In the Wings

LEXI CROSS (Ensemble) is thrilled to be making her La Mirada Theatre debut in Young Frankenstein! She has previously worked for the Gem Theater in A Chorus Line (Judy Turner), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Potiphar’s Wife) and Candlelight Pavilion in The Bodyguard (Ensemble). Lexi also had the pleasure of working for 21 Stars in NYC (Dance Captain) and Q Productions in Las Vegas (Dancer). She is so grateful to her family and friends for their constant support. Lexi is dedicating this performance to the late Merle Sepel, her childhood dance teacher. Thanks to the cast and crew for this amazing opportunity!

CARL DRAPER (Ensemble, Equine, Transylvania Quartet, u/s Kemp/Hermit, u/s The Monster) is grateful to be at La Mirada. Tour: Spamalot. Favorite regional: Cabaret (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Maltz Jupiter), Crazy for You (Cape Playhouse), Carousel (Lyric Opera of Chicago), A Chorus Line (Paramount Aurora), Kiss Me, Kate (Shakespeare Theater DC), West Side Story (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Pirates of Penzance (Marriott Lincolnshire). Concerts with the Cincinnati Pops, Orchestra Japan and Transcendence Theater Company. Love to Mr. Litchfield and all the Barbs.

MAGGIE EK (Inga, she/her) is beyond excited to be making her La Mirada debut! Regional: Newsies (Katherine), Little Women (Beth). BFA Musical Theatre, Otterbein University. Maggie would like to thank her friends, family, and RPM for their support. @maggie.l.ek CHEYENNE GREEN (Ensemble, Sasha) is thrilled to be making her La Mirada debut with Young Frankenstein! Cheyenne is a Los Angeles native and graduate of AMDA in New York City. Cheyenne has performed with Disney Cruise Line, 5-Star Theatricals (Newsies), The Rubicon Theatre (Big River), and Conejo Players Theatre (West Side Story as Anita). You may have spotted Cheyenne in ads for Pepsi, Honda, Wells Fargo and Tostitos. Cheyenne is so honored to perform with such a talented cast! She would like to thank her family and friends for their continued support. COLBY HAMANN (Ensemble) is excited to be making his debut with McCoy Rigby Entertainment and La Mirada Theatre! Training: BFA in Musical Theatre, California State University, Fullerton. Recent works: Cinderella, A Chorus Line, Newsies (Moonlight Amphitheatre), Catch Me if You Can (San Diego Musical Theatre), 42nd Street (3-D Theatricals), Newsies (PCPA), West Side Story (Musical Theatre West), and The Little Mermaid (CSU, Fullerton). Colby is grateful to the creative team for this amazing opportunity and to his friends, family, and Kelly for their constant love and support. Shoutout to Jenny and Sam for their encouraging belief in me. Glory be to God! colbyhamann.com JOE HART (Inspector Kemp/Hermit) My Fair Lady, Lincoln Center as Drunk Harry, u/s Alfred Doolittle. Other Broadway credits: original casts of Bonnie & Clyde, Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public. National Tours: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Annie Get Your Gun, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (film version too). LA Theater: original cast The Cake by Bekah Burnstetter, and Lily Tomlin/ Jane Wagner’s Search for Signs of Intelligent

