• A Homecoming to ‘Knoxville’ (American Theatre Magazine)
• Asolo Rep’s Knoxville Well Worth a Long Wait (Sarsota Magazine)
• Knoxville wrestles with the past and the prose of James Agee (Observer)
• Review: 'Knoxville' an emotional reflection about what matters most in our lives (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
• Not just another world premiere (Venice Gondolier)
• Theatre Review: Knoxville (The Bradenton Times)
• Knoxville Review (Total Theater)
• New musical makes world premiere in Sarasota (Tampa Bay Times)
• Two years of seasoning add poignancy, polish and power to Asolo Rep’s ‘Knoxville’ (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
• 'Knoxville' lyricist talks play's path to production (Observer)
• Peek Inside the Rehearsal Room For the New Ahrens and Flaherty Musical Knoxville (Playbill)
• Photos: Jason Danieley, Nathan Salstone & More in KNOXVILLE Rehearsals (BroadwayWorld)
• 'Knoxville' team preps for world premiere after pandemic pause (Observer)
• Jason Danieley, Hannah Elless, Paul Alexander Nolan to Lead World Premiere of Ahrens and Flaherty Musical Knoxville (Playbill)
• Jason Danieley to Star in World-Premiere Ahrens and Flaherty Musical Knoxville (TheatreMania)
• Jason Danieley & More to Star in World Premiere of Ahrens & Flaherty's KNOXVILLE (BroadwayWorld)
• Two Years After It Was Supposed to Debut, Knoxville Will Open at Asolo Rep (Sarsota Magazine)

SARAH AILI*†, she/her 

SECOND SEASON (Sally, guitar) lives in Nashville, TN, as a recording artist, actor, songwriter, dancer, & design business owner. She has had the pleasure of working with Jenny Giering in Alice Bliss (Weston Playhouse), Mary Zimmerman in Argonautika & The Arabian Nights, Les Waters in To the Lighthouse (Berkeley Rep. Theatre), and Nashville Rep. in Avenue Q. Sarah is grateful to her family and friends for their support and is excited to join this incredible cast for her Asolo Repertory Theatre debut in Knoxville! Check out her original music on all streaming platforms and at her website: sarahaili.com

 

NATALIE VENETIA BELCON*, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Jessie) was last seen on Broadway as Mrs. Phelps in Matilda. She originated the role of Gary Coleman in Avenue Q. She has originated roles in off-Broadway shows as well, her favorite being Columbina in Ahrens and Flaherty's The Glorious Ones. She has guest starred and recurred in numerous television shows and has had supporting roles in a few films. Natalie is THRILLED to be involved with this absolutely brilliant creative team in this wonderful new show.

 

JADEN BOYD, he/him

FIRST SEASON (u/s The Ferryman/Doctor Dekalb) is thrilled to be making his Asolo Rep debut! Past regional credits include Dreamgirls (C.C White), 1776 (Samuel Chase), and Ragtime. BFA Ithaca College 21. He thanks his friends and family for their love and support! jadenboyd.com

 

WILLA CARPENTER, she/her

FIRST SEASON (u/s Rufus Follet) has a passion for entertaining others as an expression of love and kindness. Today, she is very grateful for her Mentors at Spotlight Theater, including Ms. Cynthia and all the teachers and staff at Booker Middle School. Willa is in 6th grade and enjoys anime, all things Asian, laughter, and sleeping in on the weekends. She has an older sister, an older brother, and a house full of pets of all shapes and sizes.

 

JACK CASEY, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Rufus Follet) is from NJ, and he began singing and dancing at his family-owned school for the arts at age 4. Regional credits: Frozen, Seussical, Into the Woods, Matilda. Film/TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Law & Order, Give or Take, Paw Patrol. Jack is honored to be part of the Knoxville family. Thanks to Mom, Dad, and brother Finn Douglas! He dedicates his performance to his Mamaw in Heaven, who was his biggest fan and support. @jackcaseyactor

 

ALAN CHANDLER, he/him

FIRST SEASON (u/s James Agee, Jay Follet) Off-Broadway: Pretty Theft (COW Theatre - NYC). Regional: Gruesome Playground Injuries, Lone Star, Oliver! (HART Theatre - NC); Coriolanus, Arcadia, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Great God Brown, The Drowsy Chaperone (Loessin Playhouse - NC). Grateful to Mom, Hannah, and family. I love you, Kyra!

