Cast, Musicians, and Crew for Chappaqua Performing Arts Center Shows - November 2022
John Krupa (Writer/Director/Executive Producer/ "Manager") - John began his life in music at around age 4 when his mother enrolled him in piano and music theory lessons (yes, it’s true). At Age 9 John landed his first starring role as the Captain in H.M.S. Pinafore. Fast forward through dozens of shows and several local acting awards… At age 19, John achieved national acclaim and several awards for his portrayal of Alan Strang in Equus. Just over a year later, John wrote and performed his first rock opera, Maybe, someday… to great reviews in eastern Pennsylvania. Following that, and with a degree in Music Composition and Theory (and a double major in bio-medical engineering) in hand, John left the theater for rock and roll, touring with several notable acts and performing as a session musician, all while writing and performing his own material. At age 24, John gave it all up to pursue a life of domestic bliss, his children being his greatest accomplishment in life. Today, John owns his own company in the music industry and performs with several great local cover bands. Choices is John’s long overdue return to music composition and the theater.
Mike Rosenman (Musical Director/Keyboards/Associate Producer) - Mike was born and raised in Southern Connecticut and was pounding on his grandma's piano by age 3. He wowed his kindergarten talent show by playing "My Country Tis Of Thee" with one finger. At age 7, his parents inflicted piano lessons on him and he learned how to use the other nine fingers (and a couple of feet as well). Mike's early musical influences include The Beatles (duh), Chicago, Keith Emerson and Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Billy Joel, Gershwin and Mussorgsky, Mantle and Maris. After swearing that he would never become a professional musician, he nonetheless lapsed into the world of bar bands, weddings and Atlantic City lounge acts. After 25 years of that, he left music for a while and began building a financial planning practice just as 9/11 happened. He's playing classic rock again with local band Group Therapy (featuring John Krupa), and is proud to be helping to create Choices with a band of super-talented musicians.
MiG Ayesa ("Singer") - MiG is a world-renowned singer, having performed in countless Broadway and West End productions including Burn the Floor, Rock of Ages, Buddy, We Will Rock You, Rent, Thriller Live, and Seasons of Larson — to name just a few. In addition to appearances in a variety of TV shows, MiG has appeared in the feature films Queen of the Damned and Subterano. He was also a finalist in the global hit TV show "Rockstar:INXS". Highly experienced in what it takes to put on amazing shows, MiG’s creativity and professionalism is exactly what makes him the perfect lead in Choices.
Ronnie DiMaria ("Roadie"/ Assistant Stage Manager) - Ronnie is a bass player and vocalist who has played with numerous bands within the Tri-state area for the past twenty years. He continues to play locally with cover band THE LUCKY BASTARDS (featuring both John Krupa and Tommy Vinton). Aside from his music background, Ronnie is also retired from the NYPD, where he worked at various assignments within the city, including the 44th Precinct, Bronx Task Force and Manhattan Gang Squad.
Tommy Vinton (Drums/Producer) - Tommy is an accomplished drummer who has been playing for over 40 years. His first taste of musicals was when he played drums/percussion for Guys and Dolls and South Pacific when he attended Stepinac High School in White Plains. He continued his musical career at Iona College in New Rochelle playing and recording with many successful local original bands. He then had his big break as the drummer for the legendary indie alternative iconic pop band TOO MUCH JOY. While juggling his day job, the band toured and found success with sold out shows at iconic venues and and heavy rotations on the radio and MTV. The band in later years also brought on Tony and Grammy winner, bass player William Wittman, who is also part of the Choices project. Over the last two years TOO MUCH JOY recently recorded new songs which will be released in 2022. Tommy has also recorded and played live with many legendary artists, including singer Cyndi Lauper and he continues to play with the cover band THE LUCKY BASTARDS (featuring both John Krupa & Ronnie DiMaria), and THE CROSSBONES BAND (featuring Joe “LJ” Leo). In addition to his musical career, Tommy is retired from the NYPD, having worked at various precincts in the Bronx including the 44th Precinct, the 50th Precinct, the Bronx Task Force and the Bronx Gang Squad. Tommy also has two grown children and resides in Scarsdale with his wife and their dog Moonie.
Nick Celio ("Bandmember 1") - Nick is making his onstage debut with axe in hand. A late bloomer in the music world, he began playing guitar at 18 and starting writing original music along with it. He recently started playing the piano and sings and writes in two original projects “Hindrense” and “Hindsight.” As co-owner of Westchester based music rehearsal space “Outraged Studios” he makes sure to stay close to and in touch with the local music scene. He’s excited to be part of such an awesome production and is grateful to be working beside such a talented group of individuals.
William "Bill" Wittman (Bass Guitar) - Bill is a Grammy winning, multi-platinum Producer/Engineer, Songwriter and Musician. William serves as the musical director and bass guitarist in the Cyndi Lauper band, and is a member of seminal alternative rock band Too Much Joy.
