PRESENTS
ARK P R E K A IN B
PRESENTS
FOOTLOOSE Stage Adaptation by
DEAN PITCHFORD and WALTER BOBBIE Based on the Original Screenplay by Dean Pitchford Music by
TOM SNOW Lyrics by
DEAN PITCHFORD Additional Music by ERIC CARMEN, SAMMY HAGAR, KENNY LOGGINS and JIM STEINMAN Footloose is presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals. All authorized materials are also provided by Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com 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: https://concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists
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FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL
Director/Choreographer
Dawn Lebrecht Fornara
Music Directors
Charles Fornara & Lin Hart
Lighting Designer
Scenic Designer
Prop Master
Stage Manager
Craig Walck
Gabriella Lansden
Mike Santos
Cole Butcher
Costume Designer
Mollie LaTorre Sound Designer
Bradley Van Houten
Season Dramaturg
Ricki Baker
February 25 - March 7, 2021 • BAKER PARK Executive Artistic Director, Bryce Alexander
SPONSORED BY:
THE NAPLES PLAYERS
MEDIA SPONSOR:
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P ro vi di ng t he BE S T O F PA R A D I SE fo r mo re t ha n 50 y e a rs.
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Cast
(in alphabetical order) Wes Warnicker….....................................................................BR AD BRENNER Lulu Warnicker….............................................................ELIZ ABETH D’AIUTO Ren McCormack….................................................................ADAM FASANO Chuck Cranston…....................................................CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL Vi Moore…..............................................................................TINA MORONI Countr y Soloist........................................................SH A R N E P E R RY M A N Rev. Shaw Moore…...................................................................BRET POULTER Rusty…............................................................................SYDNE Y RICHARDS Wendy Jo….........................................................................PRESLIE TRUE Ethel McCormack….....................................................................SHARON TRUE Urleen…...........................................................................LOR E L A I V EG A Ariel Moore….................................................................L INDSE Y WA L SH Cowboy Bob….........................................................................JACK WELD Willard Hewit t…........................................................... DO M I N I C YO U N G Ensemble…............LEONARD ALLEN, ISABELL A ANTUNES, JENNY BEL ANDRES, E TH A N BRENDEL, A BBY CI A BATON, JORDA N CR AW FORD, M A X INE DA NNI, ELIZ A BE TH FINCHER, JOSEPH LOI ACONO, CHRISTINE M A STR A NGELO, A LE X MIN A RIK , VA NES S A MIN A RIK , A BIG A IL NEL SON, TOM RE X, ROSE A NN RUGGIERO, BERN A RDO S A NTA N A , PAUL VA NDER V ENNE T, CI A R Á N W ELCH
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Crew Assistant Stage Managers........MAYA KLEINSORGE, HUNTER REUM, AMY TR AN Assistant to the Choreographer.............................................ERICA SAMPLE Dance Captain.............................................................CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL Audio Engineer.............................................................BR ADLEY VAN HOUTEN Assistant Sound Designer..........................................NICHOL AS HERNANDEZ Audio Assistants..................................................PATRICIA PUIA, OLIVIA ZIZZI Roadies/Backstage Crew..........ZAHRA ABBASI, CARLOS ACEBEY, SOPHIA BOISREAU JAKIR A BRYAN, CHRISTINE BUI, DAYRON CRESPO, AUSTIN GILHART, DAVID GILL, NICHOL A S GONZ A LE Z, JOEL K A MENOFF, JOHN L A NE, A LE X A NDRI A LEM A IRE, DIEGO LAVADENZ, JENNY MILIEN, KEVIN NESTOR, MEGAN RIZZA, JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ, KYLEIGH ROSADO, DARIUS RUSH, ANDREA TANNER, ALEC TAYLOR, SAMUEL VERNI Wardrobe Super visor........................................................CA RL A BROOKS Dressers.....................JULES BR A NCHE, CA RL A BROOKS, CA ROLY N D’A RCO Cos tume Cons t ruc t ion……................…..K A R E N B R I N K M A N, J AC K C O L E, LOUISE ELIOT, K A REN E ZRINE, JOA N L AUGHLIN, S A NDI LOPRESTI, JA NINE REES, JUDY SMITH, JE A N SN YDER, JA NE STEELE Set Construction & Scenic Design……..……K E V IN BU JA , ROG ER C L A R K , A LI V I A CROS S, A LDO D’ACUNZO, SID DAV IS, ED E ZRINE, TA MM Y H A RRIS, S A NDY K EELER, STE V E LEE, RUS S LOY E T, R AY M A R A SCO, SCOT T SIMMEN, JEFF SMITH
