Camelot

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: HAIR, 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.

Into the Woods marks Courtney’s tenth production at Sierra Rep, having debuted as Betty Haynes in our 2010 production of White Christmas.  From leading ladies, to character roles and kicking a leg up in the chorus, SRT has never failed to inspire and challenge Courtney as an artist. She was also seen last year right across the county line as Cathy in The Last Five Years at Murphys Creek Theatre.  Career highlights beyond the California Foothills include the original Broadway company of The Woman in White, the Australian tour of Sweeney Todd and the Austral-Asian premiere of Ragtime with The Production Company in Melbourne, Victoria. 

Brian Krinsky is making his Sierra Rep debut in Camelot! Favorite Credits: Billy Crocker in Anything Goes (Nat’l tour) Beast/Gaston cover in Beauty and the Beast (North American Tour) Roland in Constellations (White Heron Theatre) Tom Morgan in Treasure Island (Maine State Music Theater) Neville in The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Riverside Theater) love to my Family, WTG, Adri, Tater Tot the dog and the whole Sierra Rep Family.

Lake Wilburn is excited to be making his SRT debut with Camelot! Favorite theatrical credits: Pippin in Pippin (Summer Repertory Theatre), Nate in At The Table (Exit Left Theatre Company), Matt in The Fantasticks (SRO Theatre Company), Oscar in Sweet Charity (University of Michigan). BFA in Musical Theatre: University of Michigan (Go Blue!).

Brian Michael Henry is thrilled to be making his Sierra Rep debut in Camelot! Selected credits include Father; Ragtime (Eagle Theater), Jerry Lee Lewis; Million Dollar Quartet (Majestic, Hippodrome, Beef & Boards, NCL), Sparky; Forever Plaid (Majestic Theater), Stewpot; South Pacific (Ivoryton Playhouse, Westchester Broadway). Brian holds a BM from PSU, an MM from Manhattan School of Music. Thanks to everyone at Sierra Rep and love to Mom and Dad!

Christopher David Roché is excited to be making his SRT debut in Camelot! An actor, singer, director, stage manager, teaching artist, and social activist he has worked on over 50 stage productions, films, and TV shows including LAByrinth Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Company, Freedom Theatre, People’s Light & Theatre Company, Walnut Street Theatre, Berks Opera, Gretna Theatre, Juniper Productions, Elephant Room Productions, Hot Snakes Media, Destination America, and many more. A proud product of Reading PA, Roché is a multi-nominated and award winning actor, artist and theatre creator.

James Conrad Smith is pleased to be making his Sierra Rep debut with Camelot. Select credits: Pirelli (Sweeney Todd – Oregon Cabaret Theatre), Kodaly (She Loves Me – Princeton Festival), Prince Charles (My Princess Diana – Alvin Ailey), Warner (Legally Blonde – Downtown Cabaret Theatre), and Fr. Dupin (Hunchback…Notre Dame – WPPAC). James is a native of northern New Jersey and is a director and composer as well as an avid baker and hiker.

Abigail Campbell (Ariel) is thrilled to return to Sierra Rep for this summer under the sea! Originally from NJ, she received her BFA in Musical Theater at UMiami and then lived in NYC for several years. Now, Abigail is grateful to call San Francisco home! Favorite credits include: Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher (Adrienne Arsht Center), Sister Mary Robert in Sister Act (Theater Bay Area Award Winner), and Andy in the original cast of Coming Soon. Always, for Ev&Teddy.

Fiona Mowbray (Allana/Ensemble; Dance Captain) is delighted to be returning to Sierra Rep! Past SRT credits: Camelot and White Christmas. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University with degrees in Musical Theatre (BFA) and International Business (BS) and is currently based in NYC. Favorite credits include Singin’ in the Rain (Kathy Selden) and The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet Van De Graaff). Many thanks to her family for their constant support.

Laura Millar is delighted to make her SRT debut with the cast of Camelot. Recent credits include A Christmas Carol (CenterREP), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Lucky Penny), and The Speakeasy, the immersive theatrical experience in San Francisco. She is also a teaching artist in the Bay Area, most recently with Marin Shakespeare Company. B.A. Acting, Sonoma State University.

Atticus Narron previously appeared in Sierra Rep’s Main Stage productions of Camelot and Holiday Jukebox. An active member of SRT Jr., Atticus has been featured as Lumière (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR.) and Scarecrow (The Wizard of Oz [Youth Edition]).  Atticus is a student of Connections Visual and Performing Arts Academy in Tuolumne where he hopes to continue his quest for the Holy Grail.

Angela Mannon was previously seen as the drummer in Camelot and Ring of Fire at SRT, Blues in the Night at Stage 3, and with the Pinecone Singers in Groveland.

