{
program notes
“ Surflight-To-Go,” Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray with New Bedford Festival Theatre( winner of the 2012 Moss Hart Grand Trophy Award) and Wendy-Jo in Footloose with Northern Lights Playhouse. Other credits include the Witch in Into The Woods, Gertrude in Seussical the Musical( nominated for the 2009 NJAct Perry Award) and Stepsister Grace in Cinderella( 2010 NJAct Perry Award Winner).
A native of New Jersey, Ms. Rondinella holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance and Studies / Musical Theatre from Seton Hall University, where she began her vocal studies with Scott Mello.
George Wendt
Wilbur Turnblad A native of Chicago and a one-time member of the Second City comedy troupe, George Wendt is best known for his portrayal of Norm Peterson in the TV sitcom Cheers( six Emmy awards). Mr. Wendt’ s Broadway credits include playing Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, Breakfast at Tiffany’ s, Elf and Art, which he also did on the London stage. He appeared with Richard Thomas in the national tour of Twelve Angry Men and has many credits off-Broadway, in Chicago, Los Angeles and Edinburgh. His numerous film and television credits include, most recently Clipped from Warner Brothers TV and TBS.
Matthew Scott
Link Larkin Matthew Scott has appeared on Broadway in Sondheim on Sondheim, Jersey Boys, A Catered Affair, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Regional theater credits include The Light in the Piazza at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, for which he won the Barrymore Award for best supporting actor; First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb at the Kennedy Center, at Signature Theatre
and on PBS; ACE and Side By Side By Sondheim, also at Signature; Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin( San Diego Theatre Critics nomination) at La Jolla Playhouse; Eden and Unknown Soldier at O’ Neill Theatre Center and Ragtime, My Fair Lady and Carousel at Paper Mill Playhouse. Television credits include All My Children, and appearances on the 2006 and 2009 Tony Awards. Recordings: Sondheim On Sondheim, Jerome Kern: The Land Where the Good Songs Go, and Noel and Cole.
NaTasha Yvette Williams
Motormouth Maybelle NaTasha Yvette Williams most recently played Matron Mama Morton in Chicago on Broadway. Additional Broadway credits include: Queenie in Show Boat with the New York Philharmonic, A Night With Janis Joplin, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and The Color Purple. She was Mammy in Trevor Nunn’ s London production of Gone With the Wind. In addition to numerous tours and regional credits, Ms. Williams has been a featured singer with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Naples Philharmonic. She appeared with the New York Pops in the production of Irving Berlin’ s Rags to Riches. Her television and film credits include The Wiz Live, Odd Mom Out and Sweet Little Lies. Ms. Williams was the first Kraft Foods new voice of gospel winner.
Ron Remke
Corny Collins Ron Remke, recently in the closing cast of the Las Vegas show Jubilee!, has performed with symphonies throughout the United States and Canada, was a featured soloist with the renowned 12 Irish Tenors and has traveled the world singing onboard luxury cruise ships. Credits include, The Producers at the Westchester Broadway and Pioneer
Robert Mannis theaters, Aspects of Love and The Student Prince at Media Theater, the national tour of Kiss Me, Kate and appearances at the Fulton Opera House, Marriott Lincolnshire, The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Struther’ s Library Theater and Cortland Repertory among others. Mr. Remke has also worked as a voice-over character artist with Sesame Street and Nickelodeon and is the voice of“ Juan” in No Dog Allowed!. His CD, Broadway Classics is available on iTunes.
Jaylan Simmons
Little Inez Jaylyn Simmons is a senior voice student at the Baltimore School for the Arts( BSA). The former president of the X-Factor Youth Choir at New Psalmist Baptist Church, Ms. Simmons has performed as a student in the Lyric Opera Camp, Hippodrome Youth Artist Camp, Boston University’ s Tanglewood Summer Intensive Program and the Washington National Opera Summer Program, where she was a soloist on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. Ms. Simmons is a 2016 Young Arts National Finalist and has appeared for three years as a lead performer in BSA’ s Annual Expressions Event. She has been accepted into the class of 2020 at the Juilliard School as a classical voice student.
Julie Kavanagh
Penny Pingleton Julie Kavanagh returns to Baltimore and the BSO after appearing as Penny Pingleton in the 2013 production of Hairspray, In Concert! Ms. Kavanagh’ s regional credits include Janet Van de Graff in The Drowsy Chaperone at the Cape Playhouse, Kate Monster / Lucy in Avenue Q with Theatre Aspen. She has appeared as Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street, Miss Dorothy in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Anne in La Cage Aux Folles and many others. Most recently, Ms. Kavanagh was seen
30 Overture | www. bsomusic. org