The lovely and talented Keesha Sharp is best known for her role as ‘Monica Charles Brooks’ on the hit CW series Girlfriends for which she earned an NAACP Image Award Nomination for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress on a Comedy’. Recently, Keesha was in Tyler Perry’s smash hit film Why Did I Get Married. In addition, Keesha was on the first season of Everybody Hates Chris, in which she played ‘Sheila Ridenhour’ and successfully juggling both shows (Chris and Girlfriends). Keesha was born in Rochester, New York, where she studied the clarinet, piano and cello at the prestigious
Hochstein School of Music and attended Nazareth Academy. Her enthusiasm for acting and her amazing singing voice led her to apply to The Boston Conservatory, where she received a scholarship to study musical theatre. After graduating Cum Laude with a B.F.A. from the Conservatory, Keesha set her sights on the stage. She performed in the Broadway National Tour of Carousel, debuted Off-Broadway in Michael Bradford’s Living in the Wind (earning an Audelco nomination) and played eight different roles in the interactive comedy Eat the Runt. Other theatre performances include Abyssinia, Aida, Thunder Knockin’, Jitney, The Producers, Big Street, Suburb and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, in which Keesha read alongside playwright August Wilson himself. Keesha’s other television credits include principle roles in Still Standing, Tracy Morgan Show, As the World Turns, Another World, Welcome to New York, Third Watch and Law and Order: SVU. Her film credits include roles in Ernest Dickinson’s Never Die Alone, the comedy Malibu’s Most Wanted, Pootie Tang with Chris Rock, American Adobo and Shattered, which will be released later this year. In addition to her work on the screen and stage, Keesha is an accomplished writer. She has cowritten a screenplay with award-winning novelist Thomas Monteleone and has written a television pilot that is currently in the works. She is also an athlete, keeping in fantastic shape with boxing. Keesha is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, and you can bet she’ll be playing fantasy football every season. Keesha resides in Los Angeles with family and her two Tonkinese cats, the oldest of which, Aria, is an ex-National Champion. Keesha is a compassionate genuine person who earnestly uses any of her success as an opportunity to give. Along with her career goals, she is passionate about helping those in need,teaching compassionate love and making a positive difference in the world through art and faith.
First he wanted to thank Troy and Michael for the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful new show and strong production team. Jack has performed leading roles in over 80 stage musicals/plays such as: Man of La Mancha (Don Quixote), Camelot (Arthur), My Fair Lady (Higgins and Doolittle), Jacques Brel (Lead Baritone), Music Man (Harold Hill), Oliver (Fagin 3 different times), Beauty the Beast (Maurice), Kiss Me Kate (Petruchio), On Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (McMurphy), Glengarry Glen Ross (Richard Roma), 12 Angry Men (Juror #8) and 12th Night (Orsino) to name a few.
He recently produced and toured in a southern California production of Fiddler on the Roof as Lazar Wolf and is preparing for a tour of Pirates of Penzance as the Major General in June. Followed by a tour with the musical group The Black Tongue Bells as the lead Story Teller/Narrator in their Swamp Opera, “That Great and Dreadful Day-Tall Tales From The American Swamp”.
With over 350 Voice-over, Video, TV-Radio, commercial credits he was recently cast in a leading role in a Pilot for a TV series, “Ghost Town” (Sunny Boy Entertainment) that premiered at the LA Studios in Feb and recently appeared on an ABC Family Channel Web special tied to their popular TV series Kyle XY.
Jack is the VP of the Desert Opera Theatre. Jack lives in the "Wild West" hills of Acton with wife Wendy and their 2 dogs.