SPECIAL THANKS Photographers: Drew & Karen Attanasio • Neubek Photographers Phil McCabe • The City of Naples
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MUSICAL SYNOPSIS ACT 1 SCENE 1: The City of Chicago FOOTLOOSE*...........................................Rusty, Wendy Jo, Urleen and the Company
The Town of Bomont, in Church ON ANY SUNDAY................................Rev. Shaw Moore, Ren, Ethel and the Company
SCENE 2: The Churchyard SCENE 3: Behind a Gas Station THIS GIRL GETS AROUND**..........................................................................Ren
SCENE 4: A High School Hallway I CAN’T STAND STILL.................................................Chuck, Ariel, Travis and Lyle SOMEBODY’S EYES..........................Rusty, Urleen, Wendy Jo and the Company
SCENE 5: The Moore Home LEARNING TO BE SILENT..............................................................Vi, Ethel and Ariel
SCENE 6: The Burger Blast +
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO ....................................Ariel, Rusty, Wendy Jo and Urleen
SCENE 7: The Great Plains of Bomont SOMEBODY’S EYES..............................................Rusty, Wendy Jo and Urleen
SCENE 8: The Moore Home SOMEBODY’S EYES” (REPRISE)......Rusty, Wendy Jo, Urleen, Chuck, Lyle and Travis HE AVEN HELP ME.............................................................. Rev. Shaw Moore
SCENE 9: The High School Gym/The Church I’M FREE* / HEAVEN HELP ME ....................Ren, Rev. Shaw Moore and the Company
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ACT 2 SCENE 1: The Bar-B-Que, a Country/Western Dance Hall STILL ROCKIN’.........................................................Cowboy Bob and his Band LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY........................................Rusty and the Company
SCENE 2: The Moore Home CAN YOU FIND IT IN YOUR HEART?...................................................................Vi
SCENE 3: The Junk Yard DANCING IS NOT A CRIME............................................................................Ren MAMA SAYS (YOU CAN’T BACK DOWN)........Willard, Bickle, Garvin, Jeter and Ren MAMA SAYS (ENCORE).................................................................Willard and Boys
SCENE 4: Under the Train Bridge ++
ALMOST PARADISE ...................................................................Ren and Ariel
SCENE 5: The Town Hall SCENE 6: The Moore Home HEAVEN HELP ME (REPRISE)......................................................Rev. Shaw Moore
SCENE 6a: The Church SCENE 6b: The Churchyard CAN YOU FIND IT IN YOUR HEART? (REPRISE)..........................Rev. Shaw Moore
SCENE 7: The Gym FOOTLOOSE * ( FIN A LE )........................................................T he C ompany BOWS................................................................................T he C ompany +
ALL MUSIC BY TOM SNOW, EXCEPT: *KENNY LOGGINS; **SAMMY HAGAR; JIM STEINMAN; ++
ERIC CARMEN ALL LYRICS BY DEAN PITCHFORD, EXCEPT; “FOOTLOOSE” LYRICS BY DEAN
PITCHFORD AND KENNY LOGGINS THE NAPLES PLAYERS
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THINKING ABOUT FOOTLOOSE:
Microscope or
Telescope
?
For a play with a seemingly straightforward plot, Footloose nonetheless offer us a couple of ways to think about what’s going on in the world.
Let’s start with the microscopic view - “up
close and personal.”
Footloose focuses on small-town values: the power of religion to influence and even dictate behavior, the ever-present generation gap, and kids struggling for self-expression and independence. It’s a coming-of-age story with a happy ending where all of the conflicts are resolved and we, the audience, go home humming and happy!