Life in the Universe. Ovation award for The Angels of Lemnos, nomination for The Woman in Black. La Mirada: Floyd Collins (Ovation), West Side Story. Film: Homefree, Life Inside Out, Timeless. TV: “Tiny Beautiful Things,” “Just Roll With It,” “I Love Dick.” AEA, MTG. GRANT HODGES (Ensemble, Medical Student, Transylvania Quartet, he/him) is so grateful to be back on the La Mirada stage! He earned his BA from the Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program at UCLA. Most recently voiced Simon/Maxxie in the upcoming animated film Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-Shero. Other Credits: Footloose (Chuck) The Rev in NY, Frozen – Live at the Hyperion (Kristoff/Hans) Disney California Adventure, Urinetown (McQueen) MSD Productions, The Andrews Brothers (Max) ICT, Evita (Swing) National Tour, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical (Yukon Cornelius) National Tour, Singin’ in the Rain (Ensemble) McCoy Rigby Entertainment, The Producers (Kevin) Peterborough Players. All the love to my family, friends, and everyone at ATB. Go BRUINS! IG: @grant_hodges. A.J. HOLMES (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein) is thrilled to be returning to the role of Dr. Frankenstein after 11 short years. A composer, singer, songwriter, comic, improviser, and actor, his claim to fame is playing Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon (Broadway & West End). Credits: Dr. Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein National Tour (2011), Henry, Next to Normal (Arizona Theatre Co. & SJ Rep). Film: Flop Stoppers, The Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye (collaboration with The Tin Can Brothers), Ethan Kuperberg’s seminal classic, Doppelgänger. As a composer, A.J. has worked with StarKid Productions (Twisted, A Very Potter Musical, Me and My Dick), all of which can be found on the hit website, YouTube. A.J. served as a consultant in the writer’s room for South Park (Season 21). Thanks to BRS/GAGE. Proud University of Michigan graduate. www.aj-holmes.com MISSY MARION (Dance Captain, Ensemble, Tasha, u/s Elizabeth) is so excited to make her La Mirada debut! Regional: Young Frankenstein (Ogunquit Playhouse), Hairspray (Amber, Performance Riverside), Oklahoma! (Dream Laurey, 3-D Theatricals), White Christmas (Rhoda, Music Theatre West), La Cage Aux Folles (Anne, Forestburgh Playhouse). For the last few years, Missy has been traveling the world as a featured singer and dancer aboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises. When not performing, Missy enjoys running her other business of baking and decorating cookies. Check it out @missysquarantinecookies. Special thanks to the cast, crew, and production team for giving me this incredible opportunity! Endless love to Mom, Dad, Noelle, Christopher, G, and Trevor!

RYAN PERRY MARKS (Ensemble, Felix, Medical Student, u/s Igor) is thrilled to be making his La Mirada debut in Young Frankenstein! International: One Man’s Dream II (Tokyo Disney Resort, Japan). Regional: Newsies The Broadway Musical (Race) at 3-D Theatricals and Race/Dance Captain at 5-Star Theatricals, Gypsy (Tulsa), A Chorus Line (Mike). Classical Ballet: Giselle (Albrecht) with New York City Ballet’s Kathryn Morgan, La Bayadere (Solor), Cinderella (Prince Charming). Film/ TV: “Hannah Montana,” Alvin & the Chipmunks 2. Endless gratitude to my family, friends, and Natalie at LA Talent! IG: @ryanperrymarks.

TRENT MILLS (The Monster) is an actor, singer and songwriter. He’s pumped for his first show at La Mirada! Favorite credits: Shrek in Shrek the Musical, Marcellus in Music Man (starring Adam Pascal), Ash in Evil Dead the Musical National Tour. Catch his voice on the anime series “Tower of God” or the podcast The Laundronauts (starring the late, great Ed Asner) or see him in season 2 of “Little America” on Apple TV+. His band MillStock Wagner regularly performs around LA, they’re releasing a new EP this November. Follow us! @MillStockWagner. Thank you to my family, Joe, Jane, DDO and my love, Casey.

ISABELLA DE SOUZA MOORE (Ensemble, Basha, u/s Inga) is thrilled to be making her La Mirada debut! Regional credits include Honey in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Denver Center for the Performing Arts), the World Premiere of Mystic Pizza (Ogunquit Playhouse), Annie (Alabama Shakespeare Festival) and Mary Poppins (Syracuse Stage). TV Credits include Hulu’s “The Path.”