 

SADE CROSBY, she/her

FIRST SEASON (u/s Victoria) is thrilled to be making her Asolo Rep debut! Sade earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Jacksonville University. Favorite credits include Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida (Aida), Grease (Jan), Evil Dead the Musical (Linda), and Avenue Q (Gary Coleman). She would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support! saderaycrosby.com

 

JASON DANIELEY*, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Author/James Agee) originated roles on Broadway in Pretty Woman, The Visit, Curtains, and The Full Monty. He also starred in Chicago, Next To Normal, and Candide. Other originating credits in NYC and regionally include Floyd Collins, Dream True, Beauty, and The Highest Yellow, with starring turns in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Sunday in the Park..., 110 in the Shade, and Brigadoon. Televised concerts include Carousel, South Pacific, Sondheim: A Birthday Celebration, and Ring Them Bells! A Kander & Ebb Celebration. Symphony concerts globally include Boston Pops; L.A., NY & Czech Philharmonics; San Francisco & San Diego Symphonies; and the BBC Concert Orchestra. jasondanieley.com

 

DWELVAN DAVID*, he/him

FIRST SEASON (The Ferryman/Doctor Dekalb) is excited to spend this spring making his Asolo Rep debut. Off-Broadway: Emojiland, Till, and Standby. 1st National Tour: Finding Neverland, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess. Favorite Regional credits include Spamalot; Ain't Misbehavin'; Sweeney Todd; The Wiz; Caroline, or Change; Ragtime; and many more. Dwelvan can be seen streaming in Season 2 episodes of Natasha Lyonne's Russian Doll, Gravesend with Mario Cantone and SYFY's Happy! opposite Christopher Meloni. Other TV: Law & Order SVU, Bull, and Gotham. A native Chicagoan, Dwelvan holds a BFA from Millikin University. AEA Proud. Major thanks to Frank, Lynn, Steve, Josh, Michael, Corinne, and EntLabNY Shalom Y’all! dwelvandavid.com 

 

HANNAH ELLESS*, she/her

SECOND SEASON (Mary Follet) starred on Broadway as Margo Crawford in Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s musical Bright Star and most recently originated the role of Jess in Jack Thorne’s Broadway adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Other Broadway credits include the latest revival of Godspell and the off-Broadway productions of Summer and Smoke, Come Back Little Sheba, Picnic, and The Other Josh Cohen. Her film and TV credits include She's Fine, Broadway & Salt, The Lake Effect, Nora Ephron Goes to Prison, The Deuce (HBO), and Glee (FOX). You can find her on social media @hannahelless.

 

ELLEN HARVEY*, she/her

SECOND SEASON (Aunt Hannah) Broadway: Present Laughter (w/Kevin Kline), How To Succeed… (w/Daniel Radcliffe), The Phantom Of The Opera, The Music Man, Thou Shalt Not. Off-Broadway: Little Women, Big Love. Shakespeare in the Park: Into the Woods. National Tours: Mary Poppins (Miss Andrew), Disney’s High School Musical (Ms. Darbus), Mamma Mia! (Tanya). Regional favorites: Company (Joanne, Barrington Stage Co. w/Aaron Tveit; Berkshire Critics Award), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett, KC Rep), Animal Crackers (Mrs. Rittenhouse, Williamstown Theater Festival), Last Night of Ballyhoo (Boo Levy, Bay Street Theater), Pericles (Dionyza, Two River Theatre), and Sister Act (Mother Superior, NSMT). TV: Martha Wilson on House of Cards, Blacklist, Gotham, Younger, WeCrashed. ellenharvey.net & @ellenharveynyc

 

IAN JOHNSTON, he/him

FIRST SEASON (u/s Andrew Lynch, Ralph Follet, Man at the Scene) is excited to join the company in his Asolo Rep debut. Having spent time playing in the orchestra on the national tour of The Sound of Music, as well as producing video content for Broadway shows including Dear Evan Hansen and Bandstand, he’s thrilled to be back as a part of an acting ensemble. Big thanks to Craig Holzberg and the team at Avalon Artists Group. @ianhjohnston

 

PATRICIA M. LAWRENCE, she/her

SECOND SEASON (u/s Jessie, Catherine) embarked on a professional acting career five years ago after occupations in academia, raising kids, teaching drama, and founding and running a children’s theatre. Off-Broadway and regional credits include Roz in Mike & Mindy’s Wild Weekend Jam, serial killer Amelia Dyer in Blood on My Mother’s Apron, and Ensemble/Norma Understudy in Sunset Boulevard. Television credits include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Blacklist. patriciamlawrence.com

