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PRINCIPAL CAST BIOS
ANALISA LEAMING (Maria Rainer) is making her Starlight Theatre debut. Off-Broadway: The
Fartiste (Downstairs Sophia’s), Where’s Charley? (Encores!) and Pipe Dream (Encores!) Tours:
Annie (Grace Farrell), The Sound of Music (Maria u/s). Regional: Pirates! (Mabel) at The MUNY,
The Music Man (Marian Paroo) at the Geva Theatre, Hello, Dolly! (Irene Molloy) at NSMT,
Arlington (Sara Jane) world premiere at Magic Theatre, She Loves Me (Amalia) at the Infinity
Theatre, The Game (Emilie) and Sweeney Todd at the Barrington Stage Company. Leaming is a
winner of the international Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers and was recently seen in
concert with the Kurt Weill Fest in Germany and Weill on Broadway in New York City. B.M.
Eastman School of Music. Thanks to The Gage Group. www.analisaleaming.com
TOM GALANTICH (Captain Georg von Trapp) Broadway: Don’t Dress for Dinner, Boeing Boeing,
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mamma Mia, The Boys From Syracuse, City of Angels and Into the
Woods. Off Broadway: The Preacher and the Shrink, Distracted (Roundabout), Ghosts and
Biography (Pearl Theatre), A Doll’s Life and On the 20th Century (The York Theatre). Film: Julie
and Julia, Watching TV with the Red Chinese, and the short films Tracks and Let it Ring. TV:
“House of Cards” (Thomas Larkin), “Person of Interest,” “Elementary,” “Smash,” “Made in
Jersey,” “Royal Pains,” “Law and Order” (Joe Chapelle), “L&O Criminal Intent,” “Ed,”
“Chappelle’s Show,” “The Cosby Mysteries,” “One Life To Live” (Mark Casey), “All My Children,”
“Another World.” He has toured nationally as Bob Wallace in White Christmas, Bobby in
Company, and Harker in Dracula. In addition he has appeared at many regional theatres across
the country including The Denver Center, The Old Globe, Michigan Opera, North Carolina
Theater, Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, Drury Lane, and Marriott’s Lincolnshire among
others. He is a veteran of numerous commercials and the occasional voiceover.
SUZANNE ISHEE (The Mother Abbess) Kansas City Starlight: Glinda/Aunt Em in Phil McKinley’s
The Wizard of Oz. Emmy/Drama Desk Award winning producer. Broadway: The Phantom of the
Opera (Carlotta, NY/Toronto), Showboat, La Cage aux Folles, Mame, Jerry’s Girls. Regional: Lion
in Winter, Kiss Me Kate, Steel Magnolias, King and I, Jekyll & Hyde, NYCO’s Merry Widow (PBS)
Premieres, symphonies, concert series worldwide. Playwright: Searching for Spinoza, et al.
Creator/producer (8 years) Broadway’s Easter Bonnet Competition. Current: Numerous boards
and President: (centerforcreativeplacemaking.com)
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Principal Cast Bios – The Sound of Music
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JAMES JUDY (Max Detweiler) Broadway: Into the Woods, Scarlet Pimpernel, Jekyll & Hyde, A
Christmas Carol. National tours: Deaf West’s Big River, South Pacific. Off-Broadway: Fiorello City Center Encores; 1,2,3,4,5 & The Gig - Manhattan Theatre Club; La Boheme - N.Y.S.F. TV:
“Boardwalk Empire,” "Trinity,” “Cosby.” Regional: A Christmas Story (Jean Shepard) KC Rep.
