EVITA

Alfonso Annotto (Hair & Makeup Designer) Broadway: Wicked with Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Joel Grey and Megan Hilty; Into The Woods Revival with Vanessa Williams, Victor/Victoria with Julie Andrews, Liza Minelli and Racquel Welch; Copenhagen; Spelling Bee; Putting It Together with Carol Burnett and Kathy Lee Gifford; My Favorite Year, The Phantom Of The Opera; Jerome Robbins Broadway; Les Miserables; Miss Saigon; The Scarlet Pimpernel; London: Wicked Design Assoc. Apollo Victoria Theatre. Off Broadway: Shout The Mod Musical; I Will Come Back; Putting It Together with Julie Andrews. REV: South Pacific; Parade; Grand Hotel; Grease; Beehive; Anne of Green Gables; Holiday Inn; Mamma Mia; Guys and Dolls; Best Little Whorehouse; Ghost; Treasure Island; Loch Ness, assoc.; From Here To Eternity (North American Premiere); Catch Me If You Can; State Fair; Hunchback of Notre Dame; 42nd Street; Footloose; Almost Heaven; Parade; Buddy, the Buddy Holly Story.

Morgan Benford (Assistant Stage Manager) is happy to be participating in her third production at The REV as an Assistant Stage Manager. Morgan received her BFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro December 2021. Morgan’s other recent credits include: Ain’t Misbehavin’ (ASM Intern) and State Fair (ASM Intern) at The REV; For Colored Boyz (PSM) at Theatre Row; The Julies (PSM) and The World On A Hill (PDM) at University of North Carolina at Greensboro;  A Christmas Carol (ASM) at Triad Stage. Please continue to follow Morgan’s theatre journey on Instagram @stageswithmorgan. She would like to thank her mother and family for their continued support. 

Milo Bue (Associate Scenic Designer) is excited to be working with The REV. He is a Chicago-based Scenic Designer currently pursuing his MFA in the graduate stage design program at Northwestern University. His Chicago design credits include: Indecent and The Revolutionists at Northwestern University; The Moors at A Red Orchid; Wolf at the End of the Block at Teatro Vista; Spamilton at Forbidden Broadway; Pinocchio at Neverbird/Chicago Children Theatre; and Franklinland at Jackalope Theatre. Associate design credits include Beauty and the Beast atParamount Theatre; The King’s Speech (Tour); The Prince of Egypt at Dominion Theatre London. He has assisted on productions at Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre and many others.

Brian Cimmet (Musical Director) Broadway/Tours: Mary Poppins, Drowsy Chaperone, Grease, Tommy, Promises, Promises, Kiss of the Spider Woman; Off-Broadway: I Love You Because (also the cast album), Newsical, The Tin Pan Alley Rag; Regional: Grand Hotel and Catch Me If You Can (The REV); multiple seasons at Syracuse Stage, Maine State Music Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, and more. Composer: Absolutely Anything, Spirit of Reindeer, Burn This, Stop Kiss, So Basically. Elsewhere: Faculty, Syracuse University. Other: In a world entirely unrelated to theater, Brian is the co-creator and co-host of Lollapuzzoola (an annual crossword puzzle tournament), co-host of Fill Me In (a weekly crossword podcast), and a contributor to several puzzle books. www.bemoresmarter.com

Cedric Dodd (Associate Choreographer) received his BFA in Dance Theatre from AMDA, LA. He is a faculty member at Millennium Dance Complex and AMDA, LA. Assistant Choreographer credits include: Light As A Feather (HULU) and the pilot episode of Winning Time (HBO). He is also the Assistant Director/Choreographer for Rudolph…The National Tour. Cedric is currently working as the Assistant Choreographer to Dominique Kelley for The Great Gatsby that will be premiering at Paper Mill Playhouse this coming fall. He is represented by CESD. IG: @cedricdodd_

Kevin Gregory Dwyer* (Assistant Stage Manager) Thrilled to return to the theater with his The REV debut! National Tours: The Book of Mormon. Chicago: An American in Paris, Disney and Cameron Macintosh’s Mary Poppins, The Color Purple, And Then There Were None, Matilda, Mamma Mia!, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Little Shop of Horrors at Drury Lane Theatre; Macbeth, Q Brothers Christmas Carol, Madagascar, King Charles III, and Othello at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; This Is Our Youth and Lord of the Flies at Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Dutchman/TRANSit at American Blues Theater. Boston: The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Coriolanus at Commonwealth Shakespeare Company; Betrayal, Private Lives, and Captors at Huntington Theatre Company. Mr. Dwyer received his BA in Stage/Production Management from Emerson College and is a proud AEA Member.