 

BARBARA MARINEAU*, she/her 

SECOND SEASON (Catherine, egg shaker) appeared as Grandma in the 2019 critically acclaimed production of Billy Elliot at Goodspeed Opera House. Ahrens/Flaherty musicals include Man of No Importance, Anastasia, My Favorite Year, and Marie, Dancing Still. She has appeared in eight Broadway shows and 10 national/international tours. Off-Broadway/regional appearances include Irish Repertory, Guthrie, Goodman, 5th Avenue, Old Globe, Kennedy Center, Alliance, MUNY, PaperMill and Cape Playhouses. She co-starred on FX’s Fosse/Verdon and CBS’s Murphy Brown. She received Florida’s Carbonell, Michigan’s Oscar Wilde, and Connecticut Critic’s Awards for Robber Bridegroom, Catered Affair, and Sweeney Todd. A WMU Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, she shares a Musical Theatre Scholarship, in her name, with Marin Mazzie.

 

PAUL ALEXANDER NOLAN*, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Jay Follet) is originally from Canada, where he spent six seasons at the Stratford festival before transferring their 2011 production of Jesus Christ Superstar directed by Des McAnuff to Broadway. Since then he has led 7 productions in New York City: Once, Doctor Zhivago, Daddy Long Legs, Bright Star, Chicago, Escape to Margaritaville, and Slave Play. TV and Film: The Scottish Play, The Code, Madam Secretary, Instinct. Paul is in the final stages of finishing his concept album T+L with the support of the Canada Arts Council. paulalexandernolan.com

 

WILLIAM PARRY*, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Joel) is very pleased to be back to work on Knoxville at Asolo Rep after a two-year hiatus. Broadway credits include Groundhog Day; James Lapine & Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George and Passion - both filmed for PBS; Agamemnon at Lincoln Center; Gypsy with Bernadette Peters, Camelot (understudy to Richard Burton and Richard Harris); and the original Jesus Christ Superstar. Off-Broadway: original productions of Sondheim and Weidman’s Assassins and Road Show, and Ahrens and Flaherty’s Dessa Rose at Lincoln Center. National Tours: A Few Good Men, Memphis, and Titanic (Captain E.J. Smith). Some 40 regional productions. Numerous TV and Film credits.

 

SHARON PEARLMAN, she/her

FIRST YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (u/s Sally) is a first-year FSU/Asolo Conservatory student and is so excited to be understudying at Asolo Rep this year! Previous credits include Rudolph in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: the Musical (National Tour), Amber in Hairspray, and Crissy in Hair. Sharon also was part of the opening cast of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Osaka, Japan. sharonpearlman.com

 

NATHAN SALSTONE*, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Andrew Lynch, cajon/egg shaker/guitar) Broadway: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child OBC. First National Tour: Hadestown. Off-Broadway: Enter Laughing (York Theater). Regional: Rags (Goodspeed), Rock of Ages (Pittsburgh CLO), Spring Awakening (TUTS). Carnegie Mellon University. 

 

ABIGAIL STEPHENSON*, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Victoria, mandolin/violin) is extremely excited to be a part of Knoxville and to be making her Asolo Rep debut! Her past theatre credits include Hi, My Name is Ben at Goodspeed Musicals, Little Shop of Horrors at Pittsburgh Public Theatre, and Ragtime at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. She has also appeared in The Good Fight on Paramount Plus. Abigail would like to thank Asolo Repertory Theatre, Craig Burns with The Telsey Office, and the Knoxville team for having her. She would also like to thank Wolf Talent Group, Maureen, Aubrey, Alexander, and Forrest McClendon for their unwavering support.