Mara Getz
Mara is having a varied career. Broadway? Yes, playing the female lead in the musical “Mail” at Irving Berlin’s Music Box Theatre. The show had previously played a season in Los Angeles before going to New York. Recordings? Yes. Her album, “In Your Eyes” was released by Japan’s premier music label, Pony Canyon Records. It climbed to the Top Twenty on the International Charts and a single from it made #3 on the singles chart and she followed up with a grand tour of Japan. She also can be heard on MCA Records’ “George & Ira Gershwin: A Musical Celebration” and on “Cole Porter: A Musical Toast”; both productions were in the Aids Project Los Angeles’ series of fundraisers. International Awards? Yes. She won song competitions in Finland, Holland and Egypt and the Grand Prix in Poland. Television? Yes. Mara was a finalist on “Star Search” and appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show”, “You Write The songs” and “Cop Rock”. Clubs? Yes. She has headlined clubs around Los Angeles and across the country eventually becoming the opening act for Jay Leno, Bill Cosby, Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller and George Burns. Cabaret? Yes. Mara appeared at the Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention at the Annenberg here and also at Town hall in New York City. As part of a duo act with Richard Leibell she has played the Cerritos Center for the Arts, the Coachella Valley Symphony, at Peters and other venues around the Coachella Valley. Gary Walker, in his column, declared them “two of the finest singers in the nation”. Jazz? On February 26, 2008 she produced, wrote and performed in her own show at the Annenberg singing the music of Peggy Lee and Anita O’Day. Tuesday , April 29th Mara grooved on jazz standards with the Phil Korman Orchestra at IPAC and on Wednesday , May 28th she appears with Richard Stover’s Cabaret – All Stars Orchestra at the Annenberg and other venues. And the beat goes on!
Tres Dean
Tres has performed regionally in such roles as Huckleberry Finn (BIG RIVER), Arles (A Tuna Christmas, The Tin Man (The Wizard of Oz), King Herod (Jesus Christ Superstar), Jacquot (Carnival), The Man…to Dinner (Banjo), Hero (A Funny Thing…to the Forum), Guildenstern (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead), Silvius (As You Like It), Billy Bibbitt (One Flew…Cuckoo's Nest), Orestes (Electra), and Peter Pan (Peter Pan). Tres has also performed with Norwegian Cruise Lines, Walt Disney World, and Shadowbox Comedy/Rock Theater. He studied with The Groundlings in Hollywood and wrote and created THE BIG SHOW (Sketch Comedy Cabaret) here in Palm Springs. Noemi, Viktorria, Miranda, Christian, and Miles…all you need is love.
Katherine McLaughlin (Young Katherine)
Katherine is grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many talented performers. Some of her previous credits include Ruby (Dames at Sea) and Mrs. Nordstrom (A Little Night Music) at PCPA Theatrefest, Nellie (Jekyll and Hyde) at Sacramento Music Circus, and Brenda (Pajama Game) at Musical Theatre West. Katherine has a BA in drama from UC Irvine with honors in Musical Theatre. While there she performed the roles of the Cat in the Hat in Seussical, Carla in Nine, and Polina in The Seagull. Katherine would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support, Troy for this opportunity, and God for blessing her immeasurably.
Alex Pechman
Alex Pechman has a twenty year background in community theatre, primarily in the Monterey Bay area where he was involved in Summer Rep with Santa Cruz Shakespeare Festival, Western Stage in Salinas, and the Pacific Repertory Theatre in Carmel. Now a permanent resident in Palm Desert, this season saw him in Sherlock Holmes and the Hounds of the Baskervilles at IPAC and Love, Sex, and the I.R.S. at Sun City Palm Desert. Desert Theatre League awarded him the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for 2005 for his role in See How They Run at the Joslyn Senior Center.
Brooklyn Tate
A young talent with a strong love for music, acting and theater. Since age 11,Brooklyn’s passion for the arts grew from professional training in theater Broadway music. Finding her vocal niche has taken her through jazz, pop,
theater rock and even a touch of country; training with renowned vocal coach Seth Riggs and Speech Level Singing. Her appearances include Godspell, Cinderella, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Sound of Music. Currently, she is pursuing a singing and acting career in Los Angeles, striving to be the best she can be at her craft.