But what about the long look – a peek through the lens of an imaginary high-power telescope? Let’s time travel from the halcyon days of Footloose to our contemporary world and see what, if anything, the show might have to say to us denizens of the present. First, there’s the power and role of religion in our world and how intolerance and polarization have become more newsworthy than ever before. No one has an answer; there are no one-size-fits-all solutions for our time or for the foreseeable future.
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In our volatile and unsettled world, many more gaps are exposed than the generation gap: gaps in our views about law enforcement, politics, race and ethnicity, citizenship, guns, drugs, health care, criminal justice, and on and on and on. So many people seem to be ‘dug in’ and convinced, as is Shaw in the play, that their way is THE way. Happily for audiences, Shaw eventually comes to understand – thanks to young Ren – the reason for the rigid rules and boundaries he has long imposed on his daughter, his parishioners, and the entire town. And he changes. End of problems, end of strife, end of play! If only it were that easy! What we can take from Footloose is a sense of joy, a suspension of our everyday concerns for two delightful hours, and hope for a brighter, more compassionate future.
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ES OF G A P E H T FROM D E P P I R : E FOOTLOOS
Y R T S I H Footloose was inspired by actual events that took place in Elmore City, Oklahoma in 1980. This small farming town, with a population of 653 people at the time, had banned dancing in 1898, believing that it led to drinking and casual sex. A local Pentecostal preacher, F.R. Johnson, is thought to have been the inspiration for Rev. Shaw Moore in the original Footloose. The junior class of Elmore City High School asked that the ban on dancing be lifted so that they could have a prom. The class president Rex Kennedy said at the time, “we’d like to have a few nice memories.” Reverend Johnson was adamantly opposed, saying:
No good has ever come from a dance. If you have a dance somebody will crash it and they’ll be looking for only two things — women and booze. When boys and girls hold each other, they get sexually aroused. You can believe what you want, but one thing leads to another.
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Other Elmore City residents even predicted that if the town allowed the prom to happen, the result would be a dramatic spike in teen pregnancies. Subsequently, the students’ motion was presented to the school board and ended up passing by the narrow margin of 3–2. The kids raised the $2,000 for their prom themselves, made and put up the decorations, and prepared the food. The theme of their evening was “Stairway to Heaven”! The dance went off without a hitch, miraculously, without descending into sex and drunken depravity. Afterward, Class President Rex Kennedy joked,
dance at the king for permission to We thought about as but I guess that ’s of America meeting, next Future Farmers pushing our luck.
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OR F D E S S E DR
S S E C SUC
Love the Footloose costumes? You’re not the only one. Footloose was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Costume Design, and you don’t have to go far to see the originals! They are housed at Costume World Broadway Collection in Pompano Beach, Florida.
A former seamstress, Marilynn Wick, and her daughter, Kimberly, began their Costume World Broadway Collection at a non descript warehouse in Pompano Beach. The mother-daughter duo opened a museum in 2011, showcasing more than one million costumes from nearly 50 shows and guiding daily tours against a backdrop of hand-painted sets and a marquee replica from storied Broadway theatres. Despite the low-profile location, their Broadway Collection rapidly developed a large and passionate following with little more than word-of-mouth marketing. “From the moment we opened the doors, the reputation of our museum grew beyond our wildest expectations,” said Kimberly, curator of the Costume Museum and frequent docent on the tours.
make Broadway part I figured out a way to of my ever yday life
she said. It was to become one of the largest collections of Broadway costumes in the country. 18
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CAST
BIOGR APHIES
Leonard Allen (Ensemble) is a 15-year-old freshman at Community School of Naples. His most memorable roles at The Naples Players include Kristoff/Frozen JR, Alex/Madagascar JR, and Arty/Lost in Yonkers. Leonard would like to thank the TNP staff for sustaining performing arts in Naples during the pandemic. Enjoy the show! Isabella Antunes (Ensemble) is a freshman at Naples High School. She did her first show with KidzAct when she was nine and has been in many KidzAct shows ever since. Isabella is excited for the opportunity to return to TNP for her second adult show. She was previously in Miracle on 34th Street as Susan Walker. She would like to thank Charlie, Dawn, Lin and the entire cast and crew of the show. She would also like to thank everybody at TNP and all of its contributors who have kept the arts in her life this past year. It means everything to her! Jenny Belandres (Ensemble) is so excited to be in this production of Footloose! She is currently a junior at Barron Collier High School. She is very grateful for all the opportunities that The Naples Players has given her over the years!
