Cast Bios of School of Rock!
Alaina Ciorra (Patty DiMarco)
Alaina Ciorra (Patty Di Marco) is thrilled to return to the stage after over a year with some great friends. Previous CAP credits: Bare: A Pop Opera (Kyra), Something Rotten (Tap Ensemble), Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife), Chicago (Matron “Mama” Morton), and American Idiot. Alaina is a school psychologist by day and loves having theater to come back to as her happy place. Special thanks to the production team, her family, and her friends!
Alana Spiegel (Madison)
Alana is very excited to be performing in her first production at CAP Merrick. Favorite previous roles include: Freaky Friday (Fletcher), Annie Jr. (Tessie), High School Musical Jr. (Ms. Darbus), Willy Wonka Jr. (Phineous Trout), Into The Woods Jr. (Cinderella). Thank you to my parents for driving me to rehearsals, basically being my personal Uber drivers, and supporting me in my theater endeavors. Thank you to everyone who made this performance possible and thank you all for coming to see this production of School of Rock.
Andrew Boylan (Billy)
Andrew Boylan is excited to rock out as Billy in School of Rock! A Long Island–based young performer, Andrew loves bringing bold, comedic, and high-energy characters to the stage. His past theater credits include Frozen Jr. (Olaf), Beetlejuice Jr. (Beetlejuice), Aladdin Jr. (Aladdin), Hairspray (Link Larkin), and many more. Andrew enjoys singing, dancing, improv, and making audiences laugh whenever he performs. He would like to thank the creative team, his castmates, and his family for their endless love and support. Rock on! @andrewbonstage
Andrew J Koehler (Mr. Mooneyham/Mr. Sanders/Snake)
Andrew is thrilled to be taking on an ALW show at CAP, his home away from home. Favorite credits include; Britt/Slaton (Parade), Mr. Stephens (Carrie), Bill Medley/Nick (Beautiful), Perchik (Fiddler on the Roof) Ed/The Moose (Evil Dead), Andrew (American Idiot), the Baker (Into The Woods). Much love to Bruce, Dom, Savannah and Elizabeth for including me on the fun. Love to the cast. Huge thank you to my family and friends, this life isn’t possible without you. And I guess Chrissy is alright. @a.j.koehler
Annaleigh Stone (Summer Hathaway)
Annaleigh, an 8th grader from Plainview, is excited to rock out with her CAP fam in School of Rock. Previous credits at CAP and beyond include: Lydia (Beetlejuice Jr), Lavender (Matilda), Penny (Hairspray Jr), Wednesday (Addams Family Jr), Cady & Gretchen (Mean Girls Jr), Anna & Elsa (Frozen Jr), and Little Red (Into the Woods Jr). She thanks the production team for making this another amazing experience!
Avery Saur (Madison)
Avery is thrilled to be performing as Madison in School of Rock. Previous theater credits include Annie (Kate, July, and Ensemble Orphan), Frozen (Middle Elsa/Ensemble), 13 (Simon and Ensemble), Elf (Ensemble), Beetlejuice (Ensemble), The Little Mermaid (Aquata), The Addams Family (Flight Attendant Ancestor), and Seussical (Yertle the Turtle). Avery is grateful to the cast, crew, and production team for their hard work in bringing this show to the stage. She would like to thank her family and friends for their continued love and support. Enjoy the show, and thank you for supporting the arts!
Benjamin Law (Freddy/Billy)
Benjamin Law is delighted to appear as Freddy/Billy in School of Rock. His previous stage credits include Willy Wonka (Charlie), A Christmas Carol (Young Scrooge), My Son Pinocchio (Pinocchio), The Addams Family (Pugsley), Peter Pan (Peter Pan), and Matilda (Bruce). Benjamin is grateful to the entire production team for their dedication and hard work in bringing this show to life. He would also like to thank his family for their constant encouragement and support . Enjoy the show!
