Company
Payden Adams
Payden is a Sophomore Musical Theater Major from Cedar Fort, Ut. He has performed across the state from the Old Lyric Repertory Theater in Logan, to Tuacahn in St. George. Favorite roles include, Frederick in Pirates of Penzance, Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, and Ugly in Honk! Payden is also an avid Ballroom Dancer, receiving the majority of his ballroom training at Center Stage dance studio in Orem under the direction of Rick Robins and Chris Williams. He was also a dancer on the 2007-08 SUU Ballroom Dance Touring Team, traveling and performing in venues across the country.
Emilie Susan Anderson
Emilie is junior Theatre Arts and Dance major. Has Just finished her second year working for the Tony Award winning Utah Shakespearean Festival performing in the Greenshow, Fiddler on the Roof, and the world premiere of Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical. She graduated from Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts and has been in multiple performing groups since the age of ten. She is trained in modern, jazz, ballet, tap, and ballroom.
César Adán Bojorquez
Cesar Adan Bojorquez is a sophomore BFA in Theatre (Musical Theatre) major, who, in addition to performing enjoys writing, art and the finer things in life.
Kayla Card
Kayla is a Junior Theatre Arts Education and History. Her favorite roles include, Fastrada in Pippin, Nehebekah in Aida, Alice Sycamore in You Can't Take it With You, and Chorus in last season’s SUU production of Henry V. She hopes to continue her passion for the art by teaching High School Theatre. It is her first time being involved with Acclamation and she is very grateful for this learning experience.
Jessica Dansie
Jessica is a Sophomore and Vocal Performance major, Dance minor. Jessica has been involved in the Music, Theater, and Dance programs at SUU and performed in various SUU and student produced productions as well as with the Beginning Ballroom Dance Team. She performed in Hillcrest High School’s elite Vocal Ensemble and Productions Musical Theater Company. Some of her performing highlights include, Crazy for George, Les Miserables, West Side Story, and Once On This Island.
Rhett Guter
Rhett is a senior BFA in Theatre major. A company member with the Tony Award-Winning Utah Shakespearean Festival for the past three years, most recently seen in last season’s Cyrano de Bergerac and Fiddler of the Roof. His favorite roles at USF include, Bernie/Ensemble in the World Premiere of Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical, Scum/Featured Performer in USF’s Greenshow (2006-07), and Tommy Tucker in H.M.S. Pinafore. Favorite roles at SUU include, Cat in the Hat in Seussical, Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story, and the Baker in Into the Woods.
Trevor R. Hunt
Trevor is a Sophomore Theatre Arts and Dance major, hailing from St. George, UT, where he graduated from Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts. He has performed at SUU in such shows as Kinesias in Lysistrata, Stephen in Line, Thomas in The Philadelphia Story, and Cambridge in Henry V. Other credits include Amonasro in Aida, Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing, Audrey II Puppeteer in Little Shop of Horrors, Pippin, and Children of Eden.
Matthew Marberry
Matt is a Freshman Theatre Arts and Dance major with plans to study for a BFA in Musical Theatre. A native of Las Vegas, Matt is excited to be making his Utah debut with Acclamation! His favorite role he’s played to date, was as Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast. With that role he received a Best Supporting Actor in a Musical award from the National Youth Theatre. He would like to thank his friends and family for all their support!
Jenny Smith
Jenny is a Freshman Theatre Arts and Dance major and hopes to keep performing and someday travel the world. She lived in South Jordan Utah until she moved to St. George and attended Tuacahn High School for 3 years. She participated in almost every school play and also helped to plan, choreograph, and dance in all of the dance concerts. She received the Southwest Regional Sterling Scholar Award in dance and graduated in 2008 under the Dance Academy and Musical Theatre Academy. She is extremely grateful for the opportunities and people she has been able to meet so far in life!
