bare a pop opera
DAN MIDDLEDITCH (Jason McConnell) is very excited to be performing in bare. Originally from Orlando, Florida, Dan has performed numerous roles including Henry in Next To Normal, Dr. Craven in The Secret Garden, and also participated in the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Dan would like to thank his friends and family for supporting him and he would also like to thank Jordan Friend for telling him to audition for bare in the first place!
JEREMY JOSEPH EHLINGER (Peter Simmons) is a senior BA Drama major at Ithaca College. He is excited to return to Melodramatics after last appearing as Professor Bhaer in their production of Little Women. His regional credits include Little Shop of Horrors, My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, and Louder Than Words: A Benefit Concert with Infinity Theatre Company. His previous Ithaca credits include Botard in Rhinoceros, Ed in Five Flights and Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods. He recently completed an intensive semester with the National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center studying acting, directing and playwriting. He wants to thanks his family and friends for always being supportive.
EMILY BEHRMANN-FOWLER (Ivy Robinson) is a freshman at Ithaca College studying vocal performance and music education. She is thrilled to be a part of her first MTC show! Some of her previous credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Dorothy), Babes in Arms (Jennifer Owens), and Pirates of Penzance (Mabel). She was most recently seen in Songs For a New World, which she also produced and co-directed. Emily would like to thank her family, friends, and teachers for their support, and of course the cast, crew, and production team for making this show such an amazing experience!
CARA FRISINA (Nadia McConnell) is thrilled to be in the Melodramatics production of bare. Cara is a freshman at Ithaca College, and she is a Communication Management and Design major. In high school Cara played the roles of Rona in Spelling Bee, Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, and Irene Molloy in Hello Dolly. Over the summer Cara was in a Regional Production of The Sound of Music as a nun at Triarts Sharon Playhouse. Cara would like to thank Spencer, Geoff, the cast, the Melodramatics staff, and her mom Lee.
JOEL S. FURR (Matt Lloyd) is 20 years of age and a Musical Theatre Major at Ithaca College, Class of 2016. His previous credits include: Beast, in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; Ensemble/Lil Albert/ C.C.Understudy, Dreamgirls under the direction of Vicki Bussert; Judah in Joseph… Dream Coat; Leading Player, Pippin; Adam/Noah, Children of Eden; Narrator/ Mysterious Man, Into the Woods; and Tom Collins, Rent. Joel is stoked to be apart of this production in his debut performance at Melodramatics and in the city of Ithaca. He hopes for there to be many more to come. He can’t thank Spencer Whale enough for allowing him this wonderful opportunity. He also like to send love to his most loving parents Steven and Beverly Furr, friends and his most beautiful girlfriend, Samantha Hackman.
TREVOR ANDREW FREDERICK STANKIEWICZ (Lucas Carter), a sophomore at Cornell University, is thrilled to be in the cast of bare in his first MTC production. Some of Trevor’s favorite rolls include Cinnamon and Tootsie. He is best known for his powerhouse performance as Sandy the Dog in Annie as well as co-writing the critically acclaimed Prescription for Love: An Original Musical with fellow Melodramatic Sue-Jean Sung. Trevor is thankful to his friends, his cast mates (who are not his friends), his director, and his family with a special shout out going to his parents Frank and Dre-Dre.
KATHRYN ALLISON (Sister Chantelle) is thrilled to be apart of MTC this semester. She is currently a junior BFA musical theater major at Ithaca College and excited to continue her studies in London next semester. Past credits: U/S for Mama Morton in IC’s production of Chicago, Nelly in Ain’t Misbehavin’, and Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly. She has been a featured soloist in Paper Mill Playhouse’s New Voices Concert, at Duplex Cabaret and at Don’t Tell Mama’s in NYC. She would like to thank to Spencer, Pascale, Geoff and the cast and crew of bare for making this experience exciting and intuitive. She would also like to thank her parents for being supportive in all her endeavors. www.kathrynallison.com
JAMES WOODRIDGE (Priest) A theatrical work fearless in tackling relevant issues of institutionalized oppression, homophobia, sexual identity, self-concept, suicide, bullying and religious dogma is one worth being part in. LGBTQ populations are too often covertly and overtly bullied, subjected to scrutiny and harassed in our schools, media and society. It has been a honor to be part of this rich and honest production that simply asks the question, “...is there something more that could have been done?” When stripped bare, we all yearn to be loved, respected and valued for our individual innate ways of being. The arts are Mr. Woodridge’s bliss and the integration of them all yields great joy and fulfillment. He is very grateful. ~ To Kevin, Jeff, Doug and the far too many others, you are missed.
LEANNE GRACE MCNALL (Diane Lane) is extremely excited to be a part of bare, her first Ithacan performance, making her debut with MTC. Leanne is a freshman at IC, majoring in Pre-Med and minoring in dance and theatre. She has lived in North Reading, MA her whole life and hopes to continue her passion for musical theatre throughout her college years. Leanne has surrounded herself with theatre throughout high school and her favorite roles include Zombie Prom (Toffee), Barnum (Ringmaster/ Bailey), and The Sound of Music (Gretl). She hopes everyone enjoys the show and is grateful that MTC has welcomed her into their family with open arms.
ELIZA VANCORT (Claire Simmons) is director of AWI (The Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca), our community’s popular boutique theater company and acting studio specializing in the Sanford Meisner Technique and audition training for film and stage. Eliza most recently appeared as Izzy in AWI’s Rabbit Hole and in Becky Lane’s Poker Face, an award-winning short film screening worldwide. Eliza’s next project will be directing the hit show Love, Loss, and What I Wore with AWI. Eliza hasn’t sung in public for almost twenty years, so she’d like to thank her husband and kids for saying, in her nine-year-old’s words, “I know you don’t sing anymore but you gotta to do it, Mama!”
JACOB CORDIE (Alan) is new to the state of New York, originally from the small town Keizer, Oregon where he graduated from McNary High School. He is a freshman vocal performance major at Ithaca College where the majority of his waking moments are spent in the Whalen Center for Music. Although Jacob loves musical theatre, he aspires to begin his professional theatre career debuting in a role at the Metropolitan Opera. Finally, he would like to thank all of his new friends for making his transition to a home so far away from home so easy. I lumpin’ love you all!
MARK WHITMORE (Zack) This is Mark’s first production with the Melodramatics. Mark trains at the Actors Workshop of Ithaca and most recently performed in the AWITC’s productions of Rabbit Hole and Museum.
KIMBERLY LAURA DYCKMAN (Kyra) is extremely excited to be a part of MTC’s production of bare. She is a freshman vocal performance major at Ithaca College. She graduated from the Long Island High School for the Arts and has spent her summers at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Camp. Some of her past credits include A Little Night Music (Mrs. Nordstrom), Jekyll & Hyde (Lady Beaconsfield) and Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife). She would like to thank her family, friends and teachers for all their love and support. Many “bare” hugs and kisses to her cast and crew for an amazing experience she will never forget!
ALIANA HEFFERNAN (Rory) is a junior at Cornell studying Communication with a focus on English and Theater. Originally from Hastings on Hudson, New York, this will be her first performance with the MTC. Past performances include Roger’s Mom in Rent and Panacea in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (HHS), as well as Martine in The Doctor Despite Himself and the Stepmother in Into the Woods: A Concert Reading (Risley Theater). When not rehearsing with the bopera kids, Aliana can be found in Risley’s Kommittee, spending time with her amaXing Alpha Xi Delta sisters, or at one of her many jobs around campus! She would like to thank the amazing cast and crew for making this a wonderful experience.