Mia Pinero (Maria) is beyond thrilled to be making her Broadway Rose debut in her favorite musical, West Side Story! Originally from Racine, Wisconsin, Mia is a recent graduate of Montclair State University with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre. Favorite credits include Maria in West Side Story at The Mac-Haydn Theatre, as well as Lucy Brown in The Three Penny Opera, Woman #1 in Sing for Your Supper, and Hermione in The Winter’s Tale at MSU. Many thanks to Michael Cassara and his casting team, as well as her always supportive and encouraging family! miapinero.com

Andrew Wade (Tony) is thrilled to return to his hometown of Portland after moving to Los Angeles in 2010. Favorite credits include: Rudolph (National Tour), Rent (Mark), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf), 1776 (Courier), Pump Boys and Dinettes (Jim), Little Women (John Brooke/Laurie), and Alien Vs. Musical (winner,  “Best World Premiere” at Hollywood Fringe Festival). Andrew earned his degree in music at University of Portland and is an accomplished musician (guitar, ukulele, mandolin, bass). He has also performed in numerous shows at the Disneyland Resort. Huge thanks to the artistic team of West Side Story, his family for their endless support, and his beautiful wife, Michaelia.

The Jets

Drew Shafranek (Riff) is ecstatic to be performing in Oregon again and making his Broadway Rose debut! He has last been seen professionally as Claude in Hair at Enlightened Theatrics, in South Pacific and Titanic at Lyric Stage, and in Urinetown at Theater Raleigh. B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Elon University. “Thank you to my amazing family for your constant love and support!”

Ben Gleichauf (Diesel) While this is Ben’s 4th West Side Story he is excited to get to play the great Jets bruiser…Diesel! Ben just finished playing Munkustrap in Cats at the Pentangle Arts Center in Vermont directed by Susan Lamontagne. Tours: Wizard of Oz, Fiddler, The Nutcracker, Disney Cruise Line (Mainstage). Regional: West Side Story, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, Pajama Game, Wedding Singer, many more. Thanks to Christina, Mom, Dad, Jeff, David, Danny, Michael Cassara Casting, and Lisa. Ben received his B.F.A in Musical Theatre and B.A. in Dance from University of California, Irvine and is a Jacob’s Pillow alum.

Justin Isla (Action) is ecstatic to be performing in his first Broadway Rose production as well as his first here in Oregon. Born and raised in Northern California, Justin has been involved in theatre for many years as both a performer and choreographer and is excited to be onstage once again in one of his favorite shows. Favorite credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (Gangster #2), Fiddler on the Roof (Dance Captain), A Chorus Line (Greg), Into The Woods (Milky White), and Cinderella (Lionel/Dance Captain). Choreography credits include I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; White Christmas, Shout! The Mod Musical, and numerous dance productions with both Fusion Dance Company and Ohlone College. He would like to dedicate this to his incredible partner Steve who provides him with constant love and support.

Ryan Monaghan (A-Rab) is excited to be returning to Broadway Rose; you may have last seen him here in Oklahoma! Ryan holds a B.F.A. in musical theatre performance from Central Washington University and has recently moved to Portland. Other Broadway Rose performances include: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Band Geeks! (Kyle), and My Fair Lady. Other regional productions include  Little Women (Laurie), South Pacific,  Man of La Mancha (Anselmo), Mame and White Christmas! He is grateful for his family and friends for all of their support, especially his loving wife!

Martin Tebo (Baby John) is excited to return to Broadway Rose’s stage this summer after his previous performances in The Music Man and Oklahoma! Martin has had the opportunity to perform onstage for theatre companies around the Portland area, including Oregon Children’s Theatre (Schoolhouse Rock, Skippyjon Jones), Lakewood Theatre (She Loves Me), and Northwest Children’s Theatre, where he received Portland Area Musical Theatre Award nominations for his work in Peter Pan and Cinderella. Martin is a graduate of Oregon Episcopal School and has been taking a gap year to extensively train in dance, voice, and acting before pursuing a B.F.A. in theatre in the upcoming year.

