Get to know the cast of "Scrooge", a beloved holiday musical playing at Matthews Playhouse December 8-18, 2022!
Adi Callaghan- Peter Cratchit
Adi is a ninth grader at Parkwood High School. They have been involved in theatre for the past 7 years and audiences may recognize them from their past roles in “Pinocchio: Without Strings” and “Rainbow Fish” as The Rainbow Fish at Matthews Playhouse. A fun fact about Adi is that their favorite meal is pork and beans. When not appearing on stage, Adi loves listening to music, taking and developing their own film, and playing guitar at a local mic night!
Amanda Mooney- Miss Dilber/Mary/Ensemble
Amanda is tickled pink to be a part of the cast of Scrooge! The Musical. She has a passion for working with children which she puts to use as a special education teacher at St. Ann Catholic School. Originally from northeast Ohio, Amanda moved to Charlotte in 2012 where she now lives with her husband Dave, her 2 kids, and her 2 talking dogs. She is absolutely thrilled to be in a show with her daughter, Lilly, for the first time! Amanda has a serious case of “FOMO” (feeling of missing out) which keeps her very busy. She held a summer theater camp at Matthews Playhouse for kids with special needs and has been seen in previous MPH shows including “Without Strings” and “Rainbow Fish”.
Andrew Williams- Bob Cratchit
Andrew is excited to be joining the cast of Scrooge! The Musical. Andrew works in Quality Assurance at Octopharma Plasma and enjoys playing video games and watching movies. He did research in Genetics during his Undergrad and is big into the field of Biology. He has even published genetic research working with fruit flies! Andrew has been seen around the Charlotte area in “Sister Act” at Matthews Playhouse, “Guys and Dolls”, “You Can’t Take It With You” and “Almost, Maine'' at CPCC, “The Producers” at Theatre Charlotte, and “Heathers” at Winthrop University.
Ava Nixon- Youth Ensemble
A freshman in high school, Ava loves to create her own movies and short films. She also enjoys modeling, acting, singing, and playing piano. One of her favorite performers of all time is Sara Bareilles, whom she got to see perform in “Into the Woods” this summer on Broadway! She is very excited to be performing in her first mainstage show, after being involved in Matthews Playhouse School of Theatre. She is also the middle child in her family and has a dog named Cody. When she isn’t performing or doing something creative, she likes to hang out with her friends or have a quiet night in watching movies.
Callum Bridgers- Dick Wilkins/Ensemble
A 10th grader at Weddington High School, Callum was born in Manhattan, NY and grew up in Brooklyn where he performed on the Metropolitan Opera House Stage. He is currently an active member of the Weddington High School drama club and enjoys discovering new music, going to live music shows, and performing. He has previously been seen in “The Music Man” and “Our Town” at Weddington High School and “Guys and Dolls” at Boerum Hill School for International Studies.
Charles LaBorde- Jacob Marley
Charles LaBorde is the retired founding principal of the high school at Northwest School of the Arts where the black box theater was renamed the Charles LaBorde Theater following his retirement in 2008. He has acted for most professional theatre companies in the Charlotte area over his 50-year career. Now primarily working as a playwright, he is delighted to be working as an actor once again with his most frequent collaborator–Paula Baldwin. He holds a PhD in Theatre from The Ohio State University and is the recipient of the Lifetime Career Achievement Award from NCTC. He is an avid reader of mysteries and loves to travel with Brenda, his wife of 51 years. His favorite hobby is spoiling his grandchildren–Charles and Nova. Some of his previous shows include “Hello Dolly!”, “My Fair Lady”, and “The Mousetrap” at CPCC, “Lombardi” at CAST, “Death of A Salesman” at Theatre Charlotte, and “Jackie and Me” at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.
Hunter Stilwell- Fezziwig
Hunter is excited to be on double duty for Scrooge, taking on the role of Fezziwig in addition to being the Assistant Stage Manager. By day, Hunter works as the lead carpenter at Matthews Playhouse where he builds the sets that audiences see on stage in our shows. By night, he is in rehearsals at Matthews Playhouse either as the Assistant Stage Manager or as a cast member! In his free time, he enjoys crossword puzzles, superhero movies, and completing puzzles without looking at the reference picture. His previous shows include “Mamma Mia” at Matthews Playhouse and “Ribs” on Zoom, “Pride and Prejudice”, “The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui”, and “Blood Wedding” at Westmont College.
