James Lynch (Danny
Farinelli) is delighted to be a part of such an amazing cast in such an epic show! Recently, Lynch has played Jeff Gillooly in A.R.T.'s Boston production of T
onya and Nancy: The Rock Opera, The Hero in L.A. Rock Opera Company's production,
Push Play, and Winthrop in L.A. Rock Opera Company's production of
shAme. In traditional music theatre, Lynch has recently carried the roles of Jean Valjean in
Les Miserables and Gaston in
Beauty and the Beast. Aside from theatre, Lynch also writes, records and performs his own music in collaboration with various producers and bands around Los Angeles.
Jeff Sumner (Craven Moon) currently plays the Genie and Iago in
Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular. National Tour:
Happy Days: The Musical. Regional:
Mental,
The Nerd,
Little Shop of Horrors,
Leader of the Pack,
Big River,
Working,
Godspell, Annie and more. Jeff’s solo show
The Eccentric Buffet enjoyed critically-acclaimed runs in NYC and L.A. Film:
The Heart Specialist, Shoot or Be Shot, Pure Killjoy. Television:
Desperate Housewives,
Ugly Betty (with Betty White) and many talk shows as
Pam Tastic, the Tupperware Lady. Jeff received a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University and is a Certified Life Coach.
Natascha Corrigan (Serena Farinelli) is delighted to be a part of this World Premiere Musical! Some favorite SoCal performances include Lucinda in
Savin’ Up For Saturday Night (another World Premiere Musical at Sacred Fools); Antonia in
Man of La Mancha (Rubicon Theatre); Florence in
Chess (Moonlight Amphitheater); Susy in
Wait Until Dark (SCRT); Mallory in
City of Angels (McCallum Theatre). She spends her time enjoying being a new mom, performing with her band and teaching voice privately. Much love and gratitude to Jeremy for all his support and her little nugget of joy, Billy D!
David Haverty (Albert
Renaldo) is beyond honored and grateful to be working with such an awesome cast on such a unique and challenging show for his L.A. stage and Sacred Fools debut. From Tampa Bay, Florida, and after a 4 year stint in NYC David has been in L.A. for the past 5 years working on indie films and chasing the dream. Some of his favorite roles include Bobby Strong
(Urinetown), Beast (Guess?) and Trevor Graydon (
Millie). BIG thanks to the Fools for giving him a chance and he hopes to make them proud with no regrets;-) More info on David at
CastDavid.com.
Joey Bybee (Abner
Farinelli/Vinchenzo Diodati) This is Joey's first time on the Sacred Fools stage. He is very excited to be a part of such a unique work as CARNEVIL
. Joey has a BA in Musical Theatre from Oakland University in MI. Recent credits include
Herringbone, By Jeeves and
You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. Much thanks and love to R, J, & C.
Geoffrey Dwyer (Jerry
"Gator Man" Grant) is thrilled to be a part of this production after a three year absence from the stage. Onstage roles include Monsieur Maitre'd in Edgemar's
The Night of the Black Cat, Greta in
Bent at Deaf West, and his self written solo piece
Out of the Cupboard at the Hollywood Court and the Whitefire. He has appeared in two web series,
TV FACE and
Ghouls, and will be seen in the upcoming films
The Great Broccoli Uprising, Eating Out IV: The Open Weekend and
Catholic Curves. Special thanks to Sacred Fools!
Liza Baron (Tina
Van Winkle) is thrilled to be back in her native L.A. working with this awesomely talented group of performers and creatives. During her years on the East Coast, Liza was seen in productions Off-B'way, Off-Off-B'way, and Off-Off-Off-B'way, including the first N.Y.C. revival of
Kiss of the Spider Woman in which she met her sparkly new husband, Marc. She'd like to thank the entire company for sharing their creativity and humor, the Sacred Fools gang for their support, and her family, friends, husband, and puppy for everything else. Proud member of AEA.
Whitney Avalon (Mina
Van Winkle) is delighted to play this twisted role! TELEVISION:
The Big Bang Theory (CBS),
Happily Divorced (TV Land),
Outlaw (NBC), singing a duet with Jack Black (Spike TV), over two dozen national commercials. WEB:
Gigabots, Ikea Heights, NBC’s
Community webisodes, her parody of Cee Lo Green’s profane hit (which garnered international press and a quarter million views). RECENT FILM:
Seven Lanterns, Couples Therapy (debuted at Outfest). FAVORITE REGIONAL THEATER & TOURS: Ariel in
The Tempest, Nancy in
Oliver! twice,
Sesame Street Live, Joan in
Pope Joan, Catherine in
Proof, Jesus Christ Superstar (North Shore Music Theatre).
whitneyavalon.com
Lauren Teoli (Sasha) has been a member of Sacred Fools for three years. She has been seen as Betty Lynn in
Beaverquest!, the "random scantily clad girl" in
Forbidden Zone and multiple appearances in
Serial Killers including the original episodes of CARNEVIL where she originated the role of Cassandra, the bubble girl. In between rehearsals, Lauren performs with the Glombies- her glam-rock zombie-band. She'd like to thank Michael, Joe and Janet for the opportunity to be part of this incredible show.