Bruce Grossman (Director)
Bruce is thrilled to be bringing School of Rock back to the stage. Cap had the honor to perform the Long Island premiere of the show a few years back! Bruce has been CEO of Cap for its 30 years of existence and is proud to have seen over 30 of our students and actors make it to Broadway. A world tour performer in his youth, Bruce has been seen in a variety of roles including Daddy Warbucks , Reverend Shaw from Footloose, Frank Sr. from Catch Me If You Can and Pulitzer in Newsies to name a few. Bruce has had the pleasure of directing Long Island premieres of Parade, Dogfight, Matilda and 13 to name a few and has directed over 400 productions over the course of his career. Bruce is also very proud of his close to two decade relationship as a drama teacher in the Merrick school district. Bruce would like to thank Tony, Dom, Elizabeth, Savannah, Josh, Tmac, Carmella, Joe , these amazing kids in the show and his dedicated and talented adult ensemble. Enjoy the show!!!
Charlie Rosenblum (Mason)
Charlie is thrilled to make her MainStage debut and bring her own version of Mason to the stage. Past credits include 13Jr. (Kendra), Annie (Star to be, Pepper), Frozen Jr. (Young Elsa), and Wicked (Galinda). Big thank you to the production team for their amazing hard work. Charlie would like to thank her family and friends, her voice teacher Natalie and her agent Victoria for their love and support. Enjoy the show! @Charlieelle
Chrissy Ganci (Ms. Bingham/ Mrs. Hathaway)
Chrissy is excited to be part of this production at CAP Merrick! She has been part of the CAP family for about 10 years now and is too lazy to list all of the productions she has been a part of. She would like to thank the production team, her family, friends, and boyfriend for their support and to Gavin and Leanna for being her best friends in the world. Enjoy the show!
David Seide (Mr. Spencer/Jeff Sanderson)
David is excited to be performing in School of Rock as Mr.Spencer/Jeff Sanderson. David thanks his friends and family for their constant support and hopes you enjoy the show!
Domenick Napoli (Dewey Finn/Assistant Director)
Domenick (He/Him) would like to thank you for coming to the show, he cannot be more excited to bring his version of Dewey to life on this stage. Past Credits Include: Rock of Ages (Drew), RENT (Roger), American Idiot (Johnny), The Wedding Singer (Robbie Hart), and Avenue Q (Princeton). Getting to assistant direct this show has been a dream. Thank you to all the cast for their hard work. Being able to be your Dewey has been nothing short of wonderful. Domenick would like to thank his family and partner Sam, , for their love and constant support through all his artistic endeavors. Thanks to the Big Cat, Savannah and Elizabeth for putting up with my craziness, and thank you to Joe Thomas for being the best understudy (double) a guy could ask for. Thank you for supporting the Arts. ABOLISH ICE @domenicknapoli
Donovan Bennett (Zack Mooneyham)
Donovan Bennett(He/Him) is absolutely thrilled to be joining this cast and crew for School of Rock. This is one of my dream shows and can’t believe it’s finally happening(dream come true). My previous roles include Beetlejuice (Beetlejuice JR), Jeff Knightly (Emma JV), Warbucks (Annie JR), and Jack Kelly (Newsies JR). I have been acting for around 3-4 years and have enjoyed every bit of it. I am very dedicated and practice all of the time. That goes the same for guitar. But once again I am so grateful for this and can’t wait for the shows.
Dylan Schachter (Mason)
Dylan Schachter (Mason) is thrilled to be performing with CAP Merrick again in this production of School of Rock. Some of Dylan’s previous notable credits include: Elf Jr. (Buddy), Shrek Jr. (Shrek), Frozen Jr. (Olaf), 13 Jr. (Archie), Emma Jr. (Jeff Knightly), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Jr. (Willy Wonka), and Mean Girls Jr. (Damian). He loves being on the stage singing and wants to thank the production team for helping him and all his fellow cast members make this show the best possible. This has been a great experience. He would also like to thank his family for being so supportive of his passion for musical theater.
