About the Artists

Cory J. O’Donnell (he/him) is so grateful to be part of this amazing new project. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with a BA in Musical Theatre and a minor in Dance in May 2022. Since then, Cory J. has been performing, designing, and teaching in the Milwaukee area and beyond. Some recent credits include Henry in NEXT TO NORMAL (Kith & Kin Theatre Collective), Johnny in TONY AND TINA'S WEDDING (Non-Union National Tour), Wes in MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS (MCT Young Playwrights Festival), Stephen in THE LISBON TRAVIATA (Sunstone Studios), and Nigel Bottom in SOMETHING ROTTEN (Minot State Summer Theatre) and more. Cory J. is also an actor with Boozy Bard Productions as well as serves at the Technical Director at Arrowhead Union High School. Cory J. wants to send his love and appreciation to his fiancée, family, friends and mentors.

Stephanie Beschta is very happy to be working on this exciting new piece. She got her start at Milwaukee’s legendary theatre in the round, Melody Top. She earned a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College in New York and originated characters in SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL (The Duplex, NYC), SPEAKEASY (Theresa Lang Theatre, NYC) and MY INSIGNIFICANT OTHER (Wings Theatre, NYC). Before the advent of cell phones and social media, she enjoyed working at Skylight Opera Company (GYPSY), Stages St. Louis (FIDDLER ON THE ROOF) and Theresa Lang Theatre under the direction of Charles Strouse (CAN’T STOP DANCIN’). She is thrilled to be back on stage creating again after so many years and couldn’t do it without the love and support of Scott, Sayla, and Truman.

Tom (he/him) was gobsmacked at being asked to join the cast of this new and intriguing musical theater work and is truly grateful for the opportunity to appear onstage once more. He was last seen in 2019 as Escalus in MEASURE FOR MEASURE (Aura Theater Collective), Pop in PLAYING SOLITAIRE as part of the ONE ACT SUITE (Walker’s Point Center of the Arts), Joseph Pulitzer in NEWSIES (DSHA Community Theater Works), and Major Bouvier in GREY GARDENS (Windfall Theater). Tom has been the Artistic Director/Associate Producer of Milwaukee Entertainment Group at the Brumder Mansion from 2011 to 2022, directing, performing, and designing lighting. Originally from Chicago, he studied Music Education & Speech at DePaul University. He has been part of the Milwaukee theater scene since 1986.

Krista Rose is thrilled to be able to bring Chrissie and Gina to ‘life’ in this show! She is a recent graduate of UW Madison with her BA in Vocal Performance and Acting.  She spent this past year working with Skylight Music Theatre’s Enlighten program, performing in their Kidswrites and Songbook shows. She also works as a teacher and house manager at First Stage. Other recent performing credits include Miss Shields in A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL (Waukesha Civic Theatre), Annina in LA TRAVIATA (UW Opera), and Jane Doe in RIDE THE CYCLONE (InterMission Theatre).  She’d like to thank her family for their support! 

Based in the Milwaukee area, Jessi Kolberg holds music degrees in Piano Performance, Vocal Performance, and Church Music. Her musical performances include NEWSIES, CHICAGO, OKLAHOMA, GUYS AND DOLLS, THE FULL MONTY, CURTAINS, THE KING & I, MATILDA, THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER PAN, and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, and she was the music director for AMERICAN IDIOT with Ghostlight Theatre Co. Jessi teaches piano, voice, and violin at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Sound Check Studios, and Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School. She is an accompanist at the Milwaukee Ballet School, Alverno College, the Ozaukee Chorus, the Milwaukee Chamber Choir, and the Wisconsin Gospellers, and serves as organist at Loving Shepherd Lutheran. She is also a pianist for Symphony 847 and the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra. As a professional soprano, you may catch Jessi soloing the National Anthem or performing with the chamber choir Canticum Novum, and as a violinist, she is half of the acoustic rock duo, The Nightinjails.

Ami is a Milwaukee area choreographer and director. Ami also served as a touring repertory actor, director, choreographer, and playwright for Kohl’s Wild Theater. Past choreography credits include; A CHRISTMAS STORY, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, MEAN GIRLS, THE LIGHTNING THIEF, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, CINDERELLA, SISTER ACT, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, ANYTHING GOES, CHICAGO, RENT, ALADDIN, PARADE, ASSASSINS, ADDAMS FAMILY, DOGFIGHT, INTO THE WOODS, THE LITTLE MERMAID and 1776. Past directing credits include; THE PROM, FINDING NEMO, RENT, MATILDA, MARY POPPINS, MAMMA MIA, URINETOWN, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, FIRST DATE, ADDAMS FAMILY, SHREK, MOANA, and DOGFIGHT. She is also directing and choreographing BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Greendale this summer!

Colin Gawronski is a lighting designer and theatrical technician native to Milwaukee who has worked extensively with Danceworks, Inc, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Sunstone Studios and Black Arts MKE/Brozeville. They have worked with other local companies such as Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Next Act, PrideFest Milwaukee, Bard and Bourbon, Gina Laurenzi Dance Project, and In Tandem Theatre. Colin has also worked with the Sacramento Music Circus, the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Lila, Third Avenue Playworks and with the Indianapolis and Chicago Fringe Festivals. Favorite productions include: STEW, OUT OF MANY ONE, ‘NEATH THE HILLS OF BASTOGNE, /maskəˈrād/, DUTCHMAN, BLACK NATIVITY, ROMEO & JULIET: A Theatre Lila Invention, SECRETS FROM THE WIDE SKY, DADDY LONG LEGS, SPALDING GREY: STORIES LEFT TO TELL, STORIES FROM  A LIFE, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, SERENDIPITY, BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA, MY FAIR LADY, LAMPS FOR MY FAMILY, and VAGABONDARE. Give Love Always.