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Ethan Brendel (Ensemble) is a 16-yearold at Naples High School. He likes hanging out with friends and going to the beach. Brad Brenner (Wes Warnicker) is pleased to be performing again with TNP! He has performed in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey in The Rimers of Eldritch, A View from the Bridge, The Miracle Worker, and many others. He most recently performed in Coney Island Christmas, My Fair Lady, Sister Act, Miracle on 34th Street, and Chicago with The Naples Players. Brad is happy to be part of the wonderful TNP family! He thanks his partner Christine Mastrangelo who currently puts up with his nonsense, and his twin daughters Erin and Kelsey who used to put up with it. Abby Ciabaton (Ensemble) is a senior at Barron Collier High School and is ecstatic to be in another show with TNP! She was most recently seen as Liesl von Trapp in The Sound of Music and a very sad girl in Bye Bye Birdie. She would like to thank the cast, crew, and everyone else who took part in creating this production.
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CAST
BIOGR APHIES
Jordan Crawford (Ensemble) is in 10th grade at the Village School. She is very happy to play Ensemble in Footloose. She would like to thank her family for driving her to all the practices and supporting her, as well as this amazing cast and crew. Elizabeth D’Aiuto (Lulu Warnicker) TNP Debut! Elizabeth hails from Ridgefield, CT and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory. Elizabeth was most recently seen at The Broadway Palm as Darlene in The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical, & was the female swing for Holiday Inn & Mamma Mia! Other credits include, Ruby in Dames at Sea, Elizabeth Benning in Young Frankenstein, Marty in Grease and Nimue in Camelot. Elizabeth would like to thank her friends and family for their endless support and love! www.elizabethdaiuto.com Maxine Danni (Ensemble) is happy to be performing with The Naples Players in Footloose! She was last seen as Rizzo in Grease with the Community School of Naples. She would like to thank Dawn and Charlie, and her parents for pushing her and helping her become the actress she is today.
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Adam Fasano (Ren McCormack) is a native New Yorker. Some of his Naples Players credits include Tommy Djilas in The Music Man and Sky in Mamma Mia! He is thrilled to be a part of another production with his favorite theatre company. He would like to thank the cast and crew for “cutting lose” with him. Elizabeth Fincher (Ensemble) is honored to be part of another amazing production with The Naples Players! She has also performed in TNP’s productions of Bye Bye, Birdie, White Christmas, The Music Man, and My Fair Lady. Other credits include Cosette/Les Misérables (showcase scene), Ophelia/The Omelet Murder Case, and Marian Paroo/The Music Man Jr. Elizabeth would like to thank her family for all their love and TNP for blessing her with another opportunity to showcase her gifts and talents alongside her wonderful theatre family. All glory and honor to God!! Joseph Loiacono (Ensemble) During these very trying past months, I am happy to participate in this production with The Naples Players. We hope and pray everyone will be healthy this year and be able to enjoy life again normally. It
FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL
is a joy to get back to the theater to see my theater family and enjoy performing in Footloose. This theater is one of the best in the country and I want to see it succeed. To my wife Isabella, who not only supports me but everyone in this theater. God bless and good health to everyone! Christine Mastrangelo (Ensemble) is excited to be back onstage performing with The Naples Players and is grateful to TNP for being a warm and inclusive community. Christine has performed in NYC, Florida, and Shanghai. After a very eventful 2020 she is especially looking forward to performing, spending quality time with loved ones and her two dogs & coming together with TNP for this special performance. She is glad to be back and onstage. Thanks for another wild year Mr. Fillmore, we made it! “Did you want boring?!” Christopher Michael (Chuck Cranston/Dance Captain) is an EMC musical theatre performer and arts educator new to The Naples Players this season. Recent credits: Ordinary Days (Warren), Dr. Fox and the Impossible Cure for Death (Lev US), and One Good Day (Max). He holds BAs in Theatre and Arts & Humanities with focuses in Musical Theatre and Dance from Michigan State University. Additionally, he is
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the Education Intern at Gulfshore Playhouse for their 2020/2021 season. He thanks his family, friends, Maya, and Kevin for their endless love and support. www.christophermichaelx.com Alex Minarik (Ensemble) is very excited to be playing Travis in his first production at TNP! Alex is currently a freshman at Gulf Coast High School. Some of his favorite credits include Benjamin in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Pinocchio in Shrek. Alex is honored to be a part of this production and would like to thank his family as well as the faculty for helping bring tonight’s performance to life. Enjoy the show! Vanessa Minarik (Ensemble) A senior at Gulf Coast High, Vanessa is beyond excited to be a part of the teen ensemble in Footloose (her first TNP show!). Her favorite credits include Asher/ Dance Captain (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Annie (Chicago), and Ms. Flannery (Thoroughly Modern Millie). She loves her parents and friends for always supporting her in dance and theater and cannot wait to be performing on a stage again. Big thank you to the cast and the crew for making the show possible! Enjoy!