Alan Jay Lerner (Bookwriter and Lyricist) and Frederick Loewe (Composer) wrote some of the American theater’s most memorable musicals, including My Fair Lady, Camelot, Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon and Gigi.   Among their most famous songs are ”Almost Like Being in Love,” ”I Could Have Danced All Night’’ and ”Thank Heaven for Little Girls.”  Lerner was born in New York City in 1918 and attended Choate and Harvard.   Loewe was born in Berlin in 1901 to Viennese parents, made his piano debut with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra at the age of 13 and came to the United States in 1924.   The two met in 1942 at the Lambs Club in New York City when Loewe approached Lerner about collaborating on a show.  In 1947, they had their first Broadway hit, Brigadoon, followed in 1951 by a second success with Paint Your Wagon which included such songs as “They Call the Wind Maria,” “I Talk to the Trees” and “Wand’rin’ Star.”   In 1956, My Fair Lady, with Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, opened on Broadway.   Often called the “perfect musical,” the show ran for 2,717 performances and the cast album sold more than five million copies.  Their 1958 film musical, Gigi, won nine Academy awards and, in 1960, came the last great success of their partnership, Camelot, starring Richard Burton and Julie Andrews.  In 1974, Lerner lured Loewe out of retirement to work on their last venture together:  a film version of Antoine de St Exupéry’s The Little Prince.  Lerner went on to collaborate with other composers including Burton Lane, Leonard Bernstein and Andre Previn. He died in 1986 at the age of 67.   Loewe died two years later at the age of 86.

Alan Jay Lerner (Bookwriter and Lyricist) and Frederick Loewe (Composer) wrote some of the American theater’s most memorable musicals, including My Fair Lady, Camelot, Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon and Gigi.   Among their most famous songs are ”Almost Like Being in Love,” ”I Could Have Danced All Night’’ and ”Thank Heaven for Little Girls.”  Lerner was born in New York City in 1918 and attended Choate and Harvard.   Loewe was born in Berlin in 1901 to Viennese parents, made his piano debut with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra at the age of 13 and came to the United States in 1924.   The two met in 1942 at the Lambs Club in New York City when Loewe approached Lerner about collaborating on a show.  In 1947, they had their first Broadway hit, Brigadoon, followed in 1951 by a second success with Paint Your Wagon which included such songs as “They Call the Wind Maria,” “I Talk to the Trees” and “Wand’rin’ Star.”   In 1956, My Fair Lady, with Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, opened on Broadway.   Often called the “perfect musical,” the show ran for 2,717 performances and the cast album sold more than five million copies.  Their 1958 film musical, Gigi, won nine Academy awards and, in 1960, came the last great success of their partnership, Camelot, starring Richard Burton and Julie Andrews.  In 1974, Lerner lured Loewe out of retirement to work on their last venture together:  a film version of Antoine de St Exupéry’s The Little Prince.  Lerner went on to collaborate with other composers including Burton Lane, Leonard Bernstein and Andre Previn. He died in 1986 at the age of 67.   Loewe died two years later at the age of 86.

David Lee regularly directs/writes for major regional theaters that have included the LA Opera, Pasadena Playhouse, Two River Theater Company, Papermill Playhouse, Williamstown Theater Festival, Encores, Reprise, and the Hollywood Bowl. A 9-time Emmy Award winning director, writer, and producer for television, he was co-creator/director of “Wings” and “Frasier”, a writer/producer for “Cheers” and a director for “Everybody Loves Raymond.” 19 Emmy nominations, Directors Guild Award, Golden Globe, Producers Guild Award, Ovation Award, British Comedy Award, Television Critics Association Award (three times), the Humanitas Prize (twice), and the Peabody.

T. H. White (Author of The Once and Future King), English novelist, social historian, and satirist who was best known for his brilliant adaptation of Sir Thomas Malory’s 15th-century romance, Morte D’arthur, into a quartet of novels called The Once and Future King. White was educated at Cheltenham College and at Cambridge. He taught at Stowe School (1930–36), and while there he attained his first real critical success with an autobiographical volume, England Have My Bones (1936). He afterward devoted himself exclusively to writing and to studying such recondite subjects as the Arthurian legends, which were to provide the material for his books. White was by nature a recluse, for long periods isolating himself from human society and spending his time hunting, fishing, and looking after his strange collection of pets. White’s other works include The Goshawk (1951), a study of falconry, and two works of social history, The Age of Scandal (1950) and The Scandalmonger (1951).

Dennis Jones with Sara Jones, David and Kathryn Kahn, and Doug Brennan, founded Sierra Rep in 1980. For over 40 years, Jones has served as both director and scenic designer for numerous SRT productions. Recent credits include Ripcord, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (scenic design), Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Man of La Mancha, Noises Off!, Cyrano and My Fair Lady.

Zoë Swenson-Graham is thrilled to be back at Sierra Rep! She returned to the states in 2015 after living in London for nearly seven years, where she worked as an actor, dancer, and trained as a stage combat instructor and fight choreographer. SRT credits include: Cyrano (Fight Choreographer), Noises Off (Poppy), The Fantasticks (Fight Choreographer), Man of La Mancha (Fight Choreographer), and White Christmas (Choreographer). Other credits include:  Our Town (Emily), Twelfth Night (Viola), The Pajama Game (Gladys), Anything Goes (Purity), Cabaret (Lulu), Crazy For You (Patsy), West Side Story (Velma). Zoe works as a dance and stage combat teacher and choreographer around the Bay.