ELLE MAY PATTERSON (Ensemble, Masha, u/s Frau Blücher) Broadway Tour: The Spongebob Musical (Dance Captain). Regional & International Credits: Catch Me If You Can (The Rev Theatre Co), Mamma Mia! (North Shore Music Theatre), A Chorus Line (The Palace Theatre), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Fiddlehead Theatre), Elton John’s Life Ball, Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and more. Elle May is a recent local to Los Angeles and is so grateful to be performing at La Mirada Theatre! AUSTIN SCHULTE (Ensemble, Medical Student, Equine, Transylvania Quartet, Ritz Specialty, Bob, u/s Dr. Frederick Frankenstein) is thrilled to be making his La Mirada debut! He went to Point Park University for a BFA in Musical Theatre with a double minor in Music and Dance. He was most recently seen performing out at Pittsburgh CLO in The Drowsy Chaperone, Kinky Boots, and A Chorus Line. He is so grateful to be performing back home in California!

WESLEY SLADE (Igor) became an actor at 10 years old after seeing The Producers. It’s a dream come true to perform in a Mel Brooks comedy! Regional: Mary Poppins (The MUNY), Beauty and the Beast (Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Dir. John Tartaglia), The Music Man (Marcellus, The Wick Theatre), Shrek: The Musical (Shrek, Slow Burn Theatre), Hand to God (Jason/ Tyrone, GableStage), One Man, Two Guvnors (Francis Henshall, Actors Playhouse), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Quasimodo, BroadwayWorld Award Winner). Wesley is also an improv comedian and has been seen on many stages at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, and more. Instagram: @wesleyslade. SALLY STRUTHERS (Frau Blücher) is a twotime Emmy and Golden Globe award winner for her performance in the groundbreaking TV series, “All in the Family.” She starred in “Nine to Five” (Fox) and her own series, “Gloria” (CBS). She also recurred on the comedy “Still Standing” and the highly acclaimed “Gilmore Girls.” She joined the Gilmore cast for Netflix’s four movie limited revival and guest starred in IFC’s comedy series “Maron.” Television movies include: A Gun in the House, And Your Name is Jonah, The Great Houdinis, Hey… I’m Alive, In the Best Interest of the Children, Deadly Silence, My Husband is Missing, and Intimate Strangers. Sally co-starred in two legendary motion pictures in the 70s: Five Easy Pieces with Jack Nicholson and The Getaway with Steve

