Unable to start

Summer Broyhill, Understudy

La Jolla Playhouse: ....Hunter S. Thompson, Love All. Broadway: Hairspray. National Tours: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Hairspray. Off-Broadway: The Independents, The Day Before Spring, Killer Therapy. Selected Regional: The Last 5 Years (Cathy, Virginia Stage), Tarzan (Jane, Tuacahn), As You Like It (Amiens, The Old Globe), and How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (Trixie, The Old Globe). Playwright, works produced by Playground San Francisco and Los Angeles. M.F.A.: Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Acting Program. summerbroyhill.com, IG: @summerbroyhill

Paula Leggett Chase, Carrie

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut! 2020 Drama Desk Featured Actress Award nomination (The Unsinkable Molly Brown). Broadway: Tootsie; On the 20th Century (Imelda Thornton); Bye, Bye, Birdie (Gloria Rasputin); Curtains; The Pajama Game; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Kiss Me, Kate; Damn Yankees!; Crazy for You (Mitzi; toe-tap); A Chorus Line (Broadway debut). Tours: A Chorus Line (Judy Turner), Cabaret (w/Joel Grey). TV/Film (selected): The Blacklist; 30 Rock (Randi); Younger (Jackie Dunn); The Sound of Music Live; Law & Order (Judge Dorothy Parnell); Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego (Medeva). Education: IU. TikTok: Antique Showgirl, IG: @paulaleggett, www.paulaleggettchase.com. Husband: David Chase, sons: Kyler and Dashiell.

Michael Louis Cusimano, Understudy

Michael is so proud to call San Diego home and thrilled to return to LJP! La Jolla Playhouse: Lempicka. Regional: The Tale of Despereaux (Old Globe); Natasha, Pierre … Great Comet, The Last 5 Years, On the 20th Century, Rocky Horror (Cygnet Theatre); Once, Million Dollar Quartet, Big Fish (Lamb’s Players); The Cherry Orchard, Desperate Measures (North Coast Rep); Metamorphoses (Ensemble Theatre Santa Barbara). Education: B.F.A. from Carnegie Mellon and trained at the American Studio of the Moscow Art Theatre. Love and gratitude to Ryan!

Drew Wildman Foster, Carl Smith/Jack Cash/Marshall Grant 

La Jolla Playhouse: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Sunset Boulevard and Doctor Zhivago. NYC: The Public, Theater Row, Red Bull, The Lark, Cherry Lane, New World Stages. Regional Credits include: The Old Globe, Dallas Theater Center, Shakespeare Theater of D.C., The Hollywood Bowl, Orlando Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, The MUNY and Asolo Rep (5 seasons). Drew was the artistic director of Shakespeare at the Manor from 2013-2019.  He has been a regular guest artist and director at the Juilliard School since 2012. He holds a Master’s degree in educational psychology and a bachelor’s degree from the Juilliard School (Houseman Award and Liz Smith Prize winner). Gratitude to Des. Favorite role: husband to Jesse and father to Rafael. 

Christopher Ryan Grant, Johnny Cash

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Thanksgiving Play, The Iceman Cometh, Million Dollar Quartet. National Tours: Million Dollar Quartet. Select Off-Broadway: Shakespeare in the Park (Delacorte), The Public, LCT3, Joe’s Pub, New World Stages, The Wild Project, IRT, Rattlestick, Cherry Lane and more. Select Regional: Yale Rep, Baltimore Center Stage, The Shakespeare Theatre D.C., NY Stage & Film, The MUNY, Delaware Theatre Company, Two River Theatre, The O’Neill. Film: Baby Ruby, Glitch Baby, Rolling on the Floor Laughing, Hard Times for Softcore. TV: Chicago P.D., The Blacklist, FBI: Most Wanted, The Other Two. M.F.A.: Yale School of Drama. Proud member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA and the Actor’s Center. 

