Meet our Talented Cast

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Matt Blum is thrilled to be contributing to this fun montage of Disney hits! Like everyone else on this stage and in the audience, Disney’s stories and music have helped inspire a lifelong love of theater. Favorite roles include Sancho in Man of La Mancha (CDL), Otto in Spring Awakening, Linville in Damn Yankees (PGL), Adam in The Shape of Things (CDC), Eddie McCuen in Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (BCP), Steve in Hair (PGL), and Rusty Charlie in Guys and Dolls (BCP). Matt also enjoys working behind the scenes. He’s directed Answers by Ernest Thompson at BCP, and The Army Dance right here at Players Guild of Leonia. Matt is a new father, and sends all his love to his wife Sarah and his five-month-old son Elijah. Everything he does is for his new amazing family.

Grace Marie Callahan made her PGL debut last season in Flowers in Your Hair: A 60s Musical Revue. In 2022, Grace was nominated for Best Performer in a musical by Broadway World for her role of Tilly in Night & Day: Love Lost and Found Through the Eyes of Cole Porter at Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack, NY.  A native of Pittsburgh, PA, she holds a Master's degree in Voice from Manhattan School of Music and is an accomplished violinist, pianist, and champion Celtic fiddler who once sang under the baton of Marvin Hamlisch. Her many credits on other stages include A Sherlock Holmes Showcase, Lady Windemere's Fan, The Story of the Velveteen Rabbit, Where the Time Goes, Le Nozze de Figaro, Little Women, Godspell, Honk!, and Dialogues des Carmelites. When not privately teaching voice and piano or performing, Grace is eagerly planning her next hiking trip to Southwest, USA!

Loretta Carlen is thrilled to be returning to the Players Guild of Leonia after participating in the 1960s musical review Flowers in Your Hair: A 60s Musical Revue last May. She is a lifelong Disney enthusiast and is excited to help bring some Disney magic to the stage. Loretta sends lots of love to her first-ever audience Mom and Dad, the entire cast and crew, and the rest of her loving family and friends for always supporting her on this W.I.L.D. magical carpet ride called life! 

Jennifer Cottone is thrilled to be making her stage debut with The Players Guild of Leonia. Past experiences include Shrek the Musical (Gingy/ Sugar Plum Fairy, featured dancer), Honk! (The Cat), Cinderella (Wicked Stepsister), Curtains (Jessica), and The King and I (Wife/ featured dancer) to name a few.  As a “Disney Adult”, it is a “Dream Come True” to share the stage with this wonderful cast of talented performers.  Thank you Linda and Cheryl for seeing something special in me and giving me this opportunity. To my real-life Princes, Joe and Joey… LOVE YOU! ​

Cat Gallagher (they/them) is excited to be making their debut on the Player’s Guild of Leonia stage with A Night of Disney! They were most recently seen as Alexi Darling in Roundtable Theatre Co.’s production of Rent. Other credits include The Prom (Emma Nolan) with Old Library Theatre, Tides (River) with Forager Theatre Co., and The Velveteen Rabbit at Bergen County Players. Cat has a BA in Psychology and streams video games on Twitch! They would like to thank the cast and crew for their hard work and support. 

Tara Hutchison is an unabashed Disney Parks fan and is happy to be performing these classics with this talented group in her PGL debut. Favorite roles include Helen in Fun Home (NJACT Perry Award), Donna in Mamma Mia, Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Cinderella in Into the Woods and Eliza in My Fair Lady. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory and a Masters in Music Education from Hunter College. Tara enjoys teaching vocal and general music at Willard School in Ridgewood during the school year, yet still looks forward to her annual summer trips to Walt Disney World. Love to Mom, Brett, Riley, and the Booper.

Megan Larsen is a lifelong Disney fan (who isn't?) who is thrilled to be returning to the Civil War Drill Hall - with her husband Tim, no less! Her most recent credit is Titanic the Musical (Caroline Neville) at Old Library Theatre. Other regional/community theatre credits: Carousel (Julie Jordan), Annie (Grace Farrel), South Pacific (Nellie Forbush), Les Miserables (Fantine), The Music Man (Marian Paroo), A Grand Night For Singing, Bye Bye Birdie (Gloria Rasputin), A Dream of Wings (Katherine Wright), East Coast premiere of Stephen Dolginoff’s Panic (Penny), High Society (Tracy Samantha Lord), Fantastic Mr. Fox (Mrs. Fox), Irving Berlin: The Melody Lingers On (‘09 Perry Winner), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel, ’06 Perry nom.), The Mikado (Pitti-Sing). Off-Broadway: PipeDream Theatre’s Briar Rose: The Tale of Sleeping Beauty (Gertrude Planowanie), Green Light Productions’ Curiosities (immersive theatre original character Doris), and various choruses with Dicapo Opera. Various performances with Tom Wright's Maywood & Music. Cabaret: Theatrical Gems Series, Lennie Watts’ CabLab Showcase 2011, You've Hungered For This All Your Life in San Diego & NYC. Megan is a National Anthem soloist for the NJ Jackals, Borough of Maywood, United States Coast Guard, and National Park Service. Megan shares her faith through music as cantor for Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Ridgewood and St. Catharine’s in Glen Rock. She is proud to share the stage with so many talented people. Thanks to family and friends, and of course to Tim and our two beautiful boys, Ted and Gregory. To God be praise and glory!

