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Cast | Guys & Dolls
James Byous
SKY MASTERSON
At 17 James Byous moved to Los Angeles to attend acting school but he really just wanted to be in a rock band. He played every street corner, open mic, and pay-to-play venue up and down the strip in Hollywood until his fingers bled and his neighbors called the cops. After graduating acting school and auditioning for a couple commercials James decided to focus on music for the next couple years. He couch surfed, hitch-hiked, busked, lived in a van, and generally lived hand to mouth. After trying out for a For The Record show, James became a staple of the LA musical theater scene and performed as various iconic movie characters all over the country at casinos, nightclubs, theaters, and cruise ships. After a year at sea, he hitchhiked across the country with his guitar and worked for a year at a drug rehabilitation center helping addicts to recover sobriety. James was one of the leads of the 2018 Netflix original series “Westside.” His original Rock Opera “Jimi Darkness: Alcoholic Superhero” is his foray into writing musicals.
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Elizabeth Eden
SARAH BROWN
is thrilled to make her Altadena Music Theatre debut in this dream role. Elizabeth has traveled the world performing in grandiose concert venues and on the high seas. Favorite stage credits include Maria in Sound of Music (Highlands LA), Ulla in The Producers, Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins (GCT), Ragtime, Little Mermaid, My Fair Lady (MTW) and Les Miserables (La Mirada) to name a few. Follow @princesslizzie for more. Love to her family & FSE Talent. For Maddie.
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Justin Anthony Long *
NATHAN DETROIT
Margaret Spirito*
MISS ADELAIDE
is an award winning writer & performer. Some credits include Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys (The Maltz Jupiter), Malcolm in The Full Monty (Transcendence), Max/Pepe in Mutt House (The Kirk Douglas/CTG), Joseph in Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (3-D Theatricals), Bert in Mary Poppins (MPAC), Donny Osmond/Brooke Shields in For the Love of a Glove (Carl Sagan/Ann Druyan), The Jock in For the Record: the Brat Pack (NCL), Pennywise/Bill in IT (Rockwell Musical Parodies), and a featured role in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Justin co-wrote and co-starred in the hit musical web-series City of Dreams and wrote the Broadway-bound musical, Big Ass Secret. His writing work has been recognized by The Tribeca Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, LiveReadLA/WriteLA, ASCAP/DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop, Forestburgh Playhouse, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Pasadena Writers Retreat, Austin Film Festival, Hollywood Short + Sweet, Sound Bites NYC, is published with Theatre Now and available for licensing from Music Theatre International. Justin is a proud member of AEA, ASCAP, & the Dramatists Guild. When he isn't performing or writing, Justin can usually be found enjoying a cortado, a good book, or visiting the Huntington Library Art Museum & Botanical Gardens. IG & TT: @justinanthonylong, www.JustinAnthonyLong.com
is elated to be back on the stage, in a dream role, after a short hiatus from live performance, where she spent a lot of time writing and getting recognized in screenwriting competitions such as Slamdance and The Austin Film Festival. She has been playing the role of a business owner over the last couple of years, helping to run the Pilates Studio at her husband’s business, Chiropractic Remedy, in Burbank, but is extremely eager to regularly be back on stage where she belongs! A born and bred Jersey girl, she is most well known in LA for her many performances in several of the infamous and missed FOR THE RECORD shows at the beloved and now closed, Rockwell Table and Stage, where critics pegged her as “A Tower of Power”. There, she also did several installments of her one woman show, THE SOUNDS OF DIRTY JERSEY, as well as the solo show, ONE YEAR LATER: A TRIBUTE TO AMY WINEHOUSE. A project she is most proud of is the creation of the short film, JERSEY (which can be found on YOUTUBE), that she produced and wrote, starring well known actress and comedian, Lisa Ann Walter. JERSEY was featured at several film festivals in the 2020 circuit, the famed female promoting La Femme International Film Festival, being one of them. Other favorite stage performances include the ‘06/’07 National Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and international productions of SHOUT, AND THE WORLD GOES ROUND, and TONY ‘N TINA’S WEDDING, as well as a stand out performance of Mary J Blige’s “I’m Going Down” in AMETUER NITE AT THE APOLLO. Margaret has a BA in Theater from Wagner College and is a proud member of Actors Equity Association and SAG/AFTRA. She is forever grateful to her voice teacher and friend, Peter Pergelides, and to her number one fans, her husband, Ryan, and fur babies, Buddha and Robbie. www.margaretspirito.com
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Jalen Friday
NICELY NICELY JOHNSON
is thrilled to return to Altadena Music Theatre, where he first appeared in the inaugural production of Hair!!!. A graduate of Los Angeles College of Music with a Bachelor in Music, Jalen’s past credits include HBOh No It’s A Musical, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Once On This Island. When not on stage, he performs around LA with his cover band, Blondonna. Jalen is deeply grateful to his family and friends for their support, and sends a special thanks to his idol, Tituss Burgess, for constant inspiration. Follow him on all platforms @jalenfriday.