Evan Hamula- Harry/Young Scrooge
Evan is a senior at Cuthbertson High School who enjoys filming, acting, and singing. He is originally from Utah and has 4 siblings. Some of Evan’s previous shows include “Frankenstein’s Creature”, “Once Upon A Mattress” and “Anne of Green Gables” at Cuthbertson High School and “Anne Frank and Me”, “The Jungle Book”, and “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” at Matthews Playhouse. When he isn’t performing, he can be found playing golf, swimming, and playing basketball.
Fausto Scaldaferri- Ensemble
Fausto is thrilled to be in his fifth show at Matthews Playhouse! A 9th grader at South Meck, Fausto can speak 3 languages and enjoys acting, modular buildings, and collecting figures. Audiences may recognize Fausto from his previous roles in “Pinocchio”, “The Adventures of Madeline”, and “Miracle on 34th Street” at Matthews Playhouse, and “Shrek”, “The Little Mermaid”, and “Guys and Dolls” at Random Farms.
Geof Knight- Ebenezer Scrooge
Geof has been part of many great shows in the region including The Sound of Music (Capt. Von Trapp), The Music Man (Prof. Harold Hill), Beauty & The Beast (Gaston), Shrek (Lord Farquaad...twice!), It's A Wonderful Life (George Bailey..twice!), Oliver! (Fagin), Million Dollar Quartet (Sam Phillips), Big River (The Duke), and Peter & The Starcatcher (Black Stache). His 29-year broadcasting career has all been here in Charlotte on 96.9 The Kat where he is part of the Paul Schadt & Sarah Lee Morning Show. In 2014 he and Paul were named Radio Personalities of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. He would like to thank Paula, Harrison, Jessie, Sarah and the rest of the Matthews Playhouse team for letting him come and play once again. Much love to wife Ashley, and daughters Lauryn, Kaitlyn and Susan.
Jeff Powell- Ghost of Christmas Present
Working as IT Support at Travelers Insurance, Jeff is the last reigning Mr. Stumptown, crowned in 1994 and is fluent in Alfalfa language. His first stage show ever was in “The Music Man” at Matthews Playhouse. Since then, his other Matthews Playhouse credits include “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “Bonnie and Clyde”, and “South Pacific”. When he is not performing, he can be found playing Virtual Reality games, shooting pool, and just chillin’ on his back deck which he calls “The Oasis”.
Instagram: @jeff_powell75
Larry Webster- Butcher/Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come
Larry was born and raised in the San Francisco bay area. He attended college at Boston University on a basketball scholarship and hitchhiked through western Europe one summer while in college. On one of his nights in Europe, he even had dinner in Buckingham Palace! He worked for 30 years in technology sales (hardware and software) and moved to Matthews 6 years ago. He is married with two children, Dana (29) and Nick (24) both of who live on the west coast. In 2017, his wife Lynda signed him up to audition at Matthews Playhouse for the Christmas play, It's a Wonderful Life. He was cast in the role of H.T. Potter (the bad guy), fell in love with the theater and has since done four more plays at Matthew Playhouse.
Leo Walton- Tiny Tim
Leo Walton is excited to play the role of Tiny Tim! A fourth grader at Shamrock Gardens Elementary School, Leo always wanted to be an actor. As a little boy, he loved to dress up and play the roles of his favorite book characters. He loves to run track, especially middle distance races, such as the 800 and 1 mile. Leo loves music. Currently, he is exploring the world of modern hip hop, much to his mother’s chagrin. Leo was chosen as a member of the Junior Council for the news magazine ‘The Week Junior’ and appeared on an episode of Good Morning America last year. He has most recently been seen on stage at Matthews Playhouse in “Princess Fearless”. His other previous shows include “Matilda” for a summer camp at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, and “Peter Rabbit” as part of Matthews Playhouse’s School of Theatre.
Lilly Mooney- Belinda Cratchit
Lilly Mooney will be playing the role of Belinda Cratchit in Scrooge! The Musical. Lilly is a highschool senior who is finishing her education online. She works as a babysitter and spends her free time watching Glee, scrapbooking, and listening to music. Her favorite artists are Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers. Some of Lilly’s past shows include “Singin’ In The Rain”, “Robin Hood” and “The Tempest”, and “The Adventures of Madeline”, “The Lion King” and more at Matthews Playhouse!
