Mollie Fischer (Phyllis Scarpetti aka Philly)

Mollie is from Mankato, MN where she graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Minnesota State University in Mankato.  This is Mollie's Minneapolis Theatre debut!  She has performed in over 30 productions in various theaters ranging from Fargo to Florida.  Some of her most favorite roles have been playing Laurey in "Oklahoma", Olive in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Jeanie in "Hair," Jennifer in "I love you, You're Perfect, Now Change," and JoAnne in "Godspell."  She has spent the last four years on the high-seas performing all over the world as a lead singer for Norwegian Cruise Line.  Mollie is very excited to be a part of the "Philly" family!  She is eternally grateful to her friends and family for their continuous love and support.  Love and thanks to John and Becky!

 

Erin Miller (Johnny Calacucci)

Erin is ecstatic to be joining the incredible cast of "Philly!" Thanks to Mom, Dad, Julie, Terry, and Anna. Much, much gratitude to John and Becky.  Previous roles include Lazy Bellboy in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (Old Log Theatre).  Henry in "Next to Normal" (Artistry, formerly known as BCT).  Pippin in "Pippin" (Lundeen Productions).  Melchior in "Spring Awakening" (Renegade Theater Company).  Chet in "The Burnt Part Boys" and Judas in "Godspell" (Duluth Playhouse).   

 

Gregory Adam (Ronnie Thompson)

Gregory is excited to be working on the second run of this new musical.  He is a graduate of St. Olaf College with majors in Mathematics and Theatre making it easy to relate to that loveable rockin' Jr. accountant  Ronnie.  Previous productions include  "Eating Raoul," "Calvin Berger," and "Happy Days" with Minneapolis Musical Theatre and a recent run of "Much Ado About Nothing" with the Public Theater of MN.

 

Anne Brown (Debbie Fein)

Anne is beyond thrilled to be a part of "Philly!"  Anne is a Forest Lake, MN native and now resides in Saint Paul. She holds a degree in musical theatre performance from MSU-Moorhead. Past favorite productions include Princess Fiona in "Shrek: The Musical," Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl," and Hodel in "Fiddler on the Roof."   Anne hopes to thrive as an artist in the Twin Cities

 

Kate Zehr (Lita Santos)

Kate is thrilled to be joining the cast of Philly! She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth where she received a BFA in Acting. Twin Cities credits include Forgotten Goddess Production, Theatre Coup d'Etat and Candid Theatre Company. Other professional credits include Door Shakespeare Company in Door County, WI and Renegade Theatre Company in Duluth. Kate would like to thank her friends and family for the constant love and support.

 

George M. Calger (Erwin Getz)

George began performing onstage at Oberlin College over 29 years ago. Just this year he has played Mike Dillon in David Lindsay-Abaire's "Good People" at Lyric Arts, and Richard Hannay in "The 39 Steps" at Lakeshore Players. In Fall of 2014, he played Harold Hill in "The Music Man" for Ashland Productions. Before the first run of "Philly" in June of '14, he played King Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey in "A Man for All Seasons" for Open Window Theatre. In Fall of '13, he played Mayor Stockmann in "An Enemy of the People" at James J. Hill House. And you may have seen him at the 2013 Fringe, shaved into male-pattern baldness, playing Sir Patrick Stewart...! He has also played E.K. Hornbeck in "Inherit the Wind," Philip in "The Lion in Winter," Det. McPherson in "Laura," Mr. Mayor in "Seussical," and Max Detweiler in "The Sound of Music," all at Lakeshore; Eddie Kurnitz in "Lost in Yonkers" at Theatre in the Round; Grandpa Joe in "Willy Wonka" and Noah in "Children of Eden" at Ashland. Favorite earlier roles include Oberon in "Midsummer…", Cogsworth in "Beauty and the Beast," and Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls." George is also an avid still photographer. He lives in Saint Paul with his wife of 24 years and their three children.

 

John Komarek (Scot "Chainsaw" McCray)

John is an actor of both the stage and screen who seeks out original content. And, as a musician who has gigged in the Twin Cities and played venues like 7th Street Entry, "Philly" provides him an opportunity to bridge two of his passions: music and acting. Recently, he starred in the original period farce, "Don’t Shoot the Masseuse" as Rex Redford. In addition to his role as Chainsaw in "Philly," he is currently in production in an original romantic comedy short film and as a voice actor in an original radio drama. His commercial work includes spots for Target, Best Buy and industrials for his alma mater, the University of Minnesota.

