselected restaurants with a visit to Gulfshore Playhouse, your new home for professional theatre.

For a list of our Dining Partners with links to their websites, scan here

*Please visit our Dining Partner’s websites for any special offerings they may be crafting for Gulfshore Playhouse ticket holders.

Kathy Abrams

Frank Agitali

Jackie Aldridge

Elizabeth Allen

Larry Allen

Josue Amador

Pam Ammar

Ruth Anderson-Zabre

Maria Lane Arends

Lisa Auclair

Kim Babcock

Teresa Bacchi

Dianne Bacon

Doris Balconi

Gary Balconi

Melody Bales

Carla Bardagjy

Angela Barris

Anne Barongo

Lori Beckworth

Maria Bello

Jeanette Benfante

Monique Berlinger

Howard Bernie

Kay Bernie

Ron Bieganek

Jodie Birch

Shawn Blackley

Judi Bloom

Marta Bogater

Cate Boniello

Tammy Bower-Yorty

Pat Bradford

Alice Brady

Jeanine Brakefield

Marlene Bridge

Katie "KT" Brill

Joseph Buhain

David Burns

Frank Caccamise

Vivian Calis

Onetia Cameron

Tony Cancelliere

Pat Carl

Lori Carr

J Carroll

Connie Carter

Maureen Casey-Coe

Nancy Castonguay

Bob Castonguay

Donna Caughman

Cynthia Chandler

Myah Charlton (Lee)