Tim Larsen is thrilled to be returning to the stage alongside his wife, Megan, for the first time in several years. He has more recently been active behind the scenes as a sound designer and executive board member of Bergen County Players in Oradell, NJ.  Regional/community theatre performance credits include And The Winner Was…(Ensemble), Annie (Bert Healy/Ensemble), South Pacific (Lieutenant Cable), Les Miserables (Marius), A Grand Night For Singing, A Dream of Wings (Orville Wright), East Coast premiere of Stephen Dolginoff’s Panic! (John Houseman), Fantastic Mr. Fox (Mr. Fox), Irving Berlin: The Melody Lingers On, The Seagull (Trigorin), Into The Woods (Rapunzel’s Prince), The Mikado (Nanki-Poo), David Ives’ All In The Timing, and The Two Gentlemen Of Verona (Valentine). NYC/Off-Broadway: PipeDream Theatre’s Macbeth: A Musical (Macbeth), Briar Rose: The Tale of Sleeping Beauty (Archibald), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Ichabod Crane), Green Light Productions’ Curiosities (immersive theatre original character Joe). Various performances with Tom Wright's Maywood & Music. Cabaret: You've Hungered For This All Your Life in San Diego & NYC, featured performer at 54 Below, The Duplex, and other venues.  Tim wishes to thank Megan, their boys, Ted and Gregory, and especially both sets of grandparents for their unending support.

Melissa Miller is appearing for the first time on the PGL stage, but definitely not her first time playing a princess, as she has been a princess for the birthday party company Bella Princess, for over 11 years! Some prior theater credits include Evelyn Nesbit in Ragtime and Alexi Darling in Rent at Bergen County Players, Elizabeth Benning in Young Frankenstein, Sally Slaton in Parade, Bianca/Lois Lane in Kiss Me, Kate, Hildy in On The Town, The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, and Ado Annie in Oklahoma! Melissa has a BFA in Acting from Montclair State University and a Masters in Education from LIU. Melissa would like to thank Martha Barona Peralta of Bella Princess for her support and use of her gorgeous dresses in this production, her friends, parents, and Dan for all the support and love! 

Joanne Moldt A guild member for many years, Joanne was last seen on our stage as Stella in Follies and Chris in Calendar Girls. Joanne is a current Board member and our Health and Safety Officer. She has directed workshops and second stages for both The Players Guild of Leonia and Bergen County Players, which included Baby, Chicago, Pippin, and The Sweetest Sounds, and most recently directed Flowers in Your Hair: A 60s Musical Revue here at the Guild.

Nick Nappo is excited to be making his debut with the Guild! You may have seen him at other local stages in Godspell and Clue (Bergen County Players), The Full Monty (Old Library Theatre), The Tempest (Rockland Shakespeare Company), Lost in Yonkers (Antrim Playhouse), and Disgraced (Elmwood Playhouse). Nick has also produced Barbecue, From Screen to Stage and Rent at BCP, and the upcoming Marvin’s Room at OLT. He holds a BA in Theatre Arts and Spanish from Drew University and an MA from Marist College. By day, Nick is a digital marketing specialist for Segal, a human resources & benefits consulting firm.

Maria Ruppert is Ariel-lly excited to be a Part of Your World, I mean, A Night of Disney at The Players Guild of Leonia. She has loved the stage since she was a little girl and has been obsessed with Disney literally her entire life.  She is very excited to be back for more fun!  Some of her favorite past roles include as Sally Brown (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown) & Sally Perks/Bippi/etc (Puffs) at WHATco, Narrator (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat) at Trilogy Repertory, Mayzie (Seussical) at St. Anne Stages, Mayor of Bikini Bottom (SpongeBob Squarepants) and Sister Mary Leo (Nunsense) at RosenPAC, Nadine (Wild Party at OLT), Florika (Hunchback of Notre Dame), Adella (The Little Mermaid), Enid Hoopes (Legally Blonde), and Tommy Boy (Newsies) at Rhino Theater. She is also a member of Triad Choir, The Players Guild of Leonia, and a virtual theater group called Enter Stage Left. In her off-stage life, Maria has a BS and MS in chemistry and music and works as a Senior Application Lab Chemist (Personal Care) at Gattefossé, sales manager and coach at MudSweatTears, and a Princess for parties and events. (#doallthethings) She loves her friends, family, Juan, and obviously her dogs Lucas & Columbia.