Valerie-Jean Hume
Valerie or "VJ" is a multifaceted entertainer. After graduating from Canada's University of Saskatchewan in Fine Arts in 1966, she headed for Toronto. Broadcasting on national CBC Radio and appearing in musical comedy revues, TV movies, and Children's Theatre, she worked in various media from the start. She recorded audio books, acted in a worldwide TV serial "Paul Bernard, Psychiatrist", and became a puppeteer. She wrote a weekly newspaper column, taught Theatre Arts at a girls' finishing school, earned her pilot's licence, taught speedreading, and modeled for photographers. She created the first-ever Professional Modeling course in North America for Sheridan Community College--the program produced Miss Canada finalists every year. During this time she studied equestrian arts, languages, and obtained a bullfighting certificate in Spain. Always a musician, she mastered the rare and beautiful Autoharp. She eventually created a teaching video of her novel techniques, and was rewarded by having a line named after her (The Hume Harp) by the manufacturer. She traveled the world with it, working on nine cruise ships. She recorded, singing in ten languages. At sea she taught Stargazing to the passengers, and worked as Hostess as well. She arrived in Palm Springs in 1987 to sing for six weeks, and never left. She recorded three more CDs and learned to play the Celtic harp. She appeared in Las Vegas as a Celebrity Lookalike, saluting Tammy Wynette, June Carter-Cash, Lorrie Morgan, and Julie London. For 18 years VJ hosted a celebrity interview radio show on KWXY AM/FM. She has won awards such as Athena and Presswoman of the Year. She teaches a "Skills for Success" course at the Indio Performing Arts Center. Her music with the Celtic harp includes classical, folk, and popular songs, and enhances every occasion with her relaxing, healing sounds.
Please visit VJ at: http://www.myspace.com/vjhume
And at: http://www.vjhume.freeservers.com
Morgan Kei Matayoshi
This is Morgan Kei Matayoshi’s first experience working with talented director/choreographer, Troy Magino, and the acclaimed Capitanelli production team. She is delighted and honored to take part in their new transformational musical, RadicaLove. Morgan attended Boston University as a Dean’s Scholar before moving to Los Angeles, where she is now represented by Clear Talent Group. Some of her credits include: Musical Theater West's All Shook Up, Ursula in Bye Bye Birdie and Nora in Brighton Beach Memoirs (Moonlight Amphitheater); Lead in Legoland’s Let It Snow; Emergence, Milwaukee Ballet; Carissa Rae Music Video; CBS Pilot, Life as a Song, with distinguished choreographer, Jamal Sims.
Melissa Smilow
Melissa is a San Diego native and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NY. She then received her BFA in Musical Theatre from New School University. While living in New York she choreographed and performed in various dance and vocal showcases, including Flow, which she produced, choreographed and performed in. Recent credits include: Love In a musical celebration starring Ben Vereen (Birch Theatre, San Diego), Oklahoma! (Welk Resort Theatre), Carmen (La Jolla Playhouse), Thoroughly Modern Millie and Hello Dolly! (Sierra Repertory Theatre). She would like to thank her family and friends for their endless love and support; and Troy, Michael and Arnold for this wonderful opportunity!
Allison Little
Allison, from Nashville TN has studied dance for 22yrs. She earned her BF A in Performing Arts from Western Kentucky University. East coast credits: A Chorus Line, Sweeney Todd, Nunsense. West coast stage credits: All Shook [lp, CHEER! The Musical workshop, High School Musical; Tours: Alvin and the Chipmunks; TV/film credits: The Comebacks, The Prestige, Ocean's 13, Boston Legal, Mad Men.
Allison is excited to be a part of the original cast of Radicalove. She thanks God for the talent He's blessed her with; her husband Daniel for his love, support and making this amazing journey with her; and her family and friends. I love you all.
Daniela Jara
Daniela’s theatre credits, both locally and in Los Angeles area include: Broadway In Love (debut musical at Desert Hot Springs Playhouse) – “lead female”. Champagne & Sushi – “lead female”, and Precious Piglet & Her Pals (debut Children’s Theatre musical) - “Fellini/Nasty” at Indio Performing Arts Center, The Rocky Horror Show as “Columbia”, and The Big Show at Palm Canyon Theatre, Zorba - “Widow” at Joslyn Center Theatre, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - “Geminae” at the Westchester Playhouse, A Chorus Line - “Judy” for Carson Civic Light Opera, and West Side Story - “Graziella” for C.S.U. Dominguez Hills. Daniela has a minor in Dance from C.S.U. Dominguez Hills. Choreography credits include Rocky Horror Show (2007), Precious Piglet (2007), and Indio National Date Festival Musical Pageant 2007.
Paris Como
Paris is so excited to be working with fellow Pittsburgh native Troy Magino on this new musical! In his hometown Paris has appeared in numerous productions with Pittsburgh Musical Theatre and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. Paris attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and recently graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Favorite credits from school include the wild Party (Lippa), Crazy For You, and Pippin. Much love to my family and friends; who have been so loving and supportive of all of my ventures!