Dylan Worgul (Zach Mooneyham)
Dylan would like to thank you for supporting the Arts! This is his first show and he is ecstatic to perform alongside the new friends he has made. An electric guitar player and singer, Dylan has performed in locations throughout Long Island, as well as in NYC’s iconic The Bitter End. Dylan has also been featured on Long Island Wise Guy, and reposted by bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins and The Offspring. He cannot wait to bring Zach to life for you this evening! Let’s rock.
Emilia Marano (Sophie)
Emilia is thrilled to be playing Sophie in School of Rock! She loves performing and is excited to be back on stage at CAP. Some of her favorite past roles include Into the Woods Jr. (Cinderella), Beetlejuice Jr. (Lydia), The Addams Family Jr. (Wednesday), Frozen Jr. (Elsa), Peter Pan Jr. (Wendy), Shrek Jr. (Dragon), Matilda MainStage (Alice), and Hairspray Jr. (Tammy). Emilia is grateful for every opportunity to grow as a performer and is excited to be working alongside such a talented cast and creative team.
Emma Samuelson (Marcy)
Emma Samuelson is ready to jam out in School of Rock the Musical as Marcy and is also excited to understudy Shonelle! Favorite credits include Annie JV (Annie), 13 The Musical JV (Patrice), and The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Clarisse). When she’s not on stage, Emma is probably singing at full volume and dreaming of her next big role. She would like to thank the amazing cast and crew for all of their hard work and dedication to this production. This is her first time on the Merrick stage, thanks to her mom & dad (and sister) for finally agreeing to drive the extra miles.
Eric Vaglio (Lawrence)
Eric is so excited to join the cast of School of Rock. Favorite credits include Into the Woods (Jack), Sweeney Todd (Tobias Ragg), 13 Jr. (Evan) and Pippin (Theo).
Erik Porter (Freddy Hamilton)
Welcome to School of Rock! I am Erik Porter(a.k.a Freddy Hamilton) and I thank you for taking time to read my bio, and for coming to the show! Past shows I have performed in are: Moana Jr. (Maui), Beetlejuice Jr. (Adam Maitland), Newsies Jr. (Davey). I thank the production team especially our director for making the show possible. I want to give a shoutout to my family for giving me support for my music career in percussion, which has allowed me to get into School of Rock. Enjoy the show!
Gabriella Lotito (Marcy)
Gabriella (she/her) is thrilled to be preforming in her first main stage production. She would like to thank you for coming to support her as she continues to do what she loves. Past credits include Matilda (Matilda), Beetlejuice (Lydia), The Little Mermaid (Ursula), Frozen (Elsa). She would like to thank the production team and cast of School of Rock for the hard work they have put into the show, but mostly for their kindness and guidance along the way. She wants to thank her family and friends for always coming to support her on and off the stage, she loves you all very much. @gabby_songs2012
Harlow Saur (Madison)
Harlow would like to thank you for coming to the show and is excited to be apart of bringing this character and show to life. Some of her past credits at cap include Seussical Jr. (Gertrude), Annie Jr. (Lily and Mrs. Hannigan), 13 Jr. (Kendra), The Little Mermaid Jr. (Sebastian/Adella), and Rudolph Jr. (Clarice). She was recently accepted into the Calhoun High School On Tour program, where she looks forward to continuing to grow in the performing arts. Harlow would like to thank the production team and her family for the love and support and she hopes you all enjoy the show!
Jacqueline Jones (JJ) (Young Adult Ensemble)
Jacqueline Jones (JJ) is thrilled to perform in School of Rock. JJ is always looking to broaden her show experience with new mainstage shows. She has had a busy past few years performing in over 2 dozen shows with recent performances including Annie Mainstage (Pepper), Annie Jr. (Grace Farrel, Hairspray Jr. (Prudy Pingleton), Beetlejuice Jr. (Barbara), A Chorus Line Jr. (Judy Turner) and Legally Blonde Jr (Serena). JJ is thrilled to be performing with the incredible cast members at CAP in this amazing production and wants to send a special thanks to the production team for making this incredible production happen.
