About the Show
Who's Who:
JOHN PREECE (Tevye) With this his ninth National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof, John has performed in the show over 3,100 times with more than 1,500 of those performances as Tevye. John has been involved in theatre for the past 40 years. Other roles he has enjoyed performing are Ben Franklin in 1776 and The Devil in Damn Yankees. John just completed a successful run as Quixote in The Man of La Mancha at the Candlelight Theatre in Wilmington Delaware. But John still remains best known throughout the United States and Canada for his portrayal as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. John has also been involved in producing and directing over 35 productions ranging from the classics to musical theatre. He has produced such shows as Jesus Christ Superstar, The Sound of Music, and 42nd Street as well as the successful tour of Norman, Is That You? starring Don Knotts. Having spent most of his life in the Baltimore area, John and his wonderful wife Susie now reside in Springfield, IL.
DAVE ADAMICK (Avarm, U/S Lazar Wolf, U/S Rabbi, U/S Mordcha) Credits include: National Tour: Bye Bye Birdie. Regional: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (William Barfee), The Fully Monty (Dave Bukatinsky), The Wizard of Oz (Cowardly Lion), Forever Plaid (Sparky), and Grease (Roger).
Kirk Bixby (Son-Schlome, U/S Mendel, U/S Avram, U/S Nachum) is a true Variety Entertainer. Credits include: Contemporary Dance, Party Clown/Magician, Sound Engineer, Color Guard, Voice Overs, Student Films, Children’s Assembly Programs, Regional Theatre, and a current interest in Fire Dancing.
ANDREW BOZA (Motel) is elated to be making his National Tour debut! Credits include: Fiddler on the Roof (Motel, Olney Theatre), The Secret Garden, The Fantasticks, Baby, Into the Woods, 1776, Hello Dolly, and Godspell.
FRANK CALAMARO (Lazar Wolf, U/S Tevye) National Tours: Victor/Victoria (Cassell/Toddy). Regional: Cabaret (Herr Schultz); Zorba (Zorba); and Two by Two (Shem) directed by Martin Charnin to name a few. Thanks to God for his blessings, family, and friends for their encouragement, especially his wife, Charlene, and children, Brendan and Aubree for allowing him to “LIVE THE DREAM.” L’CHAIM!
Andrea Spencer Christensen (Mama-Surcha, U/S Yente) is a graduate of the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York, and this is her very first National Tour! She is excited & thankful to be involved in this wonderful show.
Patrick David (Boris, U/S The Fiddler, Swing) is a graduate from Wagner College. Credits include: Sugar (WBT); Billy Lawlor (42nd Street); Skimbleshanks (CATS); U/S and Nick Piazza (Fame); Chip (On the Town); Cabaret (Surflight). Love to his family. Fight the “R” word!!!!
Jake Delaney (Nachum, U/S Perchik) loves his classical musicals! Past favorites: Billy Bigelow (Carousel), Laurie (Little Women), and John Truett (Meet Me in St. Louis). A graduate of the Hartt School, he thanks everyone who gets him through the day.
Aaron Dore (Yussel, U/S Motel, U/S Perchik, U/S Mendel) is a recent graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Favorite Regional Credits include Tick Tick Boom and Summer of ’42. Thanks to his friends and family for their support.
Nancy Evans (Golde) is thrilled to be on her first National Tour. Regional: Showboat, God’s Favorite, Something’s A Foot, Church Basement Ladies Second Helping, White Christmas, Meet Me in St. Louis, Steel Magnolias, Henry IV, Sound of Music, and A Tale of the Allergist’s Wife. Off Broadway: Affluenza. TV: “Cash Cab.” One woman show: Psychobabble.
Jason Garrison (The Fiddler) is so thankful to be part of this company! Credits: The Who’s Tommy (Tommy), Rent (Mark), Sweeney Todd (Tobias), and Les Misérables (Marius). Much love and thanks to his family for their undying support.
Tom Hallett (Rabbi) Regional/Tours: Oklahoma! (First National), Baby, Titanic, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Two From Galilee. West Point Grad and proud husband of Karen who is serving in Afghanistan. Love to TJ, Tom and the VCA family. Jer. 29:11.
Kimberly Hirst (Sprintz, U/S Chava) recently toured in AIM Management’s Fiddler on the Roof and American Family Theatre’s Wizard of Oz (Dorothy). Love and thanks to cast and crew, family and friends for your love and support!