Production Team

Linda Wielkotz (Director)

Linda is currently VP of the Players Guild of Leonia. A 50-year veteran of theatre, she is a producer, director, and actor. Linda is thrilled to be bringing Jim Kierstead's show to life in this NJ Premiere.

Cheryl Woertz (Music Director)

heryl last sang on our stage as Sally in Follies, and served as musical director for Flowers in Your Hair: A 60s Musical Revue last summer. Also seen as Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, and in Circle Game, Trip to Bountiful, Working, The Actor’s Nightmare, Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town, and Kate in All My Sons.  Musical Director for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.  Elsewhere: Adlean in Barbecue, mothers in Blood Brothers (Antrim), Summer Brave (BCP), I Do, I Do (Elmwood Playhouse), Better Late (BCP—is there a pattern here?), and singing fabulously as Sally in Follies (BCP Workshop and Montclair Light Opera). When not scampering across the boards, Cheryl is a popular piano and voice teacher, and frequently entertains wild sons and associates at her charming farmhouse in Alpine. Broadway debut at age 5, but that’s a whole other story...

Jim Kierstead (Playwright)

Jim is an Emmy, Olivier, and six-time Tony Award-winning producer of the Broadway, touring, Toronto, and London productions of Kinky Boots, the revival of Pippin, Hadestown, The Inheritance, Company, and The Lehman Trilogy. He is currently represented on Broadway as a co-producer of Sweeney Todd and Hadestown. Off-Broadway projects include The Gospel According To Heather, Unexpected Joy, Yank! (Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Nominees), Bright Colors and Bold Patterns, and Thrill Me - The Leopold & Loeb Story (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Nominees). He has produced London productions including Waitress, Dreamgirls, Pretty Woman, Be More Chill, Unexpected Joy, Yank!, Thrill Me, Night of the Living Dead, and Aspects of Love. Film/TV projects include the Emmy winning TV series The Bay, we well as Indoor Boys, Emmy-nominated After Forever, and Wakefield. Jim is on the Board of Directors of The York Theatre Company, The Abingdon Theatre Company, and The New York Theatre Barn and is the founder of the digital theatre content creation company Broadway Virtual. Jim is a frequent writer for New York Lifestyles magazine and has written for the hit TV show Space Racers. His play Borrowed had its world premiere in Miami in 2022 and a film based on it was released summer of 2023. His new play The Red Light is currently in development.

Peter Downing (Producer)

This is Peter’s first producing effort with the Players Guild of Leonia. He sang his way through the 60’s in Flowers in Your Hair: A 60s Musical Revue last season here at PGL. Previous stage credits include Sunday in the Park with George, She Loves Me, Guys and Dolls, Big Fish, Ragtime, and Sondheim on Sondheim. Peter holds an MA in Acting and Directing from Penn State University and was a Senior Show Director for Walt Disney Entertainment in Orlando, Florida. He currently runs his own company as a Producer and Creative Director of special events and projects, and is pleased to return to his Disney roots with this talented cast and crew.

Judy Espaillat (Stage Manager)

Judy is happy to join The Players Guild of Leonia on this production of A Night Of Disney after an 8-year hiatus from the theater. Previous stage credits include a variety of different roles in both straight plays and musicals including Truvy (Steel Magnolias), Mrs. Mushnick (Little Shop Of Horrors), Wicked Witch of The West (The Wizard of Oz) & Mrs. Bumble (Oliver), just to name a few.  She's also choreographed. During the day she works in project management and is excited to combine her love of the arts and her management skills on this show.  "Break A Leg, everyone!"

Marc Leland (Choreagrapher)

A trained actor, dancer, and choreographer, Marc has performed and choreographed numerous productions. Recently he choreographed PGL's production of The Toxic Avenger, Cabaret and Damn Yankees. He played Nathan in Guys and Dolls, Franklin Shepard in Merrily We Roll Along and Buddy in Follies. He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and trained as a dancer with many iconic teachers, including Ann Reinking. Marc has made two feature films and is in pre-production for his 3rd film, Niagara 99. Theater makes the world a better place.

Boosters

Terri and Peter Caust
​The Mulvihill Family
Patricia Phillips
Art Penque
Bob Leap & Jeff McCartney
Joanne Godlewski
Joanne Guarnaccia
Beth Parrillo
Suzanne Renaud
Emily Pensari
Jeanmarie Garver-Gaydos
Annette and Tony Lenge
Ralph Martinez

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