Jenna Anderson (Ms. Janes, Ms. Turner, Mrs. Sanford, Ms. Ward)
This is Jenna’s second show with Cultural Arts Playhouse. She’s excited to be a part of School of Rock after over a year of not performing! We hope you enjoy!
Joe Thomas (Mr. Mooneyham/Mr. Sanders/Snake/Dewey u/s)
Joe is very excited to be back doing School of Rock again. Joe’s past credits include Dewey (School of Rock) Edna Turnblad (Hairspray) and Dr. Parker (Batboy the Musical) Joe wants to thank Bruce, Dom, Savannah, and Elizabeth for all their hard work. Joe is pumped to stick it to the man yet again. Abolish ICE
Joey Carlino (James)
Joey (James) is thrilled to be a part of the exciting production, School of Rock! Recent credits include 13 Jr. (Evan), Matilda Jr. (Mr. Wormwood) and Hairspray Jr. (Wilbur). When Joey isn't on the stage you can find him playing baseball and with his dog, Moose! Joey would like to thank the production team, especially Bruce and Dom, for such a great opportunity and the fun experience he had!
Kara Burke (Patty Di Marco/Ms. Macapugay)
Kara Burke (she/they) (Patty Di Marco/Ms. Macapugay) is so excited to be a part of this production of School Of Rock! She loves jamming with this incredibly talented cast and crew, and thanks them all for this extremely fun and funny experience! She’s been a huge fan of the movie ever since it came out in 2003, and she was raised on rock and roll music; her dad being a rock singer. Her favorite past credits include American Idiot (Whatsername), Peter Pan (Peter Pan), We Will Rock You (Ensemble), and Avenue Q (Bad Idea Bear). Kara is also a yoga instructor, and has a deep love for that. She immensely thanks her family and friends for always supporting her. <3 And also thanks you for seeing the show! STICK IT TO THE MAN.
Leonardo Sinnreich (Lawrence)
Leonardo (he/him) is so stoked to play Lawrence in his first show at CAP Merrick! He’s appeared in more than ten shows with Sunrise Theatre Company, including mainstage productions of Newsies (Les) and The Music Man (Winthrop), and student productions of Willy Wonka (Willy Wonka), Seussical (Horton), Little Mermaid (Sebastian), and Frozen (Hans). Leo also sings and plays keys in a rock band that recently played two sets at Warped Tour in Orlando! Leo wants to thank the cast and entire production team at CAP for being so awesome and so welcoming. Now set your faces to melted and enjoy the show!
Lukas Magi (James)
Lukas is excited to perform in his first show outside of school! Past Credits Include: Bold Buccaneers (Captain), Little Mermaid Jr. (Sea Creature/Gull). Lukas would like to thank the Cultural Arts Playhouse for the opportunity and his family for their support, encouragement and love.
Michaela Smith (Tomika Williams)
Michaela Smith (Tomika Williams) is thrilled to join the cast of School of Rock! A veteran of the stage at just 11 years old, Michaela is celebrating a 6-year career in musical theater. Her favorite credits include playing the fabulous Sharpay in High School Musical, the villainous Ursula in Descendants, Jetsam in The Little Mermaid, Jr., and Cassie in 13Jr. Michaela has had the unique pleasure of appearing in Annie twice—once as the Star-to-Be and Pepper, and later as the infamous Miss Hannigan. Other credits include The Lion King, The Wizard of Oz, Jr. (Emerald City Guard), Frozen, Jr. (Arendellian), and Grease (Freddy My Love Girl/School Girl). She wants to thank the entire team at CAP for being so kind and patient. Much love to her parents for always supporting her dreams and to her little sister, Micaiah, for being her #1 fan. Michaela slays—follow her @sing_michaela!
Molly Mancuso (Katie Travis)
Molly Mancuso is so excited to be playing Katie and the Bass in her first main stage production. This is Molly’s 9th show at CAP. Some of her favorite past productions include Beetlejuice Jr. (Delia), Elf Jr. (Buddy), Frozen Jr. (Olaf), & Mean Girls Jr. (Gretchen). Molly would like to thank Bruce, Dom, Savannah, and Elizabeth for entrusting her with this role and all their hard work on this production.