Emily Upton (Anybodys) is thrilled to be returning to the Broadway Rose stage having played Princess Penelope in Sleeping Beauty last summer. Other credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet Van De Graff), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Sally Brown), The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy Gale), The Little Mermaid (Ariel), and The Music Man (Zaneeta). She is currently taking a gap year, having graduated from Glencoe High School last spring. In the fall, Emily is looking forward to her next great adventure, moving back east to pursue a B.F.A. in musical theatre. Other than performing, Emily enjoys participating in outdoor activities, reading, and spending time with her amazing family! She would like to thank her entire family for their continued love and support and to give a special thank you to her parents, Kent and Nancy Upton, for their help through this incredible, crazy, wonderful year. She appreciates it more than she can put into words. She is so grateful for this opportunity and extremely excited to be working with the fantastic Broadway Rose Theatre Company!

The Jet Women

Caroline D’Ambrosi is excited to perform with Broadway Rose! She received her degree in Theatre Administration from Wagner College in New York City. Favorite performances include The Adventures of Dex Dixon: Paranormal Dick, 42nd Street, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Music directing credits include Hair, All Shook Up, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Love and thanks to Mike.

Elise Gonsalves is an 18-year-old who just graduated from Arts and Communications Magnet Academy. During her four years there she danced with the pre-professional company Dance West. She began her dance training at Westside Dance and Gymnastics Academy and now works with an amazing company called Lyfe Dance Company, directed by Durante Lambert. This is her first year working with Broadway Rose Theatre Company and she is so excited. Elise aspires to dance professionally after high school. To further her training in the performing arts, she will be attending The American Musical and Dramatic Academy as a dance major this fall. She would like to thank the cast and crew for never ceasing to inspire her. Last but not least she would like to thank her family for the never-ending support and love. “Thanks for coming and enjoy the show!”

Emily Lewis is honored and delighted to be making her Broadway Rose debut as a Jet! Favorite credits include Peter Pan (Peter), The Drowsy Chaperone (The Chaperone), Lend Me A Tenor (Maggie), Cats (Rumpleteazer), Urinetown (Ol’ Ma Strong), and Death by Woody Allen (Anna). Love to Mom and Dad, Joe, Jake, and Matt, friends and family! This one is for Jj.

Abigail Miller is a resident of Tualatin, Oregon, currently studying at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where she is working towards a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. She has been dancing since she was in elementary school, studying all styles, but has always dreamed of working professionally in musical theatre. Abby is excited to be making her professional musical theatre debut in West Side Story and hopes this will be the start of her career, eventually dancing on Broadway. Many thanks to all of her teachers at Westside Dance & Gymnastics Academy and to John Todd and the dance faculty at LMU for their training and support. “Love to Mom, Dad, Matt, Michael, and Grandma Judy; this would not have been possible without you.”

Liz O’Donnell recently graduated from George Fox University with a degree in philosophy. She participated in the GFU Dance Team for two years, and then was co-captain her third year. She choreographed for the GFU production of Parade and was the assistant stage manager for Twelfth Night. Liz has been performing with Chehalem Valley Dance Academy for many years including roles such as Snowflake and Russian Tea in The Nutcracker. Currently she is teaching tap dance at CVDA. Liz was last seen on the Broadway Rose stage as Lucille/ensemble in Thoroughly Modern Millie and is thrilled to perform with Broadway Rose again. Liz would like to thank her family and dance teachers for always supporting her.

The Sharks

Austin Arizpe (Bernardo) is ecstatic to be playing Bernardo in West Side Story! Austin is a Houston, Texas native and recent graduate from Montclair State University with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre.  Austin’s credits include: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Dance Captain/Aggie Boy), The Producers (Bryan), Spamalot (Sir Boris) at Park Playhouse, Hair (Berger u/s), Klempers, 42nd Street, and Carousel at Montclair;  Ragtime (Tateh) and Hairspray (Link Larkin) at HITS, Hairspray and When You Wish at TUTS, Tommy and VOTE! A New Musical at ACTS@TUTS; The Drowsy Chaperone (Aldolpho- Tommy Tune Award Nomination), The Tempest (Sebastian), Pippin, and Dracula (title role) at Episcopal High School. Austin would like to thank his family and friends for their love and support.