Danielle Chapman

Gail Chazanovitz

Melanie Chiani

Lisa Chiesa

Corinne Cione

Lorraine Clark

Art Collins

Bonnie Cousineau

Fran Coyle

Laureen Coyne

Maureen Crichton

Stuart Crichton

Helen Cuda

Leona Curzi

Nancy Daras

Shirley Day

Elizabeth Dean

Sherry Dean

Wanda Debella

Rich Debella

Cathy DeMartis

Zeke DeMartis

Alyce Demma

Cindy Deschenes

Daniel Doczi

Michele Doczi

Bruce Dolin

Sandra Dolin

Kathleen Donelli

Lora Donia

John Donohue

Barbara Donohue

Carola Donzella

Moira Dougherty

Rich Dougherty

Janine Dowdle

Janet Dubeau

Jennifer Duffy

Linda Duggan

Dot Dunbar

Robert Dunbar

Beverly "Bev" Duncan

Suzanne Eastman

Katie Ekker

Debbie Elliot

Jan Ellis

Greg Ellis

Celene Evans

Karen Evans

Carrol Ewert

Larry Ewert

Carol Fahl

Steve Fapka

Joanne Farwell

Betsy Fellers

Vasiliy Finley

Gail Fitch

Karen Forberg

Natalie Frakenburg

Linnea Fraser

Linda Friis

Steve Fuller

Claudia Fuller

Suzanne Fundingsland

Marie Gannatti

Alivia Gardner

Joe Gargiulo

Jerry Gargiulo

Bunny Gartner

Anneke Geldenhuys

Maureen Gerrity

Matthew Giagnorio

Kathie Gilginas

Deborah Giso

Carole Glowacki

Nathan Goebel

Craig Goeske

Cheryl Goldberg

Chris Goldhorn

Thomas Golonksi

David "Dave" Golya

Hector Gonzalez

Charlene Gould

Nancy Greener

David Greener

Mrs. Ray Grimmon

Diane Hackem

Lori Hajec

Holly Hamilton

Tammy Harris

Nancy Harrison

Laraine Herbst

Pamela Heringhaus

Alexandra Hernandez

Cliff Hogen

Steve Holtz

Linda Horwitz

Peter Hubley

Peggy Hunt

Bob Huffman

Linda Icenogle

Ariella Irizarry

Linda Johnson

Lori Joyce

Shelagh Joyce

Keven Joyce

Sarah Jurney

Rose Kalba

Sue Kaplan

Gloria Kas

George Kas

Barbara Kay

Beth Keenan

Cathy Kelley

James Kelley

Carlyn Kelly

Robin Kennedy

Carolyn Kerl

Mary Jo Killoran

Mary Beth King

Billie Kirkpatrick

Linda Knight

Liese Kolb

Eileen Komanecky

Peter Komar

Jackee Krauss

Mary Ellen Kucharik

Peter Kucharik

Frances (Fran) Lang

Karen Lang

NancyLee Langerman

Ron Lanning

John Lawton

Dale Leibowitz

Helane LePort

Robert Leverte

Michael Levine

Jane Levine

Gabriel Lewis

Joe Libertelli

Betty Liming

Dan Liming

Shirley Lopes

Faith Lopez

Rashida Loya

Nancy Lucey

Pam Lugo

Nadia Lynch

Heather Mackenzie

Angela Maguire

Andrea Maldegan

Sandy Maggiacomo

Renee Marino

Rita Maroldo

Lorel Martens

Daniel Martin

Donna Martin

Mary Martini

Lisa Mash

Leslie Mason

Marybeth Mastrianni

Lisa Mathe

Carol Matyniak

Brenda Maxey

Irene McAllister

Victoria McCally

Teresa McCallum

Debron McCartney

Harry McCartney

Connell McGeehan

Cindi McKnight

Dave McKnight

Nancy McLaughlin

John McLaughlin

Kathryn McMullen

Bob McNulty

Layza Medina

Elizabeth Mellon

John Minerva

Ken Moffat

Kathy Monti

Laurie Mountford

Nancy Moylan

John Murphy

Deborah Musiol

Karen Natalizio

David Mario Nal

Craig Nayhouse

Catherine Nelson

Rich Nemerson

Allison Newman

Victoria Nicklos

Debra Noons

Helena Novak

Nancy Oakes

Rod Oakes

Leslie O'Connell

Laura Odette

Maureen O'Keefe

Nancy O'Leary

Kathie O'Leary

Deborah (Debbie) Olsen

Michele Olsen

Robin Orme

Tarah Orme

Zackery Orme

Nora Ousley

Ray Palmer

Linda Palmer

Julie Panagakos

Mary Parelli

Doris Parker

Jean Paskalides

Karen Patrico

Maria Pentakis

Bob Phelan

Barbara Picardi

Amy Picotte

Bob Picotte

Gerry Pierce

Mike Pietrucha

Elaine Pilver

Susan Polastri

Angelo Polizzi

Ashley Pollard Orest Poluch

Joanne Poluch

Steve Popp

Cynthia (Cindy) Popp

Cecelia Price

Dolores Pytlik

Tom Quinn

Bob Ray

Linda Ray

Kriki Read

Randy Read

Jean Rechenmacher

Gail Reifsnyder

June Reeves

Susan Reville

Lynda Reymann

Suzanne Rhea

Judith Rhyne

Bill Rhyne

Barbara Ridings

Wendy Rieger

Kaitlyn Rispoli

Cheryl Ritchie

Gail Riva

Samuel Roberts

Trenton Rocco

Kathy Rogers

Marie Roosendaal

Tracy Rosen

Maggie (Margaret) Ross

Debbie Rough

Maria Rozo

Carol Ruset

Wyatt Russo

Carla Rutledge

Sharon Sabo

Charles Sabo

Donna Santamarina

Debra Satori

Jennifer Schmidt

Alicia Schwartz

Mary Scioscia

Neil Scioscia

Michael Scott

Diane Scribner

Nancy Sekulich

Stefanie Serafini

Jully Seybert

Randy Seybert

Pat Shea

Mike Shea

Robbie Short

Carol Simpson

Sharon Slack

Tom Smillie

Hollie Smillie

Beverly "Bev" Smith

Jeannie Smith

JoAnne Sottile

Playhouse?

Email any inquires to FOH@gulfshoreplayhouse.org

Visit our website at www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org /join-our-team/volunteer

Christine Spangler

Lyn Spinella

Michael Stanek

Bonnie Stedronsky

Mary Steffan

Sandra Stephens

Karen Stone

Leslie Strauss

Maureen Sullivan

Sharon Sutton

Dave Sutton

Sharon Swinton

Judy Switzky

Peter Szafir

Kimberly Szymanski

Andrea Tanner

Deb Taylor

Rich Taylor

Sharon Thoemke

Harbor Theoni

Calvin Thomas

Candi Tipton

Ann Todd

Dorothea "Dottie" Tormey

Amy Toussaint

Rob Toussaint

Patrick Trapp

Suzanne Trevors

Fran Tucker

Stan Tucker

Sue Turner

Janis Upton

Eric Uthus

Jackie Uthus

Lynne Vannelli

Marilyn Varcoe

Barbara Vegter

Diana Veksler

Carole Veringa

Susan Vigliante

Lucinda VonRomer

Margaret Walos

Margaret Walrod

MJ Wann

Eileen Warren

Debbie Wasserman

Joanne Weber

Julie Weber

Stephanie Weber

Karen Weinman

Eric Weinstein

Anne Welton

Daphne Whitman

Kate Wilde

Rob Wilde

Libby Wiliams

Nancy Willis

Sharon Wilson

Adrienne Woodward

Nancy Woodward

Nancy Woolf

Suzanne Worthington

Sharon Yeske

Natalie Younger

Yelena Yurinets

Patricia Zicht

Paula Zipfel

David Zipfel

As of 3/20/25

Season Angels

($250,000+)

