Guys and Dolls: The Company

Ben Bartos is thrilled to be back with the Hartford Players as part of the ensemble. Last summer, you may have seen him The Little Mermaid (Prince Eric). He has also done some productions with Falls Patio Players including Christmas Carol (Bob Cratchit), My Fair Lady (Freddy Eynsford-Hill), Spamalot (Sir Lancelot), and Anything Goes (Sir Evelyn). He also enjoys singing with the Milwaukee Choristers and St. James church choir (Menomonee Falls). He would like to thank his friends and family for their support and all the cast and crew for helping put on an awesome production. Enjoy the show!

Michael is excited to be working with the cast and crew of Guys and Dolls! This is Michael’s second time working with the Hartford Players, following his role as Master Electrician last year in The Little Mermaid. Michael has been actively involved in theatre throughout his college career as both an technician and an actor. He recently directed a One-Act play called Plan B and portrayed Spike in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. After recently graduating with a degree in Psychology and English from Ripon College, Michael will be attending Cardinal Stritch University in the fall to pursue a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology. Enjoy the show!

Jerry co-founded the Hartford Players in 1988. Since that time, he has directed and/or appeared in many Players’ productions, including our 2014 production of The Sound of Music (Capt. Von Trapp). 2017 Footlight Award winner for Best Musical Direction (Beauty and the Beast), Best Performance (Comicality 2017) and Best Musical (My Fair Lady, as Prof.Henry Higgins). He is the founding concoctor and combobulator of our annual comedy revue, Comicality, coming again to the Schauer in January/February, 2019. He is a full-time lawyer, husband (Karen), in-house general counsel to their three kids (Grace, Richard and Claire), composer and the leader of the award-winning wedding and events band, The Mr. Lucky Syndicate. Special thanks to Karen, the Judge, Meg and the rest of the clan for making all of this possible.

Richard is proud to be part of the Production Staff for the Hartford Players’ production of Guys and Dolls. An incoming Senior at Marquette University High School, He has previously been seen on stage in the Hartford Players’ Productions of The Music Man, Holidayzed!, Fiddler on the Roof, and Shrek the Musical, and most recently the MUHS Prep Players’ production of Godspell. Richard would love to go on, but it looks like he’s about to run out of space to write his bio. He hopes you enjoy Guys and Dolls!

Dennis is excited to be back on the stage again with the Hartford Players doing the role of Arvide Abernathy. His last appearance with them was in Grease were he was one of the Greasers. Since then he has been putting most of his time behind the scenes running the light booth or just helping out backstage. He is no stranger when performing on the stage for he has done shows with numerous theater groups . Just some of the parts he has enjoyed playing has been the character of Charlie Cowell and Anvel salesman in Music Man, and Avrem the book reader in Fiddler on the Roof. Dennis would like to thank his wife Kathy for understanding his love for the stage and to let him give up half of the summer to do Guys and Dolls a show he always wanted to do. ENJOY THE SHOW!!!!

Jim is happy to be on stage again after working behind the scenes with his wife Tanja as Stage Managers (Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid). He has previously performed on stage with the Hartford Players in Shrek, Fiddler on the Roof and You Can’t Take it With You. Jim has also worked recently with Jim & I Productions as a Fly Captain (Peter Pan) and as a Stage Manager for Central Middle School (The Lion King Jr., Seussical Jr, Aladdin Jr, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and others…). Shout out to all the CMS kids who take the stage and try something new. Thanks to this talented group of people who let him participate in this madness and to his wife and kids for their love and support.

Tanja is enjoying being a part of the production staff again this year. This year her part is much smaller as she is now enjoying another aspect of the Theatre as a House Manager for the Schauer Arts Center. Tanja has enjoyed working with the Hartford Players as a Stage Manager for “Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Hello, Dolly”, and “Children of Eden”. She has performed in “Shrek”, “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Grease”, “Wizard of Oz” and “Beverly Hillbilies”. The best part of being in the theatre is that it has been something she has been able to enjoy doing with her family. She would like to send a special shout out to Big Jule!

