Candide
GREG PICULELL (Candide)
SHANNON GRACE (Cunegonde), a native of Rhode Island, is currently a senior at Ithaca College with a BM in Voice. Past MTC credits include "the soprano" in the ensemble of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Dolores in Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party. Other credits include Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Guys and Dolls, Camp Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof (soloist) at PPAC, Bay View Academy’s A Comedy of Errors, and the Bishop Hendricken Summer Stage’s production of The Music Man in which she played Alma Hix. She is proud and delighted to be performing with such a talented and supportive cast. Thank you all for this experience!
ERIC HAGREEN (Pangloss/Voltaire)
ARIEL ARBISSER (Old Woman), a native of Davenport, IA, is performing with the MTC for her second time, after playing Woman #2 in Songs For a New World in Fall 2008. She is the graduating president of the Cornell Chordials, Cornell's award-winning co-ed a cappella group. Arbisser co-produced the Chordials' latest album "Shake the Poet," with her lead vocals on two tracks - "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" (originally performed by Roisin Murphy), recipient of the 2010 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for Best Mixed Collegiate Song in the nation and featured by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, and "Cold Shoulder" (originally performed by Adele), for which Arbisser received the 2010 CARA for Best Mixed Collegiate Solo. Ariel recently had the exciting opportunity to perform with Broadway composer Scott Alan. As owner of Ariel Makeup Artistry, Arbisser served as Makeup Designer for five past MTC productions and is also involved in fashion, TV, and film projects in and around the Ithaca area. Ariel would like to thank her parents for supporting her passions and the cast and crew for such a great show!
ALEX MOGIL (Maximilian) a junior, Television-Radio major at Ithaca College, is excited to be returning to the MTC in this exciting production! Previous roles include: Mereb in Aida, Anthony in Sweeney Todd, Juror #3 in 12 Angry Men, and Danny Zuko in Grease. He would like to thank his family and friends for their continued support. Break a leg to the cast and crew!
KRISTEN MIXTER (Paquette) is a Sophomore Art major at Ithaca College. She has been involved in theater for about four years, performing in productions of Beauty and the Beast, Grease (Marty), Seussical the Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, West Side Story (Consuela), and Into the Woods (Stepmother). Within several productions she has also taken on set and prop design/construction. Kristen is overjoyed to be a part of such a talented cast and crew, as well as having the opportunity to perform in one of her all-time favorite shows. She'd like to thank her family for supporting her through everything and finding a way to make it to every show.
PRIYA IYER (Ensemble/Martin) is ecstatic to be a part of Candide, her first MTC show! She is a musical theatre major at Ithaca College. She was most recently seen as Rosetta in Mint Juleps with IC Underground Theatre, a featured vocalist in the Ithaca Theatre Project's Summer Cabaret, and a featured dancer in L'enfant et les Sortileges with IC Main Stage Theatre. She is from Pittsburgh, PA. She would like to thank her family and friends for their constant love and support. "Life is a mistake that only art can correct. Hope you enjoy the show!"
ZINAN CHENG (Ensemble/Inquisitor III/Tsar Ivan)
KIRSTEN CORNILLE (Ensemble/Vanderdendur, Choreographer) is a junior Journalism and Drama Major at Ithaca College. She is making her debut in MTC theatre this semester. Kirsten just got back from a semester at the Moscow Art Theater School. Most recently she was in IC Player's Women of No Importance and IC Triple Threat's Once on this Island. She wants to thank the cast and crew for putting together a great show. Thank you also to her wonderful friends and family, I love you all very much!!
MEG GLASSCO (Ensemble/Cacambo) is a sophomore Drama major at Ithaca College, and is thrilled to working with MTC for the very first time! Some favorite roles from the recent past include: Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Juliet's Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Little Cosette/Barricade Boy in Les Miserables, Ruth in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Liza Spinelli in Eating Disorders: the Musical! (a senior thesis film). She would like to thank the cast and crew for their boundless enthusiasm and the opportunity to put on such a wonderful, challenging show!
AMANDA MARTIN (Ensemble/Inquisitor II/Charles Edward)
DAVID MUSSELWHITE (Ensemble/Governor/Inquisitor/Hermann Augustus) is a senior in Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Past MTC credits include Jamie in The Last Five Years, Assistant Director for Cabaret and Director, Set and Lighting Designer of I Love You Because. Other theatre experience includes four semesters with Anything Goes, Andrei in Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters, Robert in David Auburn’s Proof, as well as directing a regional debut of Marsha Norman’s ‘Night, Mother. He would like to thank the MTC staff and crew for being such thoroughly lovely people, and his grandparents for their unending love and support.
GABRIELLE TAN (Ensemble) is sophomore Human Development major at Cornell University currently pursuing pre-medicine. She sang in her high school choir for all four years and was also in the vocal group, Vocalise. Her previous acting experience includes, Beauty and the Beast (Enchantress, Ensemble), South Pacific (Liat), Once Upon a Mattress (Lady Larken), and Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie). This is her first show with MTC but she is so excited to be a part of the production of Candide and thanks the entire theatre family for welcoming her, as well as their enthusiastic encouragement.
MICHAEL TEDESCO (Ensemble) has performed with MTC since 2005. While living in New York City, Michael taught theater education to students in public schools. He recently became a member of the Blue Hill Troupe, a theatre company performs and fundraises for local charities in the New York area. Now Mike is temporarily back in Ithaca to pursue his education, and is excited to again be part of Cornell's premier musical theatre company! Mike dedicates this performance to all the people with whom he has lost touch over the years - you are all always in my thoughts and in my heart.