 

JOEL WAGGONER*, he/him-ish

SECOND SEASON (Ralph Follet, accordion/violin) is a writer, performer, multi-instrumentalist, comedian, and one-time game show winner. He performed on Broadway in Be More Chill and School of Rock. His breakout Instagram series, "Advent Carolndar" with Julia Mattison, has been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Ben Platt and NPR Weekend Edition. Off-Bway: Southern Comfort (Public Theater), The Joel Waggoner Experience (Joe's Pub). TV: Wig Mediums on Broadstream, $100,000 Pyramid season 3 premiere. Composer: Presto Change-o, SupaDupa Kid, Hester Street. Vocal Arranger: Broadway Bounty Hunter, off-Bway. MFA from NYU Tisch. “Unlikely Warrior” available on iTunes. joelwaggoner.com

 

SCOTT WAKEFIELD*

THIRD SEASON (Man at the Scene, banjo/guitar/harmonica/mandolin) has appeared on Broadway in It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues, Ring Of Fire, and Hands on a Hardbody. Off-Broadway: Texas in Paris; The Hello Girls; The Joy Luck Club; Paint Your Wagon; Red Roses, Green Gold; and others. Regional theatre work includes The Old Globe, Cincinnati Playhouse, Seattle Repertory, Milwaukee Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse, Alliance Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Spoleto Festival, to name a few. Best Actor Awards for “Will Rogers” (Will Rogers Follies), “Woody Guthrie” (American Song), “Ed Earl Dodd” (Best Little Whorehouse). An avid singer/songwriter, Scott has two acclaimed CDs: Older Than Dirt and Vegetarian Nightmare. scottwakefield.com

 

 

*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

†Dance Captain

 

LYNN AHRENS (Lyrics) and STEPHEN FLAHERTY (Music)

FIRST SEASON, 2021-2022 Ruby E. And Carole Crosby Family Foundation Guest Musical Artists

Ahrens and Flaherty have been collaborators in musical theatre since 1983. For Broadway’s Ragtime, directed by Frank Galati, they won the Tony Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. They wrote the song score for Twentieth Century Fox’s animated feature Anastasia, earning two Academy Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations, and adapted the hit musical Anastasia for Broadway. Their credits include Once on This Island (2018 Tony Award, Best Revival of a Musical); Seussical (one of the most produced shows in America); Rocky; Ragtime (2009 revival); Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life; Lincoln Center Theater’s My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, Dessa Rose, and The Glorious Ones; Lucky Stiff; and the Broadway-bound Little Dancer. Additional honors include the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement, London’s Olivier Award, and four Grammy nominations. In 2015, they were inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. Ahrens and Flaherty are Council members of the Dramatists Guild of America and co-founders of the DGF Fellows Program for Emerging Writers. They are delighted to premiere Knoxville at Asolo Rep. ahrensandflaherty.com

 

MATTHEW BROOKS*, he/him 

FOURTH SEASON (Assistant Stage Manager) could not be more excited to be back with Knoxville and Asolo Rep. His previous shows in Sarasota were Shakespeare in Love, Rhinoceros, Roe, Hair, Julius Caesar, and Knoxville. His work has been seen on tour around the country with Rosie Revere, Engineer & Friends (TheaterWorksUSA); A Christmas Story, The Musical (Big League Productions); and An Officer and a Gentleman, The Musical (Work Light Productions). Additional regional credits: New York Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Theater, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Dorset Theatre Festival, and Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Matthew is a proud graduate of the stage management program at the University of Illinois. 

 

BRUCE COUGHLIN, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Orchestrator) is making his Asolo Rep debut. He has created orchestrations for nearly 100 shows, on Broadway and off, including War Paint and Amélie on Broadway, 9 to 5 (Dolly Parton), Giant, and Grey Gardens. He co-orchestrated The Light in the Piazza, orchestrated the memorable Floyd Collins, the Broadway hit Urinetown, The Wild Party (LaChiusa), and the Grammy Award-winning revival of Annie Get Your Gun. He recently orchestrated the new material for the Metallica/San Francisco Symphony mega-concert S&M2 and was on the orchestration team for Annie Live! on NBC. In the opera world he has co-orchestrated five operas by Ricky Ian Gordon. He’s won a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and an Obie, and has received several additional Tony and Drama Desk nominations. brucecoughlin.com

 

PATRICIA DELOREY, she/her

NINTEENTH SEASON (Resident Voice Coach) Asolo Rep favorites include: Sweat, Sweeney Todd, The Cake, The Crucible, Gloria, Ragtime, Rhinoceros, Roe, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, The Great Society, Josephine, All The Way, Living on Love, West Side Story, Sotto Voce, Other Desert Cities, South Pacific, The Grapes of Wrath, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Clybourne Park, The Innocents, Twelve Angry Men, Bonnie & Clyde, Doubt, A Few Good Men, A Tale of Two Cities, Equus. Other credits include Pitmen Painters (American Stage Theatre), Studio Six’s production of Plasticine (The Baryshnikov Arts Center), Saturday Night Fever (Royal Caribbean International Cruises), Stone Cold Dead Serious (American Repertory Theatre), and the world premiere of Nocturne (American Repertory Theatre).

