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Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts is proud to present "Scrooge! The Musical", a lively musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", December 8-17, 2023.
The cast, listed in the character’s order of appearance, is as follows:
Geof Knight- Ebenezer Scrooge
Geof is returning as Scrooge and has been part of many other great shows in the region and here at MPH 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 30-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, Jean, Maddie, 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.
John West- Bob Cratchit
John West returns to the Matthews Playhouse stage after having last appeared in “Godspell” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Other favorites roles from around town include: Bob Wallace in “White Christmas”, Vice Principal Panch in “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, John Dickinson in “1776”, the titular character in “Pippin” and Tom Jenkins in the Playhouse's very first production of “Scrooge the Musical”. When not performing John loves to play golf and spend time with family and friends, especially his 6-month-old granddaughter Bella. By day John is an application specialist with Atrium Health.
Shelby Annas- Mrs. Cratchit
Shelby Annas is excited to reprise her role as Mrs. Cratchit alongside so many wonderful and talented friends on the Fullwood Theatre stage. This will mark her 3rd holiday production with Matthews Playhouse and her 5th show with the Playhouse since 2021. Her other credits in the Charlotte theatre scene include “Sunset Boulevard” and “Titanic the Musical” (Queen City Concerts), “Blithe Spirit” (Union County Playmakers), “South Pacific” (Dilworth Players), “12 Angry Jurors” (Waxhaw Community Theatre), and “Big Fish the Musical” (Rock Hill Theatre), just to name a few. When she’s not on the stage, photographing for local theater companies, or stage managing, Shelby is an ambulatory trainer in the education department for Novant and a professional dabbler in all things crafty. She would like to thank her friends, family, and incredible boyfriend for all of their support (and getting into the Christmas spirit with her so early).
Grace Carmody- Kathy Cratchit
A 9th grader at Northwest School of the Arts, Grace is excited to be in her first show at Matthews Playhouse! When she isn’t performing, she loves to spend time with her friends and family.
Her previous shows include Cinderella (ETC Youth Guild), Into the Woods (Lanti Performing Arts), Matilda (Northwest School of the Arts), Matilda (Lees McRae Summer Theatre), and Violet (Common Thread Theatre Collective).
Lina Zierler- *Tiny Tim/Ensemble
*The role of Tiny Tim will be played by Lina Zierler for the following performances:
Friday, December 8th @ 7:30pm
Saturday, December 9th @ 7:30pm
Thursday, December 14th @ 7:30pm
Saturday, December 16th @ 2:00pm
Sunday, December 17th @ 2:00pm
Lina is super excited to be in her fifth mainstage production at Matthews Playhouse! A 7th grader at South Charlotte Middle School, Lina enjoys playing piano, fishing, ice skating, dancing, hanging out with her two bunnies named Michael Scott and Kevin Malone and playing with her grandparent's puppy, Teddy. She has been seen in past Matthews Playhouse School of Theater productions including “E-I-E-I Oops” and “Babe the Sheep Pig” and past mainstage productions including “Seussical the Musical”, “Princess Fearless”, “Scrooge! The Musical” and “Finding Nemo Jr.”. When she isn’t performing, she can also be found playing accordion and pickle ball for fun, and chilling by the pool!
Charlotte Thomson- *Tiny Tim
The role of Tiny Tim will be played by Charlotte Thomson for the following performances:
Saturday, December 9th @ 2:00pm
Sunday, December 10th @ 2:00pm
Wednesday, December 13th @ 7:30pm
Friday, December 15th @ 7:30pm
Saturday, December 16th @ 7:30pm
Charlotte is excited to make her theatrical debut in “Scrooge! The Musical”. She is a first grader in Ms. Bridges’ class at Providence Spring Elementary School. Whether playing with her toys (Barbies, mermaids, legos, fidgets, mini brands, and more) or playing crazy games with her parents and little sister, Annalise, Charlotte likes to laugh and have fun. She also enjoys science, swimming, traveling to new places, and watching live theater.
Lisa Ulanow- Jocelyn Jollygoode/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 5 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”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, and “Scrooge! The Musical” at Matthews Playhouse and “Alice In Wonderland” at the Old Courthouse Theatre.
Anne Marie Young- Harty/Topper/Ensemble
Anne Marie Young is thrilled to be returning to the Matthews Playhouse stage after performing in “It’s A Wonderful Life” in 2018. A teacher at St. Ann Catholic School, she enjoys singing loudly in the car even if it's the wrong lyrics (she loves to make up her own). She also enjoys coming up with new and interesting voices as she reads a great children's book, something she has had much practice on as a school librarian.