Julianne Katz (Hodel) is making her National Tour Debut! Credits: Chava, Fiddler on the Roof (Sacramento Music Circus); The Who’s Tommy (Arkansas Rep); Lois, Kiss Me Kate and Polly, Crazy For You. BFA: Elon University. Love and thanks to Mom and Dad.
Birdie Newman Katz (Yente) from Augusta, Maine, has been in Fiddler on the Roof productions since 1974. Favorite role: Peter Pan. TV/Film: HBO’s “Empire Falls.” National Anthems-Red Sox, Celtics; “At Home with the Singing Chefs.” Loves Roger, Jonathan, Shari, Mom, Noodle and Pupcorn.
Chelsey LeBel (Chava) is pleased to make her National Tour debut with Fiddler on the Roof. BFA Musical Theater, Emerson College. Credits include East Coast premiere of Esperanza Rising into the Woods, John& Jen, and Bare.
Megan Mekjian (Fruma Sarah, Daughter-Bluma, U/S Tzeitel, U/S Mama-Shandel) Tour Debut! Favorite roles include: Peter Pan (Peter), Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Dorothy), and West Side Story (Rosalia/Soloist). Recent NYU Tisch/CAP 21 graduate. Endless thanks to my family, friends, and teachers.
Ben Michael (Fyedka) a Philadelphia native, has appeared in: Fiddler on the Roof, Walnut Street Theatre; Little Women (John Brooke), Syracuse Stage; Carousel (Billy Bigelow), Theater at Monmouth. BFA Syracuse University. Love and Thanks to his family.
Lauren Nedelman (Tzeitel) would like to thank her family and friends for all their support. Thanks to Sammy Dallas Bayes for the opportunity to be a part of this beautiful production. BFA Musical Theater, The Boston Conservatory. L’Chaim!
Bob Pritchard (Constable) Regional: Side Man (Gene), ART (Serge), It’s a Wonderful Life. Other: Company (Larry), The Pirates of Penzance (Sergeant), Annie (Daddy Warbucks), Deathtrap (Sydney), Frankie and Johnny (Johnny), and Tally’s Folly (Matt).
Liam Quealy (Sasha, U/S Fyedka) Off Broadway: Bobby (Dear Edwina); Other: Pippin (Pippin), Papageno (The Magic Flute), and Ken (Reasons to be Pretty). To my fam, my friends, and everyone else: Thanks.
Matthew Rickard (Dance Captain, Mendel, U/S Motel) is thrilled to be joining Fiddler on the Roof for his first National tour! Credits include Benjamin (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Paul (A Chorus Line), and Jim (I Love a Piano). BFA Syracuse University. Many thanks to mom, dad and the class of ’09!
Sarah Sesler (Daughter-Rivka, U/S Hodel) from Erie, PA, is making her touring debut. Credits: The Wild Party (Queenie), Show Boat (Julie) and Kiss Me, Kate (Lois/Bianca). BFA: Shenandoah Conservatory. Love to mom, dad, Michael and Dr. Jones.
Dennis Setteducati (Mordcha) is thrilled to be joining the cast of Fiddler on the Roof having last appeared in the National Tour of The Drowsy Chaperone as Gangster #1. Other favorite roles include Sancho in The Man of LaMancha, Marcellus in The Music Man, and The Cowardly Lion.
Melanie Siegel (Bielke, Grandma Tzeitel) is excited to be making her National Tour debut. She is a graduate of NYU Tisch/Stella Adler Studio. Thanks to teachers, family, and friends for their love and support.
Clay Smith (Label, U/S Constable) holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance from LSU. Roles include: Franz (The Sound of Music, Asian Tour), John Wilkes Booth (Assassins), Officer Lockstock (Urinetown, the Musical), Sweeney Todd, Father (Ragtime), and Captain Hook (Peter Pan).
Kevin Stangler (Perchik) is happy to have wandered in to Anatevka. House Theatre of Chicago, Marriott Theatre, Metropolis, Connecticut Free Shakespeare, and The New Colony (company member). BFA, UW-Stevens Point. To my loves, love.
Gerri Weagraff (Mama-Shandel, U/S Golde, U/S Yente, U/S Fruma Sarah, U/S Grandma Tzeitel) is thrilled to be on her first National Tour, after 37 years of performing in the DE/PA region. Much love to Paul, Bekah, Jordan, Mom, and Dad!