Kaila is a violinist and choir teacher from West Bend. Highlights of her performance career include: acting in and composing/performing music for Carthage College’s world premiere of “Day After Night;” playing in the orchestra for the Wisconsin premiere of “Dogfight” with All in Productions in Milwaukee; and playing violin in the band for a new musical, “Passing By,” by Patrick Thompson, performed at the Chicago Musical Theater Festival and the New York Musical Theater Festival (off-Broadway). Kaila and her husband, Rick, enjoy theater and attend the annual Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. Enjoy the show!

Tia is going to be a sophomore at HUHS and is thrilled to be part of stage crew for her second Hartford Players production, the first being The Little Mermaid. She has also done stage work for the HUHS production of Cinderella. She also had her first acting role (Peepiceek) in HUHS’ Prince Caspian. In her free time she enjoys jamming out to Broadway soundtracks and playing drums. She hopes you enjoy Guys and Dolls!

It’s been 10 years since Cassie performed in her very first musical (and her first of three with the Hartford Players), The Music Man! She is absolutely loving being back on stage dancing with her sister, Lizzie, and singing with her dad, Tim. This fall, she will be a senior at Sussex Hamilton High School and hopes to study Journalism in college. She spends her free time taking photos, listening to Frank Sinatra, reading, writing, handlettering, and playing with her bunny, Hazel Grace. She wants to thank her family and friends (but specifically her parents, Mary and Tim, and her sisters, Carrie and Lizzie) for supporting her in all she does. She sure is a lucky lady to have their love and support! Now, in the words of Ol’ Blue Eyes, sit right down because you’re gonna hear from me (and the rest of the cast), for the best is yet to come in this amazing show!!

Lizzie is delighted to perform in her third show with the Hartford Players. Her favorite roles include the Scarecrow (Wizard of Oz Young Performers Edition), Ladybug (James and the Giant Peach Jr.), Wendy (Peter Pan Jr.) and Chip (Beauty and the Beast). This upcoming fall she will be a freshman at DSHA. When she is not doing school work, Lizzie loves to sing, dance, play piano, and eat tasty food. Lizzie is thrilled to get the opportunity to perform with her sister, Cassie, and her dad, Tim, and hopes to perform with her other sister, Carrie,and her mom, Mary, in the near future. She wants to thank you to all those who have made this experience possible, especially her family and the cast and crew!

Tim is no stranger to Hartford audiences, appearing in a Players’ production for the third summer running, having been seen as Grimsby (The Little Mermaid) and Monsieur d’Arque (Beauty and the Beast). Other recent Players’ roles include Felix (The Odd Couple), Sparky (Forever Plaid), and Max (The Sound of Music). Tim is especially pleased to be reunited on stage with his best pal, Jerry, with whom he was last seen in Falls Patio Players’ My Fair Lady. He is even more excited to be sharing the stage with two of his lovely daughters, Cassie and Lizzie. When he’s not on stage, Tim still likes to entertain by playing bass in several bands. And he spends his daylight hours writing software that helps in the fight to cure brain cancer. Tim and his girls live in the Falls with the two other lovely dolls in his life, his daughter Carrie, and his wife Mary, without whom none of this would be possible.

Matt is extremely excited to be back on the Schauer Center stage with the Hartford Players playing the part of Rusty Charlie. You may have seen him a time or two in the Hartford Players production of Beauty and the Beast as the lovable Cogsworth! Matt is currently studying choral music education at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and will be going into his junior year! There he has been able to be a part of some fantastic productions such as a touring version of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera Hänsel und Gretel and a fully staged production of Stephen Sondheim’s thrilling Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Matt is also extremely excited to also be directing and doing vocal arranging for Eau Claire’s annual Cabaret Productions! Matt would also like to thank his friends and family for their constant and strong support of his love for the performing arts! Matt hopes that you enjoy the show! (And that you bet on Epitaph!)

Harrison is very excited to join the crew for Guys & Dolls. Harrison has been on the Schauer Center stage in Oliver! and Fiddler on the Roof and the Central Middle School stage in Lion King, Jr. and playing Nikko the leader of the flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz, Jr. He has also assisted on tech crews for CMS and most recently helped to run sound and lights for the Hartford Players production of Ordinary Days. Harrison will be a freshman at HUHS in the fall and lives in Hartford with his mom and dad (Nicely-Nicely), little brother Stuart and dogs Abner and Daisy Mae.