Joe Leo ("Bandmember 2") - Joe Leo can be seen on stage playing the part of band member 2. He is a 34 year old musician, singer/songwriter, and performer from Yonkers, NY. He is co-owner and operator of "Outraged Studios", a live music rehearsal community located in Hawthorne, NY. His musical influences range across a broad spectrum of entertainers such as Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, Mig Ayesa, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Guns N Roses, and too many more to list. He first picked up a guitar when he was 3 years old and began doing Elvis Impressions for his family. His Uncle Rob was always a big Elvis Fan, and he inspired Joe Leo at a young age. He enjoys playing guitar and singing in multiple cover band projects with his musical friends and brothers. He is also the Road Captain for the Outraged Motorcycle Club in Yonkers, NY.
Layla DaVias ("Girlfriend"/Producer) - Layla is no stranger to the stage. She has been singing since she was 7 years old. She made it to Hollywood on "American Idol" and was on National television for the reboot of "Star Search" making it to the semi finals. Layla works with various bands all over the globe. Layla is very excited to be a part of Choices and can’t wait for the world to see it.
Christina Labrador ("Bestfriend") - Christina is an actress and music artist from Long Island. She's been in multiple projects involving film, theater and TV for over 20 years. Her favorite role ever played was Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors as a teen in her performing arts high school. The musical challenged and flexed her capabilities as a comedic actress and singer. A graduate of Hofstra University, she went on to work in the news industry soon after for several years. She kept releasing music under the name of "Mystina" and formed a new group as "Karma's Tea" signed by indie record label, Count Zero Records in 2020. Christina is excited to star in Choices!
Dawn Levy (Managing Producer/Costume Design/Publicity)- Dawn is an avid Broadway theater goer and is thrilled to be involved in bringing Choices to the stage. She is a graduate of Cornell University, practices labor and employment law in Bronx, NY, and is a Human Resources manager in the music industry. She has 3 grown children and lives in Chappaqua, NY.
Zachary Dulny (Lighting Designer/ Stage Manager) - Zachary loved working on this production. He hopes you enjoy the show, and he’s glad he gets to tell a story with the rest of the artists involved. He is maybe young, but he has won multiple awards for his lighting design, and he hopes to keep doing as much as he can whenever he gets the chance. He thanks his family, friends, professors, and past teachers for helping him get here. To view his portfolio please visit https://bit.ly/DulnyDesigns.
Hank DeCora (Guitar) - Hank has over 4 decades of live performances as a guitarist under his belt, including : Rock of Ages, School of Rock, Beauty and The Beast, Mary Poppins, Pippin, and many other productions. Hank lives in Ossining, NY and is currently teaching and performing in the Tri-State area.
Annemarie Josephson ("Reporter"/ "Nurse"/ "Audience member") - Annemarie has always had a strong passion for the stage. Even at an early age she showed her aspirations and creative desires by starring in lead roles such as “Annie" and “Peter Pan.” She put all of that on pause temporarily in order to pursue another passion of hers…teaching. Recently, she has combined the two while acting as a Broadway Junior musical producer for her school’s play “School House Rock.” She is proud to be taking the stage once again and to be part of such an awesome and inspiring production.
Chris Grajewski (Sound Design/Producer) - Chris has been in the audio Industry for more than half of his life. He has worked In clubs, churches, theaters and larger venues such as Carnegie Hall, as well as multiple off-broadway theaters. He has worked as an audio consultant, sound designer and an A-1 mix engineer on several hundred events a year mixing a variety of world class entertainers. He is very excited to be a part of Choices and can’t wait for all to hear!! (And see)
Mia Williams ("Audience member") - Mia is a NYC based vocalist who is excited to help bring this show to life. Previously, she has performed at cabaret venues such as Don't Tell Mama and was recently in an Off-Broadway show. She is currently studying jazz and contemporary voice at The New School. She would like to thank everyone involved in this production for a job well done.
Karen Catalano (Hair Design) - Karen has been a professional hairdresser for 40 years and owner for 30 years of Locks That Rock Hair design in Wappingers Falls, NY. Karen is honored to be working on this show, Thank you John for this opportunity!
Dave O'Briskie ("Doctor"/ "Crew"/ Assistant Stage Manager) - Dave is proud to make his theater debut in Choices. He is so happy to work with such a talented group of people. Dave is a singer/ guitarist/ bassist and has played in original and cover bands over the last 30 years. He can nowadays be found performing around Westchester in the cover bands HIGH FIVE and STONE SOUP.
Holly Block (Choreographer/Featured Dancer/ Audience") - Holly Block is so excited to not only be choreographing but also dancing in Choices. Holly has been performing since she came out of the womb, booking her first Broadway gig in Tony-winning producer Ken Davenport's production of Godspell 2032 at age 12. From then on, she solely focused on her Musical Theater career, attending Circle In The Square Theater Conservatory and performing in various New York productions such as Cabaret and Pippin. Among her favorite roles are Val in A Chorus Line and Fantine In Les Misérables. Holly has the passion to give back the magic and the healing that musical theater has given her. As such, she has co-written with partner Elizabeth Jerjian Safe and Sound The Musical which brings attention to mental health, self-love, toxic masculinity, equality and kindness. Holly also directed and was one of the stars of the show which won 10 awards at the Front Row Fringe Festival. BTW… keep your eyes open for her on a brand new TV show called Free Agent Fans premiering this October on NBC. Although always a theater girl, she is not a stranger to rock and roll and has been seen on stage singing her best Led Zeppelin, so she is stoked to finally getting to combine both sides of her talent. Rock on!!! To keep up with Holly, follow @hollyblock and @safeandsoundmusical on Instagram.