SAMMY DALLAS BAYES (Director, Choreographer) Mr. Bayes has staged and directed successful productions of numerous musicals in London’s West End, Sydney Australia and Melbourne, The Far East, as well as Europe. Credits at home and abroad include: Fiddler On The Roof starring Chaim Topol (Tony Award Best Revival), West Side Story, Chicago, Oliver, Pippin, Annie, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Grease, Nunsense, Man of La Mancha, Canterbury Tales (Tony nomination) Lend Me a Tenor, I Hate Hamlet, Broadway Bound, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You and Last of the Red Hot Lovers. He has been recognized for his contributions to theater abroad and at home receiving numerous awards for outstanding work in the theater. Mr. Bayes has written three theatre pieces, two musicals and one dramatic play. One Man’s War a dramatic play based on the true-life story of one of the first Marines to land in Vietnam in 1965 was mounted in the New Play Festival at the University of Hartford in May of 2003 and had a two-month engagement at the Triad Theater in NYC. The musical Two Ladies On Stage, which received a top Japanese Theatre award was based on the lives of two female Japanese film stars and was produced for the KOMA Theater in Tokyo, Japan. Another musical currently in progress, Radio U.S. of A. Countdown, is a musical extravaganza centered around music, events and true life stories from the 50’s and 60’s, and is laced with powerful and dramatic episodes of the human experience. Mr. Bayes just returned from Dublin Ireland where he staged a Television Christmas Special for the renowned Irish vocal group “ANUNA” which has just completed a successful presentation at PBS Television stations across the United States. Sammy Dallas Bayes dedicates his work on this production to the memory and life of a dear friend and actor who he knew for over 40 years, David Masters ... This one’s for you David.
Ken Daigle (Assistant Director/Choreographer) Ken had the extreme pleasure of learning Fiddler on the Roof from Sammy Bayes and Jerome Robbins while performing in the 1990 Broadway Revival. Ken has since worked with the Robbins Trust directing and choreographing Fiddler on the Roof around the Country. Other credits include Damn Yankees, The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Forum, Show Boat and Evita. Ken is currently studying Ministry at Unity Institute in Kansas City, MO. He and his husband JD Schramm make their homes in New York City and San Francisco.
Ken Billington (Lighting Designer) has 93 Broadway shows to his credit including such theatre milestones as Sweeney Todd and the current production of Chicago. Current touring productions Dreamgirls, Chicago (Worldwide), 9 to 5 and the seasonal White Christmas. Past touring productions have included High School Musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, Doctor Doolittle and Riverdance (lighting supervisor) to name a few. Other projects include New York’s Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular from 1979 to 2005, the Las Vegas spectacular Jubilee!, and Shamu Rocks! for Seaworld Orlando and San Diego. Ken is the recipient of Tony, NY Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Ace Award for Television lighting and The Lumen for his Architectural work.
JASON KANTROWITZ (Lighting Designer) Jason’s designs include Broadway/New York productions of [title of show], Dame Edna, Starmites, The Syringa Tree and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. National Tours of The Phantom of the Opera (Associate Designer), Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol and Harvey Fierstein, Annie, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Olympic figure skating show Stars On Ice. International shows include Sweet Charity, The Producers, Besame Mucho, Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Caravan, and for London’s Royal National Theatre, The Syringa Tree. As a preeminent designer of award-winning themed attractions, his work includes Fantasmic! (Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea), Finding Nemo (Disney’s Animal Kingdom), Lion King (Disney’s Animal Kingdom & Hong Kong Disneyland), Playhouse Disney, Voyage of the Little Mermaid (Disney’s Hollywood Studios), Shamu Rocks! (SeaWorld Orlando & San Diego), Shamu Miracles and Believe (SeaWorld Orlando), IllumiNights, Emerald Beat, Irish Thunder, Kinetix (Busch Gardens Williamsburg).
Duncan Robert Edwards (Sound Designer) Selected theater designs include Bounce, Three, Cinderella, Parade, The Civil War, The Sound of Music, Floyd Collins, the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof, High School Musical for Disney Theatricals, the Broadway production of LoveMusik for which he was a Drama Desk nominee, and Miss Saigon for which he received a Jeff Award for outstanding sound design in Chicago. Some of his New York theater designs include I Love You, You’re Perfect... Now Change, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare For My Father starring the late Lynn Redgrave, The Food Chain, and The Last Five Years. In addition to theater, Duncan has designed many broadcast and special event systems including the studio sound systems for “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno,” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” One of his most challenging projects was the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics for which he was grateful for the opportunity to design. He thoroughly enjoyed Andrea Bocelli’s South American and East Coast US tour. And one of his favorite ongoing projects has been the worldwide presentations of works by pulitzer winning composer Steve Reich.