Jim is very excited to be a part of this wonderful show. You may have recently seen Jim as Mr. Darling in Peter Pan, Jason in Ordinary Days, playing himself in Comicality 2018, Jinx in Forever Plaid or as Shrek in Shrek: The Musical. Jim is a member of the Florentine Opera Company since 2006. By day, he works for the printing company Tailored Label Products located in Menomonee Falls, WI. Jim lives in Hartford with his wonderful wife, Heidi and two handsome sons, Harrison and Stuart. He would like to thank them for their unending love, support and encouragement.

Julie is a Violinist and Violist from Hartford. After this show she will be moving away to her first year of college to study music further at University of Wisconsin Whitewater. She has been in the pit orchestra for what is now her fifth musical and hopes to be adding many more to that trip. Through music she has been able to travel to many different places, including Washington D.C., Florida (twice), and London. In the future she hopes to complete her degree and become a full time music teacher and to continue preforming with all those she meets. Even though her studies will keep her well occupied throughout the next year she will always find a way to preform and do what she loves. Thank you, and Enjoy the preformance!

Emily is delighted to be performing in her 3rd show with the Hartford Players. Emily is currently a senior at UW-Milwaukee studying Early Childhood Education. Emily would like to thank her friends and family for all of their love.

Joelle is thrilled to perform in her 3rd show with the Hartford Players this summer! She has had a wonderful experience and loves the cast and crew involved in this production. Joelle is a sophomore at UW-Milwaukee where she is studying English education! She loves singing in choir and performing on stage with her amazing friends. She is grateful for this opportunity and all the unforgettable memories that came with it. Enjoy the show!!

Brady is beyond excited to star in his 3rd Hartford Players show! This will be Brady’s 7th show overall! Last summer he played the role of Jetsam in Hartford Player’s production of The Little Mermaid! Other credits include King Sextimus in Slinger High School’s production of Once Upon a Mattress! Brady just graduated from Slinger High School in June and will be attending UW-Platteville this fall to pursue a degree in Technical Education! Brady would like to thank all of his friends and especially his family for allowing him to pursue his dreams and be a part of a great show like this! ENJOY!

Alyssa is thrilled to be back on the stage with the Hartford Players for her second year, this time as Sarah Brown! You may have seen her last summer in the Hartford Players production of The Little Mermaid as Arista. Alyssa is majoring in Psychology and Communications at St. Norbert College and is looking forward to starting her junior year with a semester of studying abroad in Rome! When she returns to SNC in the spring, she will continue to be involved in choir and her theatre group, Knights on Broadway, she loves so much! She would like to thank her family and friends for their constant support of her theatrical endeavors (and their inevitable, mostly consensual subjugation to becoming a whole cast of characters in efforts to help her learn lines). Alyssa hopes you enjoy the show (and that whether you do or not isn’t a crapshoot)!

Nick is excited to be with the Hartford Players again for his second time. You may have seen him in Hartford Union High School’s production of Cinderella, playing as part of the ensemble. Nick will be going into his Junior at Hartford Union High School and will be in the high school’s next production, Little Shop of Horrors, and will be plaing as the WSKID announcer. Offstage, Nick enjoys reading, being a member of student council, and spending time with friends and family. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Erika Hilsmann is very excited to be back with the Hartford Players for a third summer, this year as a stage manager alongside her partner-in-crime, Renee Wagner! Having been an avid theatre fan since elementary school, Erika has been very involved within the theatre community in more recent years. You may recognize her from previous theatre endeavors including Hartford Players’ Beauty and The Beast (gargoyle/stage crew) and The Little Mermaid (stage crew, props master), HUHS’ A Midsummer Nights Dream (Hippolyta) and Little Women (Jo March), Musical Masquers’ Little Shop of Horrors (stage manager, props master), Falls Patio Players’ Christmas Carol (stage crew), and Rogue Stage Theater’s Spring Awakening (stage manager, props master, producer). She would like to give a special shoutout to her good friend, Lauren, for keeping her sane and supporting her in pursuing all of her passions. She hopes everyone (guys & dolls included) enjoy the show!