Jeff George trained with Ballet Arts of Minnesota and Broadway Dance Center in New York. He performed on the East Coast tour with Sesame Street Live and then moved on to traveling the world for the next six years, performing on various Royal Caribbean and Norweigian Cruise Line ships. Jeff now lives in Portland and teaches at a number of studios in the city including Artist Repertory Theatere, Northwest Academy, and The Multnomah Athletic Club. He also has a flare for choreography and premiered some of his work in “Alchemy,” a Portland-based dance collective directed by Lindsey Mathias of Northwest Dance Project. Jeff has had the opportunity to dance with many Portland companies such as Polaris Dance Theatre, BodyVox, Dancing People, SubRosa, Broadway Rose, Lakewood Theater Company, Stumptown Stages, Artist Repertory Theatre, Pixie Dust Productions, and Do Jump, where he got to join the company on Broadway. Jeff is so very excited to be joining Broadway Rose for the production of West Side Story.

Canuto Andrés Peraza-Aguillón (Indio) is a Portland native.  He attended the Arts & Communication Magnet Academy (ACMA) in Beaverton, where he found his love for dance, and continued his studies at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, and at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in New York City.  In his time in Portland he has danced with Éowyn Emerald Barrett, and choreographed on students at ACMA and Franklin High School. He can also be seen as the Blue Jogger in Kimbra’s 2014 “Miracle” music video. Andrés is jazzed and incredibly grateful to be a part of the Broadway Rose production of West Side Story.

Alexander Salazar (Pepe) is please to be returning to Broadway Rose Theater. He was recently seen in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as Charlito “Chip” Tolentino here at Broadway Rose. He graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York and earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance at Portland State University. Other musical productions include Kiss of the Spider Woman with triangle productions!, Anything Goes (Sailor) and Young Frankenstein with Lakewood Theatre, One Touch of Venus as Rodney Hatch in Lakewood’s Lost Treasures series, and The Pirate Thief as the Hero in 4×4=Musicals with SPECTRE Productions.

Feliciano Tencos-Garcia (Chino) is excited to make his Broadway Rose debut as Chino in West Side Story. He studied contemporary music at Western Oregon University. While in school, he performed in The American Metropole Orchestra and Western Hemisphere Orchestra with featured artists Allen Toussaint, Kurt Elling, Liz Wright, Hindu Rodeo, and Cassio Vianna. While at Western Oregon, he played Moritz in their production of Spring Awakening. Feliciano also served as assistant music director for Marin Theatre Company’s production of Mary Poppins. Recently, he appeared as the Piragua Guy in the Stumptown Stages production of In The Heights.

Ari Aaron (Luis) Selected credits: TJ in Sister Act (Tuacahn), Beauty and the Beast (Tuacahn), Disney’s When You Wish (Tuacahn), Oklahoma! (Musical Theatre West, Welk Resort), South Pacific (Musical Theatre West), Grease (Welk Resort), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Candlelight Pavilion), Spamalot! (Performance Riverside), Cinderella (Sierra Repertory Theatre).  “Thank you to my wonderful parents for their unconditional love and support, my amazing friends, my awesome agent, and the fantastic people here at Broadway Rose Theatre. Follow me!” Instagram: @actorari Snapchat: @actor_ari

The Shark Women

Kayla Dixon (Anita) With an emphasis on the importance of storytelling on stage and in front of the camera, Kayla has participated in productions at Studio Theatre in Washington DC, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Stumptown Stages and has even made an appearance in a show on NBC. Studying ballet, modern, and contemporary dance techniques, she has studied with American Dance Institute, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Maryland Youth Ballet to name a few. Some of Kayla’s most recent credits include Brenda in Smokey Joe’s Café with Stumptown Stages and a featured speaking role in a feature film directed by Macon Blair. At the age of 21, she continues her acting career in Portland, Oregon while lending vocals to nationally touring heavy metal band Witch Mountain. This is her first show with Broadway Rose and she is honored to be playing Anita!

Genevive Adams This is Genevive’s first show with Broadway Rose. She has been in Clinton Street Cabaret’s Rocky Horror Picture Show for nearly a year and is playing the role of Frank-N-Furter. She interns at Artists Repertory Theater and is very grateful for the community that she gets to be a part of. Genevive currently attends Arts & Communications Magnet Academy and has recently been admitted to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and will be studying musical theatre and getting a B.F.A. in drama next year. She has recently been seen in ACMA theatre productions such as Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 as Helsa Wenzel, Pride and Prejudice as Jane Bennet, and Coraline as the Rat King.