Jane & Steve Akin

Patty & Jay Baker

Glenda & Rich Struthers

Season Benefactors

($100,000-$249,000)

Nancy & Tom Gallagher

Karen & Gary Gregg

Jenny & Rich Housh

George & Patricia Kraus

Nancy Lauridsen

James & Brigitte Marino

Sandi & Tom Moran

Susan Regenstein & Barry Frank

Ralph & Shelly Stayer

John & Carol Walter

Season Ambassadors

($50,000-$99,999)

Bayfront Inn

Lee & Peter Bewley

Richard & Jane Borchers

Patricia & Jim Bosscher

Grampy’s Charities - Jim & Jonatha Castle

Bev & Art Cherry

Kyla & Rich de Asla

Dentons Cohen & Grigsby

Mary F. Drazan

Bobbi & David Drobis

Christine & Terrance Flynn

The Habbershon Family

Marguerite Hambleton

Mitchell Hertz & Anne Carlucci

Paul & Barbie Hills

Steven & Sarah Jackson

Liz & Jim Jessee

Kimberly Moss & Bob Fisher

Bettina McKee

Dan & Ann Meyer

Joanne & Jeffrey Miller

Vicki Herche & Graeme Murray

Pamela & Bob Krupka

Simone & Scott Lutgert

Moran Wealth Management

F.E. & Jack Nortman

Porsche Naples

Kathy & Ned Sachs

Cynthia & Mike Scholl

The Vincent Von Zwehl Memorial Fund

Jane & Dave Wilson

Tereska & Jerry Whitson

Debbie & Bruce Yarde

Executive Producers

($25,000-$49,999)

Anonymous (x3)

Aielli Group

Mary & Phil Beuth

Bigham Jewelers

Cheryl & Randall W. Byrnes

Bob & Laurie Champion

Ciccarrelli Advisory Services

Robert & Joan Clifford

John & Patricia Cochran

Norman & Suzanne Cohn

Margaret Cox

Jim & Shirley Curvey

Dyan Fazzone

First Horizon

Kathleen & Brendan FitzGerald

The Gialamas Family

Matthew Hagan

The Harold Alfond Foundation

Gulfshore Life / Naples Press

Ken & Karen Heithoff

Jean & Leo Hertzog

Sabrina & Craig Jensen

Sarah Raup Johnson

Catelyn Juliano & David Deutsch

Heidi & James Kargman

Diane Landgren

Dolly & Jenny Lenz

Laird A. Lile

Jody & Gerald Lippes

Barbara K. Lupient

Debra & Vince Maffeo

Sherie Marek

Phil McCabe

Carolyn & Don McCulloch

Gerry McGraw

Pat & Tony McMunn

Kristin & John Miller

Geraldine Moss

Naples Illustrated

Louise & Larry Ost

Cindy & Tony Panzica

Joan & Mahendra Parekh

Gail Kern Paster

Anthony & Beverly Petullo

Quality Enterprises USA Inc.

Ann Ratner

Dottie & John Remondi

DeAnna & Rick Rondinelli

Pam & Fred Sasser

Acadia Wealth Management - Tennille & Aaron Sevigny

Melissa & David Shockley

The Shubert Foundation Inc.

Alice & Charles Simons

Sharon & Paul Stein

Patricia Sweet & Bill Marsh

cast of the Gulfshore Playhouse production of Noises Off. Photo by Matthew Schipper.