Van Hughes, John Carter Cash

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Almost Famous, Deaf West's Spring Awakening, American Idiot, 9 to 5, Hairspray. National Tours: American Idiot. Off-Broadway: Space Dogs (MCC), Whisper House (Civilians), Son of a Gun (Theatre Row), Saved (Playwrights Horizons). Regional: Almost Famous (Old Globe), When We're Gone (Lyric), Rocky Horror (Bucks County), A Little More Alive (KC Rep/Barrington). Film: Glimpse, Sex and the City I & II, Rachel Getting Married. TV: Law & Order: SVU & Criminal Intent, Royal Pains, One Life to Live, Six Degrees. Education: B.A. from Fordham University, NYC. Van is also a composer, music producer and arranger. 

Cody Ingram (he/him), Understudy

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Crime and Punishment: A Comedy (The Old Globe); Lucky Stiff (Scripps Ranch Theater); Ragtime, Kinky Boots, Matilda (Moonlight Amphitheater); Legally Blonde (New Village Arts); A Little Night Music, A Christmas Carol (Cygnet); The Full Monty (SDSU); The Producers (SDMT). Other credits include Sweeney Todd, RENT, Rock of Ages, Jekyll and Hyde (Wildsong Productions). Education: Graduate of the Meisner and Chekhov Integrated Training Studio. United States Coast Guard veteran and so excited to be a part of this cast! Much love to his wife Kimberly for her undying love and support. @codyingramofficial 

Gabriella Joy, Vivian

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. National Tour: The Color Purple. Off-Broadway: Five: The Parody Musical. Huge thank you to this incredible cast, crew and creative team for welcoming her with open arms. Much love to her family for their never-ending support, and her incredible team over at Henderson/Hogan and Hyphenate Creative. @gabriellajoy_ 

Patti Murin, June Carter Cash

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut! Broadway: Disney's Frozen, Lysistrata Jones, Xanadu. National Tours: Wicked, Beauty and the Beast. Off-Broadway: Love's Labour's Lost (Shakespeare in the Park), Fly by Night (Playwrights Horizons). Regional: Chicago, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors (the MUNY), Holiday Inn (Goodspeed), Emma (The Old Globe). Television: recurring on Chicago Med and Royal Pains. Many Hallmark movies including In Merry Measure, Love on Iceland and Mystic Christmas. Audiobook narrator for many acclaimed authors, including Christina Lauren, Katherine Center and Jodi Picoult. Education: B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University. Favorite role is mom of Cecily and Lorelai. Love to Colin for making it all possible. @pattimurin

Bart Shatto (he/him), Ray Cash/Sam Phillips/W. S. Holland

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: War Paint, Les Miserables, Hands on a Hardbody, Dracula: the Musical, The Civil War. Off-Broadway: Superhero (Second Stage). Regional: The Remarkable Mr. Holmes (North Coast Rep); Bridges of Madison County (Bucks County Playhouse); Million Dollar Quartet (Ogunquit Theatre); The Civil War (Ford's Theatre). Film: Freedom, Life of an Actress the Musical. Television: Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Disney Jr.'s Gaspard and Lisa. Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Indecent, Best Actor (Chicago Indie Fest); Best Actor (New York Arthouse Film Fest). Thanks to Julia, Amy, Des and Tara. bartshatto.com

Bailey Day Sonner (she/her), Understudy

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Hair (The Old Globe); Hair (Two River); Rock of Ages (Cygnet); West Side Story (La Mirada); Smoke on the Mountain (Lamb's Players); Parade (3D Theatricals). Film: Netflix's The Prom. Love to Mom, Dad, Quin, Will and all the four-legged babies. For Edward and Alan. @magicalbay on Instagram  

Correy West, Luther Perkins/Rip Nix

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud, Nice Work If You Can Get It, South Pacific. National Tours: Love Never Dies (1st National-US Premiere), Anything Goes (1st National), 42nd Street, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Chicago/Toronto). NY credits include: PBS Great Performances Season 50: Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway’s Best (Live from Lincoln Center), Showboat (NY Philharmonic/Live from Lincoln Center). Regional: American Prophet (Arena Stage Company); Beautiful (Theatre Aspen & The Rev); Oliver (Virginia Stage Company); …Spelling Bee (Arkansas Rep Theatre); Kiss Me, Kate (Cape Playhouse); Guys and Dolls (Barrington Stage Company). Instagram: @correywest 

