CHRIS CROUCH (Sparky) is thrilled to be back in Plaidland with this amazing cast and company.  He is a proud AEA member. Although calling New York home, he last appeared in Portland as Buck in Nite Club Confidential.  His national tour credits include the role of Younger Brother in Ragtime and Harold Hill in The Music Man.  Regional and other credits include Jamie in The Last 5 Years at the Denver Center, Che in Evita, Joseph in Joseph … Dreamcoat, Judas in Godspell, Ren in Footloose, and he's appeared as Sparky, Smudge, and Jinx with Forever Plaid productions in Charlotte, Pittsburgh and Boston.  Chris’ most humbling role to date was playing the Ugly Duckling on the national tour of The Ugly Duckling.  His favorite role is that of Uncle to nieces and nephews Michael, Sophia, Ethan, Luke, Lorelei, Dylan and Beckham.  Thanks again, Guy!  Love to Tommy, friends and family for their love and support. 

J.D. DAW (Jinx) is appearing with California Musical Theatre for the first time. Previously, J.D. has played Jinx in Forever Plaid with North Shore Music Theatre and with the Pittsburgh CLO, which was the inaugural production of its new Cabaret Theatre back in November 2004. He served as the swing for Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret’s production of Forbidden Broadway and played Jinx in the theatre’s production of Plaid Tidings. J.D. recently finished a short run of Nite Club Confidential with The Broadway Rose Theatre Company in Portland, Oregon, playing the role of Mitch. In May of 2007, J.D. graduated from Penn State with a B.F.A. in theatre where he played the roles of Bobby Strong in Urinetown, Britt Craig in Parade, Rick in Six Degrees of Separation and Kim Feston in Search and Destroy. J.D. is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

SEAN PATRICK HOPKINS (Smudge) is thrilled to be bringing Forever Plaid to Sacramento with Guy Stroman and the other Plaids. He was introduced to Plaid in 2007 at North Shore Music Theatre as the swing. Shortly thereafter, he appeared in Osvaldo Golijov’s opera Ainadamar under the direction of Peter Sellers at Opera Boston. To kick off 2008, Sean performed the role of Joe Pitt in the first major American revival of Angels in America with Boston Theatre Works, which earned an Elliot Norton Award for outstanding production. He then went on to play Orlando in As You Like It with the Colonial Theatre of Rhode Island. He has also been honored with a Motif Award as best supporting actor for his work as Gerry Evans in Dancing at Lughnasa. Other companies he has appeared with include Trinity Repertory Company, New Repertory Theatre, and Peterborough Players. Sean recently made his television debut as Dr. Samuel Lipsky on the Showtime series “Brotherhood.” He is a proud graduate of Northeastern University and member of Actors’ Equity. Heartfelt thanks to family, friends and Tricia for their endless love and support.

JUSTIN PACKARD (Frankie) appeared in the off-Broadway productions of Meet Me in St. Louis, Take Me Along and A Child’s Christmas in Wales.  His favorite credits from theatres around the country include Forever Plaid at the Blumenthal Center in Charlotte, Bye Bye, Birdie at Westchester Broadway Theatre, Loot at the Mountain Playhouse and Cats. Originally from Rochester, New York, Justin is elated to be making his first appearance on the West Coast.  He has appeared across the country as a featured soloist with the Cincinnati Pops and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Erich Kunzel.  Justin's sister Lindsay and twin brother Geoff are also professional actors … and his parents are still somehow sane.  He thanks Guy for this fantastic experience, and his fellow Plaids for their camaraderie and fellowship.  Most of all, he thanks Sara, who warms his heart from way back home.

MARK TURNER (Understudy/Assistant Stage Manager/Dance Captain) is a graduate from Point Park University. He recently completed the leading role of Zach in the independent short film “In the Ghetto.” He created the role of Chad in a pilot called “The Rhombus School of Drama.” He played the boyfriend in Scottie Gage's new music video “Waterslide.” His post-collegiate theatrical credits include the swing in Forever Plaid and Plaid Tidings with the Pittsburgh CLO. He also worked aboard the Disney Cruise Line where he played a plethora of roles; his favorites include Peter Pan, Tarzan, Young Hercules and Simba. He wants to thank family, friends and everyone who was a part of this fantastic project.