Emily Gatesman is a Virginia native who has found her home, heart, and community in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. After receiving her Bachelors of Music from James Madison University, Emily performed at various regional theaters across the country, including Bigfork Summer Playhouse in MT, Theatre IV and The Barksdale Theatre in VA, and Riverside CLO Sierra Repertory Theatre in CA. As a performing arts educator, Emily taught music, dance, and theatre arts at public schools in Virginia, Denver, California. She served the New York City schools as an Artist in Residence. She returned to Sonora and SRT in 2016 and has since been a stage manager, performer, or choreographer in 15 productions.  Emily serves on the Sonora Chamber of Commerce and the Visit Tuolumne County Boards of Directors.  She is an Ambassador for the Tuolumne Co. Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Tuolumne Co. Women’s Network.

Scott Michaelsen (Music Director) hails from Central Oregon and is thrilled to return to SRT, following previous music direction for Grease in 2019 and Camelot in 2020. He holds a BA in music composition and music technology from Seattle Pacific University and has been in love with music and the piano since the age of five. Other recent credits include The Full Monty and A Christmas Story The Musical (Suncoast Broadway Dinner Theatre), original cabaret shows Unchained Melodies and Three Pianos (Florida Studio Theatre) and an outdoor production of Into the Woods (Lay it Out Events, Bend, OR).

Benjamin Weigel is a Washington, D.C. based designer with an MFA from the University of Maryland. Previous designs include: Stormy Weather (InSeries), E2 (Rep Stage), Cabaret and Ripcord (Sierra Repertory Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors and Eurydice (University of Maryland), Zaubernacht and Mahagonny Songspiel and Dialogues of the Carmelites (Maryland Opera Studio), Enron and MacBeth (4615 Theatre), Glory Denied (Opera Idaho), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ballet Idaho).

Peter Leibold has designed across the country at The Kennedy Center (DC), Signature Theatre (Arlington, VA), The Great American Melodrama (CA), Dance Place (DC), Andy’s Summer Playhouse (2018 New Hampshire), and more. Peter got his start here at Sierra Rep, and now holds a BA in Drama from UC Irvine and an MFA from the University of Maryland.

Ty Smith has appeared in 88 roles at Sierra Rep including Rumson in Paint Your Wagon, Governor/C.J. Scruggs in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and Lear in King Lear. A graduate of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s Professional Actor Training Program, Ty is a veteran of Off-Broadway, regional theaters and Shakespeare festivals across the country. He spent several summers with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival where his roles included Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night, Antonio in The Merchant of Venice and Capulet in Romeo and Juliet.

Sean is a composer and pianist based in Los Angeles. Originally from Sonora, he attended USC for Jazz Performance studying with Milcho Leviev and Cedar Walton. After finishing his degree, Sean spent a year in Glasgow, Scotland, playing in hotels and working with the Lothian Gaelic Choir. Then, after working in San Francisco with jazz and pop groups, he returned to Los Angeles and a career as a composer and pianist. He has music directed dozens of productions at various theatres including Sierra Rep, Milwaukee Rep, PCPA, The Odyssey, The NoHo Arts Center, Sierra Madre Playhouse, and has played and produced music for Disney and Universal Studios. Sean recently scored the award-winning feature Refuge, SMP’s production of Deathtrap, and received ASCAP’s Harold Arlen Award for film scoring.

Kimily Conkle (Dialect Coach) recently coached Steel Magnolias for SRT and is delighted to join the creative team once again. She has coached dialects extensively throughout the Bay Area, including 20 shows for TheatreWorks (notably the world premiere of Memphis). Other theatres include Marin Theatre Company, San Jose Stage, South Bay Musical Theatre, Broadway by the Bay, Los Altos Stage, The Mountain Play, Foothill Music Theatre, Palo Alto Players, Tabard Theatre, Dragon Productions, Pear Theatre, Woodside Community Theatre, Hillbarn Theatre, Ross Valley Players, and at Stanford University and Santa Rosa Junior College. Kimily has performed with TheatreWorks, San Jose Stage, PCPA Theaterfest, Western Stage, Los Altos Conservatory Theatre, Empire Plush Room, Palo Alto Players, and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She is a former member of the Theatre Arts faculty at Foothill College and received her training from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, American Conservatory Theater, and Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.

Joanna is pleased to be back with SRT both in a new role as Company Manger and to stage mange her 4^th production The Christmas Foundling. Other shows as stage manager for SRT include Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, State Fair, Camelot, The Full Monty, Charley’s Aunt, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Oklahoma!  Previously she has Stage managed The School for Lies, Shakespeare in Love, Pericles and Waiting for Godot with Pacific Repertory Theatre and On the Waterfront and The Threepenny Opera with San Jose Stage. Joanna also holds a degree in Lighting Design from Boston University and has designed several productions for SRT.