MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
Sep 21 - Nov 6, 2022
Ritz Theater
CLOSED NOV 6
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Directed by Peter Rothstein
Music Direction by Jason Hansen
Featuring Ronnie Allen, Vie Boheme, Reese Britts, Camryn Buelow, Charlie Clark, Dylan Frederick, Becca Hart, Kim Kivens, Ryan London Levin, Britta Ollmann, and Tod Petersen
This innovative musical about a group of friends spans three decades, spooling backwards from their present-day lives to the optimistic beginning of their friendship. This cult-classic blends the excitement and humor of a backstage musical with the poignancy of regrets and reconciliations – featuring some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs including “Not a Day Goes By” and “Our Time.”
Theater Latté Da is grateful for the generosity of our Production Sponsors, Kent Allin & Tom Knabel.
Runtime is approximately 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission.
PS = Post Show Discussions
ASL/AD Performance is October 6th at 7:30 pm. Reduced price tickets are available for $17.50 for ASL/AD patrons and one guest. Please call 612-339-3003 to purchase.
OC = Open Captioned Performances
PHOTO
Photos by Dan Norman
VIDEO
Videography by Lucas Wells
SCENIC DESIGN
Scenic Design by Peter Rothstein
THE CAST
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Director & Scenic Designer: Peter Rothstein**
Music Director: Jason Hansen
Choreographer: Renee Guittar
Costume Designer: Rich Hamson
Lighting Designer: Grant E. Merges
Sound Designer: Eric Gonzalez
Dramaturg: Elissa Adams
Props Designer: Abbee Warmboe
Stage Manager: Shelby Reddig*
Assistant Stage Manager: Z Makila*
Assistant Stage Manager: Austin Schoenfelder
Technical Director/Assistant Scenic Designer: Bethany Reinfeld
Associate Technical Director: Eric Charlton
Lighting Supervisor: Jessica Mrovka
Audio Supervisor: Nicholas Tranby
Costume Supervisor: Amber Brown
Hair Consultant: Emma Gustafson
Scenic Charge: Sara Herman
COVID Compliance Officer: Megan Fae Dougherty
Dresser: Ash Kaun
Light & Sound Board Operator Swing: Corinne Steffens
Dresser Swing: Bronson Talcott
Stage Management Swing: Megan Fae Dougherty*
Stitchers: Jeanne Schwartz & Ash Kaun
Carpenters: Whitley Cobb & Alexis Wilcox
Electricians: Jay Claire, Dylan Payne, Zach Staads
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors
**Member of SDC, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union
†Member of Twin Cities Musicians Union, American Federation of Musicians
+ BIOGRAPHIES
RONNIE ALLEN (Ru/Photographer/Minister/Ensemble) THEATER LATTÉ DA: debut. THEATER: Ten Thousand Things: Thunder Knocking on the Door. UPCOMING: THEATER LATTÉ DA: We Shall Someday.
VIE BOHEME (Gussie) THEATER LATTÉ DA: debut. THEATER: Artistry: Memphis; Guthrie Theater: West Side Story, Refugia. DANCE: Camille A. Brown and Dancers: Ink, Black Girl Linguistic Play; TU Dance: performed works by Dwight Rhoden, Uri Sands; August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble: performed works by Kyle Abraham, Darrell Grand Moultrie. MUSIC: Aux Trois Mailletz, Le Speakeasy (Paris, France), Amstrong (Casablanca, Morocco), backup for Stokley Williams’ Sonic Healer Tour, Opening act for Little Dragon, Bilal. SELF-PRODUCED: CENTERPLAY, Viva: BLACK [Volume 1.], Viva:BLACK a Live Theater Documentary. SOLO PERFORMANCE: The Walker (Choreographer’s Evening 2014/2015/2017), The Southern Theater (Vital Matters Dance Festival), Guthrie Theater (New Griots Festival) TRAINING: Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts, the Ailey School. Listen2Vie.com @VieBohemeOfficial
MATHIAS BRINDA (Frank Jr) is a 5th grader at Lake Country Montessori in Minneapolis. Mathias studies acting and voice with Kristin Froebel and is eager to make their Theater Latté Da debut. In addition to acting, Mathias studies ballet and contemporary dance at Minnesota Dance Theatre and especially enjoys participating in Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy where they have performed as a cousin, toy, and The Littlest Mouse. When not on stage, rehearsing, or dreaming of being on stage, Mathias enjoys vintage clothes shopping and taking care of neighborhood pets.