GLORY CRAMPTON (Elsa Schraeder) returns to Starlight, having previously starred in West Side
Story and Jekyll & Hyde. Recent theater credits: Death Takes a Holiday (Roundabout Theater
Co., NYC), Annie and Hello, Dolly! w/ Leslie Uggams (TUTS, Houston). Guys and Dolls w/Richard
Kind (Ogunquit Playhouse). She recently released her solo CD, Unusual Way, singing classic and
contemporary Broadway favorites with the London National Symphony recorded at Abbey
Road-England. She is touring the U.S. with her one-woman concert, “From Broadway to Abbey
Road.” She has sung as a soloist with The Three Tenors’ Jose Carreras (Radio City Music Hall/
Orchestra of St. Lukes), as well as guest soloist in a performance honoring The Royal Crown
Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg. Other credits: 10 leading ladies at New Jersey’s Paper Mill
Playhouse, including My Fair Lady where she played the role opposite “The Nanny’s” Charles
Shaughnessy (Pittsburgh CLO), Christine in the world premiere of the Kopit/Yeston Phantom
(RCA Victor), The Fantasticks w/ Robert Goulet (national & NYC), Louisa in Nine (WBT). Featured
on 12 recordings including The Musicality of Jerome Kern, Broadway Duets, The Music of
Andrew Lloyd Webber (Jay Records), Unsung Berlin, Unsung Musicals series, (Varese Saraband),
Romantic Duets (RCA). Recent television: “The Good Wife.” www.glorycrampton.com
CLAIRE CHARLAND (Liesl von Trapp) Regional: 42nd Street (Weston Playhouse). Sweeney
Todd with the New York Philharmonic (Soprano Cover). Pace: Merrily We Roll Along, Spring
Awakening. Pace University BFA MT 2014.
SETH JONES (Rolf Gruber) is performing in his first show with Starlight Theatre. He is a visual
artist and performer from Kansas City. Previous credits include The Fantasticks! and Hello,
Again (Spinning Tree Theatre), Sunday in the Park with George (MTH), School House Rock
(Coterie), Carrie: The Musical (EGADS Theatre). He was a two-time nominee and winner of
Starlight's Blue Star Award for Outstanding Lead Actor and placed as a top-three finalist at the
Jimmy Awards in NYC. Find more of Seth’s artwork at sethmjonesart.com.
KIP NIVEN (Franz) Kansas City native and KU grad Kip Niven has appeared on Broadway, OffBroadway and in regional theatres as well as in feature films and on network television.
Previous Starlight appearances include Phantom, Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Anything Goes,
Cinderella, Xanadu, Aida, Aladdin and Narnia. This winter, he will appear as Fagin in Oliver! for
Musical Theater Heritage.
KATHLEEN WARFEL (Frau Schmidt) is working at Starlight Theatre for the first time. A native of
the Kansas City area, she has been seen in many venues: KC Repertory in The Foreigner (Betty),
August: Osage County (Mattie Fae), To Kill a Mockingbird (Mrs. DuBose), Major Barbara
(Rummy Mitchens), A Christmas Carol (Mrs. Cratchit, Past) The Seagull (Paulina), Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof (Margaret), A Delicate Balance (Claire), Julius Caesar (Calphurnia); Kansas City Actors
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Principal Cast Bios – The Sound of Music
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Theatre: Picnic (Helen Potts), Good People (Dottie), Talley and Son, The Fifth of July, The Cripple
of Inishmaan ; The New Theatre Restaurant: The Games Afoot; American Heartland Theatre:
Making God Laugh, The Odd Couple female version, Steel Magnolias; The Unicorn: Grey
Gardens, Speech and Debate, Omnium Gatherum, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Keeley and Du,
Burn This; Heart of America Shakespeare Festival: Richard III, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Much
Ado About Nothing.
BRUCE ROACH (Herr Zeller) has worked extensively with Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the
Unicorn, American Heartland Theatre, Kansas City Actors Theatre, the Coterie and, for the past
10 seasons, with the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. He recently finished playing
Leontes there in The Winter’s Tale. He is making his Starlight debut.
DELILAH ROSE PELLOW (Gretl von Trapp) is 6 years old and has been on stage since the age of
3. Her favorites so far are Les Miserables and playing a princess in The King and I at the MET.
She loves baby animals and anything pink!
JOSEPHINE PELLOW (Marta von Trapp) is 10 years old and has been on stage since the age of 6.
Her favorite roles have been playing Young Cosette in Les Miserables and Young Fiona in Shrek
the Musical. Josephine loves animals, riding horses, being outside, singing and acting.