Chairman Barnes (Levi
"Torch" Richie) An Air Force veteran and former military reporter/disc jockey. Chairman majored in theater at L.A. Valley College and CSUN and studied in the Summer Training Congress at ACT in San Francisco. Notable roles in L.A. theater include: Kreon in
Oedipus, the King: A Musical Comedy and Sammy in
The Wedding Singer,
as well as Quinn in
Hazzard County and Andrei in
Afterplay. As a member of Sacred Fools: Crisparkle in
Drood, Terry Southern in
Resignation Day and he proudly shares an L.A. Weekly Musical Ensemble award for
Louis and Keely Live at the Sahara (Sacred Fools/Matrix)
as u/s Louis Prima.
Shannon MacMillan
(Linda "Skip" Walker) is a performer, director, and designer based in Los Angeles and New York. She holds a BA from Smith College and attended the Professional Training Program at the Dell’Arte International School for Physical Theater. She was last seen in L.A. as A. Puffin in the Rogue Artists Ensemble production
HYPERBOLE: Origins at [Inside] the Ford. She has worked with a number of companies including the Dell’Arte Company, Mabou Mines, The Queen’s Company, and The Road Theatre. Shannon loves working with puppets, movement, clown, vaudeville, commedia dell’arte and especially music.
www.shannonmacmillan.com
Katy Tang (Ensemble
/ Twins Understudy) recently graduated from UCLA. As a pairs figure-skater, competing at the Junior Olympics twice, she's always loved performing. Credits with UCLA Opera: Poppea in Handel's
Agrippina (Freud Playhouse), Monica in
The Medium, Rose 1 in Jonathan Sheffer's
Blood on the Dining Room Floor, Alinda in
Giasone, ThreePenny Opera and
Carousel. Other credits: Barbarina in
Le Nozze di Figaro (La Musica Lirica in Italy), the lead in Opera Pacific's American premiere of
The Starchild, Mabel in
Pirates of Penzance (TTC),
White Christmas and
Brigadoon (FCLO). Thanks to everyone at Sacred Fools, and to Janet for the opportunity to work together!
Rachel Howe (Ensemble) is a professional vocal coach and piano instructor here in Los Angeles. For the past 7 years she has been Musical Directing shows for many different theatre companies, among them
Into the Woods at Pepperdine University,
Broadway Magic for Picadilly at CSUN,
Bare at the Hudson Backstage, and, most recently,
Beauty and the Beast at the Madrid Theatre. She is honored to be assisting Michael Teoli in Musical Directing this amazing show. Neither her Theatre degree from BYU nor her years teaching children could've prepared her for this gothic horror madness. Love to family and friends. Thanks to God.
Brian Wallis (Ensemble)
- see
TEAM
Sondra Mayer (Ensemble/Fire Handler) is a Chicago native actress/writer/fight choreographer who received a BA in Theatre from Columbia College Chicago. In L.A., she has worked with many theatre companies including Sacred Fools, of which she was a member from 2000-2006, mostly working on the popular
Crime Scene,
Serial Killers and
Fast & Loose. Past favorite credits include
The Nerd,
Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Clockwork Orange,
Tres Grimm,
Ivanov,
The Mysteries,
Elektra and ALL the crazy sketch comedy shows… especially the skits that bombed. Many thanks to her amazing girlfriends for their love, support, and laughter. And thank
you for supporting theatre.
Dan Wingard (Ensemble/Jerry Understudy) grew up in San Diego, where he's appeared at the Old Globe Theatre, the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Rep and Starlight. Dan is a member of Sacred Fools, where his appearances include award-winning productions of
La Bête, The Swine Show and
A Mulholland Christmas Carol (original cast), as well as various
Serial Killers. Dan is also a long-time member of sister company Theatre of NOTE. Dan has won an ADA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy, and his television appearances include
Vanishing Son, Point Pleasant on FOX and
Eagleheart on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.
Erica Lyn Peña (Dance Ensemble/Dance
Captain) Before moving to California, Erica was a member of the Diverse Space Dance Theater in Austin, Texas. Over the past three years she has worked locally on
Remixing the Beatnik at The Open Space,
Still On the Ground at The Miles Memorial Playhouse and
Push Play at Highways Performance Space. She also co-choreographed, co-produced and performed in
Praznik at the Lund Theater. Internationally, she performed
Poe at “Cita con la Danza” in Benicassim, Spain, and
Tercer Piso in Barcelona, Spain. She holds a BFA in dance from the California Institute of the Arts.
