Into The Woods
JARED HAKIMI (The Narrator), now a Cornell junior majoring in Applied Economics & Management, is very excited to perform in Into the Woods. He was last seen portraying President Gerald Ford and David Herold as a chorus member in the MTC's production of Assassins. This was in fact Jared’s first production ever! He also played Mama Turd in a kabuki performance of Ubu Roi of SLTC at the Schwartz. Jared’s previous vocal experience includes performing the “Star Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem, at his high school graduation, and singing in a choir while volunteering and studying this past year in Israel. Jared hopes to remain involved in musical theatre throughout his college career.
LANI TOYMAMA (Cinderella) is a junior Vocal Performance major at Ithaca College. She has participated in many shows ever since her younger days. Recently, she performed in the opera Dido and Aeneas in opera workshop at Ithaca. While studying classical voice, she has also made room for musical theatre. Last semester, she traveled back and forth to Rochester to portray the role of Cinderella in Cinderella with a community theater group. After college, she plans to move to New York City, live in a box (hopefully decently sized) and try to make her mark on the stage. She would like to recognize her 30-02 housemates and let them know that she loves them all!
STEVEN MILES (Jack) is a 2004 graduate of Curwensville Area High School in central Pennsylvania, and is now a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. At home, Steve has appeared in six musicals, several straight plays, and has directed a short film. He has a passion for creative writing and is also a percussionist who participates in the Big Red Marching Band. His favorite stage role to date is Thenardier from Les Misérables, but Steve has sworn that someday he will do Les Misérables again and play the character of Javert.
JUSTIN LEADER (The Baker), after producing Random Acts of Music 6 for the AG Theater Troupe, went on to produce and direct last semester’s smash hit, Assassins, the MTC’s premiere production. Justin has been trained in performance and direction at NYU’s Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting and the Russian Art Theater at Columbia University. He has appeared in over forty separate productions, performed at Lincoln Center, starred off-off-Broadway, and can be seen in Kevin Klein’s 2001 film The Emperor’s Club. He believes it is very important to work with and give back to the Ithaca Community.
BECKY LORD (The Baker's Wife) is proud to be making her MTC debut in this production of Into The Woods. She is a sophomore history major and music minor at Ithaca College and is a native of Norwich, CT. A graduate of the Norwich Free Academy, Becky has an extensive background in performing, primarily in instrumental music. She studied dance (tap, jazz, ballet) under Luis Pabon for ten years in Taftville, CT, and has performed in multitudinous choral ensembles. Past productions include You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (Sally), Anything Goes (Virtue), The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow), Sweeney Todd, and Joseph… Becky would like to thank her parents and sisters for their unending support in her musical endeavors, her wonderful friends, the terrific cast, and God.
LAUREN ROMEO (Cinderella’s Stepmother), having last starred as the adorably psychotic slave/girlfriend of Charles Manson, Fromme, in the MTC premiere production of Assassins, is glad to be back on stage with her friends in Into the Woods. A New York native, Lauren is graduating from Ithaca College as a history and politics major this year and will be attending law school in the fall. She would like to give a shout out to everyone in “the circle” and thank her family, friends and, of course, all of her gorgeous housemates for their love and support.
KRISTIN GAWERA (Florinda) graduated from Cornell University in 2004 with a degree in Microbiology. She is currently working at Cornell as a laboratory technician in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior. Although this is her first appearance in a musical production at Cornell, Kristin has always been a fan of the theatre and has participated in musical performances throughout her Junior High and High School years. She is particularly fond of singing, having had several years of vocal training and experience with several choral groups. In the coming years, she intends to pursue a PhD within the field of Biology, while continuing to nourish her love of music and the theatre. Kristin would like to thank her family, friends and coworkers for their continuous support and encouragement in accomplishing her goals.
JENN ROBINSON (Lucinda) is currently a senior at Cornell University, majoring in Physics, and spending most of her spare time performing wherever she can. She recently played la Marquise de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Lysandra in A Midsummer Night's Dream during Gateway Theatre's 2003-2004 season. She is also Artistic Director for Gateway. Next year, she plans to continue on to graduate school in Physics, likely making Into the Woods her farewell performance.
JENNIFER GIROUX (Jack's Mother) is excited to be making her second appearance with the MTC after playing Sara Jane Moore in the MTC's production of Assassins. She’s been acting since she was knee-high to a grasshopper! Her height hasn’t changed much over the years, nor her deep passion for acting and singing. Jennifer has been seen in over 30 productions. Some of her favorites roles include: Mom, to 2 Amazing Children, Adelelaide in Guys and Dolls, and Crystal in Little Shop of Horrors. She has also been seen swing dancing in the Ithaca Fest and Grass Roots. Last year Jennifer adventured out on screen in several films. She also teaches and works as an Independent Sign Language Interpreter. "Thanks to my beautiful family and friends for all your love and support!"
ASHLEY ADAMS (Little Red Riding Hood) is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University hailing from Georgetown, Delaware. She attended Sussex Central Senior High School where she was the president of the award winning Take II Drama Club and performed in many school and community productions. Her favorite roles to date have been those of Eponine in Les Misérables and Jan in Grease. Last semester, she was involved in the MTC's first production, Assassins, and she is excited to be working with the company again on this endeavor. She would like to thank her friends and family for all their support onstage and off.
