TODD TOLES AND KENT COOGLE IN MEMORY OF EVIN AND MARIE COOGLE CONCESSION PRODUCT SPONSOR
Below is a list of stakeholders who have made an investment in Leeds, and in the quality of life in Clark County, Central Kentucky, and Appalachia through the arts. 24-25
Production Photography.........................SALLY HOROWITZ PHOTOGRAPHY
Special Thanks....................Sasha Holt, Cicely Dore, Avery Dore, Elly Dore, Hadley Raines, Ann Baldwin, Woodford Theatre, Families of the Cast, Mason Rhodus, Asher Hoskins, Caleb Rollins, Jayd Raines, Addyson Hayden, Evan Pasley, Sylvie Coogle, Izabella Allen, Wyatt Pasley, Emily McLean, Studio Players
Meet the Cast
Aaron Simon - Mr. Martini
Aaron is excited to make his stage debut with It's a Wonderful Life, and work with such a talented team. A mechanic by day, he also enjoys hiking, classic cars, and rooting for the Detroit Tigers with his wife.
Alice Jones - Mrs. Thompson
Alice Jones (Mrs Thompson) has been acting and singing around the Bluegrass for more than 25 years. She is delighted to return to Leeds where she has previously appeared in Matilda (Trunchbull), Steel Magnolias (M’Lynn), Mary Poppins (Miss Andrews), and Into the Woods (Jack’s Mother).
Brian Estes-Uecker - Mr. Potter
Brian feels lucky to be part of telling this wonderful story, especially at the same theater where he once marveled at the magic of movies like Star Wars, E.T., and countless other films! Recent stage productions: The Crucible (Woodford Theatre), Romeo & Juliet (Antagonist Productions), and A Very Sordid Wedding (ActOut Lexington). He thanks his husband Joe, and their two dogs Wallis and Oscar for their patience and encouragement. Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Cooper Boone - Ernie
Cooper is so excited to be in It’s A Wonderful Life. He’s recently performed as the French Narrator in SpongeBob the Musical at RDC and Duloc Guard in Shrek the Musical at RDC, and was recently cast as Old Man Strong in Urinetown at GRC. He hopes you enjoy the show!
Coranna Cowgill - Aunt Tilly
Coranna Cowgill is a fourth-grade teacher at Crossroads Elementary in Bath County, Kentucky and is so excited to be back working with Leeds! Originally from Ohio, she is a graduate of Morehead State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Coranna has a rich background in the performing arts, with acting credits in productions such as The Wedding Singer, 9 to 5, Sister Act, Mamma Mia!, The Addams Family, Legally Blonde, and many others. She has also directed several youth productions, including Alice and the Mad Tea Party, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Legally Blonde Jr. Coranna is passionate about nurturing creativity and confidence in young performers both in the classroom and on stage.
Cohen Crutchfield - Harry Bailey, Mr. Welch
Cohen Crutchfield is a freshman at the University of Kentucky. He was most recently seen onstage at Leeds as Luke in The Lightning Thief. Outside of acting, he enjoys robotics, tinkering with tech, gaming, learning guitar, and spending time with friends.
Corinne Boyer - Mary Hatch
Corinne Boyer plays Mary Hatch Bailey in her debut performance with Leeds. Previously, Corinne played Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby and Annelle Dupuy Desoto in Steel Magnolias with Triple Crown Theater Group in Paris, KY. Corinne is a writer and an award-winning journalist. Her work has appeared in the New York Times and has aired on NPR, WEKU, Louisville Public Media, and Kentucky Public Radio stations.
Darius Fatemi - Mr. Gower
Darius Fatemi (Mr. Gower) is thrilled to be making his first appearance at Leeds. Performances at Kentucky theatres in recent years include Antagonist Productions’ Dracula (Van Helsing); Message Theatre’s Twelve Angry Jurors (Juror #10); Studio Players’ Boeing, Boeing (Bernard); and Woodford Theatre’s The Mousetrap (Paravicini). Other favorite roles outside of Kentucky have been in The Real Inspector Hound (Birdboot), The Laramie Project (multiple roles), and Tartuffe (Orgon). In the daytime, Darius is a professor at Northern Kentucky University.