Alex Gutierrez (Assistant Musical Director) is a pianist, conductor, and music director based in Ithaca, NY. He is thrilled to be returning to The REV for the third year! In May of 2023 he graduated with a Masters of Music in Conducting from Ithaca College. He also holds a B.M. in Music Education from Ithaca College. Previous REV credits include: Footloose, Catch Me If You Can, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Assistant Musical Director). Other credits include: RENT, Fun Home, & Into the Woods (Associate Music Director) at Ithaca College; The Bridges of Madison County and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Music Director/Conductor) at Ithaca College; Kinky Boots – Regional Premiere (Keyboard 2/Keyboard Programmer) at Hangar Theatre.

Kelly Hardy* (Production Stage Manager) REV debut! Broadway: Anastasia, The Real Thing. New York: 2nd Stage, Fiasco Theatre, Lincoln Center – LCT3, The Public, Vineyard Theatre, Red Bull Theatre, NYMF, Theatre for a New Audience, Working Theatre, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, The Actors Company Theatre. Regional: Hartford Stage, The Huntington, Goodspeed Opera House, Trinity Repertory Company, Long Wharf Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, New York Stage and Film, The Public Theatre, North Coast Rep, Bard SummerScape, Bucks County Playhouse. International: Royal College of Music, London; Shakespeare’s Globe, London. Education: UC San Diego.

Tiffany Howard, MFA (Costume Designer) is living the dream as the Resident Designer and Costume Shop Manager at The REV. After teaching college for a number of years, Tiffany transitioned into professional costume design. She has been with The REV since 2008 where some of her favorite costume designs include: Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Holiday Inn, Mamma Mia!, Saturday Night Fever, South Pacific, Catch Me If You Can, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Beehive, among many others. During the school year, Tiffany works with The REV Education Department bringing theatre into the lives of students across the state. In addition, Tiffany has taught workshops and seminars, and designed for various colleges and theatres in the area. All love to my ballast, Geoff. TiffanyHowarddesigns.wordpress.com

Jeff Kmiec† (Scenic Designer) is an award-winning Theatrical Production Designer based in Chicago, with a career spanning across the United States and Europe. Jeffrey holds an MFA from the University of Virginia and a BA from Illinois State University. He is also a member of USA 829. For a comprehensive look at Jeffrey’s portfolio and further details about his work, please visit jeffreydkmiec.com.

Andrew Lloyd Webber (Music) has composed the scores of some of the world’s most famous musicals. From Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969) to Cinderella (2021), his work has been consistently seen on world stages. Before the COVID pandemic hit, Lloyd Webber had shows continually running in the West End for 48 years and on Broadway for 41. When Sunset Boulevard joined School Of Rock, CATS and The Phantom Of the Opera, he equalled Rodgers & Hammerstein’s record of four shows running simultaneously on Broadway. He is one of the select group of artists with EGOT status, having received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards. Lloyd Webber owns seven London theatres, including the iconic London Palladium and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Over the past three years the latter has been completely restored and renovated at a cost of over £60 million. It is one of the biggest projects ever undertaken by a private theatre owner in recent times. His mantra that every penny of profit made from his theatres is ploughed back into the buildings has meant that considerable work has been undertaken across his theatre portfolio during the pandemic, including the complete remodelling and reseating of the Gillian Lynne. Lloyd Webber is passionate about the importance of musical education and diversity in the arts. The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation provides 30 performing arts scholarships every year for talented students with financial need and supports a range of projects such as the Music In Secondary School Trust and commissioning research into diversity in theatre. Andrew Lloyd Webber was knighted in 1992 and created an honorary life peer in 1997. To mark his 70th birthday, his bestselling autobiography Unmasked was published by Harper Collins in March 2018.

John Lacson Malley (Stage Management Intern) is thrilled to be joining The REV for the first time! They are currently an undergraduate student at Florida State University. Previous credits include: A Streetcar Named Desire (Opera, ASM), Sweet Charity (ASM), & Last Stop on Market Street (ASM) at FSU. Upcoming credits include: Into the Woods (SM Intern) at The REV; Imogen Says Nothing (ASM) and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (SM) at FSU. They would like to thank Casey Sammarco for her mentorship, their fellow FSU SMs for their guidance and support, and the entire Evita team for their incredible work!