McQueen and Ali McGraw. She starred on Broadway in Wally’s Café with Jimmy Coco and Neil Simon’s female version of The Odd Couple with Brenda Vaccaro. For three years she starred as Miss Mamie Lynch on Broadway and on tour in Tommy Tune’s production of Grease. In the 20th Anniversary National Tour of Annie, Sally played Miss Hannigan. Sally was named Best Actress by the Los Angeles Artistic Director Theatre Awards as Louise Seger in the musical, Always, Patsy Cline. She won the Ovation Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical as Agnes Gooch (Mame) and won a second Ovation Award for Cinderella. Additional starring theatre roles include regional productions of Hello, Dolly!, Anything Goes, The Fifth of July, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Full Monty, Fiddler on the Roof, Chicago, All Shook Up, The Drowsy Chaperone, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, 9 to 5, Legally Blonde, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Witches of Eastwick, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, 42nd Street, and Young Frankenstein. RODRIGO VARANDAS (Ensemble, Transylvania Quartet) This performance is dedicated to David Robinson. Favorite Choreography/ Direction credits: One War for Another (Choreography), Waiting for Godot (Direction), Romeo and Juliet (Choreography), Broadway to the Rescue (Choreography). Favorite theatre credits: Peter Pan (Saudi Arabia Tour), Mamma Mia!, Shrek, Kinky Boots, 42nd Street (3-D Theatricals), West Side Story, Legally Blonde (Candlelight Pavilion), Singin’ in the Rain, In the Heights, White Christmas (Musical Theatre West), Children of Eden, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (5-Star Theatricals), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Musical Theatre Guild), Mamma Mia!, Empire, Cabaret, 1776, Singin’ in the Rain (McCoy Rigby Entertainment). SARAH WOLTER (Elizabeth) has been a performer and educator for 20+ years. She served as an award-winning Artist in Residence at Phoenix Theatre in her home state of Arizona, before relocating to Los Angeles. LA audiences may remember her multiple appearances on stages around town including: The Groundlings, Second City, and Rockwell Table & Stage, where she performed improv and original sketches as a founding member of Fred for Nothing and Stupid Songs LA. Most recently she appeared as Countess Charlotte Malcolm (A Little Night Music) and Miss Scarlet (Clue). Sarah is represented by Avalon Artists Group and Bohemia Management. MEL BROOKS (Book, Music & Lyrics) Director, producer, writer and actor, Mel Brooks is the recipient of three 2001 Tony Awards (Best Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Musical) and two Grammy Awards (Best Musical Show Album, Best Long Form Music Video) for The Producers. Mr. Brooks began his distinguished career during television’s “Golden Age” as a writer for Sid Caesar on “Your Show of Shows” in 1951. In 1955 and in 1957, Brooks received Emmy Award nominations (with others) for Best Comedy Writing for “Caesar’s Hour,” and in 1956 he was nominated (with others) for Best Writing for a Variety or Situation Comedy. In 1952, Brooks wrote sketches for Leonard Sillman’s Broadway smash-hit revue, New Faces of 1952, and in 1957, together with Joe Darion, he wrote the book for the Broadway musical Shinbone Alley, starring Eartha Kitt. In 1962, he wrote the book for the Broadway musical All-American, starring Ray Bolger. In the ‘60s, Brooks teamed up with Carl Reiner to write and perform The 2000 Year Old Man albums,

which became immediate bestsellers. In 1960 and 1961, Brooks and Reiner received Grammy Award nominations for the Best Spoken Word Album: Comedy for 2000 Years and for Best Comedy Performance for 2000 and One Years, respectively. In 1997, Brooks and Reiner teamed up again for The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000. Both a book and a CD were released, the CD winning a Grammy Award in 1998 for the Best Spoken Word Album: Comedy. Brooks wrote and narrated The Critic, a short satire on avant-garde art films, which received the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject in 1964. In 1965, he teamed up with Buck Henry and created “Get Smart,” the long-running television show starring Don Adams as Agent 86. Brooks, along with others, received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Achievement in a Comedy-Variety in 1967 for “The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special.” In 1968, he wrote and directed his first feature film, The Producers, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay written directly for the screen. He then went on to create a remarkable string of hit comedies: 1970, he wrote, directed and acted in The Twelve Chairs; 1974, co-wrote, directed and acted in Blazing Saddles, and was nominated, along with John Morris, for Best Title Song, “Blazing Saddles;” 1974, co-wrote and directed Young Frankenstein; 1976, co-wrote, directed and starred in Silent Movie; 1977, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in High Anxiety; 1981, wrote, directed, produced and starred in History of the World, Part 1; 1983, produced and starred in To Be or Not to Be; co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in the hit sci-fi spoof, Spaceballs; 1991, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Life Stinks; 1993, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Robin Hood: Men in Tights; 1995, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Dracula: Dead and Loving It. For three successive seasons, Brooks won the Emmy Award for his role as Uncle Phil on the hit comedy show, “Mad About You.” His visionary film company, Brooksfilms Limited, founded in 1980, has produced some of America’s most distinguished films, among them: David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, David Cronenberg’s The Fly, Frances, Richard Benjamin’s My Favorite Year and 84 Charing Cross Road, starring Anthony Hopkins and Mr. Brooks’ wife, Anne Bancroft.