Eliza Glasscock - Zuzu Bailey
Eliza is excited to play Zuzu Bailey! This is her second production at Leeds having appeared in Junie B. Jones in February, and has loved performing on stage with Lexington Children’s Theatre, Cassidy Elementary School, and Barbara Ann’s School of Dance. When she's not acting, Eliza can be found dancing, singing, practicing gymnastics, or out on the soccer field.
Evan Pasley - Bert
Evan Pasley is a Sophomore at George Rogers Clark High School. He is so excited to be performing in his fifteenth show and his fourth show at Leeds as Bert in It’s A Wonderful Life. Some of his previous theater credits include Junie B. Jones JR at Leeds (Mr. Scary), Beauty and the Beast JR at RDC (Ensemble), Into the Woods JR at RDC (Cinderella's Father), The Addams Family at RDC (Ensemble), and The Little Mermaid JR at Leeds (Ensemble). In Evan's spare time he enjoys choir, reading, and hanging out with his friends. He thanks all the cast and crew at Leeds and can't wait for you to come see the show!
Finn Brown - Pete Bailey
Finn Brown is a seventh grader at Edith J. Hayes Middle School and is excited to appear in It’s a Wonderful Life. Finn discovered his love of performing in first grade under the direction of his drama teacher, Austin Vahle, whose encouragement sparked his passion for the stage. Since then, Finn has appeared in multiple productions, including The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Ollie Herdman) at Woodford Theatre, as well as several shows at Brenda Cowan Elementary. He also performed as part of the Lexington Theatre Company’s Preshow Players. A dedicated percussionist, Finn enjoys being part of his school band and jazz band. In his free time, he loves drawing and writing. Finn is always grateful for the opportunity to be part of any production directed by Mr. Vahle and hopes you enjoy the show!
Griffin Moore - Tommy Bailey
Griffin's heart has been on the stage since his first performance as Roquefort in Aristocats KIDS right here at Leeds Center for the Arts. Since that amazing experience, he has had the privilege to perform with many talented casts and has most enjoyed the roles of Olaf (Frozen, JR), Jim Hawkins (Treasure Island), and Greg Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid). His most recent performance was as Otho in Beetlejuice, JR, and he is excited to take on the role of Professor Marvel/The Wizard later this year in Baker Theatre Department’s The Wizard of Oz He is continually growing in his musical theater skills through participation in Leeds
Spark and Lexington Children's Theater classes and summer camps, and is a proud member of the Leeds Artist Collective. Griffin hopes you will enjoy the show, and wishes you the Happiest of Holidays!
Hayden Sypolt - Goon, Sam Wainwright
Hayden is glad to be back at Leeds, you may have seen him in Leeds’ final show of the 24 - 25 season, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, you may have also seen him in some shows at Woodford Theatre, like The Music Man or Miracle on 34th Street, you also may have seen him in the Jessamine Arts+ production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown or in the Lexington Children’s Theatre production of Charlotte’s Web Hayden loves working with Leeds, and hopes to keep doing more shows there.
Jessica Simon - Mrs. Hatch, Mrs. Martini
Jessica is delighted to make her stage debut with the talented cast of It's a Wonderful Life. Her days are spent in banking as a commercial lender. She loves to hike and travel around the country with her husband.
Johnathan Hall - George Bailey
Jonathan Hall (George Bailey) has appeared on the Leeds Center for the Arts stage once for every 100 years of its existence. He has previous played Julius Caesar (Julius Caesar) with AppShakes, Ichabod Crane (Sleepy Hollow) with Woodford Theatre, and appeared in the short film "Everything in Its Place" with Roots & Reels.
Macy Petralia - Janie Bailey
Macy has been performing since she was eight years old. Her previous roles include Gladys (The Best Christmas Pageant Ever), Chip (Beauty and the Beast) and Jojo (Seussical). She has also been a performing apprentice with The Lexington Theatre Company (The Sound of Music -2023, Fiddler On The Roof-2024, and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat -2025) where she is also a member of their Pre-Professional Company. She’s excited for her first production at Leeds!