MICHELLE STRUCKE (The Witch) is ecstatic to be returning to her favorite role. After making her Broadway debut in the finale of Les Misérables as the Understudy for Eponine, she attended NYU's musical theatre program in CAP21 Studios before transferring to Ithaca College. Past professional work includes The Sound of Music with Debby Boone in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the world premiere of Lorraine Hansbury’s What Use Are Flowers? in Atlanta, Georgia. Other roles include the Narrator in Joseph..., Cosette in Les Misérables, and Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank. A sophomore Politics major and Voice minor at IC, she hopes to study abroad in Egypt next year. She’d like to thank her friends, family and Jack, for their constant support.
DANIEL KERR (Cinderella’s Father) is an amateur of all things ostentatious, rather excited to break into college-level theatrics; indeed, past performances include: Pierre in Rosie and Company in 3rd grade and Herr Zeller in The Sound of Music in 12th. Daniel is fascinated by the mind and its wondrous machinations, and so a psychology major is a natural choice for him. However, this does not make him a stranger to sax-playing, writing small pseudoscientific texts for fun, chorale-singing, nor to inordinate amounts of computer gaming.
LISA GROSSMAN (Cinderella’s Mother) is a freshman Physics major in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences and an avid fan of Steven Sondheim. This past February she performed in The Vagina Monologues. This is her first production with the MTC, and she is delighted and honored to be a part of Into the Woods.
ALEX GILBERT (The Mysterious Man) is a junior at Cornell studying Applied Economics & Management. He hails from sunny Syracuse, N.Y. His most recent performance was the part of The Lion in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. He has also appeared in several musicals, including Damn Yankees and South Pacific. His favorite role was the part of Rudolph, the headwaiter, in Hello Dolly.
ELIZABETH DELLARIO (Rapunzel) is a senior Textiles and Apparel Design major at Cornell. As a member of the Advanced Undergraduate Theatre Program, she has recently worked at the Schwartz Center as Assistant Costume Designer for Grapes of Wrath and as Costume Designer for Jacques Brel is Alive and Well… She has also been the Director of the Risley Denton Drama Troupe for the past three years and has performed in their annual production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Having studied classical voice since age eleven, she plans to move to New York City after graduation to pursue vocal performance. She would like to dedicate her performance to her angel of music, Hugh Panaro, for giving her the courage to sing once more.
EVAN GRAHAM (Rapunzel’s Prince, Wolf), a Cornell University freshman majoring in Biological Engineering, is also a member of the Cornell University Glee Club, The National Society of Black Engineers, and TBA Gospel A Capella. Evan has performed in Fredericksburg, VA’s Riverside Dinner Theater in children’s theatre productions holding roles such as the Cowardly Lion in The Magical Land of Oz, the minstrel in Cinderella’s Glass Slipper, and the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. He has also appeared in the ensembles of some of the Riverside’s most prominent main stage productions: Annie Get Your Gun and Showboat! Evan wishes to thank his friends and family for always supporting him, and the MTC for including him in their family.
CASEY BERSON (Grandmother, Giant), originally from Forestburgh, New York, is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, majoring in Biological and Environmental Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. At Cornell, she is also a member of CornellBIGS, a VP of Finance for the organization CUTonight, and an oboe in the symphonic band. Though she has participated in Area-All State and All-State choirs, this is Casey's first theatrical production since high school. She is thrilled to be here and would like to thank her friends, the BEE team and coordinators, and her family, without whom she wouldn't be here today.
JOSH BURLINGHAM (Cinderella’s Prince), having graduated from the Pingree School in his home state of Massachusetts, is now a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. Since 2000, Josh has performed in twenty-seven productions and has most recently played John Hinckley in the MTC’ production of Assassins. Josh has performed in Into the Woods twice before, once as the Baker and once as Cinderella’s Prince. Though he plans on continuing his theatrical career post-Cornell, Josh plans on majoring in government with a minor in theatre or film, if he cannot accomplish a double major. Lastly, he would like to thank his family and friends for their continual love and support.
JOHN ALLEN (Prince’s Steward) is from a small town called Seaford Delaware. He is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science. He performed in several plays and musicals throughout High School such as The Sound of Music, West Side Story, and The Music Man. His favorite roles include John Proctor in The Crucible and Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore. He received the choir and drama prizes upon graduation from Saint Andrew’s School in Middletown Delaware. He would like to thank Ann McTaggart and Marc Cheban for their years of fine direction and their friendship.
GENEVIEVE CIVETTA (Sleeping Beauty) is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, double majoring in art history and archaeology. A native of Scarsdale New York, she has sung with a number of choirs including the Westchester Girls Choir, and most recently the Cornell Chorale. Her stage credits include Anything Goes (Charity), Godspell, Into the Woods (Florinda), and Joseph (Levi). She took ballet lessons for ten years, and danced in the Moscow State Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. This is her first production with the MTC, and she is thrilled to be part of the cast. She would like to thank her roommates for putting up with her non-stop singing, as well as the cast and crew for being so amazing to work with. Break a leg!
JANNI BUONANNO (Snow White) is a sophmore in the college of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Being an international agriculture major, she hopes to one day be a key player in the saving of the world. When she’s not princessing, she enjoys looking at rainbow-colored things and scooping ice cream.