Beknar Bermudez (Rosalia) is a Puerto Rican-born University of Puerto Rico graduate who moved to Florida in 2003. She was a salsa dancer with the Salsa Heat Company and also with Passion Latina. For the pass 10 years she’s been working for Disney; some of her credits include Festival of The Lion King, Story Walkers, and Finding Nemo The Musical. Beknar also just completed her fourth ship contract with Dreamworks onboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. This will be her debut with Broadway Rose Theater Company and it’s an absolute dream come true to be a part of this production. “Big thank you to everyone that has helped me through this journey.”

Daisy Guzman (Consuela) is very excited to make her Broadway Rose debut as Consuela! She is thrilled to be working with such a talented cast and crew. She was most recently seen as Mimi in Rent, Mona in Chicago, and Diana in Next to Normal. Daisy recently graduated from the University of Portland where she received a B.A in psychology with a minor in music. She dedicates her performances to her parents Linda and Felipe for always supporting her dream. “Los quiero mucho!”

Maria Tucker (Dance Captain) is thrilled to be back on the Broadway Rose stage!  Last seen in Cats and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, she has also been on the “other side of the table” at Broadway Rose, choreographing last year’s production of Oklahoma! Other performance credits include Colorado Jazz Dance Company, Disney, QuinnWilliams’ Jazz, Paul M. Powell Productions, Royal Caribbean Productions, and Lakewood Theatre Company. “It’s amazing to work with Peggy and Jacob again!  A big thank-you to Gene, Fedor and Maggie for all their love and support!” www.marialynntucker.com

Tara Velarde (Francisca) is a professional musician and music teacher in the Portland area. She has been on the stage for most of her professional and personal life; performing in musical productions such as Fiddler on the Roof, Tom Sawyer, Gypsies Tramps and Thieves, and The 7 Deadly Sins; playing locally and touring with her band throughout the West Coast; and directing choirs at Pacific Youth Choir, Ethos Music Center, and C.S. Lewis Academy. She currently works full-time as a private lesson instructor and band frontwoman, and is thrilled to once again be participating in her long-time love – musical theatre.

The Adults

Garland Lyons (Lt. Shrank/Gladhand) West Side Story marks Garland’s first appearance with Broadway Rose and he is so honored to be working with such a respected theatre. He most recently performed in Golden Boy at Lakewood Theatre Company and appeared in The Snowstorm at CoHo Productions, which won the Drammy Award for Best Production last year. Additional local theatrical credits include Portland Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, Profile Theatre, Defunkt, Shaking The Tree, Post5 Theatre, Well Arts, Milagro, Theatre Vertigo, Stark Raving, Public Playhouse, Quintessence, Northwest Children’s Theater, and Northwest Classical Theatre. In 2009, while a member of Theatre Vertigo, Garland earned a Drammy Award for his role as The Judge in their production of Mamet’s Romance. Favorite roles include Pontius Pilate in Passion Play and Aaronow in Glengarry Glen Ross. Film/TV credits include Grimm, Portlandia, Leverage, Emeril, The Falls, and Restless. Garland holds degrees in theatre and psychology from the University of Washington.

Mark Pierce (Doc) is proud and delighted to be making his Broadway Rose debut in this brilliant show. He has been doing this crazy stuff for most of his life, rambling through everything from low comedy to high drama (or is that the other way around?). Some favorite roles: Bigley in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Underling in The Drowsy Chaperone, Sid in Ah, Wilderness!, Lenny in Rumors, and Dr. Brewer in the East Coast premiere of K-PAX. “Thanks to everyone at Broadway Rose for letting me come play with you, to Darius and Liz for your support, and to Julian for being the Best Grandson Ever! Hey, Dad…I hope I did you proud with this one!”

Jeremy Southard (Officer Krupke) holds a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the University of California, Davis and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon. Over the past twelve years he has appeared locally in several Lakewood Theatre Company productions, most recently in Man of La Mancha, Mame, and She Loves Me. He has also worked with Bag&Baggage Productions appearing in The Crucible and Twelfth Night Of The Living Dead and with New Century Players appearing in The Curious Savage. When he’s not performing, Jeremy works as a business process analyst for a national bank. Jeremy sends all his love to his wife and best friend Adrienne and to his amazing children, Declan and Philippa.

