The Cast of the Music Circus production of "Les Misérables"

Casting information as of July 5, 2007 - subject to change

LAURA GRIFFITH (Cosette) was in the original Broadway companies of The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center and Sweet Smell of Success. She was also seen in the recent Broadway revival of Oklahoma! and the City Center Encores! production Stairway to Paradise. She played Franca Naccarelli in the national tour of The Light in the Piazza and received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for her performance. In Europe, she was seen as Maria in West Side Story and recently had the honor to perform Songs for a New World with composer Jason Robert Brown at the Signature Theatre. Other credits include A Little Night Music and The Rocky Horror Show at 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Oklahoma! at Music Theatre of Wichita and The Road to Hollywood at Goodspeed Opera House. Laura is a native of Southern California and a graduate of Columbia University. She was a member of the hard-working Music Circus ensemble for the summer of 2000. Find her online at www.LauraGriffith.net.

MARY GUTZI (Madame Thénardier) was last seen at Music Circus in The Wizard of Oz and The Pirates of Penzance. She has had the great pleasure of being in the Broadway company of Les Misérables for two-and-a-half years as Fantine and is excited to experience the show in a new way as Madame Thénardier. Her career has taken her from coast to coast as Grizabella in Cats, Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard and Emma Goldman in Ragtime. She is the proud co-creator of a new theatre company, Honolulu Theatre League, to help promote the arts in the Islands. Mary is currently writing a new club act that will debut August 4 at Vitello’s in LA, and she is also in preproduction on a CD. As a proud member of Actor’s Equity, she thanks you for supporting live theatre.

JULIANA ASHLEY HANSEN (Eponine) returns to Music Circus with a dream cast in Les Misérables. Previous performances in the tent: Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Jennifer in Paint Your Wagon. Most recently, Juliana appeared on NBC’s “Grease – You’re the One That I Want” (top six finalists). Juliana entertained audiences nationwide in Thoroughly Modern Millie, playing Millie several times. Other credits include Luisa in The Fantasticks, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Ariel in Footloose, Kim in Bye Bye, Birdie, Kitten in Last Dance and Mary in The Secret Garden, for which she won a DramaLogue Award. She can be heard on numerous recordings, including “Everyone Has a Story,” “Unsung Schmidt and Jones” and “New Guy in Town.” She can be heard as Ali in “The Land Before Time IV” and worked with Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz on Disney’s “Pocahontas.” Check out her original music at www.myspace.com/JulianaHansen. She thanks her endlessly supportive parents and God. www.JulianaHansen.com

MICHAEL HUNSAKER (Marius) made his debut at Music Circus last summer as Radames in Aida. Previously he was seen in Sacramento in the Broadway Sacramento presentation of the national tour of Ragtime as Mother’s Younger Brother. Michael has created roles in the off-Broadway productions of Listen to My Heart – The Songs of David Friedman, Derek Walcott’s The Odyssey: A Stage Version and My Deah, a campy version of Medea. Also a composer/lyricist, Michael has written the musicals Measure for Measure, Out of Frame and Fetching Water. For other fun facts about Michael, visit his website at www.MichaelHunsaker.com.

BRAD LITTLE (Javert) returns to Music Circus, where three summers ago he played the title role in The Scarlet Pimpernel. This year he celebrated his 2,100th performance playing the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, including performances on Broadway, in Asia and in the national tour that played Sacramento in 1997 and 2002. Other Broadway and national tour credits include Cyrano, the Musical, Fiddler on the Roof and Anything Goes. Brad won international acclaim for his portrayals of Jesus in the European Tours of Jesus Christ Superstar and Tony in West Side Story. He’s recorded a Broadway CD that is available at the Broadway Boutique at this performance. His finest performance was on Labor Day of 1992, when at sunset on a beach at Cape May, New Jersey, Brad married his longtime sweetheart, actress Barbara McCulloh, in a ceremony performed by his dad, Dr. Paul J. Little. Brad dedicates this performance to his friends in Battalion 9 of the New York Fire Department which lost 15 men on 9/11. Please visit www.BradLittle.com.

WILL RAY (Enjolras) returns to Music Circus, where he played Lt. Joseph Cable in South Pacific last summer. Recently, he was seen as John Truitt in the off-Broadway production of Meet Me in St. Louis. Other favorite credits include Malcolm in The Full Monty, Smokey Joe’s Café at North Shore Music Theatre, the Prince in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the Opera Theatre Company and Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns. He has also sung in concert halls around the world with such orchestras as the Cincinnati Pops and the Tokyo Philharmonic. Will is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. He would like to thank his family for all of their love and support. This one’s for Granddad.