REESE BRITTS (Frank) THEATER LATTÉ DA: Twelve Angry Men, Jelly's Last Jam. THEATER: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres: The Music Man; The Ordway: Smokey Joe's Cafe, Mamma Mia!; Artistry: Footloose, A New Brain; The Guthrie Theater: South Pacific; The Jungle: Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley; Lyric Arts: Hairspray, RENT, Young Frankenstein. TRAINING: BFA in Musical Theatre, University of Minnesota Duluth. Proud AEA member. UPCOMING: The Ordway: Beauty and the Beast. www.reesebritts.com
CAMRYN BUELOW (Meg/Scottie/Ensemble) THEATER LATTÉ DA: debut. THEATER: Artistry: Little Women; Lyric Arts: Smokey Joe's Cafe; Emerging Professionals Ensemble: Pippin; Duluth Playhouse: Eurydice, Dracula. TRAINING: B.F.A. in Musical Theatre, Dance Minor, University of Minnesota Duluth.
CHARLIE CLARK (Joe/Terry) THEATER LATTÉ DA: Twelve Angry Men. THEATER: Artistry: The Bridges of Madison County, Mary Poppins; Old Log Theatre: Guys and Dolls; Tent Theatre: Catch Me if You Can; Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago: Company, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods; Apple Tree Theatre: Kiss of the Spider Woman; Effective Theatre Chicago: Sweeney Todd; Phoenix Theatre Indianapolis: Next to Normal; Indiana Repertory: On Golden Pond; Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati: Fun Home, Luna Gale, Hands on a Hardbody, Violet, Next Fall, Grey Gardens, Rapture Blister Burn; Know Theatre Cincinnati: See What I Wanna See, The Eight: Reindeer Monologues; Carnegie Hall at Newport: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Carousel, Oliver!; New Stage Collective: Sunday in the Park with George, The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, The Full Monty, Take Me Out; Cincinnati Shakespeare Company: Love’s Labour’s Lost, King Henry VIII; Human Race Theatre: The Sisters Rosensweig. TRAINING: Acting BFA, Wright State University.
DYLAN FREDERICK (Charley) THEATER LATTÉ DA: debut. THEATER: Broadway: The Inheritance; Off Broadway: Boy Gets Violent (Ars Nova ANTFEST), Summer Valley Fair (New York Musical Theatre Festival); Yale Repertory Theatre: Assassins. TRAINING: BFA University of Evansville. MFA Yale School of Drama.
BECCA HART (Mary) THEATER LATTÉ DA: debut. THEATER: Jungle Theater: Ride the Cyclone, The Wolves, Is Edward Snowden Single?, Small Mouth Sounds, Miss Bennet; Children’s Theatre Company: Annie, The Hobbit; Artistry Theater: Mary Poppins, Carousel, Music Man, Bridges of Madison County, Candide; Lyric Arts: Something Rotten, Urinetown; Six Points Theater: The Book of Vashti; Stages Theater: All American Boys. TRAINING: Studied music and theater at St. Olaf College. UPCOMING: Jungle Theater: Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley; Children's Theatre Company: An American Tail.
KIM KIVENS (KT/Mrs. Spencer/Evelyn/Ensemble) THEATER LATTÉ DA: Bernarda Alba, NEXT, C., Oliver!, Company, 25th Annual...Spelling Bee. THEATER: Stages/Capri: All American Boys; Six Points Theater: 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, The Chanukah Guest, What I Thought I Knew, Natasha and the Coat, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, Church and State; Children's Theatre Company: Matilda, Dr. Suess' The Sneetches: The Musical, Cinderella; Hennepin Theatre Trust: (with Second City) The Realish Housewives of Edina, The Doyle and Debbie Show; Casting Spells Productions: Disenchanted; The Catalysts: Shelly Bachberg Presents: Orange is the New POTUS: The Musical, Shelly Bachberg Presents: How Helen Keller and Anne Frank Freed the Slaves: The Musical; Daleko Arts: Urinetown; Park Square: Johnny Baseball; Theater Mu: Yellowface; MMT: Toxic Avenger, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Lavender - Best Supporting Actress - Musical), The Great American Trailer Park: The Musical, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Zombie Prom. VOICE OVER TV/VIDEO: Auto B. Good. VOICE OVER ONLINE: SciGirls.
JOSIAH LEEMAN (Frank Jr.) is a 2nd grader from New Hope making his Theater Latté Da debut! Previous roles include Young Shrek/Baby Bear in Shrek The Musical this summer with Artistry Theater in Bloomington. He also studies voice and piano with Amanda Weis Studio, and has performed in many recitals over the past 2 years. Josiah just turned 8, and his favorite past-times include video games, making comic strips, being in nature and playing with his 1 year old puppy, Cosmo.