Megan is overjoyed to be sharing the stage yet again with the amazing talent found in the Hartford Players. This is her third production with them, being both on the stage and choreographing, where Megan and her sister Tricia’s work choreographing have been recognized in the Footlight Awards for Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid. She is currently a senor at Concordia University Wisconsin studying Instrumental Music Education in hopes to be a band director at the high school level. She would like to thank Tricia and Sydney for all their hard work with the choreography, the production staff for their dedication and skill, and all her friends and family who have supported her throughout the years. Megan is blessed and honored to be working with this amazing cast and crew, and she hopes you love the show!

This is Tricia’s third year on the Production Staff with the Hartford Players, and she is thrilled that you are here! You might have seen Tricia’s choreography work in Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, or with her former traveling dance group, the ZOJA Performace Group. When Tricia is not dancing, she is a graduate student at Marquette University, as well as an art teacher here at the Schauer Center. A huge shout out to her friends and family for all their support this past summer, as it was a crazy busy summer. Special thanks to Megan and Sydney for all their hard work on the choreography team! Now place your bets and enjoy the show!

Liz is thrilled to be part Guys and Dolls at the Hartford Schauer Center. She has preformed in a variety of shows ranging from Chicago (Mona) to Avenue Q (Bad Idea Bear) but was most recently seen portraying Georg in Rouge Stage’s Spring Awakening. When she is not busy seeking out new shows, Liz spends her days corralling 2 year olds as a Co Teacher at KinderCare Learning Center: rehearsing is her break from chaos in other worlds. Enjoy the show and escape your own chaotic life with us!

While he is no stranger to the stage, Howard Husslein prefers to be behind the scenes, usually building them. He has performed in “Joseph”,SuperstarKindergarten”,and “Children of Eden”, and has led set construction for more shows than can be listed here! He and his wife, Jo Ann, are both grateful for the friends, fun, and ongoing learning opportunities that the Players have provided.

Jo has been with the Players since even before the beginning when the founders were directing shows for the high school. She has served as the Treasurer for many years and is nearly always involved in one way or another, usually backstage. For the 30th year she thought it would be fun to be back on stage. She is grateful for all the many friends who have become part of her life through the Players including Heidi and Emily Lofy with whom she co-directs the Slinger High School musicals. She reminds you to Sit Down and Don’t Rock the Boat!

Ed is thankful to see so many friends in the audience for this amazing production of Guys and Dolls. Ed has recently appeared in the Hartford Players production of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, the Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof and the Children of Eden.  By day Ed is a licensed Architect with projects throughout the country and by night he is a House Manager here at the Schauer Center as well as member of the Hartford Community Chorus.  Ed wishes all an enjoyable evening watching our production of Guys and Dolls.

Zack is excited to be a part of another Hartford Players production. He’s enjoyed working with quite a few fimiliar cast mates of previous shows, both here with the Hartford Players and other comunity theatres in the area, and for the opportunity to meet new ones also. He’s loved being able to deepen so many great friendships. Some of the favorite characters that he’s had the privilege to portray in the past include: Ephraim(Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), the Head Knight of Ni(Spamalot), Theadore Lawrence(the Little Women), Spencer Bowman(Blind Dating at Happy Hour) and most recently the Purser(Anything Goes). He hopes you enjoy the show half as much as he’s enjoyed being a part of it.

Sydney Kolbeck is been in been involved in the theatre world for meaning years. More recently she was in Anything Goes (Chasity) and Steel Magnolias (Shelby). Sydney currently involved in the film district in Chicago and the theatre district in Milwaukee. She was a part of Accompany of Kids for over 10 years. With all of that experience Sydney is ecstatic to be on the other side of things. She’s assisted in choreographing countless productions and is thrilled to be a part of the Hartford Players Production staff for the first time. Sydney is so grateful for the opportunity to work with this group of individuals and hopes you enjoy all the talent that made her job so enjoyable.