Ceasar F. Barajas (Dance Ensemble) (SAG/AFTRA/AEA and a proud Fool) is a courageous & spiritual warrior and multiple threat performer with Dancer, Singer, Actor, Dance & Fight Choreographer, Educator, and Modeling credits. Selected credits: DANCER-
American Music Awards (Jennifer Lopez),
Mobbed -FOX TV w/ NappyTabs, Various recording artists. CHOREOGRAPHER-
Young!Tanzsommer, The Donkey Show, World Premieres of
Forbidden Zone: Live in the 6th Dimension, Watson and
Siamese Sex Show (Los Angeles). THEATER (Regional)-
Miss Saigon, The King and I, West Side Story, Urban Cowboy. FILM-
Brothers (starring Tobey Maguire),
Crazy On the Outside (Directed by Tim Allen),
Like Grains of Sand, Hog’s Tooth. Various national TV & Commercial appearances.
Amanda Gamel (Dance Ensemble) is a native of Houston, Texas where she began training in hip-hop, ballet, tap, and jazz. She is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Since then, she has worked professionally for Disney, recording artists, BET Awards, VMA Awards, music videos, and Off -Broadway musicals. In the past few years, she has filmed a pilot for Nickelodeon, choreographed for the film
The Gold Retrievers and danced in the film
Made of Honor. Her recent works include a supporting role in the Indie film
The Poor Boys and hosting for IndieZone.TV at South by Southwest.
www.amandagamel.com
Anton Garsola (Dance Ensemble) studied Theatre and Dance Arts at Los Angeles’ Hamilton Music Academy and New York’s Wagner College. A few credits include:
Thoroughly Modern Millie (Ching-Ho),
Annie Get Your Gun (Tommy),
Oklahoma! (Will) and
Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to his pursue in the Arts, Anton is currently studying Kinesiology in strive to earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.
Erika Salomon (Puppet
Ensemble) A proud member of Sacred Fools, CARNEVIL marks her first mainstage performance here. She can frequently be seen in the Fools late night show,
Serial Killers, and as a recent intern at A Noise Within, she performed in
Eccentricities of a Nightingale this past spring. Other credits include
Beauty and the Beast at West Valley Playhouse and
An Act of the Imagination at Hedgerow Theatre. She is a graduate of Washington College with a B.A. in Drama and has studied improv at UCB. A lover of creating sock puppets, she is thrilled to put her new puppetry skills to use.
Lisa Anne Nicolai (Puppet
Ensemble/Bunnies) is thrilled to be helping out on this marvelous show with such amazingly talented people! Lisa Anne was last seen in
Watson: The Last Great Tale Of Sherlock Holmes here at Sacred Fools. Thanks for coming out to see Los Angeles theater!
Joe Fria (Danny Understudy) has worked with Zoo District theater company, Circle X, The Powerhouse, the Met Theater, The Evidence Room, Orphean Circus and is a current member of Sacred Fools. Fools credits include
Gorey Stories, Drood!, Act a Lady, Beaverquest! and
Watson. Joe is the recipient of several L.A. theater awards including the L.A. Weekly award for Best Comedic Performance in the musical
Laura Comstock’s Bag Punching Dog. He has worked at professional houses in town such as ICT, The Geffen, and Center Theatre Group. Recent TV/Film appearances include Chevy Chase’s dad on
Community and a hit man’s mechanic in the feature
Guido.
Anna Bowen (Serena Understudy) recently finished
Out of My Head at the Pico Playhouse and plays Jasmine in
Aladdin, a Musical Spectacular at Disneyland. BROADWAY/1st NATIONAL TOUR:
101 Dalmatians, OFF BROADWAY:
Wanda’s World, Classic M: The Music of Motown, DoubleTime, The Ballad of Rom and Julz. NEW YORK AND REGIONAL:
Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell, Cinderella, Once on This Island, Evita, Aida, Our Town, and
Colored People’s Time. She is a singer for Hank Lane Productions (www.hanklane.com) and has sung with Patti Labelle, Nile Rogers, Eric Benet, Slash, Tom Jones and Micky Dolenz. TELEVISION:
As the World Turns, One Life to Live.
Gregory Guy Gorden (Albert/Male
Ensemble Understudy) is a Sacred Fools company member and has appeared in
Forbidden Zone, Don Giovanni Tonight..., and many
Serial Killers. He has also performed at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Kansas City Starlight Theatre, and Houston's Theatre Under the Stars. Regional theater credits include
Cabaret (Emcee),
Little Shop of Horrors (Orin),
The Big Bang (Boyd),
Top Gun! The Musical (Iceman),
The Baltimore Waltz (Carl),
Corpus Christi (James) &
Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly (Howard). Special thanks to Janet for this opportunity and to Chuck for his constant support and laughter.
www.gregoryguygorden.com
CJ Merriman (Female Ensemble Understudy)
