Jessica Bradish (Rhetta Cupp) is a graduate of Wagner College (NYC), where she appeared in Nine, Sweet Charity, The Who's Tommy, A Chorus Line and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Other credits include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Grease at Forestburg Playhouse, Company with the Wagner Summer Stock Company, Jekyll & Hyde at Bucks County Playhouse, Kiss Me, Kate at Poconos Playhouse, and Seussical the Musical at West Virginia Public.

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Brenton Brown (L.M., 4/15-4/30) is a former Johnston High School vocal director who has served as music director for Phantom at Ingersoll Dinner Theatre; Hair and A New Brain at StageWest; and Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Chicago at The Playhouse. His onstage résumé includes the title role in Sweeney Todd and Max in Lend Me a Tenor, both at the Ingersoll Dinner Theatre. Brenton is a buyer for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage's procurement department.

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Andrew Crowe (Jackson) is happy to return to the Midwest, where he attended college (Taylor University, Indiana). Born in Charlotte and raised in Portugal, Andrew has spent much of the last couple years touring the country with Cabaret and the First National Tour of Stand By Your Man. Andrew is a classically trained violinist who "stumbled" into theatre and never made it out. He now pursues both violin and theatre, and often plays characters such as Jackson, who play instruments.

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Craig Kaufman (Eddie, Light/Sound Designer) is a resident designer at The Des Moines Playhouse, where he designed lights and sound for the Temple Theatre/ Playhouse productions of Forever Plaid and Shear Madness. His recent Playhouse light design credits include Chicago and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Performance credits include Life's a Dream and A Streetcar Named Desire.

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Billy McGuigan (Jim) played the title role in the 2002 Omaha Playhouse production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. Since then, he has reprised this role to sold-out houses across the country, including The Des Moines Playhouse in 2003. As a result of audience response, Billy wrote and co-produced a show, Rave On! A Tribute to the Day the Music Died. Billy thanks his wife, Rachelle, and daughter, Cartney, for their love and support.

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Kevin Ray (L.M., 4/6-4/14; Music Director) has served as music director for That's Hollywood, Baby; Schizophonic Frenzy; and Oklahoma Hair for the Musical Mayhem Players in Los Angeles. He regularly writes and performs his own songs, and composed and directed The Last Word. Kevin has recently relocated to NYC.

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Kate Willer (Prudie Cupp), a native of Des Moines, IA, currently resides in New York City. Kate received her BFA in musical theatre performance from Texas Christian University as well as completing the program at Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York. Favorite shows include: On the Town, Tony N' Tina's Wedding, John & Jen and A Christmas Carol. Love and thanks to mom, dad and Pat for constantly supporting my dreams!

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Ron Ziegler (Director) is a freelance director and theatre artist based in Des Moines, IA, where he served on staff of The Des Moines Playhouse as associate director and also was the first managing director for the Kate Goldman Children's Theatre. He founded and managed the Iowa Fringe Festival, worked as executive director for StageWest and was executive director for Orlando (FL) Repertory Theatre, a professional theatre for young audiences. Ron is a past president of The American Association of Community Theatre and was named an AACT Fellow. As a stage director, his credits include The Secret Garden, The Who's Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Equus, Art and Dancing at Lughnasa, among many others. Ron has adjudicated many state and regional theatre festivals across the country and abroad and was recently named one of three adjudicators for the 2007 National AACTFest in Charlotte, NC. He also served as facilitator for the 2006 National Artistic Director's Conference in Tacoma, WA, and just returned from a six-week tour adjudicating plays on military bases throughout Europe.

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Alison Shafer (Choreographer) has been choreographing, performing and teaching dance professionally for the past 16 years. She has choreographed Ragtime, Cabaret, Annie and The Who's Tommy, and directed and choreographed Honk! and Smokey Joe's Café for The Des Moines Playhouse. She has choreographed more than 15 shows for Theatre Cedar Rapids, the Off-Broadway production Marathon Dancing, the Georgia Pacific Industrial/Tour Tree Wishes (Atlanta), the Iowa Youth Choruses, and shows and dance pieces for the University of Iowa, Intimate Works (Seattle), St. Ambrose University, the Cedar Rapids Symphony Follies, Celebration Iowa and the Mall of America. When not in rehearsal, Alison loves dancing around the house to jazzy music with husband Allen and children Emma and Ethan.

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Angela Lampe (Costume Designer) is in her 13th season at The Playhouse, where her costuming credits include Ragtime, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Honk!, Children of Eden, Chicago and Shear Madness. She has created costumes for Iowa Lottery commercials and Terrace Hill (period costumes for tour guides and Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack). Angie also serves as a docent at the Des Moines Art Center.

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Kevin Shelby (Scenic Designer) has designed countless sets for Des Moines area theatres over the years, and counts among his Playhouse favorites The Last Night of Ballyhoo, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Boxcar Children.

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Melissa Feipel (Stage Manager) began her theatre career at the age of 5 in a community theatre in Dubuque, IA. She performed throughout high school and went on to major in theater at Grand View College in Des Moines, IA. Grand View presented her the first opportunity to stage manage in 2002, and she has been doing it ever since. She stage managed several shows for Grand View College and The Grand Opera House, Dubuque.

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