Elle-May Patterson (Choreographer) Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Elle has been dancing since the age of 4. Having performed professionally throughout Australia, Asia, Europe and the U.S., Elle is excited and grateful to be stepping into this new creative endeavor as Choreographer of Evita. Most recently, Elle was the Dance Captain of the First Broadway National Tour of The Spongebob Musical. You may have spotted her in past shows at The REV like, Mamma Mia!, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Grand Hotel and, most recently, Catch Me If You Can. Elle is so grateful to be back in her second home, creating and doing what she loves most. Endless gratitude to Brett for his trust and thoughtful guidance.

Tim Rice (Lyrics) has worked in music, theatre, and films since 1965 when he met Andrew Lloyd Webber, a fellow struggling songwriter. Rather than pursue Tim’s ambitions to write rock or pop songs they turned their attention to Andrew’s obsession – musical theatre. Their first collaboration was based on the life of Dr. Thomas Barnardo, the Victorian philanthropist, The Likes of Us. Their next three works together were much more successful – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. Tim has since worked with other distinguished popular composers such as Elton John (The Lion King, Aida), Alan Menken (Aladdin, King David, Beauty and the Beast), Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (Chess), and Stuart Brayson (From Here to Eternity). He has also written with Freddie Mercury, Burt Bacharach and Rick Wakeman among others. Tim founded his own cricket team in 1973, which has now played over 750 matches, and was president of MCC, founded in 1789, in 2002. He crops up here and there in all branches of the media, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the history of popular music. As an EGOT, he is one of only 17 people in the world to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award, was knighted by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1994, and is the proud owner of a boxer dog and two dozen chickens.

José Santiago† (Lighting Designer) is a New York City based Lighting Designer. His work has been seen at Chicago Opera, The Paramount Theatre (Aurora, IL), Center REP, Bristol Riverside Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, Theatre by the Sea, Bay Street Theatre, Gretna Playhouse, The Gateway, The Wick Theatre, Guild Hall, Penobscot Theatre, 5 Star Theatricals, Slow Burn Theatre, Gulfshore Playhouse. He received his MFA in Lighting Design from Florida State University. Proud member of USA829 and represented by Michael Moore Agency. www.jsantiagodesign.com 

Sam Silva (Sound Designer) An award-winning Sound Designer, Sam hails from Pittsburgh, PA.  He has worked in many capacities within the theatrical audio world, including A1, A2, Associate Sound Design, and Sound Design. Recent Sound Design credits include Million Dollar Quartet (Apex Touring); Kinky Boots and Cinderella at Theatre By The Sea; Hairspray at The Argyle; Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Gateway Playhouse; Fiddler On the Roof, Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, Chicago, and Man Of La Mancha at The Barn Theatre; The Seafarer, Taking Steps, The Marvelous Wonderettes at Greenbrier Valley Theatre. Recent Associate Sound Design credits include National Tour of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and the 2020 National Tour of Finding Neverland.  He also served as the head audio engineer on a two and a half year international touring production of The Wizard of Oz (Apex Touring), bringing the show to five different countries. Other Tour Credits: Smokey Joe’s Cafe (A2), Million Dollar Quartet (A2), and Pippin (A2) with Apex Touring. He received his Bachelors of Arts in Theatre from California University of Pennsylvania in 2012. Special Thanks to his wife Liz, and his family (blood and extended) for putting up with his antics over the years. He really likes pie but not cake. Enjoy the show!

Brett Smock** (Producing Artistic Director/Director) was born in Kailua, Hawaii, the son of a US diplomat. Brett spent his first 17 years living overseas before landing in Washington DC, where he received his BA in Theatre from The American University. He began his tenure here as a dancer in the 1992 season, and by 1996, had become a resident director/choreographer. In 2012, Brett became the General Manager/Associate Artistic Director and in 2014, assumed the title of Producing Artistic Director. Brett’s Director/Choreographer credits span over 100 national and international productions. REV highlights: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (2022), 42nd Street (2021), Grand Hotel (2019), Mamma Mia! (2018), Parade (2017), The Light In The Piazza (2015/Regional Premiere), Saturday Night Fever (2015 World Premiere), Treasure Island (REV 2016/Arkansas Rep 2013 Regional Premieres), Cabaret (2012). Additional highlights include The Mudge Boy (with Donna McKechnie and Sally Mayes); first European tour of Guys and Dolls; and with Stephen Sondheim’s blessing, a new version of Putting It Together at the Emelin Theatre. Producer/director/choreographer for the North American premiere of Tim Rice’s From Here To Eternity (Pre-Broadway/REV/2016 & Ogunquit Playhouse/2017). Adjunct faculty member at many colleges and universities. Actor’s Equity Association (AEA), The Dramatists Guild (DG), the National Alliance of Musical Theatre (NAMT) & the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). Brett lives in Auburn, NY & NYC.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
**Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
† Member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829