When she isn’t reading in fun voices or singing incorrect lyrics, she can be found cooking, being around her friends, walking on the greenway and spending time with her daughter.
Amanda Mooney- Miss Dilber/Mary/Ensemble
Amanda is wife to Dave and mom to her 2 grown children, Tommy and Lilly. She is a special education teacher at St. Ann School and works with the best teachers in all of Charlotte-including castmate, Anne Marie Young! This is Amanda's fourth show at Matthews Playhouse and she is excited to once again ring in the holiday season by being a part of “Scrooge, the Musical''! She says "Thank You Very Much!" to all her family and friends for playing her reindeer games and always supporting her shenanigans!
Mason Morris- Ebby/Turkey Boy/Ensemble
This is Mason's second production with Matthews Playhouse and he is excited to be a part of Scrooge! A 7th grader at Weddington Christian Academy, Mason is the eldest of four children. He caught the acting bug when he started acting as an extra in movies, his credits including “A Bigger Slice of the Sky” (Honey Head Production) and “Are You There God It’s Me Margaret” (Margaret Productions/Lionsgate). He also participated in Talent Inc. over the summer in Orlando where he won the Silver Overall Child Actor award. Outside of performing, Mason is a cross country runner and avid reader who also enjoys traveling with his family. His previous stage credits include “Seussical the Musical” (Matthews Playhouse), “Legend of the Blue Sapphire” (Weddington Christian Academy) and “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” (Weddington Christian Academy).
Kodi Yara- Peter Cratchit
Eight years ago, Kodi Yara was a munchkin in “The Wizard of Oz” at Matthews Playhouse, which began his love for the stage. Since then he has performed at many different venues around Charlotte. Favorite performances include “Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at CTC, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at CPCC, “Oliver” at Theatre Charlotte, “101 Dalmatians” at Matthews Playhouse and “Hunchback of Notre Dame” at Legacy Theatre. A sophomore at Charlotte Engineering Early College, when not performing Kodi enjoys biking and working at the Stevens Creek Nature Center.
Cadence Randles- Martha Cratchit
Cadence Randles is thrilled to be in her first show ever! Cadence is homeschooled and loves to spend her time horseback riding, stargazing, painting, drawing, and gardening. She also enjoys taking care of all animals including her four pet rats, her dog, and her cat.
Maliah Joiner- Belinda Cratchit
Maliah Joiner is very excited to be in her first mainstage performance! An 8th grader at Northwest School of the Arts, she prides herself on having a vastly unique taste in music, which she attributes to her culturally diverse background of Creole, Caribbean and Native American ancestry. In addition to performing and listening to music, she enjoys gaming, crocheting, swimming, cooking, and baking. Although this is her first mainstage performance, she was casted as Cruella De Ville in ImaginON's summer camp production of Disney's “Descendants".
Ellen McNeill- Jacob Marley
A lifelong passion for singing and dancing led Ellen McNeill (Jacob Marley) to musical theater, playing her first role on-stage as Mary in a community theater production of “Annie” in 10th grade. Since then, she has played principal roles in numerous productions both here in the States and abroad, including “Celtic Christmas” at the Rialto, “Carmina Burana”, “Petites Histoires du Monde” (lead role), “Bal Maquis”, and the Georgia Renaissance Festival, in addition to competing and placing at both a regional and national level with two nationally-recognized dance companies: JK’s Dance Company and Glencoe School of Highland Dance. Ellen is incredibly grateful to all of her performing arts coaches and instructors over the past 20 years for supporting her in her artistic goals, with particular gratitude to Julie Kay Stallcup, Mary Recknagel, and Joanna Dendrolivanos. As a play therapist at Zola Counseling in Southpark, Ellen’s days are filled with work that brings meaning and lots of smiles to her life, and in her spare time she can be found singing to the flowers in her garden, taking dance classes, or reading at a cozy coffee shop. Ellen is delighted to join the cast of “Scrooge! The Musical” for her second Matthews Playhouse production and looks forward to many more musicals in Charlotte.
Wiley Seago- Nephew Harry/Young Scrooge
Wiley Seago is excited to be in his first show at Matthews Playhouse! Wiley moved to Charlotte when he was 7 years old and he’s been doing theatre since he was 8. When Wiley isn’t on the stage he enjoys reading, thrifting, record shopping, and cooking! Most recently Wiley was in the youth ensemble of “The Wizard Of Oz” at Theatre Charlotte where he played a crow and a flying monkey. Wiley’s favorite role that he’s ever played was Miss Trunchbull in “Matilda The Musical” at Northwest School Of The Arts.