Ryan Nearhoff
Ryan Nearhoff was seen most recently in the national tour of Almost Heaven: The Songs of John Denver. Credits include: Anything Goes (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Romeo and Juliet (Williamstown), The Wonderful World of Christmas (Candlelight Pavilion), Seussical, Cabaret, Big River, and more. He has also been seen performing alongside Gladys Knight, The Doobie Brothers, and Chicago at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Ryan is a graduate of Cal State University, Fullerton with a BFA in Musical Theatre. He would like to thank the RadicaLove team for inviting him to be a part of such a wonderful production, and much love to his family, especially Lolly.
Louis Jones
Louis is thrilled to be apart of RadicaLove. Residing in Modesto, CA Louis has been apart of many Modesto Performing Arts, Y.E.S Co, Modesto Junior College, and Sierra ep. Theatre shows. Most recently he played Charlie Brown, in You're A Good Man Brown. Favorite shows and roles include Seussical the Musical (The Cat), Thoroughly Modern Millie, (Simon Zealotes), Jesus Christ Superstar (Agwe), Once On This Island (Ronny), Hair, 42nd Street, Beauty and the Beast, and Anything Goes. Louis would like to thank Melanee and Vallie for their love and support.
Leigh Scheffler
Leigh Scheffler has an extensive and varied background in dance and vocal performance. She has been dancing since the age of three, performing with ballet and theatre companies since the age of five. She has experience in television commercials and film. Leigh has been a cast member of the Young Americans since 2004, touring the US, England, Ireland, Scotland, and Japan. Leigh is very excited and honored to be a part of this new adventure!
Jeff Leatherwood
Jeff Leatherwood is a proud student of the BFA Musical Theatre program at Cal State Fullerton. Most recently he was seen as the lead male singer on the Kidz Bop World Tour. Other credits include: Baby (Danny), South Pacific (Lt. Cable), Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon), West Side Story (Tony), The Diviners (Dewey Maples, at the Kennedy Center), and Seussical (Vlad Vladikoff). Jeff is very excited to be part of the process of breathing life into an original creation.
Steve Rossi
Steve Rossi is the singing half of the world famous comedy team of Marty Allen and Steve Rossi. Steve started in show business at the age of 6 years where he was a boy soprano in the Mitchell Boy Choir and appeared in Going Hollywood with Bing Crosby and some 30 movies.
Upon leaving the choir at age 16, Steve then received a scholarship to Loyola University where he received a degree in Communication and Arts and a degree in Latin and Greek. In 1954 Steve became the singing-straight man co-star with the Mae West Show which sold out in Las Vegas, at the Sahara Hotel and the Copacabana night club in New York and concerts all over America.
Steve Rossi teamed up with Marty Allen in 1957 where they promptly became the comedy guest stars on such shows as Ed Sullivan, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Dinah Shore, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Dick Cavett, and The Tonight Show.
In addition, Allen & Rossi were regular guest stars on What's My Line, Hollywood Squares, Password, and many other game shows.
They also starred in the Paramount Film, Last of the Secret Agents with Nancy Sinatra and Ed Sullivan which was the movie of the week on American Classics Channel on 300 stations May 22nd and 23rd.
Recently Allen & Rossi have been on reruns of the Best of the Ed Sullivan Show and the Hollywood Palace and game show repeats on the Game Show Network.
They also starred on the 25th Anniversary Allen & Rossi Special with special guest stars Englebert Humperdinck, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr., Don Rickles, Phyllis Diller, Redd Foxx, Martin Sheen, Ernest Borgnine, Rich Little and Jack Jones. Steve Rossi and Marty Allen were executive producers of the show.
Steve & Marty produced 16 comedy albums and Steve produced eight singing albums on such labels as RCA and Columbia Records. Steve sold 2 million copies of his hit record More which was the theme song of the movie Mondo Cane, which was nominated for an academy award.
Steve Rossi wrote the screenplay for the comedy film called Caught in the Act, which is in preproduction.
Steve is currently writing his life story entitled Steve Rossi, Straight man - An Unauthorized Biography by Steve Rossi.
On May 20, 1999, Steve was inducted into the Show-Biz Legends Hall of Fame.
This year Steve is celebrating over 50 years in show business and is young enough to look forward to the next 50 years.