July 28, 2022 – August 28, 2022

Sh-Boom! Life Could Be A Dream

Written and Created by Roger Bean
Music Directed by Sarah Wussow
Directed and Choreographed by Keenon Hooks

Meet Denny and the Dreamers, a fledgling doo-wop singing group preparing to enter the Big Whopper Radio contest to realize their dreams of making it to the big time! The ’60s hits say it all: “Fools Fall in Love,” “Tears on my Pillow,” “Runaround Sue,” “Earth Angel,” “Stay,” “Unchained Melody,” “Lonely Teardrops,” and “The Glory of Love.” Sh-Boom! Life Could Be a Dream will leave you laughing, singing, and cheering— let’s hear it for the boys!

Presented by special arrangement Stage Rights (www.stagerights.com).

Cast

Kabir is thrilled to return to Sierra Repertory Theatre! He is a proud IUMT alumni from Duluth, Georgia. Select credits: Denny in ShBoom! and Chef Louis in The Little Mermaid (SRT), Bobby in Urinetown (Okoboji Summer Theatre), Franz in Rock of Ages, Plato in Cats, and Ensemble in Beauty and the Beast (Music Theatre Wichita). He would like to thank his friends and family for their constant support. Enjoy the show!

Chris is a SoCal Native and is so excited to be back as Eugene in this ShBoom Christmas Sequel! Regional Theatre: Mountain Theatre Company (NC), Short North Stage (OH), Mill Mountain Theatre (VA), The Palace Theatre (NH), Creede Repertory (CO), MGM’s Beau Rivage (MS), and a Vocalist for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Favorite past credits include: In the Heights (Sonny), Altar Boyz (Juan), Rocky Horror Show (Rocky), and West Side Story (Chino). He dedicates this show to his wonderful, supportive family.

Jerry Lee

Jerry Lee *

Wally

Jerry Lee is Sierra Rep’s Artistic Director. He’s appeared in the SRT productions of Misery, Sunday in the Park with George, Elf The Musical, Shrek The Musical, Camelot, Cabaret, Route 66, Intimate Apparel, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Man of La Mancha, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s State Fair, and The Drowsy Chaperone. As an actor: I Love You…Change, Forbidden Broadway (California Musical Theatre); Life Could Be a Dream, A Christmas Carol (CenterREP); A Little Princess, The Fantasticks (Sacramento Theatre Company); West Side Story (Mountain Play); Orlando, An Iliad, A Tale of Two Cities (SacImpulse Theatre). As a soloist: Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration (Sacramento Choral Society); Billy Bigelow in Carousel in Concert (Sacramento Philharmonic). As a director: Little Shop of Horrors, Mean Girls JR., Sh-Boom! A Christmas Miracle (World Premiere), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Twelfth Night, Jersey Boys, Clue, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh KIDS, Elvis The Musical (West Coast Premiere), Dogfight, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Steel Magnolias, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDS, I Love You…Change, The Wizard of Oz, Holiday Jukebox, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, The Robber Bridegroom (SRT); I Love You…Change (STC). Lee began his association with Sierra Rep in 2010 when he stepped in as a replacement in Guys and Dolls.

In 2019, Lee created SRT in Schools, a touring program that brings live professional theatre to Tuolumne County schools at no cost to the schools, students, or their families. In 2023, the program branched out to include Stanislaus and Calaveras counties.

Deja is a proud San Diego native that is excited to be reprising her role as Lois. A graduated from UCLA’s Musical Theater Program (B.A). Fields was last seen originating the role of Meekah for Blippi’s Wonderful World Tour and some theater credits include The Odyssey (The Old Globe) The Niceties (MOXIE Theater) 1222 Ocean Front (New Village Arts) Hairspray & In the Heights (San Diego Repertory Theater). Fields specializes in mezzo-vocal technique and have sung background for artist like Stevie Wonder and more.

Troy is ecstatic to be making his West Coast Premiere and Sierra Rep debut! He was most recently seen as Willard Hewitt in American Stage in the Park’s production of Footloose. Other regional Credits include: Fish in The Royale at TheatreSquared; John Hunter/Ensemble in Treasure Island (Maine State Music Theatre); George Murchison in A Raisin in the Sun (American Stage Theatre Co); and Sonny in In the Heights (Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe). Film and TV credits include:  Jeff in “Kevin Can F*ck Himself” on AMC; Grown Noah in “Mandingo” (Sundance), Damon in “Laugh Now, Cry Later”; He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association with a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University. Troy co-founded and currently serves as President of the Black Theatre Caucus. He thanks his family, chosen family, and loving partner Ashley for their constant support.

Thaddeus Piett

Thaddeus Piett

Understudy

Graduate of AMDA. This is Thad’s first show at Sierra Rep! Select Credits: Mamma Mia! (Pepper), Newsies (Romeo), Sister Act (TJ), Swing! The Musical, Bring it On The Musical (Cameron, Cheer Captain, Co-choreographer, u/s Twig, La Cienega), Mary Poppins (Neleus), Guys and Dolls (Scranton Slim), Tarzan The Musical. TV: Marshall in Paw Patrol Live! (Paramount+). Glory to God, love to my family.

Artistic Team

Roger Bean

Roger Bean

Playwright

Roger Bean created the long-running hit The Marvelous Wonderettes (over 1,200 performances Off-Broadway), along with the sequels Wonderettes: Caps & Gowns, Winter Wonderettes, Wonderettes: Dream On, and the new large-cast Wonderettes: Glee Club Edition. Original cast albums for all Wonderettes shows are available from iTunes and Amazon. The Marvelous Wonderettes received the 2007 LA Ovation Award for Best Musical for its record-breaking Los Angeles run and continues to be an audience favorite in theatre companies throughout the country. Mr. Bean’s doo-wop hit Life Could Be A Dream had a record-breaking 12-month run in Los Angeles, receiving the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, the LA Weekly Theatre Award, and the Backstage Garland Award for Outstanding Musical.