Felix J Guiffra III (Percussion) - Felix was happy to accept the invitation from his brother-in-law, Tommy Vinton (Drums/producer), to join the Choices band as the show’s percussionist four days before the “Choices” debut at the Whippoorwill Hall Theater in Armonk, NY. Felix started playing drums at a young age under the instruction of his father. He continued to develop his skills during his education in the Greenwich Public School’s music programs. He then went on to pursue a minor in music at the University of Rhode Island. Felix has performed a wide variety of music throughout his musical journey with many talented musicians. He also spent a few years pursuing a career as a Soldier/Musician in the US Army Music program. Felix is still a full time active duty Soldier in the CT Army National Guard and continues to play drums/percussion as often as can.
Elana Cantor ("Audience") - Elana is thrilled to join the cast of “Choices!” After spending four years studying in Los Angeles in the Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program at UCLA (where she earned a BA with a minor in Cognitive Science), she is excited about her move back to the East Coast to pursue her career in musical theater. When not on stage, Elana loves to exercise (cycling, pilates, running, etc.), play with her puppy, Sadie, and explore the world of fashion and makeup. Some of her favorite recent roles include Pippi in The Great American Trailer Park Musical at the Rochester Opera House, The Leading Player in Pippin and Magenta in Rocky Horror. Thanks to John Krupa, Dawn Levy, her parents, and family for all of their support. She can be reached @elanacantor.com.
Jonathan "Jon" Flaks (Keyboards) - Born into a musical family in New Rochelle, NY, Jon spent his toddler years napping under the piano while his mother played classical music. During his middle-school years of classical training, Jon took his Bar Mitzvah money and bought his first electric piano, a Rhodes, and started playing in rock bands. After graduating from Cornell University with a major in Electrical Engineering and a minor in music production, Jonathan hit the recording studios in New York where he learned to control the high tech gear that is all obsolete now. He churned out a catalog of original songs for Tamrak Music Publishing from an early home studio. His 15 minutes of fame was two years long, when he played organ at Madison Square Garden for the New York Rangers (and a few games for The Knicks.) Jon performed for fifteen years with classic rockers CC and Company, two years with Not Dead Yet and ten years with the "dance-horn-daze" tribute act, Kick Start Charlie. He now leads a duo, Acoustic Clambake - www.clambakerock.com, and 4 piece Breakwater band - www.breakwater.rocks.
Moriah Ritchie ("Audience") - Moriah Ritchie is a graduate of Circle In The Square Theater Conservatory (NYC) and holds an AS in Theater Arts from SCCC (Long Island, New York).
She is also a graduate of Circle in the Square's performing arts certificate program. Moriah graduated as an Elite Senior Company Member of Stage Door School of Dance
in addition to performing at The Gateway Play House. Moriah made her Broadway debut in a children's show "The Oldest Story Ever Told" playing Cinderlla/Step Mother masked roles in the Circle in the Square Theatre in February 2020. Other credits include: Singing In The Rain, Comedy of Murders and MillFire. In the fall 2021 Moriah was cast as the lead in an indie horror film "Shadows in the Forest." She has also been hired for voice over acting in multiple roles as well as script writing for an upcoming YouTube series "RagTime." Moriah is excited to get back into her first theater opportunity since Covid as a featured dancer in Choices.
Katie Weinstein (Featured Dancer/ "Audience") - Katie is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Human Biology, Health and Society and a minor in Human Development. She works as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Katie has been dancing for as long as she can remember and was a member of Breaking Ground Dance Center’s Senior Company during high school. Throughout college, Katie danced in Base Productions as well as Shadows Dance Troupe (and was the president of Shadows during her senior year). Katie is thrilled to be dancing in Choices and performing in her hometown of Chappaqua, where she lived for 22 years. Katie wants to thank her family and friends for their support!
Paul Siebold/Off Off PR (Press Representative) - A marketing, promotions and public relations executive for over 20 years, Paul is managing director of OFF OFF PR, a firm dedicated to promoting independent and developing theatrical productions. Paul began his career in theater as an actor, singer, and dancer in musicals and plays, and he was a member of AEA and AFTRA.
Among his many successes, Paul has helped productions gain significant awareness in print, online and broadcast media, with articles and reviews in The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, Huffington Post, Time Out New York, Playbill, Theatermania, NBC 4 New York, FOX5, and many other high-profile, theater or category-specific media outlets. He has represented New York Innovative Theatre Award, NYMF, FringeNYC and FRIGID Festival award winners.
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