Mya McKoy (Tomika Williams)
Mya McKoy is delighted to be performing in School of Rock and is honored to share the stage with such a talented cast and creative team. Mya has a deep passion for performing and loves bringing energy, heart, and authenticity to every role she plays. She is grateful for the opportunity to grow as a young performer and to be part of a production that celebrates music, courage, and individuality. Being part of this production has been an exciting and inspiring experience. Mya would like to thank the incredible directors, coaches, and production team for their guidance and dedication throughout this journey. She sends heartfelt thanks to her family for their unwavering love, encouragement, and belief in her dreams. Mya hopes you enjoy the show and thanks you for supporting live theatre. 🎭✨
Nicole Gonzalez (Rosalie Mullins)
Nicole Gonzalez (Rosalie Mullins) is so excited for audiences to see this production of School of Rock! Some roles she has played are Meredith Parker (Bat Boy), Beth March (Little Women) and Erzulie (Once On This Island) and Maureen Johnson (Rent). Nicole has loved this movie since she was a kid and is so happy to be a part of this amazing production. She is so proud of all the kids! Their dedication and energy make this show come to life. She is happy to be working along side many friends that she has worked with over the past two years here at CAP. Nicole would love to thank her family and friends for supporting and encouraging her to continue her passion of performing. If you’d like to see Nicole perform again come on down to CAP Syosset to see her as Mary Magdalen / Featured Dancer in Jesus Christ Superstar!
Noa Wellen (Summer Hathaway)
Noa (Summer Hathaway) is excited to be returning to the mainstage at the Cultural Arts Playhouse! Favorite Credits include Matilda the Musical (Matilda), A Christmas Carol (Grace Smyth), Emma JV (Jane Fairfax), and Annie Jr (Annie). Noa would like to thank Bruce Grossman and Domenick Napoli for another amazing experience at CAP, as well as the entire production team for their hard work and dedication. Special thanks and love to Mom, Dad, and her sister Emilia for their endless support! @noawellen
Olivia Cammarata (Summer Hathaway)
Olivia is thrilled to return to the CAP Merrick stage as the bossy (and fabulous) Summer Hathaway! Recent credits include Annie (Molly), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Joseph), Beetlejuice Jr. (Sky), and Annie Jr. (Annie). Outside of theater, she studies piano and trains in kickboxing and jiu jitsu. She thanks the cast and production team, her family, friends, teachers, and all of you for supporting local theater — gold stars all around! @livymariec
Rosina DeRiggi (Katie Travis)
Rosina (She/Her) is excited to be returning to the CAP Merrick stage, after her last role Delia (Beetlejuice). She enjoys playing bass, drawing, and listening to music. Thank you for coming to the show!
Sabrina Pichardo (Marcy)
Sabrina Pichardo is thrilled to be appearing as Marcy in School of Rock, her sixth main stage production. Previous credits include Molly (Annie Jr.), Middle Anna (Frozen Jr.), Lucy/Cassie (13 Jr.), Maxine Dean (u/s Miss Argentina) (Beetlejuice Jr.), and Lioness (The Lion King Jr.). She has also performed as Belinda Cratchit/Fred’s Daughter (A Christmas Carol), Storyteller (Children of Eden), Little Ti Moune (Once on This Island), Tessie (Annie), and Shprintze (Fiddler on the Roof). Sabrina would like to thank her family and friends who always believe in her, as well as the incredible production team for giving her this opportunity.
Sarah Falls (Sophie)
Sarah Falls is beyond excited to be rocking out in School of Rock with Merrick CAP! She previously appeared in CAP’s mainstage production of Annie and has loved every moment spent on stage. Some of her favorite past roles include Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Delia in Beetlejuice, Miss Hannig an in Annie, and Sheldon J. Plankton in The SpongeBob Musical. She is grateful to the director, production team, castmates, friends, and family for their endless love and support. She hopes you have as much fun watching the show as she does performing in it!