Robert Cary, Co-Bookwriter

is thrilled to return to La Jolla Playhouse and continue his collaboration with Des McAnuff after providing book and lyrics for Palm Beach: The Screwball Musical, directed by McAnuff, as well as co-writing the book for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (LJP and Broadway). Robert is co-writer and co-lyricist of Flashdance (West End, US National Tour) and director of the feature films Ira and Abby, Save Me and Anything But Love. With Jonathan Tolins, he is co-writer of Grease Live and A Christmas Story Live (both Fox TV); additional book material for the Broadway revival of On the Town; the Carnegie Hall concert Get Happy: A Judy Garland Tribute; and the book of the new musical Take the Lead, to be presented at Paper Mill Playhouse in 2025 — but his proudest collaboration with Tolins remains the co-parenting of their children, Selina and Henry.

Des McAnuff,   Co-Bookwriter/Director

is a two-time Tony Award-winning director and served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director from 1983 through 1994, and from 2001 through April 2007 where he staged over 30 productions of classics, new plays and musicals. Under his leadership, the Playhouse garnered the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. He is also the former Artistic Director of Canada’s Stratford Festival and co-founder of Broadway’s Dodgers. Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud, Summer, Doctor Zhivago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys and Dolls, Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention, Jersey Boys (Tony and Olivier Awards: Best Musical), Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (Tony Award: Best Special Theatrical Event), Dracula the Musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Who’s Tommy (Tony and Olivier Awards: Best Director), A Walk in the Woods, Big River (Tony Awards: Best Director, Best Musical). Selected New York: Fetch Clay, Make Man (NYTW); multiple productions at The Public and BAM. Stratford highlights: A Word or Two, Caesar and Cleopatra, The Tempest (all with Christopher Plummer), Twelfth Night (with Brian Dennehy). Opera: Faust (The Met, ENO). TV: 700 Sundays (HBO). Film: Cousin Bette (director, with Jessica Lange), The Iron Giant (producer, BAFTA Award) and Quills (executive producer). He has an honorary doctorate from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), and in 2012, he was awarded Canada’s Governor Generals National Arts Center Award and the Order of Canada. His new version of The Who’s Tommy recently opened on Broadway in March, 2024.

Ron Melrose,  Music Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations

La Jolla Playhouse: Jersey Boys, The Wiz, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Summer. The Who’s Tommy makes twenty Broadway shows in forty-eight years. Helpmann Award winner (Australia’s Tony) for Jersey Boys music direction. Associate producer: several Broadway original cast albums. Composer:  Fourtune (Off-Broadway); The Silver Swan (NEA Fellowship); The Missing Peace (Washington's Capitol Fringe); Early One Morning (liturgical one-woman musical); two Harvard Hasty Pudding shows; a gospel-based Requiem; Saturday Night Live.  Education: Harvard (philosophy), Westminster (choral conducting).  A theatre career? Do it. You’ll work with geniuses and legends.  Love to Alexandra and Jake.   

Byron Easley, Choreographer

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Camelot, Slave Play. Off-Broadway: Waiting for Godot (TFANA); Richard III (Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park); X: Or Betty Shabazz v. The Nation (Lucille Lortel nomination), The Bubbly Black Girl (City Center Encores); Langston in Harlem (SDC’s Joe A Callaway Award and Audelco Award). Regional: Choir Boy (Steppenwolf Theatre); Matilda (Helen Hayes nomination; Olney Theatre); Twelfth Night (Yale Repertory Theatre); Three Musketeers, Unison, The Wiz, A Comedy of Errors (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Five Guys Named Moe (Helen Hayes nomination; Arena Stage); Jelly’s Last Jam (Suzi Bass Award), Sophisticated Ladies (Suzi Bass Award; Alliance Theatre). Associate Arts Professor at NYU/Tisch.

Robert Brill, Scenic Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: Love All, Bhangin' It, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Chasing the Song, His Girl Friday, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wiz and many others. Broadway: Hell’s Kitchen (Tony nomination), How to Dance in Ohio, Dancin’, Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations (Tony nomination), Thoughts of a Colored Man, Assassins (Tony nomination), Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys and Dolls (Tony nomination), Design for Living, Buried Child and others. Founding member of Sledgehammer Theatre, recipient of the Michael Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration, and an alum and member of the design faculty at UCSD. 