 

FRANK GALATI, he/him

NINTH SEASON (Book Writer & Director) previously directed at Asolo Rep for Rhinoceros; The Little Foxes; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; Both Your Houses; Philadelphia, Here I Come; 1776; My Fair Lady; Twelve Angry Men. He is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. His adaptation of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden opened the theatre’s 40^th anniversary season. Over the years, he has received nine Joseph Jefferson Awards for his work in Chicago theatre. He has directed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Rep, Mark Taper Forum, Long Wharf Theatre, Chicago Opera Theatre, San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, The Stratford Festival in Canada, and the Roundabout Theatre in New York. For 20 years, he was an Associate Director at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He won two Tony Awards in 1990 for his adaptation and direction of the Steppenwolf production of The Grapes of Wrath on Broadway and was nominated again in 1998 for directing Ragtime on Broadway. In 1989, Frank was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay (with Lawrence Kasdan) of The Accidental Tourist. In 2000, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Frank is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Performance Studies at Northwestern University. He lives in Sarasota.

 

MICHELLE HART, she/her

TWENTIETH SEASON (Resident Hair/Wig & Make-up Designer) designs for Asolo Repertory Theatre and FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Other credits: Sarasota Ballet, Palm Beach Drama Works, freeFall Theatre, Urbanite Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Banyan Theatre, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Venice Theatre, Dorset Theatre, Barrington Stage, and Open Stage Theatre. She has also done hair and/or make-up for Joan Rivers, Doris Roberts, Martin Short, Jane Russell, Arlene Dahl, Soledad Villamil, Jane Pauley, Richard Dreyfuss, Castille Langdon, Christopher Higgins, Mary Mara, Heather Robb, Lauren Sweetser, Justin Long, Paul Downs, Douglas Sills, and Nia Hills. Music videos: “Second Chance” by Shinedown, “Reverse Cowgirl” by T-Pain. Film and television: Lady of the Manor; Paradise, FL; and The Real Stephen Blatt.

 

GARTH HELM, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Sound Designer) Designs include Pippin (Broadway, Tony nomination “Best Sound Design” 2013), Pippin (1^st National Tour), The Heart of Robin Hood (Winnipeg/Toronto). Associate sound designer for Rocky the Musical (Broadway); We Will Rock You (U.S. Tour); Ghost: The Musical (Broadway, 1^st National Tour, South Korea); Les Misérables 25^th Anniversary Concert at the O2 Arena (London, 25^th Anniversary U.S. Tour); Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Toronto, NYC, U.S. Tour); Dirty Dancing; Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular.  Garth is a sound designer and audio consultant for various live music and performance spaces throughout North America. He has worked on Broadway musicals for over 25 years. His active musicianship (drummer) has brought a unique style to his sound designs.  

 

DONALD HOLDER, he/him

THIRD SEASON (Lighting Designer) From the Mississippi Delta (1993), Centerburg Tales (1994). Broadway: 58 productions, including Tootsie; Kiss Me, Kate; My Fair Lady; Anastasia; Oslo; She Loves Me; Fiddler on the Roof; The King and I; On the Twentieth Century; The Bridges of Madison County; Golden Boy; Spiderman; Ragtime; Movin’ Out; and Thoroughly Modern Millie. He is the recipient of two Tony Awards for The Lion King and South Pacific, and 13 Tony nominations. Opera: Rigoletto, Othello, Two Boys, The Magic Flute, Samson et Delilah, Porgy and Bess (New York Metropolitan Opera), and many others. TV/Film: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Studios), Gossip Girl (HBO Max), Smash (NBC Dreamworks), Oceans Eight (Warner Brothers Pictures), Spirited (Apple Studios). Donald is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and Head of Lighting Design at Rutgers University.

 

CALEB HOYER, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Music Director) is delighted to be conducting his first show at Asolo Rep. His piano/conductor credits include the Broadway productions of Anastasia, Dear Evan Hansen, Beetlejuice, and Flying Over Sunset, the national tour of The Bridges of Madison County, and the regional premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. As a composer/lyricist, his work includes Nightfall, Hesitation Waltz, Fifteen Minutes to Midnight, and Dance Moms: The Musical, which was featured on the Lifetime TV series of the same name. Awards include a Bistro Award (Outstanding Musical Series for If It Only Even Runs a Minute) and The Alan Menken Award. He also co-hosts the podcast Parenthood Pals (parenthoodpals.com).