 

Carl Swanson (Jo Jo Reed)

Carl (Jo Jo) is so excited to be playing the role of Jo Jo in "Philly" that he really can’t put his feelings into words. So let these exclamation points be good enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Carl hails from Hawley, MN but now lives in St. Paul, MN where he has enjoyed living the city life and starting his professional acting career. Some of Carl’s favorite roles have been playing Torger Tollefson in "Ole’s Last Bow," Mikey in "Flanagan’s Wake," Grumio in "Taming of the Shrew," and dancing and singing in the Ensemble of "A Christmas Carol" at the Guthrie. Carl would like to thank his family for all their love and support!

 

Matt Tatone (Vinnie Moreno)

Matt is excited to be shredding lead guitar as the loveable hipster delivering tasty licks to your ear drums! Actor, singer, guitar player, improv comedian... is there anything Matt can't do?! "Where have I seen that handsome man before?" you're probably thinking. Matt has most recently appeared on stage at Improv Happy Hour at The Phoenix Theater, "Bye Bye Liver" at CAMP Bar, and as Harry the Horse in "Guys and Dolls" (Bloomington Civic Theater). He currently lives in South Minneapolis and when he's not performing or waiting tables at Masa he enjoys watching baseball, travelling the world, and spending too much time on the internet. Matt would like to thank his family and friends for their support, as well as everyone else who comes out to revel in the spectacle of this hot new show! And thank you for reading this bio.

 

Alison Rigazio (Connie)

Alison is thrilled to be a part of "Philly."  She is a Minnesota native.  Alison graduated from North Dakota State University with a Music Education degree. Some of her most memorable roles include: Olive in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Fiona Ogress in "Shrek the Musical," Uncle Fester in "The Addams Family," and most recently Jack's Mother in "Into the Woods."  Alison has also taken on some behind the scene roles lately, but always finds her way back onto the stage. She wants to thank her parents for their endless support as she constantly changes life paths. Without them she would be lost! 

 

Caroline Kaiser (Nana)

Caroline is an accomplished performer on stage, screen and television. This fall she appeared at Sabes JCC in a principal role as Emma in Tony award-winning playwright Joe DePietro’s "Over the River and Through the Woods." Last summer, she appeared in Bloomington Civic Theatre’s Ivy-award winning production of "Singing in the Rain." Caroline starred as Miss Hannigan in the Lyric Arts Main Stage production of "Annie," directed by Becky Rizzio. Other recent appearances include "Pinkalicious" at Lyric Arts, "Nickel and Dimed" at the St. Croix Festival Theatre and the Sabes Jewish Community Center Theater’s production of "Jack and Rochelle." Caroline began her acting career performing in daily live productions on the Walt Disney World stages. She starred in Academy Award-winning producer Bill Pohlad’s first motion picture, "Old Explorers," and can be seen in "Jingle All the Way," a holiday staple on HBO and Showtime.

 

Al Fiene (returning as Mr. Calacucci)

Al Fiene was bitten by the acting bug at a young age (Note: never give a bubble-gum cigar as a prop to a five-year-old if you want the prop to survive the first rehearsal). Since then he has appeared on stages from East Coast to West Coast, from New England to the Gulf Coast, and even in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Favorite roles include Charlie Brown in "You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown", Major Malone in "Zombies From the Beyond," The Narrator/Mysterious Man in "Into The Woods," and Mr. Calacucci in "Philly." Al most recently helped bring "Christmas in Niatirb" to life at Open Window Theatre. Al is absolutely pumped to be in Philly!

 

Rosy Kirk (Mrs. Calacucci)

Rosy is a freelance actor, director and producer.  Acting credits include Mama Rose in “Gypsy”, Charlotte Hay in “Moon Over Buffalo”, Joanne in ”Company”, Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors”, Sally Bowles in “Cabaret”, Rhetta in “Pump Boys and Dinettes”,  Agnes in “I Do, I Do” and she traveled internationally starring as Rosalie in Carnival.  Rosy is a recording artist and a founding member of the singing group “Company B”.   She is happy to be working with the talented cast and crew of “Philly” and thanks Becky and John for the opportunity.  Rosy is sharing the good life with her wonderful husband, Ron.

 

Roxanne Britz (Mrs. Moreno)

Roxanne grew up in Roseville, Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota - Duluth receiving her degree in Music and Theater. She has understudied all five versions of "Church Basement Ladies" in the role of Karin.  You may also recognize her as Sister Mary Leo in the regional premiere of "Nunsense" at the Plymouth Playhouse.  Other credits include Minnesota Opera, The Guthrie Theater, "The Medora Musical," "Opryland Theme Park," and the "Edgewater 8."