Natalee Disney - Miss Andrews
Natalee is so happy to be back at Leeds once again! As a Sophomore at GRC, This performance marks her first play, fifth show at Leeds, and nineteenth performance in total. She has recently been in Shrek the Musical at RDC as the Big Bad Wolf, and Gladys Gutzman in Junie B. Jones Jr at Leeds. She’s absolutely adored being involved in this performance and meeting and learning with new people. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Nathan Glover - Newsboy, Ensemble
Nathan is excited to be a part of the It’s a Wonderful Life cast. This will be his third show at Leeds. He was previously in the ensemble for Beetlejuice Jr. and a bus kid in Junie B. Jones Jr. Nathan also enjoys swimming, chorus, news crew and his Leeds Artist Collective class. He appreciates all of the time and energy everyone has put into this production and is thankful for the Leeds community. He hopes that you enjoy the show!
Presley Ledford - Mr. Potter’s Secretary
Presley Ledford is a sophomore at Montgomery County High School. She has been in multiple shows and has played a variety of characters including Moana in Moana Jr, Fletcher in Freaky Friday, Ensemble in The Frogs, and Girl Scout in Beetlejuice Jr here at Leeds. She is ecstatic to be a part of another production at Leeds. She would like to thank her dad for guiding her and supporting her through this journey, and her sister for being her bestest friend, her biggest hero, and her biggest inspiration.
Randy Darnell - Clarence Odbody
This is Randy’s first time to be performing at Leeds Center for the Arts. An engineer by day, this is actually only his third show to be performing in. Previously held roles of Cogsworth in Triple Crown Theater's production of "Beauty and the Beast" and Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" at the Rohs Opera House.
Sydney Dickey - Violet Peterson
This is Sydney’s first show at Leeds, and she can barely contain her excitement! Before moving to Winchester six years ago, she performed with Main Street Players in Eastern Kentucky. She’s incredibly grateful to have a space like Leeds — a spot where she can unleash her creativity, make some magic, and fully embrace her inner kid again. Sydney is a Winchester business owner, so having a place where she can go play is truly something special, and where better to “play” than at a play?!
Zoe Fields - Miss Carter
Zoe Fields is excited to make her Leeds debut as Miss Carter in It’s a Wonderful Life This production marks her very first show at Leeds, and she is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this classic story and bring it to life alongside such a talented cast and creative team! When she’s not on stage, Zoe enjoys fashion, music, and creating content that inspires and entertains others. She goes to eastern Kentucky university where she studies musical theater and psychology! She hopes everyone enjoys the show!
Austin Vahle - Director
Austin Vahle (Director) is an arts administrator with experience performing, stage managing, choreographing, and directing in community, collegiate, regional, and professional theatres. Favorite directing/choreography credits include And The Winner Is (Studio Players), The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Little Shop of Horrors, White Christmas (Woodford Theatre), The Hundred Dresses, Jungalbook (WKU), Mean Girls (Arts+), and Fame and The Frog Prince (SKyPAC). Performance credits include the Tinman (The Wizard of Oz), Sheldon (The Prom), Vinnie (The Odd Couple), Wilson (Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse), and Fergus (Finding the Sun). Austin now focuses on inspiring theatre artists and has worked with
Lexington Children’s Theatre, Woodford Theatre, Gateway Regional Arts, Distilled Theatre Company, WKU’s Theatre for Young Audiences, and numerous school programs statewide. In 2022, he received an Honorable Mention as a finalist for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, presented by The Tony Awards/Carnegie Mellon. He co-founded and directs Love, Broadway, a benefit concert supporting arts education, and continues to serve as Staging Director for the KPA Bradley Awards, the regional program for the Jimmy Awards. SDC Member.
Doug Tatters - Stage Manager
Doug is excited to be on the production team for It's a Wonderful Life He has previously worked on the production team for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Little Shop of Horrors, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas with Woodford Theatre as well as Hairspray, Mean Girls: High School Version and The Little Mermaid Jr. with Jessamine County Arts+. Educational productions he has worked on include Descendants, Frozen Jr., Finding Nemo Kids, and Frozen Kids. He would like to thank the cast and crew for being so welcoming and supportive through the entire production process.