 

HIRO IIDA, he/him

SECOND SEASON (Electronic Music Design) was born in Tokyo and has worked on numerous Broadway productions, such as MJ, Diana, The Band’s Visit, Mean Girls, Tootsie, Amélie, Beautiful, and Spider-Man. International and tour productions include We Will Rock You, Death Note, The Man Who Laughs, Xcalibur, MataHari, Shrek, and Elf. Hiro is a member of The Bob Moog Foundation Board of Advisors and also serves as a consultant/co-developer for Roland, Yamaha, Korg, and Apple.

 

MATTHEW R. MECKES

SECOND SEASON (Assistant Music Director) is pleased to be working with Asolo Rep for the first time. Recent credits include copyist for MJ the Musical (Broadway), music director for Passing Through (Regional), and assistant music director for Cyrano (Goodspeed Musicals) featuring Peter Dinklage. He is thankful to be working with some wonderful creators and would like to thank Stephen, Lynn, and Tom for their endless trust. For my family and Dixie. 

 

TRINA MILLS, she/her

THIRD SEASON (Associate Choreographer) is honored to be back with Josh Rhodes at Asolo Rep for her third season after being in Evita and The Sound of Music for her first and second seasons respectively. Her regional choreography credits include The Sound of Music; Rising Star Project: WSS, Rising Star Project: Spamalot, and Rising Star Project: Carousel at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre; Assassins at Seattle’s A Contemporary Theatre (ACT); Little Shop of Horrors at Pittsburgh Public Theatre; String and ...Spelling Bee at Village Theatre; Public Works: The Odyssey and Public Works: The Winter’s Tale at Seattle Repertory Theatre; and Dogfight, American Idiot, and Sweeney Todd at ArtsWest. Other choreography: Seattle Sea Gals NFL cheerleaders. Associate choreographer on various productions at The 5th Ave and The Ordway.

 

TOM MURRAY, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Music Supervisor) Broadway/New York City: Anastasia, Honeymoon in Vegas, The Bridges of Madison County, Nice Work If You Can Get It, A Little Night Music, Sunday in The Park with George, Songs for a New World. London: A Little Night Music (Garrick Theatre), Parade (Donmar), Pacific Overtures (Donmar), The Last Five Years (St. James Theatre). Chocolate Factory: The Bridges of Madison County, Aspects of Love, A Little Night Music, The Last Five Years. Premieres: Bedknobs and Broomsticks (U.K.), The Flamingo Kid (Hartford Stage), The Last Five Years (New York, London, film), The Glorious Ones (Ahrens/Flaherty), Loving Repeating (Galati/Flaherty), Saturday Night (U.S. premiere). Recipient of four Joseph Jefferson Awards (Chicago) and one Barrymore Award (Philadelphia) for music direction. Future project: Farewell, My Concubine (Jason Robert Brown).

 

ROBERT PERDZIOLA, he/him

SIXTH SEASON (Scenic and Costume Design) At Asolo Repertory Theatre: Rhinoceros; A Doll’s House, Part 2; Born Yesterday; and Living on Love. Robert has designed sets and costumes for American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet, Boston Ballet, Kyoto Performing Arts Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Australia, Opera Boston, Metropolitan Opera, Opera Monte Carlo, Saito Kinen Festival, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, Santa Fe Opera, and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Among these designs have been Capriccio and Il Pirata for the Met, Arabella for Opera Australia, and Anna Karenina for Florida Grand Opera. In 2022, his designs will be featured in a new ballet on the life of Sibelius for the Finnish National Ballet and The Pharoah’s Daughter for the Mariinsky.