Other popular musicals created by Mr. Bean include The Andrews Brothers, Summer of Love, Route 66, Honky Tonk Laundry, and Why Do Fools Fall In Love?, all published by Stage Rights.

Keenon Hooks

Keenon Hooks *

Director/Choreographer

KEENON HOOKS

Donkey in Shrek The Musical (2021)

Keenon is thrilled to make his debut with SRT! He spends most of his time behind the scenes directing/ choreographing these days but is excited for a chance to be back on stage again. A graduate of Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, his work has also been seen with: 5 Star Theatricals, PCPA-Pacific Conservatory Theatre, Transcendence Theatre Company, San Diego Musical Theatre, Long Beach Opera, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Utah Festival Opera, Musical Theatre West, SLO Repertory Theatre, Performance Riverside, Palos Verdes Performing Arts, Las Vegas Nevada Conservatory Theatre, and the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival. He is also the co-founder of Studio Collective Performing Arts and takes pride in the education of the next generation of artists.

Sarah Wussow

Sarah Wussow

Musical Director

Sarah is so excited to be back at SRT working with this amazing team on Sh’Boom! Sarah has spent the past ten years traveling around the country, working as a vocal coach and music director at regional theatres. Some of her favorite past productions are SIX the Musical (NCL), She Loves Me (Oregon Cabaret Theatre), Sister Act (Springer Opera House), Falsettos! (Grandstreet Theatre), Memphis (Cape Fear Regional Theatre) and The Drowsy Chaperone (SRT). A huge thank you to the entire SRT Team and as always, Sarah thanks her family for their endless support and encouragement.

Christopher Scott Murillo

Christopher Scott Murillo

Scenic Designer

Christopher is a scenic designer, artist, and educator based in Los Angeles, CA. Most recently, his work has been seen at New Village Arts Theatre, Native Voices at the Autry, and the Getty Villa.  Christopher is a member of the United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829. Christopher is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Loyola Marymount. He is a 2016 recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation Theater Fellowship- Pierre Cardin Award.

Austin Blake Conlee

Austin Blake Conlee

Costume Designer

Austin is a freelance costume designer and a professor at Ramapo University in New Jersey. He received his MFA from the University of Maryland and has traveled the country working at a variety of theatrical venues including The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Northern Stage, Ohio Light Opera, Opera Columbus, etc. Some of Austin’s favorite regional design credits include: Cinderella, Hamlet: Replayed, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Joseph… Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cunning Little Vixen, Why I Live at the PO, Twelfth Night, Urinetown, A Streetcar Named Desire, & La Boheme.

Minjoo Kim

Minjoo Kim

Lighting Designer

Minjoo’s been designing lights internationally including in Korea, China, and the United States. Her collective lighting design credits include A Few Good Men (Bristol Riverside Theatre), Henry V (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company), Water by the Spoonful (Cygnet Theatre), The Royale (KC Rep), Life Sucks (Cygnet Theatre), The Great Leap (Round House Theatre), The Chief (Pittsburgh Public Theater), One in Two (Diversionary Theatre), The Two (Space Owul), Qulili (The Blindspot), Cetacea (Calit2 Theater, Atkinson Hall), Crimson Girl (Dongsoong Art Center), Mask on/ off (Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre). Her work got selected from the USA at Prague Quadrennial in 2019 and World Stage Design 2022.

Tatiana Covington-Parra is thrilled to be diving into another season at Sierra Rep after a whirlwind 2021 return. Beginning as a sound engineer at Modesto Junior College, she is grateful to have found a community and the opportunity to grow as an artist thanks to the guidance and support of the SRT company. Her favorite design work at SRT includes Cabaret, The Wizard of Oz, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. She would like to thank her Mom, Grandma, family, friends, the MJC Theatre staff, and all her mentors for always allowing her to create, explore, and grow with love.

Brenda O'Brien

Brenda O’Brien *

Wig and Make-Up Designer

Brenda O’Brien began her theater career in San Diego, where she was seen as Judas in Godspell, Louise in Gypsy, Nicki in Sweet Charity, and Viola in Twelfth Night (to name a few). She received awards for her roles as Ouisa in Six Degrees of Separation, Joan in Dames at Sea, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, and Electra in Gypsy. Brenda then went on to perform as Svetlana in the 1st National tour of Chess. Soon after she began portraying Carmen San Diego on the PBS television show and video games. In addition to acting, Brenda is an accomplished make-up artist and hairdresser for TV, Film, and Theater. She received her 25 years on Broadway pin in 2019 for her work on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables, Jekyll & Hyde, and Disney’s The Lion King. SRT Audiences might remember her as Tanya in Mamma Mia (2018), or as Tootie in Meet Me in St. Louis (2021). So glad to be back!

Maggie Braun

Maggie Braun *

Stage Manager

Maggie Braun (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back at her theatre home! SRT: Steel Magnolias, Murder on the Orient Express, Route 66, The Wizard of Oz, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, and Million Dollar Quartet. With her associate degree in Theater from Modesto Junior College, she is proud to have her dream job here in Sonora. She would like to thank her family, best friends, and Connor for supporting her in her journey of chasing her dreams. “Look ma, I made it!”

* indicates member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)
† indicates member of United Scenic Artists (USA)
‡ indicates member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)

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