Mayara Arnold- Bess/Mrs. Fezziwig
Mayara Arnold is originally from Brazil and immigrated to the United States as an exchange engineering student in 2012. Mayara has always loved the arts and being on stage, be it singing, dancing, or acting. She has been singing at church since she was little. She later joined the choir in high school, where she also participated in plays and studied ballet. Mayara started
pursuing her acting dream in 2019, when she started taking acting lessons in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has recently been part of “110 Stories” at Old Courthouse Theatre as Michelle
Wylde Williams, and she is excited to debut at Matthews Playhouse in her first musical. Mayara has been pursuing it all as a mother, an actress, and an engineer. Mayara also enjoys being outside and exploring new places with her beloved husband, son, and furry son/dog.
Collin Limer- Dick Wilkins/Ensemble
Collin Limer is excited to be making his Matthews Playhouse debut in “Scrooge! The Musical”. Now a 19 year old graduate from Cuthbertson High School, Collin wanted to be a paleontologist when he was little. He has since transitioned from that dream to the dream of becoming an actor; however, his love of dinosaurs will always be with him. In his free time, he enjoys hiking as well as voice acting. His previous shows include “SpongeBob the Musical”, “Frankenstein Creature”, “Anne of Green Gables”, and “Once Upon a Mattress”.
Benjamin Shelton- Fezziwig
Benjamin Shelton is excited to be in his first musical theatre production! Director of IT, Innovation at DCLI, Ben started working on computers when he was 6 years old. He has a decent sized family with a high schooler, a middle schooler, an elementary schooler, two large great danes and a beagle mix. His hobbies and interests include motorcycles, mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, golf, singing, basketball, technology, video games, and Auburn Tigers Football Games.
Nathan Loring- Tom Jenkins
Nathan is very excited to be in his third show at Matthews Playhouse! Nathan has a BFA in Animation and would absolutely love to find a job where he could use those skills.
Audiences may recognize him from his most recent role as Tom Jenkins in the 2022 cast of “Scrooge! The Musical” as well as Vlad Vladikoff in “Seussical” at Matthews Playhouse. In addition to acting, he loves storytelling, drawing, playing video games, and being a general goofball.
Noelle Wilson- Isabel/Helen
Noelle Wilson is thrilled to be in her second show at Matthews Playhouse! A sophomore at Northwest School of the Arts, Noelle is an actress, singer, and dancer who is also fluent in guitar after being self-taught during Covid. In addition to guitar, she loves to play piano and ukulele. She also loves writing songs and poetry- which she finds to be her best form of self-expression. She adores theatre and enjoys learning about different shows (her favorite being “Jagged Little Pill”), as well as auditioning and performing. In general- she finds art to be a safe space and an exciting outlet for her to thrive. She is also a huge cat person! She has two cats who are her best friends. When she isn’t performing, playing an instrument, or writing, she can probably be found crocheting. Her previous shows include “The Prom” as Ensemble (Theatre Charlotte), “Freaky Friday” as Ellie Blake (Children's Theatre of Charlotte), “Zombie Prom” as Candy (Children's Theatre of Charlotte), “Once On This Island Jr.” as Storyteller (Northwest School of the Arts), and “Clue” as Chief of Police (Northwest School of the Arts).
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”, “South Pacific” and last year’s production of “Scrooge! The Musical”. 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”.
Sarah Baumgardner- Ghost of Christmas Past
Sarah Baumgardner is thrilled to be reprising her role of “The Ghost of Christmas Past” in “Scrooge the Musical”! An avid sacred music performer, Sarah is most often found singing for local church events, and has served in ministry prior to taking on her role at MPH, where she serves as the Executive Director. Prior to working with Matthews Playhouse, Sarah has enjoyed providing private music instruction and vocal coaching over the past 20 years. She has also enjoyed being a featured soloist with the Westminster College Choir, the National Honors Choir, and she has prepared roles for opera and musical theater. Most importantly, Sarah’s passion is in encouraging others to explore their musical gifts and she brings that enthusiasm to each class and lesson.
Sarah is a graduate of Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA where she
received her BA in Vocal Performance and a BS in Psychology. She has done Masters
work in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy at Westminster Choir College in Princeton,
NJ and received a Masters of Divinity from Winebrenner Theological Seminary in
Findlay, OH.