 

JOSH RHODES, he/him 

EIGHTH SEASON (Choreographer) is thrilled to return to Knoxville. At Asolo Rep, Josh directed Hair, Ana Isabelle and Friends, The Sound of Music, Evita, and Guys and Dolls, and choreographed Barnum, Working, My Fair Lady, and Yentl. Other directing credits include Mack & Mabel, Grand Hotel (NY City Center Encores!); The Who’s Tommy (Kennedy Center); Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville (Old Globe Theatre); Paint Your Wagon, Jersey Boys (Muny); Guys and Dolls (Old Globe); Spamalot (5th Ave.); Showboat (Bucks County Playhouse); and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. He also choreographed the Broadway productions of Cinderella, It Shoulda Been You, First Date, and Bright Star. On London’s West End, he choreographed Carousel at the English National Opera and Sweeney Todd starring Emma Thompson. Other choreography credits include Company starring Neil Patrick Harris, Sondheim: The Birthday Concert (PBS), and the U.K. tour of Doctor Dolittle. Josh is forever grateful to Michael Donald Edwards for his incredible leadership and vision. 

 

CELINE ROSENTHAL, she/they

FIFTH SEASON (Assistant Director; Associate Artistic Director) is a Tony-nominated producer and "Key" member of The Ring Of Keys and New Georges Affiliate Artist. They are in their fifth season at Asolo Rep, having directed Camelot, The Lifespan of a Fact, Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, and co-directed We Need A Little Christmas with Michael Donald Edwards. Celine has developed new work with NYMF, The New Georges, The Musical Theatre Factory, The Kidoons, Tamasha, and National Queer Theatre, as well as creating Asolo Rep’s premiere new work series, Asolo Rep: Ground Floor. Other Recent Projects: Trayf (New Rep); Drowning in Cairo (N.Q.T); A Doll’s House, Spike Heels (Studio Theatre); Motherf***er with the Hat (FSU/Asolo Conservatory); the Award Winning short film Wildflower. Celine was a member of the 2018/19 MTC Directing Fellowship class, and was awarded an SDC Observership and Asolo Rep Directing Fellowship. They are an alumnus of the Commercial Theatre Institute, BMI Lehman Engel Workshop, NYU Tisch (BFA), and The New School for Drama (MFA). celinerosenthal.nyc

 

CHARLIE SAVAGE, he/him

FIRST SEASON (Music Preparation) Past credits include Diana (La Jolla Playhouse/Broadway), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Broadway, 1st National Tour), Escape to Margaritaville (Ogunquit Playhouse), Altar Boyz (Cape Playhouse), Prince of Broadway (Broadway), Anastasia (Hartford Stage/Broadway). He has also appeared at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, The Side Door Jazz Club, Feinstein's 54 Below/HC/Club Nikko, and at the Tri-C Jazz Festival in Cleveland, OH.

 

NIA SCIARRETTA*, she/her

TENTH SEASON (Production Stage Manager) Favorite Asolo Rep credits include stage manager for last year’s Terrace Stage season as well as for The Sound of Music, Into the Breeches, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, Sweat, Shakespeare in Love, Roe, and assistant stage manager for Rhinoceros, Guys and Dolls, All the Way, South Pacific, and Hero: The Musical. Previous off-Broadway credits include work on Jesus Hopped the A Train, In the Blood, and The Wayside Motor Inn at the Signature Theatre. Nia has also worked with Creede Repertory Theatre, the Hangar Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, the Flea Theatre, and Penguin Rep.

 

DeWANDA SMITH SOEDER, she/her

FIRST SEASON (Cultural Competency Coordinator) is an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) strategist whose work involves change management, talent, organization development, and training experience. Specific to this work is her research and thesis, “Theatre as a Diversity Intervention.” She holds a MA in Psychology and a BS in Health and Human Services. In addition to being a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP), her credentials include Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, Instruction and Development (DDI), Human Interaction (NTL), Emotional Intelligence (The Hay Group), and Adjunct Professor of Psychology.

 

THE TELSEY OFFICE

(Casting) With offices in both New York and Los Angeles, The Telsey Office casts for theater, film, television, and commercials. The Telsey Office is dedicated to creating safe, equitable, and anti-racist spaces through collaboration, artistry, heart, accountability, and advocacy.

 

 

*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

 

Inside Asolo Rep
Wednesday, April 20 | 10:30am

OUT@ASOLO REP
Wednesday, April 27

Starry Night Dinner
Monday, May 23 | 6:30pm

The Scoop
This popular program is going digital! Ticket holders will be sent a video link via email prior to their performance to get the inside scoop on the ideas that inspired the production.

Tuesday Talkbacks 
April 26, May 10 | Enhance your experience with this post-show discussion following select Tuesday performances.

*The May 3 Tuesday Talkback has been cancelled. 

*All activities are subject to change or modification based on CDC recommendations.

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