 

Bailey Murphy (Funny Blonde, Ensemble)

Bailey is stoked to be a part of this wonderful production! Her most recent credits include "Sweeney Todd" with the Chameleon Theatre Circle, "Proof" with the Bloomington Civic Theatre, "Junk Song" with Upscale Productions, and has performed at other local theatres such as Open Window Theatre, Minneapolis Centennial Showboat, Bryant Lake Bowl, and HUGE Theatre. Among several vocal, dance, and acting coaches from the age of 3, her best performances are always singing and dancing in the car during traffic jams.

 

Sarah Shervey (Sexy Blonde, Marching Band, Ensemble)

Sarah is an actress/singer in the twin cities area. Graduating from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse in the Spring of 2013 with a double degree in Music Theater and Music Education, she traveled back to her twin cities home to further pursue her career as an actress. Some of Sarah's favorite credits in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area include: Cathy in "The Last Five Years" with the Minnesota Jewish Theater Company, Nancy D in "A New Brain" with the Eat Street Players, and her current project - Carmen in "The Forger's Apprentice" with Park Theater Company. Sarah is very excited to be a part of a rockin' show like "Philly!"

 

Michael Fischetti (returning as Max, Paul Z, Club Owner)

Michael  was one of the original cast members of "Philly" and is thrilled to be back. He most recently performed in "La Cage Aux Folles" at BCT, "Mame" at Minnetonka Theatre and "Golden Boys" at The Lab. His favorite roles include: Cladwell in "Urinetown," Biggley in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," Morris in "Fiorello!" Fran in "Gemini," and Julian Marsh in "42nd Street."  Michael also had the great pleasure of working with Sally Struthers in "Hello Dolly" and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." He has worked at Park Square, Theatre in the Round, and The Refreshment Committee among others. He performed with Alley Theater's tour of "A View from the Bridge."  He studied with Dudley Swetland from The Cleveland Playhouse and with Patrica Doyle from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

 

Tynelle Marchall (Tina, Ensemble)

Tynelle is thrilled to be a part of "Philly!"  Originally from the tiny Minnesota town of Dassel, Tynelle moved to the Twin Cities to attend Bethel University, where she graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts. Most recently, Tynelle was seen in Theatre in the Round's production of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" as Mary MacGregor. Some of her favorite credits also include Jane Eyre in "Jane Eyre, the Musical", Lenny in "Crimes of the Heart" and the Narrator in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat."  Much love and thanks to my unbelievably supportive family and friends

 

Daniel Vinitsky (Patrick, Stick, Ensemble)

Daniel a St. Louis Park native recently graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. He studied vocal performance and theater, and participated in many musical activities, including an a cappella group. He has recently been seen at Lyric Arts - "Into the Woods,"  Minnetonka Theater - "Mame," and Morris Park Players - "Shrek."  Daniel is very excited to be a part of the wondrous world of "Philly"!

 

Julie Hatlestad (Dance Captain)

Julie’s passion in life is dance. Her dance training began at the age of three at the Dance Shoppe where for 15 years she became well-rounded in many genres. Her specialty is Tap, Jazz and Ballet Technique. She loves to sing, perform and bring her Tap choreography to life on stage. Julie recently starred as Juliet in Collide Theatrical’s "Romeo & Juliet" and choreographed their opening Tap routine, as well as her a cappella Tap solo. She also performed as a principle dancer in Collide’s "The Belmont Hotel."  Julie has performed in two separate Off-Broadway Tap Productions in NYC with Mike Minery and Gil Stroming; an Off-Broadway Jazz Production in Hollywood with Mandy Moore and Nick Lazzarini (SYTYCD); and assisted with professional choreographer, Karl Mundt, and was a featured dancer in his video reel. Julie previously taught dance for many years at local dance studios and continues to teach private lessons. Julie is thrilled to perform with the "Philly" cast and bring Tap back to the stage!

 

Adam Rouser (Peter, Dancer, Ensemble)

Adam is thrilled to be a part of this exciting new production! Recent credits include: "Singin' in the Rain," "On The Town" (Bloomington Civic Theatre), George in "Rendezvous" (Cardboard Productions), Rooster in "Annie" (Lyric Arts), Wickersham in "Seussical," Roy Manual in "Nice People" (Paul Bunyan Playhouse) Mikie in "Chickens on the Freeway" (Walking Boxes). Big thanks to the cast and crew of "Philly." Love to Family and Friends! STARRY LIGHTS!!