GUY STROMAN (Director/Choreographer) directed the world premieres of Free Fall, written by and starring Sandy Duncan, at the Berkshire Theatre Festival and Sugar Down, Billie Hoak off-Broadway. Also in New York, he has directed the reader’s theatre series, The Monday Nite Stop, for the Atlantic Theatre Co.; a series of special performances for the Theatre Guild starring Lynn Redgrave, Rachel Kempson, Jean Stapleton and Joy Behar; the one-act play festival for the Cherry Lane Theatre; You Might as Well Live, a one-woman play with music about Dorothy Parker with Karen Mason; and the off-Broadway premiere of the a capella spoof, Minimum Wage. Guy has directed the Christmas production of Plaid Tidings for the Pittsburg CLO Cabaret Theatre, a theatre he helped inaugurate four seasons ago with his long running production of Forever Plaid. He has just completed directing a sold out production of Steel Magnolias starring Sally Struthers, Margaret Colin and Ruta Lee. His productions include The King and I starring Lou Diamond Phillips (best production, Ft. Worth Star Telegram), 1776 (best director, DFW Theatre Critics Forum), Art, The Gin Game, Oliver!, Mame, The Lion in Winter, Marvin’s Room, Broadway Bound, Last Night of Ballyhoo, Shakespeare’s R&J, Loot and Keep on the Sunny Side, the musical biography of the A.P. Carter Family. He directed and performs the concert series Sandy Duncan Celebrates Broadway with Guy Stroman and Don Correia, which has played concert and symphony halls around the world. Guy originated the role of Frankie in Forever Plaid in New York, London’s West End and Los Angeles, where he won best acting awards from the L.A. Drama Critics and Drama-Logue. He has since directed and choreographed several long running productions of Forever Plaid around the country and can be heard on that cast recording, as well as the recordings of Unsung Sondheim, Girl Crazy, The Busby Berkley Album, the Disney video “Aladdin and the King of Thieves.” He continues to develop new projects with his producing partner Sandy Duncan and is honored to be a part of this great project and this exciting new venture with California Musical Theatre.

EUGENE GWOZDZ (Musical Supervisor) is a Broadway music director and arranger and is considered one of Broadway’s top pianists. Eugene just completed a successful workshop presentation of Pure Country by Steve Dorff and John Bettis, set to go on Broadway soon. He was music director/pianist/arranger for the hit show, Thrill Me, at the York Theatre, which earned two Drama Desk nominations and an Outer Critics’ Circle Award nomination. Eugene was music director for Baby at the Paper Mill Playhouse. On Broadway, Eugene has played keyboards for The Full Monty and Oklahoma! He is currently the music director/pianist for Tony-Award winners, Donna McKechnie, Cady Huffman and Dreamgirls’ Anika Noni Rose. His national tours include Sunset Boulevard, Flower Drum Song, Swing!, The Phantom of the Opera, The Will Rogers Follies, West Side Story (conducted and played keyboards) and the Rockettes.. In his home town of Fort Worth, Eugene music directs for Casa Mañana Theatre.

CHRIS SCHLAGEL (Musical Director/Pianist) is thrilled to be part of the inaugural production at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret. He works regularly as a musical director or accompanist for various theatres in the area, including Music Circus, Sacramento Theatre Company (A Christmas Carol, Five Course Love), the B Street Theatre (The Big Bang, The Last Five Years) and many others. He has also worked with several local schools, including Sacramento State, where he is an accompanist for the department of theatre and dance.

STEVE ODEHNAL (Lighting Designer) has been associated with California Musical Theatre since 1973 and has been the master electrician for Music Circus since 1982.  He has worked for Sacramento Theatrical Lighting for over three decades, currently in the role of special project manager.  Steve’s other lighting design credits include the Sacramento Ballet, the Eaglet Theatre (now STC), the California State Fair, “The Phil Donahue Show” on location in Sacramento and Stockton and projects for all of the region’s television stations.  For his work with the Sacramento Opera, he received the Princess Grace Fellowship for Lighting Design.  Steve is a graduate of Sacramento State University. 

ROBERT SERENO (Sound Designer) has been the sound design and engineer for all Music Circus productions since 1986 and for many Broadway Sacramento shows, including Camelot, West Side Story, Into the Woods and 1776. He also toured with Broadway Sacramento’s 2004 Dreamgirls to Seattle and San Jose. As a freelancer, Robert engineered and designed sound for a variety of entertainers, including Lou Rawls, Dean Martin and Peggy Lee. A musician in his own right, he studied composition and arrangement at the prestigious Eastman School of Music. He plays woodwinds and toured the U.S. with several groups before settling in California.

KATHERINE CANNON (Production Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working on the premiere show at the new Cosmopolitan Cabaret. Past credits include nine seasons as an assistant stage manager at Sacramento Music Circus, most recently for Hairspray, Swing! and The Sound of Music. She has assisted for Broadway Sacramento and the Sacramento Opera, and also stage managed for Sacramento Theatre Company for several years. Other credits include the MLK Project, Sacramento Ballet and operations management for the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. She would like to thank her husband Pat for all his encouragement and support in following her dreams.

GLENN DISNEY (Bassist) was born and raised in Sacramento and has been composing, arranging and performing music for over 20 years.  He received his Bachelor of Music in Theory and Composition from Sacramento State in 1999, where he played bass with their Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. Since 2006 he has also played for numerous musicals for Runaway Stage Productions. For more, visit Glenn's website at www.glenndisney.com.