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Robert Manion
BENNY SOUTHSTREET
Robert is best known for his work with Team StarKid, including Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier, Black Friday, Homecoming, and originating the role of Professor Hidgens in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. In Los Angeles, he performed as Moritz Stiefel in Spring Awakening and appeared in Stranger Things 2: A Musical Parody at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. His film and television credits include Man Under Table, Nineteen on Fire, The Time of Our Lives, Noirhouse, Royalties, and Promising. Robert has also provided voice performances for the animated children’s series Fanshaw and Crudnut, and popular YouTube channels HISHE and OnlyLeigh.
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Scott Van Tuyl
BIG JULE
is thrilled to return to the theatre as Big Jule. He played Nathan Detroit in a high school production many moons ago. Other stage favorites include The Sound of Music Asian Tour, 1776, Why We Shot John, Accomplice and Emma's Child. Thanks and love to Melanie, kids and grandkids for their incredible support.
Brian Drummy
HARRY THE HORSE
is an actor and educator from Orange County, California. He is the Theatre Director of La Salle College Preparatory (our fall musical, Oklahoma!, opens this November!), and is on the theater faculty at the California State Summer School of the Arts. In previous lives, he was an international chorus kid, a fine-dining restaurant server, and an off-broadway theater intern. He’s been in three productions of Guy and Dolls, all over twenty years ago. He is thrilled to be making his Altadena Music Theater debut! Education: The Orange County School of the Arts (HS), Chapman University (BFA), CalArts (MFA), Crash Acting. Instagram: @brimaddrum. For MGM.
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Cesario Perez
ARVIDE ABERNATHY
actor/singer, has appeared in “Luck” for HBO, “1000 Ways to Die” for Spike TV, “I didn’t know I was pregnant” for TLC, along with ads for LA 511, Amtrak, Beringer Winery and others. He has appeared as a supernumerary for L.A.Opera and as the narrator for Pasadena Ballet’s “A Christmas Carol.” As a singer, Cesareo has performed with Long Beach Opera, Opera Pasadena, Opera a la Carte, Euterpe Opera, Pasadena Pro Musica, the Roger Wagner Chorale and numerous other musical organizations. Cesáreo is a long-time member of the choir at Neighborhood UU Church. This is his debut with Altadena Musical Theater.
Will Kohlschrieber
LT BRANNIGAN
is thrilled to be joining Altadena Music Theater for the first time, and to be bathing himself again in the lush sounds of Guys and Dolls. Will originally played the role of Sky Masterson as a junior at Apple Valley High School. More recent regional credits include Cabaret and Kiss Me Kate. But Will may be more familiar to audiences for his work as a longtime traffic and news reporter on local LA area radio and TV stations, including NBC4 and FOX11. He is currently heard on legendary radio station KFI AM 640, serving as the station’s “KFI in the Sky” traffic reporter.
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Benita Scheckel
GENERAL CARTWRIGHT
is a native Angeleno, actress, singer, playwright and arts educator. She got her start doing musical improvisation at the Ice House in Pasadena and toured nationally with the Gilbert and Sullivan opera company, Opera a la Carte. Benita has been a featured guest star on several television series including Miracles and Close to Home however, she is best known for voicing the character of Lacie in Disney's hit animated series, Phineas and Ferb.Benita co-wrote Bend in the Road, The Anne of Green Gables Musical that was featured in the New Musical Festival in NYC in 2013. Benita is lucky to share her life with her Caltech seismic analyst, Dominic Scheckel and her beautiful, amazing, wonderful artistic children, musician, Wolfgang and visual artist, Anna and she is super grateful to be sharing the stage with these incredibly talented humans. Benita is proud to serve the Hacienda La Puente Unified SchoolDistrict as their Coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts.
Zach Macdonald
RUSTY CHARLIE
Zach is thrilled to be making his debut with Altadena Music Theater as Rusty Charlie in Guys and Dolls. Having received formative training at AMDA College and Conservatory and The Mercersburg Academy, he credits his mentors and educators for instilling in him the skills and passion necessary for his craft. Recent credits include Fyedka in VOPA’s "Fiddler on the Roof” and Pantalone in "Two Trusty Notaries", experiences that have enriched his artistic growth. Most Recently, his portrayal of The Grinch at Universal Studios Hollywood was one of his most enriching roles to date and he enjoyed the opportunity to connect with audiences in a unique and memorable way, as he hopes to do here at Altadena. Zach would like to extend his heartfelt thanks to his family, friends, roommates and mentors whose unwavering support and guidance have been the cornerstone of his journey.
Scarlet Sheappard
Mimi/Hot Box
is a familiar face at Altadena Music Theatre. She played Crissy in both the ‘22 & ‘23 productions of Hair and served as dialect coach, assistant producer and Emcee understudy for Cabaret. She also teaches acting for the AMT Kids Camps! Other musical theatre credits: Putnam County Spelling Bee (Marcy,) Once Upon A Mattress (Winnifred,) and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Little Voice.) You may recognize Scarlet from her roles in dozens of viral sketches with The Warp Zone, Buzzfeed and more!