Janet & Peter Swinburn

Roberta & Rodger Taylor

The Dock at Crayton Cove - Mimi & Doug Traina

Julie & Steve Vanderboom

Julie & Phil Wade

Kathy & Paul Weaver

William C. Huff

Michael Wilens & Carolyn Longacre

Wilmington Trust

Julie Wyman

Kristen & Michael Wynn

Joanne Wyss

Spotlight Sponsors

($10,000-$24,999)

Barron Collier Companies

Jeannelle & Brian Brady

The Betsey Harris Fund, Collier Community Foundation

Collier Community Foundation

Hanna & Andrew Cummins

Scott & Rebecca Curvey

Kim Davis

Davies Duke

Janine & Timothy Dowdle

Jeanette & Herbert Evert

Fidelity Wealth Management

Jeanie & Tony Figg

Joyce Fitzgerald

Gilbane Building Company

Janet & Blake Gable

Kathleen Glass

Robert Hedgepath

Mary & Robert Hoyer

Judith & Martin Isserlis

Jack Miller Family Foundation

Jay & Stuart Kaye

Lisa & Patrick Kelly

Michael Manley

Nancy Marriott - The Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation

Jennifer & David Miller

Moorings Park Group

John & Barbara Morgan

Ed & Susanne Mullen

Susan Mullin

Karen Nally

Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau

Beth & Bill Reid

Lois & Bruce Selfon

Robert Simpson

Karen & F. Samuel Smith

Julie & Steven Smith

State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs

Jenny & Kermit Sutton

Mitch Swanson

Cynthia Taft

Bruce Tomason & Susan Rosen

Gulf Coast International Properties, Tim & Stephanie Savage

Nicole Vishio

Enid & Jerry Weygandt

$5,000 - $9,999

Azul Cosmetic Surgery and Medical Spa

Robin Bache Gray

Susan & William Brock

Brown & Brown

Erica & James Buchweitz

The Calleja Group - Gisselle & Jorge Calleja

Megan & Matthew Chionis

Ray Ciccarelli

Landen Collins

Joyce & Patrick Coughlan

Jerry Coury

Mary Beth & Walter Crawford

Richard Cuneo

Pamela Curley

Sue Dalton

Judith Davis & Kim Gordon Davis

District

Dougherty Family Foundation

Alan Einhorn

Kathleen & William Farley

Joseph & Leslie Fogg

Barbara & George Franks

The Floor Meisters

Dave Gibbons

Mary Graham

Florida Blue

Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation

Carole & Tom Guyette

Myra Hackel

Michael Hackett

Stephan Hall

Jill Hart

Johanna & Tony Hess

MPM Wealth Advisors

Kathy & Tighe King

Kay & Alex Kormushoff

Marc Kozin

Mary & James Lande

Kristine C. Lenrow

Ken Love

Rebecca & Robert McLennen

Lisa & John McNichol

Lynn & Ken Melkus

Ned & Elvy Milenkovich

Steve Miller

John Mocker Laura & Leo Montgomery

Myfifident Foundation

Barbara & Frank Osinski

Audrey & Vaughn Pengelly

Nick & Linda Penniman

Marcus Peperzak

Sally & Timothy Petersen

Penny & Stephen Pomeranz

Maureen A. Raub

Kenneth Reeves

Arlene & Chester Salomon

John Schutte

Leslie Schwartz

Jim Schwartzel

Laura Scott

Second Chance Foundation

Cherry Smith

Tracey Conyer Lee in the Gulfshore Playhouse production of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. Photo by Matthew Schipper.

Board of Directors

Steven Akin, Chairman of the Board

Rich Struthers, Vice-Chair

Patty Baker

Jim Bosscher

Kristen Coury

David Drobis

Tim Habbershon

Mitch Hertz

Jenny Housh

Jason Hunter Korn

Pamela Krupka

Vince Maffeo

Sandi Moran

Gerry Moss

Jack Nortman

Tony Panzica

Gail Kern Paster

Susan Regenstein

Rick Rondinelli

Cynthia Scholl

Tennille Sevigny

Pat Sweet

Ashley Smith

Dave Wilson

Joanne Wyss

Don J. Gunther, Emeritus

Bob Harden, Emeritus

Tom Gallagher, Lifetime Trustee

Don McCulloch, Lifetime Trustee

Leadership & Staff

Leadership

Kristen Coury CEO & Producing Artistic Director Joel Markus COO & Managing Director

Advancement

Chief Advancement Officer .............................................................. Lisa Halsey

Advancement Officer: Events & Donor Engagement ...................... Sarah Owen

Advancement Officer ............................................................. Brandon Horwin

Donor Stewardship & Events Coordinator ....................................... Dave Blount

Assistant

Sabina Valery

Slutsky

.......................... Dennis Cheeks, Laura Swygert, Ray Ward

Heyliger

Technicians ................................................ Kaleb Pecoraro, David Walters

................................... Jazzy Jane Armstrong, Anna Cagle, Hope Chellman, Dyna DeMerritt