Katie Wackowski
Katie is a senior Theatre Arts and Dance double major. She is thrilled to be performing with Acclamation, a group that so enthusiastically combines her passions. Some of her favorite rolls include Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street and Marie in Hello My Name Is. She sends out a heartfelt thank you to those who have supported and believed in her.
Melinda Pfundstein-Vaughn (Director)
Melinda is a member of Actors Equity Association and graduate from SUU ('00). She has been seen in White Christmas (Skylight Opera Theatre), Milwaukee Reparatory Theatre and Utah Musical Theatre. She has been with the Utah Shakespearean Festival for the past nine seasons, playing roles such as Eliza Doolittle (My Fair Lady), Princess of France (Loves Labours Lost), Lady Percy (Henry IV Part 1), Emma (Johnny Guitar), Lady Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Gloria Thorpe (Damn Yankees) and Martha Jefferson (1776).
Mic Thompson (Choreographer)
Mic began dancing at age 10 and by the time he was 15 he was named the U.S. Ballroom Latin Champion. Soon after, Mic's career took off as he danced with his favorite recording artists including Michael Jackson for 8 years, Diana Ross, Paula Abdul, Wynona Judd, Vanessa Williams, Tracey Ullman and Jennifer Lopez. He was a regular on the Dick Clark's TV series Your Big Break, Comedy Central's The Man Show; Jay Leno's the Tonight Show and the feature films Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Majestic, The Wedding Planner and Dance With Me. Currently, Mic is choreographing the Magic of Rick Thomas for his next big tour. Mic worked as a featured Ballroom Dancer in the Disney film Enchanted as well the 2008 Academy Awards. The Walt Disney organization selected Mic to choreograph their live stage shows at the famous El Capitan Theater on Hollywood Blvd. which premiered with the animated feature films: Ratatouille, Herbie-Fully Loaded. He also performs the role of “Dancing Cowboy” on Will and Grace. One of the high notes of his Musical Theatre experience was receiving an NAACP Best Choreography nomination for Swinging on a Star. Mic has worked on the musical Grease and Pippin in Tuacahn, Utah and has new shows The Big easy, Far From Over. . . The 80s and Rock Down Broadway appearing nightly on Carnival Cruises. He choreographed Dolly Parton, where he showed his versatile choreography in "Hello, I’m Dolly” the National Tour. In Japan, he choreographed Mickey’s Adventureland Mardi Gras for Disneyland Tokyo.
Sheila Paap (Stage Manager/Tour Manager)
Sheila Paap is a senior at SUU. She is a transfer student from Southern California. Her previous productions at SUU include: Crimes of the Heart, Pillowman, No Way to Treat a Lady, Sorry Wrong Number, and most recently The Elephant Man. She is so happy to have this opportunity and thanks her cast and tech team for putting together two amazing shows.
Gerald Rheault (Music Director/Orchestrator/Arranger/Recording Engineer)
Mr. Rheault has been a professional musician for 25 years. In that time he has music directed, conducted and played for over 150 different musical events from Opera to Musical Theatre, Rock bands to Big bands, elementary school-aged musicians to union professionals. Some shows he has worked are: Into the Woods, Pippin, Sweeny Todd, every Gilbert and Sullivan operetta known to man, and many, many others. He has earned several awards for his musical Directing including three Daytony Awards for the shows: Convienance, Spitfire Grill and Suessical: The Musical. Recently he had the privilege of working directly with Mr. Sham and Mr. Carroll on their Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical. Most of his time is spent in Cedar City, working with the Utah Shakespearean Festival, but he also enjoys traveling to other parts of the country to work with other theatres. He also enjoys the time he spends at Southern Utah University furthering his educational credentials while working with the Music Dept., as well as the Deptartment of Theatre and Dance. Currently he is working with the Sacramento Theatre Co. in California, music directing the Gregg Coffin version of Cinderella. Mr. Rheault and his wife, Tina reside in Cedar City, but also maintain a home in Placerville, CA. To learn more about Mr. Rheault, please visit http://www.Rmusicservices.com. Enjoy the show!