THOMAS MEEHAN (Book) received the Tony Award for co-writing the book for The Producers in 2001 and in 2003 for co-writing the book for Hairspray. He received his first Tony Award in 1977 for writing the book of Annie, which was his first Broadway show, and has written the books for the musicals Rocky, Elf the Musical, Cry-Baby, Young Frankenstein, Chaplin, Bombay Dreams, I Remember Mama, Ain’t Broadway Grand and Annie Warbucks. In addition, he was a long-time contributor of humor to The New Yorker, an Emmy Award-winning writer of television comedy, and a collaborator on a number of screenplays, including Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs and To Be or Not to Be. He was also a member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild.

SUSAN STROMAN (Original Direction and Choreography) honored with Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel, and a record five Astaire Awards, Susan made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2014, directing and choreographing The

Merry Widow. Her work on Mel Brooks’ The Producers won a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards including Best Direction and Best Choreography. Other Broadway credits include The Scottsboro Boys, Bullets Over Broadway, Big Fish, Crazy for You, Show Boat, Oklahoma!, The Frogs, The Music Man, Thou Shalt Not, and Steel Pier. Off-Broadway credits include The World Goes ‘Round, Flora the Red Menace, and Happiness. She has created ballets for New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Martha Graham Company. She is the recipient of the George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater and the Theater Hall of Fame.

JEFF WHITING (Director) is a director and choreographer with work on Broadway, Television, Special Events and Concerts around the world. Broadway (Associate): Bullets Over Broadway, The Scottsboro Boys, Hair, Young Frankenstein, Big Fish. Upcoming: Love Affair, Crazy For You, Marie: Dancing Still, In the Light, Loch Lomond, The Imaginary, Tribu, Cookies, Invincible, Joan Crawford in Flesh and Blood. National Tour: Bullets Over Broadway, Hairspray, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, The Rockin’ Road to Dublin, Louis and Ella. OffBroadway/Other: Hairspray (NSMT), Fly More Than You Fall (World Premiere), The Lost Colony (Waterside), Cookies (NYMF), Single Wide (NYMF), Chasing Rainbows (World Premiere), Gypsy (Capital). Special Events/Concerts: James Taylor Live at Carnegie Hall (with Bette Midler, Sting, Tony Bennett), The New Victory Arts Awards (with Sarah Jessica Parker, John Lithgow), Disney’s Magical Moments (Brazil). Business: Jeff is the creator/founder of Stage Write Software, the standard method for documenting choreography, the Founding Artistic Director of The Open Jar Institute, a premiere music theatre training program, President of Open Jar Studios, and was featured in a TED Talk sharing his philosophy of “Open Jar Thinking.” www.jeffwhiting.com JAMES GRAY (Choreographer) recently directed and choreographed The Full Monty, choreographed the musical Annie starring Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba and Oliver! at the Goodspeed Opera House. He choreographed the opening number for New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck, and Nev Schulman (“Catfish,” DWTS finalist) at Lincoln Center. He also directed and choreographed Peg O’ My Heart the Musical at the June Havoc Theatre NYC (Best Musical Award.) James staged the Emmy Award-Winning TV Special, “Mel Brooks – The AFI Lifetime Achievement Award” and choreographed the movie Humor Me starring Elliot Gould. Broadway: The Producers, Young Frankenstein, A Christmas Story the Musical, Bullets Over Broadway and Prince of Broadway with Hal Prince. JamesGray.biz BENET BRAUN (Musical Director/Conductor) is a music director, pianist, composer, and songwriter. He has worked on Broadway national tours (Cabaret, Waitress, How The Grinch Stole Christmas), regionally at theaters such as the Sacramento Music Circus, Tuacahn Center for the Arts, Musical Theatre West, 3-D Theatricals, McCoy Rigby Entertainment, and Capital Repertory Theatre, and is the music director for the Groundlings Theater and School in Hollywood. He is also the music director for Broadway at the Bourbon Room and the Ambush Cabaret. Benet received his MFA in Music Direction from UC Irvine.