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CAST
BIOGR APHIES
Tina Moroni (Vi Moore) began her career in the arts as a professional ballet dancer with International Ballet Theatre out of Philadelphia. Upon retirement, she took up acting and salsa dancing. She has performed in film, television, and theatre, with some of her favorite roles being from Maple and Vine, Chicago, White Christmas, and most recently Silent Sky. When not on stage she works at a reference oncology lab doing molecular testing for cancer, and spends time with her husband and fur babies. She thanks The Naples Players for keeping the light on through the tough times in the theatre that she cherishes. Abigail Nelson (Ensemble) Abigail is so excited to be involved once again in another TNP Production! Past TNP productions include My Fair Lady, Sister Act, Miracle on 34th Street, and Bye Bye Birdie. She currently is a Special Education teacher at the ABLE Academy. Thanks to the incredible cast, crew, and volunteers that bring the shows here to life! She believes that TNP is truly such a special place, and is very grateful to be a part of it! Sharne Perryman (Country Soloist) has studied music at Florida A&M University and has sung for many different galas and concerts for the previous
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governor Jeb Bush as well as other esteemed members of Congress. She was also a member of the Marching 100 as a mellophone/French horn player. She is excited as this is her first musical and she is happy to be a part of the Naples Players family, and is looking forward to many more wonderful experiences to come! Bret Poulter (Rev. Shaw Moore) having moved to Florida in 2016, Bret quickly became a member of the TNP family. He has appeared in Sister Act, Miracle on 34th Street and Chicago. He spent nearly two seasons with TheatreZone having performed in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Aida, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Wonderful Town and Gypsy. Most recently he had the pleasure of performing in The Nutcracker with Naples Ballet. Bret is an instructor/choreographer for KidzAct here at TNP and is currently in production for Disney’s The Descendants. Tom Rex (Ensemble) is very excited to be part of TNP’s production of Footloose, his first musical, and one of his alltime favorite movies. Tom also boasts to be only one degree of separation from Kevin Bacon, his favorite actor/musician. Tom just recently finished his run as Schultz in The Studio Players production of Circle Mirror Transformation. Other recent credits include TNP’s Becky’s New Car and Escanaba in da Moonlight, and Don’t Talk to the Actors for The
FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL
Studio Players. Tom has also trained extensively with TNP, has worked backstage on multiple TNP productions and has participated in TNP Readers Theatre. He would like to thank his wife, Deb, and their dog, Lola, for their continued support, and all of you for supporting the arts in this unprecedented time. Sydney Richards (Rusty) is thrilled and grateful to be performing with TNP once again! She is a Columbia College Chicago graduate and holds a B.A. in musical theatre. She was living in Chicago when COVID hit and has since moved back home to Naples indefinitely. She’s been spending quarantine writing music, filming short films, and playing D&D. Past TNP credits: Catch Me If You Can (Stewardess), The Producers (Ensemble). Roseann Ruggiero (Ensemble) is happy to be back with TNP having played Mrs. Urkel in last season’s Bye Bye Birdie. Originally from NJ, she has been an actor and director in many community and professional theatres in the Northeast. Favorite roles include: Mrs. Meers/Thoroughly Modern Millie, Princess Puffer/Drood, Mother Superior/ Nunsense.