Robert Bridge (Percussion) is a Professor of Music at Onondaga Community College and adjunct faculty at Lemoyne College and Syracuse University.​ He also performs regularly in the Syracuse area including performances with the Society for New Music and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and can be heard on commercial recordings of both groups. He is an artist endorser for Yamaha Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, and Innovative Percussion mallets and sticks. He has enjoyed playing a variety of shows at The REV. Some favorites include Always Patsy Cline; Mama Mia!; Working; and 42nd Street. He is also incredibly proud to have been part of The REV Concert in 2020. 

Michael Caporizzo (Guitar) is an educator, audio engineer, and guitarist who sustains a diverse and rewarding career in music. He is an Associate Professor and is the director of the Sound Recording Technology program at the Ithaca College School of Music Theatre and Dance. Michael holds a Bachelors degree in Sound Recording Technology and a Masters in Music Performance from Ithaca College, and he has been on faculty at the College since 2013. He has engineered and produced records across a wide range of musical styles. Mike is an active live sound engineer, recording engineer, and musician who can frequently be found performing in the central NY region. He is excited to return to The REV for Evita. Previous REV productions include Catch Me If You Can, Mamma Mia, Saturday Night Fever, Cats, Legally Blonde, Altar Boyz, and Hairspray.

Pat Carney (Trumpet) is happy to be returning to The REV orchestra, after his performance in Catch Me If You Can in 2022. In addition to The REV, he has participated over the last 20 years at Syracuse Stage and the Syracuse University Drama departments, performing in the pit orchestra of many of their musicals. Some of these include, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, A Chorus Line, Into the Woods, Peter Pan and Elf. Pat has also played national tours in Syracuse and Rochester which include Wicked, Matilda, Motown, Beautiful, Chicago, and The Book of Mormon. As well as musical theatre, he has played lead trumpet  with Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Barry Manilow, the Temptations, the Manhattan Transfer, Frankie Vallie, and Bernadette Peters.

Michael Fittipaldi (Bass) is excited to be a part of The REV’s 2023 season! Some of his favorite productions here include: Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story, The Full Monty, Altar Boyz, A Light in the Piazza, Million Dollar Quartet, and 42nd Street. Michael is a member of the Albany Symphony and performs regularly with the RPO and Symphoria. Many thanks to the amazing staff and crew for always making The REV a great place to be!

James R. Spadafore (Woodwinds) As a freelance musician, James has performed with the likes of Marvin Hamlisch, Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra Jr., Ben Vereen, Bob Hope, Petula Clark, The Fifth Dimension, The Spinners, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Four Tops, and The Temptations. As a pit musician, Mr. Spadafore has performed with the national touring companies of City of Angels, The King and I, A Chorus Line, Peter Pan, Big, Chicago, The Producers, Hairspray, Spamalot, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Phantom of the Opera, Beautiful:The Carole King Musical, Motown the Musical and, most recently, the Lincoln Center tour of My Fair Lady. Mr. Spadafore is currently a member of the “Stan Colella Orchestra,” the “Hard Promise” Horn Section and for the pit orchestra at Syracuse Stage and Syracuse Drama. Jim resides in Liverpool, N.Y. 

Sonya Stith Williams (Violin) is a diverse violinist equally at home in the orchestra, chamber music concerts, solo work, musical theatre band member, and as an educator. She was a member of the Syracuse Symphony for ten years and became an active member of the transformation of that organization into Symphoria. She currently serves as Symphoria’s associate concertmaster. She has also soloed with Symphoria and served as their concertmaster. She has played many chamber concerts as a member of the Finger Lakes Piano Trio, and has been a part of other chamber groups such as the Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music, the Skaneateles Festival, the Society for New Music and summer chamber festivals. She enjoys playing musicals here at The REV and with Syracuse Stage productions. She also teaches at LeMoyne College and SUNY Oswego and spends her free time on her play-farm with gardens and animals that she shares with her husband and three kids.