Thursday, June 30, 7:30 PM PREVIEW
Friday, July 1, 7:30 PM OPENING NIGHT
Saturday, July 2, 7:30 PM
Sunday, July 3, 2:00 PM

Thursday, July 7, 7:30 PM—Limited Availability
Friday, July 8, 7:30 PM—Limited Availability
Saturday, July 9, 2:00 PM —SOLD OUT
Saturday, July 9, 7:30 PM—SOLD OUT
Sunday, July 10, 2:00 PM–SOLD OUT

Wednesday, July 13, 7:30 PM
Thursday, July 14, 7:30 PM
Friday, July 15, 7:30 PM
Saturday, July 16, 2:00 PM—Post show talk-back*
Saturday, July 16, 7:30 PM
Sunday, July 17, 2:00 PM—Limited Availability

Wednesday, July 20, 7:30 PM
Thursday, July 21 7:30 PM—Limited Availability
Friday, July 22, 7:30 PM
Saturday, July 23, 2:00 PM – Audio description available
Saturday, July 23, 7:30 PM
Sunday, July 24, 2:00 PM

*Talk-backs are free and open to the public. They begin immediately following the first Saturday matinee performance of the mainstage production, and are held in the theater. You do not have to attend the Broadway Rose production in order to attend the talk-back.

Directed by Peggy Taphorn
Music Direction by Alan D. Lytle
Choreographer by Jacob Toth

Scenery Designed by Robert Andrew Kovach, provided by Music Theatre Wichita
Costume Design by Allison Dawe
Light Design by Phil McBeth
Prop Supervision by Jim Crino
Sound Design by Brian Moen
Wig Design by Jane Holmes
Stage Manager Jessica Junor
New York Casting by Michael Cassara, CSA

Music Director, Conductor
Alan D. Lytle

Associate Music Director, Piano
Jeffrey Childs

Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Alto Sax
Marc Grafe
Sean Kelleher

Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Tenor Sax
Alicia Charlton

Bassoon
Danielle Goldman

French Horn
Wendy Peebles

Trumpet I
Levis Dragulin

Trumpet II
Logan Thane Brown

Trombone
Bryant Byers

Drums
Gary Irvine

Percussion
Alexandra Geffel

Synthesizer
Charlie Gregson

Violin I
Mary Rowell

Bass and Violin II
Amy Roesler

Cello
Ashley Peck

Behind the Scenes: West Side Story at Broadway Rose
Storify Collection by Broadway Rose
A look behind-the-scenes of one of the world’s most powerful and revered musicals.

What a thrill to be back at Broadway Rose for another fabulous summer! West Side Story is my favorite musical and I am excited to share it with new devotees and take a trip down memory lane for those of us who can experience this classic over and over! It is a magical collaboration: great music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, originally choreographed and conceived by Jerome Robbins – and to complete the perfect musical, a great book by Arthur Laurents. The musical, based on Romeo and Juliet, explores the rivalry between the Sharks and the Jets, rival street gangs in New York in the mid-1950s. Tony, a former Jet, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo who happens to be the leader of the Sharks. No one can stop Maria and Tony from trying to break through the stereotypes and social constraints to find true love. However, it goes tragically wrong, and the action doesn’t stop until the climactic and heartbreaking ending.

It is a classic story told through soaring ballads, rousing uptempos, and extended dance sequences. The dark theme and focus on social problems marked a turning point in American Musical Theater. West Side Story is a bridge between the so-called “Golden Age” musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein and the Sondheim era about to begin. What had once been termed “musical comedy” became “musical theatre,” as producers and directors realized for the first time that the principles of serious drama should be applied to serious musicals.

West Side Story is about many things: rage and power, belonging and frustration; but most of all it’s about the scourge of prejudice, and its implications for love. West Side Story faced, for the first time in a musical, the harsh reality that things don’t always work out and sometimes hatred has the final say. It’s a painful universal truth that we can still pluck out of today’s headlines. Enjoy this beautifully told classic featuring some of Broadway’s most beloved songs. Lean forward and open your heart and you will be moved as well as entertained.

– Peggy Taphorn