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Bernardo Santana (Ensemble) As a member of SAG/Aftra, Bernardo has appeared in several movies, commercials and TV shows, as well as having been cast in several plays and musicals throughout the Northeast. Most recently performances were in Born Yesterday on Marco Island and in Silent Sky at The Naples Players. He would like to thank his sons and his friends for their love and support. To Jason and Nicholas: sometimes you gotta cut loose! Preslie True (Wendy Jo) is excited to be back performing at TNP. She was last seen in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as a Narrator at GCHS. Preslie is a senior and hope to pursue musical theatre in college. She hopes you enjoy the show! Sharon True (Ethel McCormack) is delighted to be back on stage with TNP and this awesome cast! Favorite credits include The Rocky Horror Show, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, The Spitfire Grill, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Sharon teaches music at CSN and in her private studio. Much love to my True Crew ~ XO
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CAST
BIOGR APHIES
Paul Vander Vennet (Ensemble) is very happy to be appearing for the first time with The Naples Players. In recent years you may have seen Paul at productions at Timberlake Playhouse (Mt Carrol, IL), Winneshiek Playhouse (Freeport, IL), Byron Civic Theatre (Byron IL), and Beloit Civic Theatre (Beloit, WI). Over the past 38 years Paul has had the privilege to perform professionally at Organic Theatre, Chicago. Starlite Theatre, Rockford, IL. Clock Tower Dinner Theatre, Rockford, IL. Paul received his BA in Music Arts from Northern Illinois University with a minor in Dramatic Arts. Paul is also an Honorably Discharged Veteran from The United States Navy.
Lorelai Vega (Urleen) is a freshman at Golden Gate High School and is so excited to be in her 7th show with The Naples Players. Previous roles include Erzulie/Once on This Island JR and Elsa/Frozen JR. She was most recently seen as Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music. She extends a huge thank you to Dawn, Charlie, Lin and the rest of the production team for all of their hard work and dedication!
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Lindsey Walsh (Ariel Moore) is thrilled to be back on stage! Previous roles at TNP include Ali/ Mamma Mia! and Hot Box Girl/Guys and Dolls. As well as performing in community theater prior to moving to Naples, Lindsey was a performer at Walt Disney World for 4 years. Thanks to TNP for keeping the arts alive! Enjoy the show!
Ciarán Welch (Ensemble), 17, is a junior at Saint John Neumann, and is a very dedicated student of the performing arts. He has participated in numerous shows such as: Hairspray (Ensemble), Mamma Mia! Teen (Ensemble), The Sound of Music (Rolf), and Legally Blonde (Callahan/Understudy Emmett). Ciarán wishes to pursue his career on Broadway. He has made many friends along the way and is looking forward to working with everyone in the production of Footloose. He would like to thank everyone who has contributed to his aspirations, and also thanks TNP for their time and talent.
FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL
Jack Weld (Cowboy Bob) was last seen on stage with TNP in She Loves Me in December of 2019. Other shows performed at TNP include Guys and Dolls in both 2004 and 2019, Miracle on 34th Street, The Music Man, My Fair Lady, Young Frankenstein, and Les Misérables. He is looking forward to another great production with Charlie, Dawn, and everyone in the cast and crew!
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Dominic Young is 18 years old and a senior at Gulf Coast High. Some previous roles of his include Link Larkin/ Hairspray, Arpad Laszlo/ She Loves Me, Billy Flynn/Chicago Teen, and most recently Joseph/Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He plans on going to college and obtaining a BFA in Musical Theatre and is so excited to have the chance to perform during these troubling COVID times. Enjoy the show!