Mike is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, with a bachelor’s degree in theatre in 2004. From 2005 until 2023, Mike worked for Next Act Theatre as their Master Electrician, Board Operator, and Technical Director. His tenure included the company’s move in 2011 to their present facility on South Water Street, after which he added Building Manager and Event Coordinator to his roles. Mike has also spent time working for Clearwing Production Company as a Lighting Specialist and at Encore Theatrical Lighting as their Chief Lighting Designer. In Mike’s work in production, he has worked as a sound and lighting designer for many companies in and around the Milwaukee area; some of his more memorable shows are BIG BOYS for Next Act Theatre; THE MIKADO, THE MIKADO 2.0, and MAGIC FLUTE with Milwaukee Opera Theatre; TWAS THE MONTH BEFORE CHRISTMAS with Doug Jarecki (both at Next Act Theatre and at the Broadway Performing Arts Center); and NEXT TO NORMAL and HEDWIG with All-In Productions. www.stagerightdesigns.org

Sam has been a theatermaker for over twenty years, and is excited to join the team of RIP for the first time as a Stage Manager! Recent projects include directing CYMBELINE (Whirligig Productions), Bridget in DEATH BY DESIGN (Milwaukee Entertainment Guild), and Paulina in THE WINTER'S TALE (Evergreen Theatre). Break a leg, everyone!

Shelby has been working professionally in Milwaukee since 2013 with various companies, most notably running around in the dark with Next Act where they’ve been since their 2016/2017 season and Renaissance Theaterworks since their 2021/2022 season. Shelby would like to thank their father, HP, for sparking their interest in helping make art by being a weirdo in the dark. 

Jim's credits include serving as a teaching artist, director, actor, or stage manager for Ivoryton Playhouse (where he is currently the Resident Stage Manager), Long Wharf Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Foote Summer Theater, Synapse Theatre Ensemble, Columbia University, Roebling and Driggs Productions, Yale Opera, The New York Financial Writers’ Association’s annual Financial Follies, New Haven Theater Company (including the first community production of Paula Vogel's A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS), The Hugo Kauder Society, Act II Theatre, Grassroots Theater Company, Sacred Heart Academy, New Haven Ballet, Fairfield University and the Chancel Opera Company. Along with RIP director Alan Piotrowicz, he runs Brief Cameo Productions, a company devoted to producing concert stagings of the Musical Theater canon. Jim sends many thanks to Alan for asking him to join this project, and all his love to Jeremy, for putting up with a theater maker's crazy life.

Rachel Orheim (she/her) is originally from Seattle, WA and has lived in Milwaukee since 2009. She has a BA in Music and English from The University of Washington. She has been a proud member of The Concord Chamber Orchestra since 2011, and currently serves on their Board of Directors as a grant writer. She has done freelance cello playing and taught private lessons for many years in both Washington and Wisconsin. Since 2017, she has participated in a band mashup event in the Riverwest neighborhood called All Messed Up. Her recent theater credits include two performances with Seat of Our Pants Readers Theatre Troupe, AFTER DARWIN and SENIOR SHORTS.

Chris graduated from Menomonee Fall HS with the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in 2005, studied jazz under Steve Peplin at MATC-Milwaukee and Don Linke at UW-Milwaukee before receiving a BFA in Jazz Guitar Performance in 2013. He has since earned 2nd place in the 2013 Wilson Center Worldwide Guitar Competition in the jazz category, and gone on to perform with various groups based in Milwaukee in many different styles including metal, fusion, pop, blues rock, and jazz. His music career has certainly been varied, having worked with the legendary lyricist Tim Rice as well as having a song by his metal band The Heroes Lie used as the entrance for WWE wrestler Mason Ryan. In the theater realm, he has worked with MFHS, DSHA, Waukesha North HS, West Allis Central, Marquette University, Cardinal Stritch University, and Skylight Theater in the Third Ward as a pit musician, playing such shows as SPRING AWAKENING, XANADU, SCHOOL OF ROCK, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, GODSPELL, JAMES & THE GIANT PEACH, THE WEDDING SINGER, and most recently FROM HERE TO ETERNITY.

Austin Neumann is a Milwaukee area drummer and percussionist. Recent musical theater credits include MAMMA MIA, THE WIZARD OF OZ, LEGALLY BLONDE, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, MEAN GIRLS, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, THE LITTLE MERMAID, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, and CABARET. He has also accompanied many performing groups like the DSHA Angelaires, Cudahy High School Orchestra, and Martin Luther High School Troubadours. Austin would like to thank his sister Jessie for being their first musical theater memory and sparking their interest in the wonderful musical theater world.

The director also wishes to thank the following individuals for additional reading and development assistance: Joshua Biatch, Samantha Biatch, Kelly Doherty, Sean Duncan, Kendall Judy, Melody Lopac, Bryan Quinn, Keighley Sadler, Liz Shipe, and Zach Woods.