Jacob is very excited to be taking part in his first show with the Hartford Players! This upcoming school year, Jacob will be a senior at HUHS. He has been involved with school productions since sixth grade. Jacob received a Tommy Award nomination for outstanding lead performance in HUHS’s 2017 production of Cinderella. This November, you can see him in HUHS’s production of Little Shop of Horrors as Orin Scrivello DDS. Jacob is also very involved in choir, and was selected for both the 2017 and 2018 WSMA State Honors Mixed Choirs. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Bailey is so excited to be back again for a third time with the Hartford Players. You may have seen Bailey recently as Olivia in (Things My Mother Taught Me) and Truffaldina in (Comedy of Couples). The cast and crew have been working so hard on this show and Bailey is so grateful to be a part of it. When Bailey is not on stage you can find her hanging out with friends and family or curled up with a good book. Bailey hopes that you enjoy the show and to remember that “When you see a guy reach for stars in the sky, you can bet that he’s doing it for some doll.”

Thanks for taking a “gamble” on us and seeing our show! Abby adores her theater family at the Hartford Players and the many ways they have helped her grow as a performer. Shout out to Tim for being a great scene partner to work with and bringing out the best in Adelaide (despite dragging his feet for 14 years!) Abby was recently seen as Atina (Little Mermaid), Babette (Beauty and the Beast), Gloria (Thoroughly Moden Millie), and Bambi (Curtains). When she’s not on the stage, she is often spotted as a princess for local community events and teaching theater classes at Christian Youth Theater in Milwaukee. Abby would like to thank her friends and family for their unconditional support; I love you all a bushel and a peck!

Ethan is excited to be in his second production with the Players. Last year, Ethan was a member of the ensemble for The Little Mermaid. Currently, Ethan is studying Computer Science with a music minor at UW Eau Claire, and will be starting his sophomore year in the fall. Ethan has been absolutely blown away by the amazing talent of the cast and tireless work that has gone into the production. When off stage, Ethan typically likes exploring new music (or listening to the same four songs on repeat), playing tennis, or hanging out with friends. Ethan would like to thank his family for the incredible amount of support that goes into everything he does, and he hopes that everyone enjoys the show.

Mike is happy to be back with the Hartford Players for the third time. He has appeared in Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music. Mike hopes you enjoy the show.

Peter is a junior at Hartford Union High School. He loves music and everything to do with it. He was in the pit orchestra for the production of Cinderella put on by his high school. He is very excited to be able to be in the pit orchestra here and play with top level musicians. He hopes you enjoy the show.

Ethan is very happy to be to with Players again in this fantastic production! He has previously appeared as Chef Louis in The Little Mermaid and as a Winkie in The Wizard of Oz. When not on stage, he directs three middle school choirs in the Hartland-Lakeside school district, as well as teaching 3-6th grade General Music, Musical Theater and vocabulary and assisting with their Theater department. Off-stage, Ethan enjoys cooking, traveling to as many places as will take him and spending time with his wonderfully supportive family and friends. Thank you for coming! He hopes you enjoy this show and that you place all bets on Valentine!

Marie is very happy to be getting back into musical theater. Her last role was the rose seller in Oliver, presented at the Schauer Center. She is a retired music teacher and still freelances as a church musician. Her home is in Hartford and she enjoys golfing and playing with her grandchildren. She is very grateful to be a part of this fantastic cast.

Casey Van Dam is an actor/musician from the Milwaukee area and he is positively rhapsodic to be included in this truly meritorious cast! You may recognize Casey from such past roles as “Roat” from WCT’s Wait Until Dark, “Sir Robin” from Patio Players’ Spamalot, or “Tunny” from Milwaukee Rock Theatre’s American Idiot: The Musical, to name a few. When not acting or musicing, Casey can usually be found near the train tracks throwing rocks

Renee is thrilled to be working as a stage manager alongside her partner in crime, Erika Hilsmann. She has recently worked on Hello Dolly with Slinger High School, Spamalot and Anything Goes with Patio Players, and The Little Mermaid with Hartford players. She is a recent Slinger High School graduate. This fall, she will be studying at UW Stevens Point to get a BFA in Theater design and Technology! Renee would like to thank Jo Husslein and Tom Matasek who have taught her so much over the years and who have consistently supported her. She thanks you for coming and hopes you enjoy this wonderful production!