MEGAN WALSTROM (Louisa von Trapp) is an eighth-grader at Indian Hills Middle School. Her
credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the New Theatre, Ragtime at
the MET and A Christmas Carol at the KC Rep. She also enjoys performing in community theatre
and dancing at Miller Marley.
CAM BURNS (Kurt von Trapp) was most recently seen as Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird at White
Theatre and Young Harvey in I am Harvey Milk at Folly Theatre. He enjoys singing and playing
the piano.
BRENDAN HULLA (Friedrich von Trapp) previously performed in Peter Cottontail, Aladdin and
Narnia for Starlight Children’s Theatre. His other credits include Nuncrackers (AHT) and The
Music Man (MTH). Hulla played the role of Kurt von Trapp three years ago at the Theatre in the
Park. He enjoys performing, playing cello and gymnastics.
FIONA SCOTT (Brigitta von Trapp) has appeared in Billy Elliot at The Muny and in productions
with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Her favorite roles include Young Jane in Jane Eyre and Tootie in
Meet Me in St. Louis. She sings with St. Louis Children’s Choirs and studies voice, dance and
acting.
CATHY BARNETT (Sister Berthe/Ensemble) has previously performed at Starlight in Footloose
and The Producers. She performed in the American Heartland Theatre’s final production, The
Bikinis; the Unicorn/KCAT/UMKC collaboration, Inspecting Carol; Social Security at The New
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Principal Cast Bios – The Sound of Music
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Theatre with “I Dream of Jeannie” star Barbara Eden; Musical Theater Heritage’s concert
production of Sweeney Todd; Grey Gardens at the Unicorn Theatre. She portrays the Hallmark
greeting card character “Maxine” in live performances, talking cards and on Hallmark’s website.
Barnett can give you directions to anywhere you want to go as “Jill,” the voice of Garmin GPS
Navigation Systems.
JUDY SIMMONS (Sister Margaretta/Ensemble) recently moved back to KC from Washington,
D.C., after enjoying a long and exciting career in theatre, cabaret and teaching. She is making
her debut at Starlight. She was most recently seen as Mrs. Paroo in The Music Man at Western
Playhouse and Mrs. Rose in Hello, Dolly! at MTH. Simmons teaches at the Coterie.
BECKY BARTA (Sister Sophia/Ensemble) Kansas City native. Broadway: Les Miserables (Mme
Thenardier); Radio City Music Hall: Christmas Spectacular (Mrs Claus); Off-Broadway:
Frankenstein (cast recording), Forbidden Broadway, title role in Always Patsy Cline. Recent: Lost
Highway (Mama Lilly) - director, Randal Myler. Favorite regional: The Sound of Music (every
speaking nun).
JOHN RENSENHOUSE (Admiral von Schreiber/Ensemble) Broadway: The Lion King, Noises Off
(National tours). Film: Candyman, Doubletake. Television: “The Edge of Night,” “LA Law,”
“thirtysomething,” “Who’s The Boss?”, “Kate and Allie.” Regional: Oregon Shakespeare Festival,
Hartford Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse, Kansas City Actors Theatre, Kansas City Rep, Repertory
Theatre of St. Louis, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival.
LAUREN BRATON (Baroness Elberfeld/Ensemble) is pleased to be back at Starlight. Local credits:
Spinning Tree Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Coterie Theatre, Starlight Theatre,
American Heartland Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, Quality Hill Playhouse, Musical Theater Heritage,
Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, and Kansas City Civic Opera. Regional: Arrowrock Lyceum
Theatre, Seagle Music Colony New York. She also stays busy with commercial and film work.
Braton has a private voice studio and teaches at Kansas City Young Audiences. This fall she will
play the title role in Violet at Spinning Tree Theatre. www.laurenbraton.com
MELINDA MacDONALD (Frau Zeller/Ensemble) has 24 years of Kansas City credits including
leading roles at KC Repertory, New Theatre, American Heartland, Unicorn, Spinning Tree,
Chestnut, 19 years of cabarets at Quality Hill Playhouse, and featured soloist with Kansas City
Pops Symphony concerts. She is a private voice teacher and active volunteer with KC Young
Matrons.
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