Steve Gilliam (Scenic Designer) A Professor of Drama at Trinity University, Steve owes his design career to a chemistry class he dropped in college. He changed his major and found his passion. Years ago and along the way to this production of Fiddler, Steve met his spouse, Sam, also on the faculty at Trinity, an Equity actress and visual artist. The Gilliams now partner as a husband and wife theatrical design team, having designed throughout the United States for over 25 years. Steve has been a resident scenic designer for the St. Louis MUNY for the past 17 years. The Gilliams have designed several National Tours of Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Sammy Dallas Bayes, and starring Theodore Bikel, Topol, and Harvey Fierstein in the role of Tevye. Other notable associations include Chicago’s Light Opera Works, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, SeaWorld, Six Flags and the New York Toy Fair. The design you are seeing tonight stands on the shoulders of artist Marc Chagall and designer Boris Aronson. Steve and Sam thank Mr. Bayes for his continued support of the work they do, and his inspired collaboration with this production of Fiddler on the Roof, truly an American classic.
DAVID ANDREWS ROGERS (Music Director, Conductor) is pleased to continue his association with Troika and Fiddler on the Roof, having been Music Director and Conductor for their 2009/2010 tour starring Topol, Theodore Bikel and Harvey Fierstein. DAR was previously Music Director and Conductor for the Broadway National Tours of Les Misérables and Show Boat, and his other conducting experience includes the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the Broadway National Tour of Phantom of the Opera, the North American Tours of Chicago and CATS, the ABC-TV special “In a New Light”, and over 150 hit productions in stock and regional theatre as well as numerous readings and workshops of new musicals. DAR’s concert appearances include New York’s Lincoln Center, Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theatre, and recording artist Deborah Gibson. Educated at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Oxford University in England, David is originally from Texas and now makes his home in New York City.
Larry BLANK (Orchestrations) Larry did the Tony nominated orchestrations for The Drowsy Chaperone and White Christmas as well as Martin Short’s Fame Becomes Me for composer Marc Shaiman. Larry is co-orchestrator with Marc Shaiman for Catch Me If You Can. Larry has been orchestrator on many films for composer Marc Shaiman and has been arranger on four Academy Awards shows and most recently was conductor for Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli at the Grammys. Larry has had the pleasure of arranging/conducting for the following singers: Barbra Streisand, Betty Buckley, Michael Crawford, Michael Feinstein and many others. He arranged/ orchestrated Barbara Cook’s “Count Your Blessings,” “John Barrowman Swings Cole Porter,” and for Barry Manilow’s album “Greatest Hits Of The 50s,” the song “Rags To Riches.” Larry was Musical Director/Conductor for They’re Playing Our Song on Broadway as well as several other far less successful musicals. In Los Angeles, Larry was the Musical Director/Conductor for Sugar Babies, La Cage Aux Folles, Evita and The Phantom of the Opera. Larry was also Music Director and Conductor for Michael Crawford’s tours of Australia.
Dave Clemmons CASTING (Casting) is Dave Clemmons, CSA, Joy Dewing, CSA, and Alan Lane. Current projects include: the Broadway premiere of Driving Miss Daisy, starring James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave, Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland, the new musical Grumpy Old Men; National Tours: Legally Blonde, Cats, Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, ‘Swonderful, Wizard of Oz; Regional: Flat Rock Playhouse, Drury Lane Theatre and Casa Mañana. Previous credits: Broadway: The Boy From Oz, Brooklyn, The Civil War, Dracula, Ring of Fire; Off-Broadway: Bare, Bat Boy, Dear Edwina, Zanna Don’t!. Tours: Evita, Fiddler on the Roof, Movin’ Out, Sound of Music, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
TALITHA FEHR
TL MUSIC INTERNATIONAL (Music Coordinator) was founded by Talitha Fehr in 2010 to carry on the musical contracting traditions of her mentor Sam Lutfiyya. Talitha has worked on National tours of Mamma Mia!, Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol and Harvey Fierstein, Jesus Christ Superstar starring Ted Neeley, Cats, Chicago, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chita Rivera A Dancer’s Life, Movin’ Out, and 101 Dalmatians. International and Asian tours of West Side Story, Sound of Music, Swing!, Cinderella, and The King and I. Talitha has also had the privilege of working on Broadway’s The Pirate Queen, pre-production and development of Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away, and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
ROBERTA ROBERTS (General Manager) is excited to be embarking on her ninth year with Troika Entertainment. Prior to her current position, Ms. Roberts was Producer for the Cruise Line Entertainment Division of Paramount Show Services International where she produced and managed entertainment programs for numerous clients including Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Renaissance Cruises, Orient Lines and Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth II. A graduate of James Madison University, Roberta is grateful for a career that has taken her to more than 45 countries. Roberta’s most exciting production to date was her recent Panamanian wedding to husband, Yiannis Gianareas.