ANDREA RIVETTE (Fantine) is making her Music Circus debut with this incredible cast. She has toured the country and starred on Broadway as Emma Carew in Frank Wildhorn’s Jekyll & Hyde starring David Hasselhoff. Andrea is proud of a five-year association on tour and on Broadway with Miss Saigon, where she played Ellen, the American GI’s wife. Favorite credits include Show Boat as Magnolia, Yeston/Kopit’s Phantom and The Fantastiks as Luisa. Andrea dedicates her performance to John Lowney and gives hugs to Charlie, Mom, Dad, AD and Deb.

IVAN RUTHERFORD (Jean Valjean) has performed the role of Jean Valjean over 1,800 times on Broadway and in the 10th Anniversary Company of Les Misérables in major theatres across the country. He received a best actor nomination from the First Annual National Broadway Theatre Awards held in New York City. On Broadway he played Charles Lightoller in Titanic. He has also performed in national tours and in major theatres across the country as the Caliph in Kismet and Tony in West Side Story, and he received a DramaLogue Award for his performance as Joe Cable in South Pacific. His most recent project was the workshop recording of Frankenstein as Victor Frankenstein. A graduate of West Chester University, Ivan is also an accomplished drummer and a black belt in Shotokan karate. Home is Connecticut with his wife and three kids, where his oldest son just finished a run as the original Young Tarzan in Disney’s Tarzan on Broadway. Ivan’s newest CD, “A Time to Grow” (songs celebrating parenthood) can be found at www.cdbaby.com

RON WISNISKI (Thénardier) returns to Music Circus, where he played Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and Marcus Lycus in last season’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. National tour roles include Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, FDR in two tours of Annie and Teddy Roosevelt in Tintypes. Off-Broadway credits include George Abbott’s Frankie, A Most Secret War, Ibsen’s Pillars of Society, Up Against It at the New York Shakespeare Festival and Tom Jones at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. His other credits number more than 100 plays and musicals at theatres nationwide including Goodspeed Opera House, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Florida’s Riverside Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and Arkansas Rep. He received the Connecticut Critics Circle Award and was twice nominated for Boston’s IRNE Award. He will also be featured as FDR in Music Circus’ upcoming production of Annie. He has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association since 1980.

ADAM ARMSTRONG (Ensemble) is making his Music Circus debut this summer in Les Misérables, Annie and Jekyll & Hyde. He was recently seen as a principal in Stamford Theatre Works production of Nobody’s Heart. Other credits include the Celebrant in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass and Anthony in Sweeney Todd. He made his television debut as Michael on “Guiding Light” and was a featured soloist with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall in 2004 and 2006. A proud graduate of the Boston Conservatory, Adam gives love to his family and friends.

PHILIP MICHAEL BASKERVILLE (Ensemble) returns for his second season at Music Circus. Most recently, he was seen on Broadway in The Producers as O’Houllihan. Other Broadway credits include the concert version of Dreamgirls and Cats as Macavity and Rum Tum Tugger. He toured in Ragtime as Pas de Deux, Sunset Boulevard as Artie Green/Cliff, A Chorus Line as Richie, as well as Judas/Simon in the European company of Jesus Christ Superstar. Other favorite performances include The Who’s Tommy, Damn Yankees, A Chorus Line, Anything Goes, Hair and The Color Purple in its world premiere at Alliance Theatre. He is a proud member of Actor’s Equity.

KEVIN COVERT (Ensemble) comes directly from the Broadway cast of Monty Python’s Spamalot and will return after his summer in Sacramento. He was last seen at Music Circus as Farleigh in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Kevin’s national tour credits include Jerry Zaks’ production of South Pacific starring Robert Goulet and as Munkustrap in Cats. Favorite productions include the world premiere of Memphis, Goodspeed Musicals’ Call Me Madam and Red, Hot and Blue and North Shore’s My Fair Lady. He gives thanks to family and friends for their continued love and support and to all at Spamalot for giving him time off to perform in Sacramento.

DAN DEBENPORT (Ensemble) is proud to be making his Music Circus debut in Les Misérables, Annie and Jekyll & Hyde. Dan has been seen across the country as Oliver Hix in the national tour and several other productions of The Music Man. In New York and internationally, he has been seen in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe and H.M.S. Pinafore. Other favorite performances include The Secret Garden, Closer Than Ever, Jekyll & Hyde, Pippin and numerous staged readings and workshops.