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Abby Loucks
Agatha/Hot Box
is a dancer, singer, and actor represented by Go2Talent and is currently residing in Los Angeles. After playing Helga the Kit Kat Girl in last year’s production of Cabaret, she could not be more excited to be returning to Altadena Music Theater! She graduated from the California School of the Arts SGV, training in both the Classical and Commercial Dance Conservatories. Along with her dance training, she has been involved in a variety of musicals including Newsies, In the Heights, Urinetown, and Chicago. She is currently working as a dancer at Disneyland in Anaheim, and has also worked with numerous dance companies and live events. Abby is a well-rounded and versatile performer and is excited to continue her professional journey.
Kasey Hentz
Hot Box
Kasey Hentz is a performer from Phoenix, Arizona and is so excited to be a part of Altadena Music Theatre’s production of Guys & Dolls here in California! Some of her favorite credits include Drowsy Chaperone (Ensemble) at AMDA Blackbox, Little Women (Beth Understudy) at Cosmo Theatre, and The Circus (Showgirl) at Kimberly Lewis School of Dance. She recently graduated with her BFA in Musical Theatre from The American Musical And Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles. She can’t wait to pursue this career forever!
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Courtney Macmillan
Hot Box
is ecstatic to join Altadena Music Theater for the first time! Courtney started dancing at the age of four and quickly fell in love. She started choreographing her own solos early on, but got her start choreographing for her middle school show choir. After high school, she left her hometown of Colorado Springs, CO., and joined the Young Americans College of the Performing Arts where she had the opportunity to travel and teach music all over the U.S., Europe, the U.K., Asia, Australia and South Africa. In 2019, Courtney went back to school at Midland University to get her degree in Arts Management with an emphasis in Theater Performance. Credits include Bright Star (Margo), Legally Blonde (Pilar), and Songs for a New World (choreographer). Shoutout to her family and friends (Mary, Scott, etc!) for all the love! Keep up with Courtney on Instagram @uwishuwereamac
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Leonel Ayala
Brandy Bottle Bates
Leo is excited to be making his Altadena Music Theater debut! Leo is a singer, dancer, actor, and choreographer located in Los Angeles. Leo found his love for performing at a very young age by setting up home concerts as a child. With the support of his family, he has been able to travel the world and perform on various stages and television shows. You can also find him performing at The Disneyland Resort in the Tomorrowland Dance Party! When not performing, Leo can be found teaching music and dance at 2 middle schools in the San Fernando Valley. Previous credits include: A Chorus Line (Mike), In the Heights (Piragüero), 9 to 5! (MTWest), Something Rotten (MTWest), Legally Blonde (Cupcake); TV: “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “Beijing’s Global Grand Gathering of Boys and Girls 2011,” “Cupcake Wars”, “America’s Got Talent”, and “The Voice.” Special thanks to my family and friends for their continued love and support. For Daniella, my guardian angel. Instagram: @LeoAyalaOfficial
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Sage Cabos
Liver Lips Louie
Sage Cobos is making his way back into performing and is honored to be a part of this cast. He recently finished performing RENT as Benny. Past roles include Eddy in Wild Party, Ernst in Cabaret, The Wreck in Wonderful Town, and many more. He graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Musical Theatre. He could only do this with the support of his family and friends who reassure him that they enjoy coming to his shows. @sageprosper_art
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Andrew Pantazis
The Greek
Andreas Pantazis (The Greek) making his debut with Altadena Music Theatre is excited to finally be doing Guys and Dolls as it is a bucket list show for him. He was just seen this year in Beauty and the Beast (Beast) with Nocturne Theatre and (Gaston) with Candlelight Pavilion/Inland Pacific Ballet. Other Credits: Les Miserables (Courfeyrac, u/s Marius) Regional Tour and (Enjolras) Center Stage Inc; Kiss Me Kate (Ensemble) Marina Del Rey Symphony; Young Frankenstein (Sasha/Quartet-Bass/Ensemble) San Gabriel Valley Music Theatre; Home For The Holidays (Santa/Ensemble) Knotts Berry Farm; Elf the Musical (Ensemble/u.s. Santa/Greenway) Sierra Repertory Theatre and Cinderella (Ensemble) 5 Star Theatricals. He’s grateful to finally work with Chris, Doug, Nikko, Sarah, Holy, the crew, and this amazing talented cast for putting together this great classic. Big thanks to his family and friends but also you for your continuous support of him and LA theater. Now sit back and enjoy some jazz with some gamblers!
Ig: Andreas.a.Pantazis
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Jacob Rushing
Scranton Slim
was introduced to musical Theatre through “Guys and Dolls” playing Big Jule in Middle School. Jacob has traveled the world and performed in Off-Broadway, China, the Philippines, Germany, Romania, and Hungary. Past Credits include: The Addams Family (Lucas Beineke), Peter Pan (Tootles/The Crocodile), The Music Man (Teen Dancer), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Chip Tolentino), Mary Poppins (Von Hussler/Dance Ensemble). He would like to thank all his Family and Friends for all being so supportive. IG: @jake_rushing
* Notes Member of Actors Equity Association
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