 

Blake Brauer (Dancer, Ensemble)

Blake is excited to be involved in his first professional performance gig in the twin cities since 2013.  His previous work in the metro includes a performance run of "The Last Romance" (Young Man) at the Lowry in St. Paul, and accompanist work at the St. Paul Conservatory.  The past three summers he worked as a performer and pianist at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge with Princess Cruises.  Blake is happy to spend a summer back in the place he calls home.  With love and gratitude to his family and friends for all of their caring support.  Peace, Love, and Happiness.

 

Aubrey Hollnagel (Dancer, Ensemble)

Aubrey is honored and excited to join the cast of “Philly!” She hails from La Crosse, WI and this marks her Twin Cities debut. She has an extensive dance background in ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop and has had the opportunity to coach, teach, choreograph and dance for multiple dance teams and studios in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Aubrey was an 8-year singer/dancer/dance captain for the Grand River Singers which provided her the opportunity to star in a Vh1 reality TV show and perform throughout the Midwest. Aubrey’s recent credits include “Legally Blonde the Musical” (Brooke Wyndham) and "Thoroughly Modern Millie." Aubrey is grateful for the opportunity to continue performing and thankful for her friends and family for their constant support of her passion.

 

Erik Hunder (Dancer)

Erik is currently pursuing a BA in Dance at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. There, he has trained with Toni Pierce-Sands, Erin Thompson, Karla Grotting, Joanie Smith, and Scott Rink and has performed works by Larry Keigwin and Joanna Rosenthal.  Erik also teaches tap dance at Yackel Dance Studio, a local studio where he trained for 11 years, and is the Artistic Director of MinnesoTap, the University’s student-run tap dance company.  He is excited to be a part of the “Philly” cast and work with such a wonderful group of people!

 

Kaylee Fandre (Dancer)

Kaylee is currently pursuing a BA in Dance with a minor in Management at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where she has performed works by Justin Jones and the Martha Graham Dance Company reset by Susan Kikuchi.  "Philly" is her first Minneapolis musical and she is beyond excited to be a part of such an amazing opportunity.  Prior to moving to Minneapolis, her musical credits included "Legally Blonde," and "West Side Story."  Outside of school, Kaylee travels to teach dance for the Universal Dance Association where she loves to pass down her knowledge to the generations of dancers to come. 

 

Kaylin Johnson (Dancer)

Kaylin has danced at various studios throughout the Twin Cities for the past 17 years. After graduating from high school at St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, she studied dance at the University of South Florida in Tampa with Andee Scott, Bliss Kohlmyer and Micheal Foley and 

choreographed pieces for the Student dance concert. She is currently pursuing a BFA in dance at the University of MN where she has trained with Toni Pierce-Sands, Erin Thompson, Joanie Smith, Abdo and Scott Rink and performed in works by Justin Jones and Shapiro and Smith. Kaylin is happy to be back in the Twin Cities and excited to be a part of Philly.

 

Tyrone Russell (Dancer, Ensemble)

Tyrone Russell is super excited to be a part of Philly the Musical as a Dancer! He was first introduced to Dance and Tap at Heartbeat Studios, where he started his training with Masters from the Twin Cities and around the world. He continued his training with University of Minnesota and their student club, MinnesoTap, before graduating with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently exploring Tap with Keane Sense of Rhythm and practicing his hobbies of Juggling and Programming.

 

Julia Ennen (Ensemble)

Julia is thrilled and humbled to be joining the cast of Philly! This is Julia's Minneapolis Theatre debut! Julia is a 2015 graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where she received her Bachelor of Arts in music with a minor in comparative U.S race and ethnicity studies. While in school, Julia's operatic credits include Cobweb in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Zerlina in "Don Giovanni," Hen in "The Cunning Little Vixen," and Frasquita in "Le Tragédie de Carmen." Julia also works as a teaching artist and as a Princess Anna of Arendelle character performer. She looks forward to more artistic endeavors in the Twin Cities. She is exceedingly grateful to her family and friends for the endless love and support. A huge thank you to John and Becky!

 

Joseph Kastner (Ray, Ensemble)

Joe is originally from the small town of Reedsburg, WI and received his Bachelor of Arts in Music and Theatre at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire. While attending UWEC Joe was a member of the Singing Statesmen and the Concert Choir, and also performed in multiple plays and operas. Joe moved to the Twin Cities last summer and has performed with The Guthrie Theater, Eagan Theater Company, and Park Theater Company, with hopefully many more to come!