KURT DOMONEY (Ensemble) is making his Music Circus debut this summer. New York credits include A Naughty Knight, Roadside, All Is Love, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the national tour of 42nd Street. Other credits include Action in West Side Story at Theatre Under The Stars (directed by Alan Johnson), Billy in Urinetown, Bobby in A Chorus Line at the Geva Theatre, Watt in Very Good Eddie at Goodspeed Musicals and in Hot Mikado at Ford’s Theatre. He has a BFA from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He also has been a soloist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops. He gives thanks and love to his amazing friends and family.

MICHAEL DOTSON (Ensemble) is honored to be back for his 23rd production with Music Circus. A few of his favorites over his seven seasons include The Secret Garden, Fiddler on the Roof, Paint Your Wagon, Ragtime, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Cabaret and The Music Man. Michael was most recently seen in San Francisco playing Guy Holden in Gay Divorcee for 42nd Street Moon. Other favorites include Frankie in Forever Plaid, Jesus in Godspell, Bobby in A Chorus Line and Tom Trainor in No, No, Nanette. Michael received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from USC. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity.       

CONSTANTINE GERMANACOS (Ensemble) recently appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar and Cinderella at North Shore Music Theatre and will soon return to perform in The Three Musketeers, which he has also done at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Favorite credits include Charlie in Brigadoon, Tony in West Side Story, the Prince/Wolf in Into the Woods, Ralph in HMS Pinafore and with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. In New York, he appeared in N.Y.M.F. 2005, A Room With a View with Faith Prince, Musicals Tonight! and in concert performances with Paul Gemignani. He is a Manhattan School of Music graduate and dedicates this performance to his beloved grandparents.

ZONYA LOVE JOHNSON (Ensemble) is a native of Durham, North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at North Carolina A&T State University and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her favorite roles include Sheila in The Boys Next Door, Ermina in Crumbs From the Table of Joy, Susie in Wit, Maria in Twelfth Night, Mayme in Intimate Apparel and Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Zonya is excited to be working for the first time with a notable theatre such as Music Circus.

BRIAN KUCHTA (Ensemble) made his New York City debut as Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore. Past new works have included From Where I Stand (original off-Broadway recording), The Karaoke Show (original U.S. cast), Scalpel and Grace Falls at the New York International Fringe Festival, The Freedom Toast (co-writer) and The Phantom Tollbooth with Sheldon Harnick. He has also performed readings of Skylar’s Story, Hurricane, Paradise Lost, Sessions and Vanity Fair. Other credits include The Cherry Orchard at McCarter Theatre, Picasso at the Lapin Agile at the Depot, Jekyll & Hyde in Atlantic City and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

KIA LEE (Ensemble) is making her Music Circus debut this summer. Some of her favorite roles include Peep-Bo in The Hot Mikado at Westchester Broadway, Nehebka in Aida also at Westchester Broadway and in Fame at the Bristol Riverside Theatre. She would like to send many thanks to her family and friends for their undying love and support. And a special thank you to Stephen Harding, whose passion shines through all of his students.

CHRISTY MORTON (Ensemble) is returning to Music Circus, where she has been seen in The Secret Garden as Ayah, Anything Goes as Hope, Man of la Mancha as Antonia and The Pirates of Penzance as Edith. National tours include Cinderella as the Queen and Dr. Dolittle, where she understudied Emma. Off-Broadway she performed the role of Laura in A Fine and Private Place at the York Theatre. Other major credits include Gypsy as Louise at Stages St. Louis, My Fair Lady as Eliza at the Fulton Opera House and Dames at Sea as Mona Kent at the Riverside Theatre. She has also been involved in workshop performances of Summer of ’42 and Simeon’s Gift with Julie Andrews.     

JOE PAPARELLA (Ensemble) is returning to Music Circus this summer, where previously he appeared in The Pirates of Penzance, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Music Man and Aida. On Broadway, Joe has performed in Les Misérables, Jesus Christ Superstar and Good Vibrations. He has also toured the country in Mamma Mia!, Ragtime, Joseph … Dreamcoat and Martin Guerre and performed at the Guthrie Theatre in Martin Guerre and the Kennedy Center in Mame. He has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity since 1995.

AMANDA ROSE (Ensemble) is thrilled to be joining the Music Circus family this season. She has recently been seen tap dancing with Tommy Tune in the national tour of Dr. Dolittle and as Laurey in Oklahoma!  She has performed at major theatres such as Goodspeed Musicals, Maine State Music Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse, Riverside Theatre and Carousel Dinner Theatre, where she did shows like Singin’ in the Rain as Kathy, Swing, Mack and Mabel with Donna McKechnie, Jesus Christ Superstar, Tintypes as Anna Held, West Side Story as Consuela, 42nd Street as Diane, Anything Goes as Charity and Working as the Waitress.