Sarafina Bush, Costume Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: The Outsiders. Broadway: The Outsiders, The Who’s Tommy, How to Dance in Ohio, For Colored Girls… (Tony Award nominee), Pass Over. Off-Broadway: Evanston Salt Costs Climbing (The New Group), To My Girls (Second Stage), Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Obie Award; Playwrights Horizons), Broadway Bounty Hunter (Greenwich House), Plot Points, Pass Over (LCT3). Regional: How to Dance in Ohio (Syracuse Stage), Life After (Goodman Theatre), Afterwords (5th Avenue), Nina Simone: Four Women (Berkshire Theatre Group), Slow Food (Geva Theatre), Cry It Out and The Royale (Kitchen Theatre Company). Education: B.A., Adelphi University. 

Amanda Zieve, Lighting Designer

is thrilled to be back at La Jolla Playhouse after designing The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical and Put Your House in Order. Other recent designs include: The Who's Tommy (Broadway/Goodman); Cabaret (Goodspeed); American Jade (Bucks County Playhouse); Into the Woods, Billy Elliot, Titanic (Signature Theatre); I Hate Hamlet (Maltz Jupiter); Sweeney Todd and Roof of the World (KC Rep). Her Playhouse Associate credits include: Fly, Escape to Margaritaville, Hollywood and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Other San Diego credits include: English, Crime and Punishment: A Comedy, Dial M for Murder, Hair, Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big San Diego Christmas Show, Tiny Beautiful Things, Barefoot in the Park, Native Gardens, The Wanderers and Rich Girl (The Old Globe); Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Evita, Cabaret, Rock of Ages (Cygnet). amandazieve.com 

Peter Fitzgerald, Sound Designer

Thrilled to be back at La Jolla Playhouse with The Ballad of Johnny and June. This season on Broadway: Purlie Victorious. Designed sound for over 100 Broadway, Off-Broadway and Touring shows. Recent designs: KPOP, Great Gatsby Immersive, American Son and John Lithgow’s Stories by Heart. Past designs include Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel’s Movin’ Out, 42nd Street, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Will Farrell’s You're Welcome America, Paul Simon’s The Capeman, City of Angels, The Will Rogers Follies, La Cage Aux Folles, Victor/Victoria, Gypsy. He designed sound for the NY Philharmonic’s award-winning productions of Carousel and Sweeney Todd. Peter is President of Sound Associates.  

Sean Nieuwenhuis, Projection Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Sideways, Summer, JCS. Broadway: Summer, Dr. Zhivago, JCS. Opera/Dance: Swan Lake (National Ballet of Canada); Madama Butterfly, Whiteley (Opera Australia); Gounod’s Faust (Metropolitan Opera); Macbeth (LA Opera); Nixon in China (Royal Swedish Opera, WOO Dublin, San Francisco, Kansas City); Going Home Star, Handmaid’s Tale (Royal Winnipeg Ballet); Manchurian Candidate (Minnesota Opera). Regional: Tommy, Spamalot, Man of La Mancha, Wanderlust, Cabaret, Evita (Stratford Festival); A Word or Two (Ahmanson); Rear Window (Hartford Stage). Event: Toronto 2017 Invictus Games Opening & Closing Ceremonies, Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Opening & Closing Ceremonies.

Alberto “Albee” Alvarado (he/him), Wig Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: SUMO, The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical, Bhangin’ It, to the yellow house, The Last Tiger in Haiti (Makeup Design). Broadway: The Outsiders. Other regional credits: Clyde’s (Moxie Theatre); A Transparent Musical (Makeup Design; Center Theatre Group); La Boheme, Barber of Seville (San Diego Opera); Sweeney Todd, Little Women (opera), Don Giovanni, Kiss Me Kate (Seagle Music Colony, NY) and San Diego Junior Theatre. Education: B.A. from SDSU. Daniel, family & friends: Gracias for your unwavering support. “I’m here to amplify underrepresented voices. Representation matters. Your story matters.” IG: @saboralbee 