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CREATIVE TEAM Cole Butcher (Production Stage Manager) is in his seventh season with The Naples Players. His favorite shows have been Moon Over Buffalo, Chicago, and The Rocky Horror Show. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Stage Management from Western Michigan University. His experience ranges from children’s to professional stateside and international theatre; participating in all forms from opera and musicals, to new and experimental plays. He holds a strong passion for educational theatre, creating and running TNP’s Internship Program. Charles Fornara (Music Co-Director) has previously conducted at TNP She Loves Me, Mamma Mia! Chicago, Sister Act, The Rocky Horror Show, Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde, The Spitfire Grill, Les Misérables, All Shook Up, 42nd Street and many, many others, as well as over 20 teen productions for KidzAct. Also in Naples for TheatreZone, he has music directed more than 20 shows including …Drood, Aida, The Secret Garden, Legs Diamond, Sweet Smell of Success, Grand Hotel, Little Women and Hair. Originally from Providence, RI, Chas conducted Jim Steinman and Roman Polanski’s Dance of the Vampires in Stuttgart, and has taught and coached singers all over the US and Germany, now offering private lessons here in Naples. A proud member of Actors’ Equity, he has
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appeared in almost 100 musicals, operas and concerts, including several appearances here in Naples with TheatreZone, most recently as the title role in Sweeney Todd. Much love to his beautiful wife, Dawn! Dawn Lebrecht Fornara (Director/Choreographer) is a native of New York and has served as director and choreographer for TNP’s She Loves Me, Mamma Mia! Chicago, Sister Act, The Rocky Horror Show, Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde, The Spitfire Grill and 42nd Street, among others, and with KidzAct for many productions, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hairspray, Disney’s Camp Rock, Les Misérables and Cats. She has choreographed many shows for TNP, including All Shook Up, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Cabaret, and as a performer, she has been seen in the National Tours of 42nd Street, Seussical the Musical, Anything Goes and Grease. A proud member of Actors’ Equity, she has been seen here in Naples in TheatreZone’s Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman), Jekyll & Hyde (Lucy), Stepping Out with Donna McKechnie, Legs Diamond (Kiki) and Hair, among others. Other recent roles include Sheila (A Chorus Line), Sally Bowles, Velma Kelly, Bombalurina (Cats) and Ulla (The Producers). Love to husband Chas and her family.
FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL
BIOGR APHIES
Lin Hart (Music Co-Director) received her training first at Indiana University and then as part of Ball State University’s Department of Theatre & Dance, where she subsequently taught. Before relocating to Florida in 2017, Lin worked at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center where she worked developing scripts for Off-Broadway productions such as I’m Gonna Pray for You so Hard (Halley Feiffer, Atlantic Theatre Company, 2015) and Bright Half Life (Tanya Barfield, The Project Theatre, 2015) and won an LMDA award from the Kennedy Center for her work on developing a new musical adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novella, Frankenstein. In addition to music directing shows and classes here at TNP, Lin keeps busy working on productions around SWFL, playing for cabarets, and teaching private lessons. All the love to her gorgeous, talented wife Emily and a huge thank you to this amazing production team and cast! Nicholas Hernandez (Asst. Sound Designer) is the current Sound Intern for the Spring Season at The Naples Players. He has worked on The Sound of Music, You Can’t Take It with You, Chicago, and The Music Man. He is very thankful for the opportunity to assist with sound design from The Naples Players’ staff and especially Bradley Van Houten. He will continue his sound work as the intern on the next four productions. Thank you for coming and enjoy the show!
THE NAPLES PLAYERS
Maya Kleinsorge (she/hers) (Asst. Stage Manager) is happy to join Footloose as an ASM! Currently Maya is also an Administrative Intern for Gulfshore Playhouse during the day; and she recently worked as Company Manager and House Manager at Peterborough Players in 2019. She is a recent graduate of Michigan State University where she acquired a BFA in Advertising and two minors in Theatre and Arts & Cultural Management. Maya would not be here without the gracious support of her family and friends! www.mayakleinsorge.com Gabrielle Lansden (Properties) has been in love with theatre since she was 7 years old. She studied theatre at FSW and got her AA, and then got her BA in FGCU’s theatre program in 2020. She has been working in props since she started college and has loved it ever since. She also loves to perform in theatre; she has been in She Kills Monsters as Agnes at FSW, Water Stories at FGCU and as Janet in The Rocky Horror Show at New Phoenix Theatre. She thanks her wonderful parents for their love and support and hopes y’all enjoy the show.