RYAN LONDON LEVIN (Tyler/Judge/Ensemble) THEATER LATTÉ DA: Twelve Angry Men, NEXT Festival: Scotland PA. THEATER: History Theater: Runestone: A 'Rock' Musical, Christmas of Swing, Dirty Business: A Spy Musical, Teen Idol: the Bobby Vee Story, Orphan Train; Yellow Tree: Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood; Children's Theatre Company: Cinderella; Park Square Theater: Jefferson Township Sparkling…Pageant, The Diary of Anne Frank; MN Jewish Theater: The Mikveh Monologues; Artistry: Bridges of Madison County, She Loves Me, Awake and Sing, The Last Five Years, Fiddler on the Roof; Trademark Theater: The Boy and Robin Hood. FILM/TV: I Was There (History Channel). UPCOMING: Park Square Theater: The Diary of Anne Frank; Children's Theater Company: An American Tail.
BRITTA OLLMANN (Beth/Newswoman/Dory) THEATER LATTÉ DA: Puttin’ on the Ritz, Music to Our Eyes: Designers Sing Out, Bernarda Alba, Chicago, A Little Night Music, Once, Ragtime, Into the Woods, Violet, Steerage Song. THEATER: Broadway: A Catered Affair; Guthrie: Sunday in the Park with George; Asolo Repertory Theatre: Ragtime; Ordway: Mamma Mia; The Old Globe: A Catered Affair; Chanhassen Dinner Theatres: Sister Act (2015, 2017), Grease; freeFall Theatre: Daddy Long Legs, Red Velvet. TRAINING: B.F.A. in Musical Theatre, New York University; M.A. in Teaching, Hamline University. Britta currently serves as the Spotlight Education School Manager with Hennepin Theatre Trust.
TOD PETERSEN (Jerome/Mr. Spencer/Newsman/Ensemble) THEATER LATTÉ DA: A Christmas Carole Petersen, Gypsy, A Man of No Importance, The 25th Annual…Spelling Bee, King of Hearts, Parade, Oh $#!% I'm Turning Into My Mother. THEATER: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres: The Music Man, Mamma Mia!, Newsies, Holiday Inn, Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical, Anything Goes; Ordway Center for the Performing Arts: The Sound of Music; Children's Theater Company: Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Artistry: The Drowsy Chaperone; History Theatre: Sweet Land, Teen Idol; Illusion: Two Weeks with the Queen; Duluth Playhouse: La Cage aux Folles. UPCOMING: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres: Barry Glickman in The Prom.
KAITLIN KLEMENCIC (Understudy) THEATER LATTÉ DA: debut. THEATER: Theatre Elision: A Flight of Short Musicals; Skylark Opera Theatre: Amahl and the Night Visitors; Lyric Arts: The Mystery of Edwin Drood; Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company: Ruddigore, Princess Ida, Orpheus in the Underworld, The Gondoliers, Iolanthe; Theatre in the Round: Red Hot & Cole, Black Comedy; Shoot the Glass: Company, Into the Woods. TRAINING: B.F.A. Theatre Performance and Theatre Education: Nebraska Wesleyan University. UPCOMING: Skylark Opera Theatre: Amahl and the Night Visitors.
WARIBOKO SEMENITARI (Understudy) THEATER LATTÉ DA: Twelve Angry Men, NEXT Festival. THEATER: Underdog Theatre x Mixed Blood: How It’s Gon Be (World Premiere); Gremlin Theatre: Samuel J and K (Twin Cities Premiere); Great River Shakespeare Festival: Romeo and Juliet, Great Expectations; UMN/Guthrie BFA: Jesus Hopped the A Train, Sueño, Kin, The Merchant of Venice, Junk, School for Lies. TRAINING: The University of Minnesota Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program.
C. RYAN SHIPLEY (Understudy) THEATER LATTÉ DA: Twelve Angry Men. THEATER: Children’s Theatre Company: Annie; Artistry: Memphis, A New Brain, She Loves Me, Mary Poppins, The Drowsy Chaperone, Singin’ in the Rain, On the Town, 42nd Street; Yellow Tree Theatre: Sherwood; Ordway: Gotta Dance!; Old Log Theatre: Tenderly, The Rosemary Clooney Musical, Holidays with Bing; Girl Friday Productions: Idiot’s Delight; Skylark Opera: Candide; Paul Bunyan Playhouse: Annie. C. Ryan is also a director, choreographer and teaching artist. TRAINING: B. A. in Theatre, St. Olaf College. UPCOMING: Bing Crosby in Holidays with Bing, a radio fantasy created by C. Ryan at Artistry.