Lina Zierler- Ebby/Ensemble
Lina Zierler is excited to be in Scrooge! The Musical. A 6th grader at South Charlotte Middle School, Lina enjoys boating, fishing, and hanging out with her two bunnies named Michael Scott and Kevin Malone. She has most recently been seen in “Princess Fearless” at Matthews Playhouse as well as in past Matthews Playhouse School of Theater productions including “E-I-E-I Oops” and “Babe the Sheep Pig”. When she isn’t performing, she can also be found playing accordion for fun and growing her own hot peppers!
Lisa Ulanow- Jocelyn Jollygoode/Topper/Ensemble
A retired accountant, Lisa graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama. She grew up in Washington, D.C. and moved to Charlotte 4 years ago. Lisa loves dogs and all things theatre. When not performing, she enjoys reading, playing mahjongg and creating macrame. Audiences may recognize her from her previous roles in “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” at Matthews Playhouse and “Alice In Wonderland” at the Old Courthouse Theatre.
Madeline Yara- Mrs. Fezziwig/Bess
A recent graduate from UNC Chapel Hill in Polymer Chemistry and Music, Madeline has just returned to the Charlotte Theatre scene. Most recently she was in Queen City Concerts’ TITANIC as Hitchens and is currently in MadElf productions’ WATER, INC as Demi (showing Nov. 17th-19th at the Charles Mack Citizen Center). Back in Chapel Hill she was a part of the award winning a cappella group the Tarpeggios, music directed FUN HOME with Company Carolina and performed in the Charanga Carolina Ensemble as their lead vocalist. In her free time she enjoys writing music both solo and with her rock band Ten Til Two!
Nathan Loring- Tom Jenkins
Nathan is very excited to be in his first show at Matthews Playhouse! An Emergency Advisor at Concentrix, Nathan has a BFA in Animation and would absolutely love to find a job where he could use those skills. Audiences may recognize him as one of the Trail Guides in the 2022 Haunted Trail at Matthews Playhouse. In addition to acting, he loves storytelling, drawing, playing video games, and being a general goofball. Instagram: @Werwolfnate
Nicoleta Cutitaru- Helen/Isabel
A 10th grader at Ardrey Kell High School, Nicoleta is really excited for the journey of being in her first production with Matthews Playhouse! Music has been part of her life since she was two years old and she has since loved being on stage and performing in front of people. She was born in Romania where she lived for 10 years and learned to speak Romanian fluently. She then lived in Las Vegas for four years before moving to Charlotte last year. When she isn’t performing, she loves going to the gym and hanging out with her friends and family. She is also a lover of the Christmas season and wishes it would snow in Charlotte every year! Her previous shows include “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Legacy Music and Theater Company, “Mary Poppins Jr. and “Little Shop of Horrors” at Spotlight. Instagram: @_.nicoleta_
Nora Yesowitch- Kathy Cratchit
Nora Yesowitch is so excited to be appearing in her first show at Matthews Playhouse. She has had such an amazing time working with the cast and crew. Active in theatre since the age of 7, she has played Moana in “Moana” and both Annie and Pepper in “Annie”. Her most favorite role was Merryweather the fairy in “Sleeping Beauty” at JStage Charlotte. Nora is in the 8th grade at Northwest School of the Arts and enjoys cooking and spending time with her pets. Her previous shows include “Annie” at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, “Once On This Island” at Northwest School of the Arts, and “Descendants”, “James and The Giant Peach”, “Moana”, and “Annie” at JStage Charlotte. She would like to thank her family and friends for their support and this fantastic cast for making her feel so welcome! Instagram: @curly.haired.human
Pamela Thorson- Director
Pamela is excited to direct at Matthews Playhouse for the first time. She was recently seen at Union County Playmakers in “Blithe Spirit” (Madame Arcati), in “Sense & Sensibility” (Mrs. Jennings) and “You Can’t Take It With You” (Mrs. Kirby) both at CPCC as well as “Dr. Rocket’s Last Day on Earth” at Belmont Abbey (Defense). Before her recent move to Charlotte, Pamela was active in South Florida theater acting in “Steel Magnolias,” “Look Homeward, Angel,” and “Misery,” among others. Pamela has also directed “Blithe Spirit” in Monroe, and “The Elephant Man,” “A Few Good Men,” “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and “A Chorus Line” all in South Florida. She has also written and performed one-woman shows about First Ladies. Pamela has a BFA in Theatre Arts from Drake University. She is grateful every day for her wonderful family.