GeoffREY Quart (Technical Supervisor) Prior to his current position, Geoff spent three years as Project Foreman for Showman Fabricators, where he managed the build and installation of countless projects including the studio sets for CNN’s “American Morning,” “Paula Zahn Now,” and “ABC Nightly News.” Geoff began his career in Toronto, Canada as an Assistant Production Manager and Assistant Technical Director for Livent Inc. and Parallel Productions on productions such as Ragtime, Jane Eyre, The Vagina Monologues and The Lion King. Geoff and his wife Anne are enjoying life in blissful suburbia in New Jersey with their daughter. Madelyn and their dog, Tucker.
G CREATIVE ADVERTISING & DESIGN (Creative Services) Founded by Christopher and Gabrielle Howey in 2002, G Creative has grown into a full service agency specializing in print design and broadcast production. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, G Creative produces materials for clients in various industries including entertainment, real estate, automotive, gaming and consumer products. Chris and Gabbe are celebrating the success of their most ambitious project to date: Mimi-Charlotte Howey.
THE PRODUCERS are in their third decade of producing touring shows of all sizes throughout North America and the world.
Nicholas Howey (Executive Producer) has a Ph.D. in Theatre Arts and studied repertory theatre in Prague. Together with Kary Walker he founded the Harlequin Theater outside Washington DC, which enjoyed a 20 year run. Nicholas and the late Larry Shue were subjects of the play Wenceslas Square written by Shue, directed by Jerry Zaks and produced at The New York Shakespeare Theater. Together with Kenneth Gentry and Dallett Norris, Nicholas founded Troika Entertainment. He is happily married to actress turned real estate agent, Mary Ellen Nester, the father of two grown kids “in the biz” (Jennifer & Christopher) and soon-to-graduate high-schooler Florin- all of whom remind him daily that life and the theater are as good as it gets.
RANDALL A. BUCK (Chief Operating Officer) has produced over 50 productions all over the world as Troika Entertainment’s Chief Operating Officer. Before rejoining Dr. Howey at Troika in 1999, Mr. Buck was Vice President and General Manager for Livent in Toronto. While working for Livent Mr. Buck managed productions such as Fosse, Ragtime, Show Boat, Music of the Night, and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Randy was a stage manager for over 20 years, opening The Phantom of the Opera Music Box tour and Show Boat! on Broadway. Since beginning as an apprentice with The Kenley Players in the late 60s, Randy has the privilege of working with directors such as Hal Prince, Joe Layton & Josh Logan and hundreds of stars. Mr. Buck had the privilege of recently serving on the board for the National Alliance of Music Theater. Randy is currently living happily-ever-after in southern Maryland with his wife Angela and their daughter Sierra Ashley Buck.
Donald Kindl (Chief Financial Officer) graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in 1982 and again in 1988 with his Masters in Business Administration. He began his career with Combustion Engineering in Windsor, CT in 1982, and moved to Maryland in 1992 to assume the position of Comptroller for various theatrical productions in association with Mr. Howey. In his current position he oversees the daily operations of all aspects of management information systems, finance and accounting. Mr. Kindl and his lovely wife, Cindy, are the proud parents of three wonderful children: Stephen, Stacey and Scott.
JENNIFER HOWEY (Chief Strategy Officer) is proud to be working in the family biz beside her father Nicholas and brother Christopher. A graduate of Madonna University in Livonia, MI, Jennifer attended graduate school at The University of Detroit-Mercy and studied advertising and marketing at Oxford University. In the capacity of Press Rep Jennifer has worked with Michael Bolton, Barry Williams, Patrick Cassidy and Gladys Knight to name just a few. Previous positions include Brand Manager for Feld Entertainment and Producing Associate for Starlight Vegas Company. Jennifer is very proud to be the mother of Nicholas Anndrej Joseph Howey.