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CREATIVE TEAM Mollie LaTorre (Costume Design) is in her second season with TNP as Costume Shop Supervisor. After graduating with her Masters in Costume Design from FSU she joined the Creative Costuming team for Disney Parks Live Entertainment as well as freelanced as a designer in the Orlando area. Previous design credits include She Loves Me, Bye Bye Birdie, and Yours, Truly (TNP); Nunsense 2, The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical (TheatreWorks Florida); Fun Home, The Royal Family (Mad Cow); and Florida State University’s Cloud Nine, Killer Joe, Some Girl(s). She has previously worked at Utah Festival Opera and Music Festival, Olney Theatre Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Hunter Reum (Asst. Stage Manager) is excited to be back at TNP as an ASM on Footloose. Hunter has been the ASM on productions such as Yours, Truly; Mamma Mia! Teen; and The Great Gatsby. While he enjoys being offstage, he equally enjoys acting. Hunter was most recently seen on stage in Bye Bye Birdie this past spring.
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Erica Sample (Asst. to the Choreographer) has directed, choreographed, assistant directed and choreographed several productions at TNP and KidzAct since graduating from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 2015 with her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Having grown up in Naples, Florida, TNP has a special place in her heart, and she loves working in her hometown theater whenever she can. She has also worked at Broadway Palm Dinner Theater performing in their Children’s Theater, The Off-Broadway Palm, and their mainstage productions. She has choreographed at Florida Repertory Theater in Fort Myers, and frequently choreographs the musicals at Gulf Coast High School, where her choreography has received two Jimmy Awards so far. She is currently furthering her education with AMDA working towards earning her master’s degree in Theater. TNP performance credits include: Roxie Hart/Chicago, Sophie/Mamma Mia!, Judy Haynes/White Christmas, and Sister Mary Robert/Sister Act. KidzAct directing credits include: Frozen JR, Annie JR, Once on this Island JR, Aladdin JR, Madagascar JR, and Elf JR, just to name a few.
FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL
BIOGR APHIES
Mike Santos (Scenic Designer) recently designed the sets for The Sound of Music, Bye Bye Birdie, She Loves Me, Escanaba in da Moonlight, Mamma Mia!, Guys and Dolls, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at TNP. Originally from Upstate New York, Mike received his BFA from Cazenovia College and has been in Naples since 2003. Much love to his better half, Judith and little buddy, Taz :-) As always, a big thank you to the volunteers for doing what they do best.
Doctor and internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Brad is happy to be working at a theatre where every day brings on a new challenge. In his time at TNP he has worked on sound on over 80 productions. Select previous credits include Mamma Mia!, Peter and the Starcatcher, Chicago, Maple and Vine, She Kills Monsters, Sister Act, Rocky Horror Show, The 39 Steps, Something’s Afoot, and Good People.
Craig Walck (Lighting Designer) After initially working for TNP from 2000-2006, Craig returned to TNP in 2011 after a five-year absence, Amy Tran during which he worked for (Asst. Stage Manager) is happy to return to TNP with Columbia University, The All-Stars Project, and such a wonderful cast. Her other theatrical groups in New York City from most recent SM credits 2006-2008. He then oversaw the completion include Into the Woods and of construction, opening, and first two years Becky’s New Car, and most recent ASM credits of operation of the Miramar Cultural Center in include Mamma Mia! and She Loves Me. She Miramar, FL from 2008-2011. Overall, Craig is thankful for all TNP has taught her as well has designed the lighting for over 150 TNP as her family and friends for their constant productions. Originally from Niagara Falls, N.Y., and a graduate of the State University love and support. of New York at Buffalo, he once again calls Bradley Van Houten Naples his home with his wife, Jessica, and (Sound Designer) is their kids (dogs) Ziggy, Twoey, and Roscoe. celebrating his 7th season at TNP. Brad has his bachelor’s degree in Theatre: Design & Technical Production and Theatre: Stage Management from Western Michigan University. Having the pleasure of working Off-Broadway on Soul
THE NAPLES PLAYERS
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