Saraphina Dinin (Katie Travis)
Saraphina (Katie Travis) is so excited to perform in School of Rock. This is her first Mainstage show at CAP. Some of her most memorable CAP credits include: Beetlejuice Jr (Lydia Deetz), Elf Jr (Jovie), Matilda Jr (Matilda). Saraphina also has appeared in several short films and commercials as well as performed in cabarets at multiple venues in the city. Saraphina is so appreciative of the production team for giving her this opportunity to develop her electric bass playing skills and work with such an amazing cast. @saraphina.grayce
Savannah Legg (Music Director/Mrs. Sheinkopf)
Savannah is so excited to be a part of this production of School of Rock! Savannah has music directed past YPT and Mainstage shows at CAP, including Annie, 13 Jr, Beetlejuice Jr, and more! Past credits include Descendants (Maleficent), Children of Eden (Aphra), and Annie (Boylan Sister). She would like to thank her friends and family for always supporting her! Enjoy the show!
Spencer DeStefano (Ned Schneebly/Theo)
Spencer DeStefano is super happy to be returning to the CAP stage as Ned (and Theo, and in the Ensemble. Thanks for all the quick changes, Bruce!) with this super talented cast. After actually having been in a band for about a decade and then switching his focus to theater, this part really resonates and is even more fun to play. His past credits include Ash (Evil Dead: The Musical), Matt (Bare: A Pop Opera), and CB (Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead). He also starred as Taylor in Jimmy Fallon’s Tonightmares by NBCUniversal and took on the role of Fish Master Mu at Lost Island Theme Park.
Tyler Asadurian (Doug / Gabe Brown / Mr. Hamilton / Mr. Gordon)
Tyler "TyGuy" Asadurian is thrilled to be joining his ninth show at CAP with School of Rock! He has always been a fan of the original film this musical was based on, and he has always loved rock heavy musicals so he just couldn’t turn down another awesome jam session! He would like to thank all of his friends and family for their continued support! His previous roles include Avram (Fiddler on the Roof), Boy George (We Will Rock You), Seth/Shem (Children of Eden), Ned (Bat Boy), and Sleazy Producer (Rock of Ages). He hopes everyone will enjoy the rock just as much as he did! Let’s demonstrate the art of rock to our packed audiences!
Valentina Sanchez (Shonelle)
Valentina would like to express how grateful she is for you coming to the show. She couldn't be more thrilled to be playing Shonelle and for you to see all the hard work her, the cast and production team have put into make this show great. Past Credits Include: Moana Jr (Chief Ancestor 2) and Newsies Jr (Katherine Plumber). Valentina would like to thank her family and friends for all their love, encouragement and support they have given her throughout her musical theater journey. She would also like to thank the cast and production team for all their hard work on this show and making her first show at Cultural Arts Playhouse an amazing experience.
Warren Tierney (Ned Schneebly/Theo)
Warren Tierney (Ned Schneebly/Theo) is honored to be hopping back into a favorite role of his with this incredible group of performers. Past credits include American Idiot (Theo/Will u/s), Footloose (Willard), Newsies (Darcy/Mugsy), Hair (Woof), Dog Sees God (CB), Reefer Madness (Ralph) and Bare (Matt). He would like to thank the production team for putting all of this together, as well as this stellar cast for all of their hard work! As always, this performance is dedicated to Carol Tierney and Linda Yearsley.
Zoe Wenzel (Young Adult Ensemble)
Zoe Wenzel is excited to be performing in her fifth show with Cultural Arts Playhouse. When she is not rehearsing for a show, Zoe is playing basketball for the 8th grade MAMS team, playing softball, volleyball, and catching up on her favorite shows and movies with her parents and two younger brothers. She is so excited to be part of the show!
HONORABLE MENTION
CAP Merrick would like to thank Paul DeStefano for his generosity of allowing us to borrow his drumset.