Julian Starkey- Butcher/Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
Julian Starkey is excited to be in his second show back to back at Matthews Playhouse after playing Marlin in “Finding Nemo Jr” in October. A junior at Northwest School of the Arts, Julian enjoys acting, playing piano, singing, and dancing. A fun fact about him is that he is related to Ringo Starr! His other performance credits include “Matilda” (NWSA), “Oliver (Theater Charlotte), “Yellow boat” (NWSA), “Sammy Carducci’s Guide to Women” (NWSA), “Mary Poppins” (NWSA), “Junie B. Jones” (Matthews Playhouse) and “Seussical Jr.” (Theater Charlotte).
Sophia Scialabba- Jen/Ensemble
Sophia Scialabba has been acting at Matthews Playhouse since she was around 6 years old. Many people in her extended family are also actors, so she was destined to love being on stage! She enjoys listening to the band All Time Low and has read the Percy Jackson book series six times. She also loves the ocean and the forest and in her free time she can be found either listening to music or hanging out with her friends. Her previous theatre credits include Alice in “Alice in Wonderland Jr” (McKee Elementary), and the Assistant Principal in “Matilda Jr.” (Matthews Playhouse’s School of Theatre). She has also been taking Musical theater classes at Matthews Playhouse for the past two years.
Anne Long- Ensemble
Anne Long is thrilled to be onstage again at Matthews Playhouse! Anne is excited to be two years in remission from cancer. You may remember her from her many years on Lite 102.9 and 107.9 The Link. Anne became active in films and TV after completing cancer treatment. You can see her in “It's Supernatural”, “The Summer I Turned Pretty”, “Electric Love”, and her favorite, several episodes of “Sistas” as an attorney. She is also proud to have had an extra role in “Like and Subscribe” which turned into an upgraded role as "The Day Drinker"! When she isn’t performing, she loves sewing, crafting, jewelry and costumes! Previous theatre credits include “Belling the Cat” at Union County Playmakers, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” at Uwharrie Players, “Seussical” at Matthews Playhouse and “A Christmas Carol” at Theatre Charlotte.
Lizzy Shelton- Ensemble
Lizzy is so excited to be in her first mainstage performance!
A 4th grader at Olde Providence Elementary, she has three dogs, two of which are bigger than her! When she isn’t in School of Theatre classes at Matthews Playhouse, she enjoys basketball, traveling, and going on roller coasters!
Gabriel Craig- Ensemble
Gabriel Craig is thrilled to be in his second show at Matthews Playhouse. A junior at Sun Valley High School, Gabriel loves fashion, sewing, painting, cooking, baking, and playing piano. His previous shows include “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Sun Valley High School), “The One Act Play That Goes Wrong” (Sun Valley High School), “The Almost Final Episode of Four of A Kind” (Sun Valley High School), “Train 99” (Sun Valley High School) and “Hello Dolly!” (Matthews Playhouse).
When he isn’t performing, he can be found thrift shopping, hanging out with his Great Dane, and playing Animal Crossing.
Virginia Davidson- Ensemble
Virginia Davidson is excited to be making her Matthews Playhouse debut in “Scrooge! The Musical”! A fourth grader at Selwyn Elementary, Virginia haș studied dance at Jami Masters School of Dance since the age of 4 and was a part of the Happy Holidays Show as an Ice Skater last holiday season. She is also a member of Soaring Singers Children's Choir at Selwyn Elementary School and has been a part of the performing arts camp, SMASH, at Sardis Presbyterian Church. Outside of performing, she enjoys art, singing, shopping and spending time with friends.
Meet the Production Team of "Scrooge! The Muscial"
Paula Baldwin - Director
Paula Baldwin is very excited to be directing SCROOGE! She is an award-winning
actor, director, and theatre arts educator. Matthews Playhouse audiences may
remember her most recently as Mrs. Peacock in Clue and Big Edie in Grey Gardens. She also appeared in the MPH productions of Footloose, High School Musical and The
Music Man. Paula is a familiar face to audiences around the area having performed in numerous productions at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Three Bone Theatre, CAST, and CPCC Summer Theatre.
In addition to acting, Paula is a retired Theatre Arts Educator, and has directed over one hundred productions including twenty-seven musicals. She most recently directed Sister Act at Matthews Playhouse and You Can’t Take It with You at CPCC. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting/Directing from UNC-Greensboro and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Catawba College where she was inducted into the Blue Masque Hall of Fame in 2019.
Choreographer- Aime Davidson
Amie Yandle Davidson is thrilled to have had the opportunity to choreograph Scrooge at Matthews Playhouse this holiday season. Amie has performed and choreographed throughout NC in her 25 year career as a public school dance educator. She earned her undergraduate and masters degree of Dance Education from UNC Greensboro. This performance is dedicated to her parents who have always supported her artistic endeavors.