NATALIE ROSS (Ensemble) is pleased to be returning to Music Circus after appearing in Oklahoma!, Footloose and Jesus Christ Superstar. She was most recently seen in the North American touring company of Evita directed by Harold Prince. Other recent credits include the European tour of Evita, The Mikado at City Center and Bard SummerScape Music Festival. She has also toured the U.S. and Europe as a concert vocalist with symphonies, cruise ships and the musical revue Broadway Tonite!  Originally from Detroit, Natalie is a graduate of the University of Michigan and a proud member of Actors’ Equity. www.nycasting.com/natalieross

STACEY SCOTTE (Ensemble) is returning to Music Circus, where she earned her Actors’ Equity card performing in such shows as Fiddler, Annie, Whorehouse and On a Clear Day. She was seen recently in A Marriage Minuet at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota. Off-Broadway credits include Strictly Personal, Eat the Runt, Boobs! The Musical and Stormy Weather with Leslie Uggams. Other favorites include Ruthless! The Musical as Miss Thorn/Block, Company as Amy and Oklahoma! as Ado Annie and Carousel as Carrie Pipperidge, both at the San Diego CLO. TV credits include “The Practice,” “Unsolved Mysteries,” “Perfect Strangers,” “The Gong Show” and “Zoobilee Zoo.” She was also in the films “Me & Will” and “Looking for Someone,” an award-winning short. 

JAIMIE STANDISH (Ensemble) is making her Music Circus debut this summer in Les Mis-érables, Annie and Jekyll & Hyde. Most recently, she played the role of Laurey in Oklahoma! at Media Theatre. Other favorites are My Way: A Frank Sinatra Tribute opposite Adrian Zmed, Sandy in Grease, Little Bo Peep in Babes in Toyland and Belle in Beauty and the Beast aboard the Disney Cruise Ship. She also worked for Disney in Tokyo in a Broadway revue, Encore. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. She sends love to her husband, mom and dad and most importantly God for his many blessings. 

KAMI THRELFALL (Ensemble) appeared in Peter Pan and South Pacific at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre Center in St. George, Utah, as well as the Jackson Hole Playhouse in Jackson, Wyoming, and Busch Gardens in Virginia. She is a graduate of the BFA Music Dance Theatre program at Brigham Young University, where she played Amneris in Aida. She also toured South America, China and Korea with the BYU Young Ambassadors. 

KEVIN VORTMANN (Ensemble) returns for his third season at Music Circus. Recent credits include the New York City Center Encores! productions of Face the Music as Uncle Sam and Stairway to Paradise, as well as the national tour of Camelot starring Robert Goulet. Up next for Kevin is Once Upon a Mattress as Sir Harry with Chautauqua Opera, followed by Forever Plaid as Smudge at North Shore Music Theatre. A proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and alumnus of Northwestern University, Kevin extends his thanks to the team at Nicolosi & Co. and sends his love to family and friends.

TAD WILSON (Ensemble) is excited to be making his Music Circus debut this season. Most recently, he appeared in Greg’s List, the Musical with Prospect Theatre Company in New York City. He spent last summer in Gettysburg, Penn. in Frank Wildhorn’s For the Glory (The Civil War) and is currently working with Wildhorn on Forever Carmen, a new musical work that debuts in Prague, Czech Republic, this fall. Other New York and nationwide credits include Tom Masano in On Dry Land, Dr. Drosselmeyer in Clara’s Christmas Dreams at Theatre at St. Clements and Dave in The Full Monty at the Gateway Playhouse and Westchester Broadway. Myspace.com/tagwils

ISABELLE FLORES-JONES (Young Cosette) is making her debut at Music Circus. She sang with the Sacramento Children’s Chorus for the past two years and in the fall will be a fifth grader at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School. Isabelle enjoys swimming, singing, reading and beading.

NICOLE KUPER (Young Eponine) has performed in various productions in the Northern California area since the age of 6. She was most recently crowned Junior Miss Star of Hope for the 2006-07 season at the Starbound National Talent Competition in Lake Tahoe. Her future goals include continuing her private acting and vocal training as well as her dance instruction with LINES-School of Performing Arts in Roseville. She is grateful for this fantastic opportunity.

ANDREW B. WILSON (Gavroche) has been performing in musical theatre for four years, since he was 7. Most of his work has been through El Dorado Musical Theatre, where he began as an ensemble member in Starmites. Most recently, he flew as John Darling in Peter Pan, portrayed the evil Dr. Viktor Malaprop in SpyQuest, was General Tom Thumb in Barnum!, Chip in Beauty and the Beast and the White King in Wonderland. Andrew is an Elly Award winner and is focusing on a career in music. www.andrewbwilson.com