debut in June 2023 in Revival Theater ’ s production of Honk ! ( Beaky ) and then went on to perform in TCR ’ s School of Rock ( Lawrence Turner ) in May 2024 . And this autumn , he performed in McKinley ’ s musical - Shrek Jr . ( Donkey ). When he ’ s not acting or belting out show tunes around the house , he keeps busy with show choir , soccer , ninja gymnastics and playing keys in the House Band of the CR / Marion School of Rock . Westley thanks his family & friends and his TCR family for supporting his big dream of singing & dancing his own way through life !
Max Moreno ( Monsieur D ’ Arque / Ensemble ) Max Moreno is excited to be back again at TCR after his role as Signor Nacarelli in The Light in the Piazza this summer at Brucemore . Beauty and the Beast is one of his favorite stories . He currently works as the Music Department Chair at Iowa Conservatory in downtown Iowa City . Thanks goes out to his wonderful partner Micky and his second family the Crawford ’ s for their love and support .
James Odegaard ( Lumiere ) James Odegaard is thrilled to light up the stage with his friends this holiday season . He was most recently found Finching around in Puffs , backstage flying the pie drop in Waitress , and air-drumming as a rock star in School of Rock . He is so proud of this cast and crew for the work they ’ ve done to make this show enchanting - to MO & Greg , it has been an absolute honor to share the stage with a fellow Lion & Lumière , thank you for your compassion and guidance .
Mike “ MO ” Olinger ( Cogsworth ) Mike is elated to be back on stage at TCR – mostly because it ’ s the only place that his dramatic flair can be easily exploited and fully appreciated . You may recognize him from his past roles in Rock of Ages ( Dennis Dupree ), Something Rotten ! ( Brother Jeremiah ), and RHCR ’ s production of The Rocky Horror Show ( Eddie / Dr . Scott ). When he ’ s not pretending to be someone ridiculous on stage , Mike also enjoys subbing backstage and in the light booth . MO would like to thank his wife , Corina ( aka Mrs . O ), their 5 children , and their granddaughter ( The Big Boss ) for enduring his epic quest to become “ Cedar Rapids famous ” – and for their love and support .
Claire Ottley ( Belle ) Claire is so grateful to be involved in her third show with TCR . Previous shows have been Cabaret ( Fraulein Kost ) and , most recently , Something Rotten ! ( Bea ). Other notable roles include : Evil Dead The Musical ( Shelly / Annie ), RENT ( Maureen ) and The Cripple of Inishmaan ( Helen ), all performed with various theatre companies in Des Moines . Claire ' s favorite part of doing theater has always been collaborating with other artists and this production is no exception . She is truly honored to be part of such a talented group of actors and designers . Off stage , Claire can be found spending time with her fiancé and their pets , or managing Cobble Hill ( all of whom deserve a massive thank you for supporting her in this incredibly important extracurricular activity ).
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST | theatrecr . org 25