Lisa LeMay, Music Director/Conductor

La Jolla Playhouse: Disney’s Freaky Friday, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Broadway: Disney’s The Little Mermaid. National Tours: Brooklyn: The Musical, All Shook Up, Disney’s The Lion King, A Bronx Tale, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Off-Broadway: Avenue Q (New World Stages). Regional: Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, Clint Black’s Looking for Christmas (The Old Globe); The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Casa Mañana); Sweeney Todd (4th Wall Theatre-NJ); Urinetown (Costa Mesa Playhouse); Evita (San Diego Repertory Theatre); Pippin, Applause, City of Angels (Reprise LA); The Light in the Piazza, Sunday in the Park with George, Witnesses (CCAE Theatricals).  

Michael Bello, Associate Director

La Jolla Playhouse: Associate Director for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Additional credits as Associate Director include The Who’s Tommy (Broadway, Goodman Theatre), Jersey Boys (UK / US tours, Off-Broadway, and upcoming live capture), and Summer (Broadway, 1st national tour and Norwegian Cruise Lines). Directing credits include Letters to the President (Goodspeed’s Festival of New Musicals, Great Hall at Cooper Union) and We Are the Tigers (Off-Broadway, LA’s Hudson Theater). B.F.A. Emerson College. www.MichaelBello.com

Emily Franch, Associate Choreographer

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. New York: A Chorus Line (City Center Encores!), The Bedwetter (Atlantic Theater Company). Regional: Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberley (Virginia Repertory Theatre), A Chorus Line (City Springs Theatre Company), White Christmas (Prather Entertainment). Disney Cruise Line MainStage Performer. NYU Tisch’s New Studio on Broadway associate professor. Education: B.F.A. from NYU Tisch.

Tara Rubin Casting/Spencer Gualdoni, CSA, Casting

Selected Broadway and National Tours: The Outsiders, Back to the Future, Here Lies Love, Bad Cinderella, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, KPOP, Mr. Saturday Night, SIX, Ain’t Too Proud, King Kong, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Falsettos, School of Rock, Bullets Over Broadway, Aladdin, Big Fish, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, …Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, The Phantom of the Opera. Selected Off-Broadway: Sing Street, Trevor, Between the Lines, Clueless, Gloria: A Life, Smokey Joe’s Café, Here Lies Love. Regional: George Street Playhouse, Asolo Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe. Film: Here Today.  

Dean Remington, Stage Manager

La Jolla Playhouse: The Outsiders, The Luckiest, Annual Gala, WOW Festival. National Tours: The Lion King, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Regional: Outside Mullingar, Manifest Destinitis (San Diego Rep); The Outsider (North Coast Rep); Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Pride and Prejudice, When the Rain Stops Falling, Every Brilliant Thing, Sharon, The Virgin Trial, The Wind and the Breeze, The Effect of Gamma Rays..., Shockheaded Peter, A Christmas Carol (Cygnet Theatre). International: Cameron Mackintosh’s Hey, Mr. Producer!, Grease, 42nd Street, Anything Goes, A Chorus Line, Meet Me in St. Louis.

Vanessa Dodgson-Thomas (she/her), Assistant Stage Manager

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. National Tours: Disney’s Aladdin, Disney’s The Lion King. Off-Broadway: A Clockwork Orange. West End: School of Rock, Disney’s Aladdin, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, A Chorus Line, Les Misérables, Grease The Musical, Billy Elliot The Musical, Woman in White, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Punchdrunk: The Drowned Man, Sleep No More (Shanghai). 

Marie Jahelka, Assistant Stage Manager

La Jolla Playhouse: SUMO, Put Your House in Order, Hollywood, Ether Dome. Other regional credits include: The Inheritance (Geffen Playhouse); The XIXth, The Taming of the Shrew, Shutter Sisters, The Underpants, Native Gardens, The Wanderers, Red Velvet (The Old Globe); Once on This Island (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); A Chorus Line (Moonlight Stage Productions); The Humans, Aubergine, Evita and Violet (San Diego Repertory Theatre); The Last 5 Years, HIR, Shakespeare’s R&J, Mistakes Were Made (Cygnet Theatre); Hairspray, The Full Monty (San Diego Musical Theatre). She received her B.A. in Theatre Arts from University of San Diego.