Rosemary Godshall- Ensemble
Rosemary is thrilled to be in her first mainstage production at Matthews Playhouse! A 3rd grader at Antioch, Rosemary loves to write stories and songs. She takes musical theatre classes at Matthews Playhouse, which she loves! In her free time, she loves to play basketball, make art, play D&D with her family and hang out with her dog, cat, and 4 chickens. She has previously been seen in the Matthews Playhouse School of Theatre production of “Peter Rabbit”.
Sarah Baumgardner- Ghost of Christmas Past
Sarah is our very own Executive Director here at Matthews Playhouse where she is lovingly referred to as the “Chief Plate Spinner”. Originally from Pennsylvania, she has lived in Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio, and now North Carolina. She has traveled throughout Europe singing with the National Honors Choir and has performed with the New York Philharmonic. In addition to singing, she plays 5 instruments and enjoys crafting, art, sewing, and going to museums, where she is the person who reads every single sign. She loves spending time with her family, going to the beach, and traveling (she wishes she had more time to explore!). Sarah has music directed “The Rainbow Fish”, “101 Dalmatians”, “The Music Man”, “Oklahoma Jr.”, and “Honk Jr.”. She has also performed extensively in choir, concerts and on stage. Some of her favorite roles have been in the casts of “Grease”, “South Pacific”, “Damn Yankees”, “Guys and Dolls”, “Marriage of Figaro”, and “Cosi fan Tutte”. Instagram: @sarahjaneinspires
Shelby Annas- Mrs. Cratchit
Shelby works in Ambulatory Education and Training at Novant and is very excited to be back in another Christmas show at Matthews Playhouse! Her first job ever was as an apprentice at Matthews Playhouse’s summer camps. Since then, she has been seen in “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Rainbow Fish Musical” at Matthews Playhouse. She took a brief 14 year hiatus between her first theatre production and her second, but has been very present in Charlotte theater since coming back. Some interesting facts about Shelby are that she can wiggle her ears and she likes to ride motorcycles! Other theatre credits include “Almost, Maine” at CPCC, “Big Fish” at Rock Hill Theater, “Blithe Spirit” with Union County Playmakers, and “Titanic the Musical” with Queen City Concerts. When she isn’t performing, she enjoys photography (specifically theater headshots), baking, and collecting posters from Broadway shows on tour. Instagram: @shelbellepaige
Sydney Montagna- Youth Ensemble
An 8th grader at Crestdale Middle School, Sydney has been at Matthews Playhouse since she was in the second grade. She enjoys playing volleyball and being in musicals. Audiences may recognize her from “Lion King Jr.”, “101 Dalmatians”, “The Rainbow Fish Musical”, “Oklahoma Jr.”, and “Miracle on 34th Street” at Matthews Playhouse, and “Frozen Jr.” at Ballantyne Arts.
Tatum Moxley- Jen/Ensemble
A ninth grader at Charlotte Country Day School, Tatum enjoys baking, singing, gardening and binge watching Grey's Anatomy in her spare time. Last seen on the Fullwood stage in “The Rainbow Fish”, Tatum is very excited to be in another show at Matthews Playhouse! Some of her other previous credits include "Sleepy Hollow" and "Shrek the Musical" at CCDS, "Into the Woods" at Acting Out Studios, and “Annie” at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.
Tyla Montagna- Youth Ensemble
A 6th grader at Crestdale Middle School, Tyla is the middle child in her family and enjoys math, volleyball, and flag football. Her other passions include acting, singing, and dancing; all of which she practices in her School of Theater classes at Matthews Playhouse. Her previous credits include “Frozen Jr.” and “Oklahoma Jr.”
Walker Cooney- Martha Cratchit
Walker is a 10th grader at Central Academy of Technology and the Arts who loves to draw and design; her favorites are fantasy creatures. She has designed the playbill art for 2 of her high school performances. Walker loves all kinds of animals and has had guinea pigs, bearded dragons, corn snakes, and rats as pets. She enjoys Jurassic Park, Marvel, and the Office. Her car is even named Dwight! In her spare time, she enjoys hiking the US National Parks and listening to Musical soundtracks. Her previous shows include “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “Little Women”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and “Heathers” at CATA. Instagram: @walk.ercooney
Tickets for "Scrooge" are on sale NOW and selling fast. Be sure to get yours early. Click here to visit our website for ticket information. You can also call (704) 846-8343 during business hours or email contact@matthewsplayhouse.com
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