HAIR

Returning to the Sierra Rep stage, HAIR marks Kyle’s 12th production with the company. He is so happy to be working alongside his fellow actors and crew members to bring the arts to life here in the town where he was born and raised. He gives tremendous thanks to all of his dear friends and family who have given their love and support through the years. Onstage or behind the scenes, Kyle is ready to give it his all and have a great time doing it!

Jackie is thrilled to be returning to SRT once again! She has most recently been seen in SRT’s production of Cinderella as Charlotte. Jackie is a graduate of PCPA and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Cornish College of the Arts. Favorite credits include: Cinderella, Sunday in the Park with George, Elf, Shrek, and The Wizard of Oz (Sierra Rep); Men on Boats (Cornish College); Freaky Friday (PCPA). Jackie would like to thank her friends and family for their constant love and support.

Ecstatic to be back! Other Sierra Rep credits include The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow), The Drowsy Chaperone (Super / Ensemble/ Feldzieg and Underling U/S), and HAIR (Margaret Meade / Ensemble / Claude U/S). Regional credits include Dogman the Musical (Petey, National Tour), Much Ado About Nothing (Claudio, Instinct Repertory Theatre), King Leo’s New Clothes (King Leo, Legoland California Resort), Snoopy and Oklahoma! (Snoopy/Judge Carnes, OST) BFA in Musical Theatre from Otterbein University. Enormous thanks to Scott and Jerry. Much love to mom, sis, and my buddies.

After some time on the east coast, Alex is ecstatic to be returning to SRT! Previous SRT credits include: The Drowsy Chaperone, Rodgers & Hammerstein Cinderella working backstage, The Little Mermaid (Scuttle), and Shrek The Musical (Ensemble). Alex has had a wonderful time performing with several regional theaters including; PCPA Solvang Theaterfest and TheREV Theatre. Alex is immensely grateful to his friends, family, and especially his partner for all their love and support.

Gerome Ragni (1935-1991) From Pittsburgh PA, Gerome was the youngest of a large family with six sisters and two brothers. After four years as a medic in the United States Air Force, he began acting and was recognized by winning the Barter Theatre Award as Outstanding Young Actor. He appeared on Broadway in John Gielgud’s Hamlet featuring Richard Burton, and he starred off-Broadway in The Knack. He was involved with The Open Theater (which he named) studying experimental theater techniques with Nola Chilton and Joseph Chaikin. With James Rado he co-created the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical HAIR, and their lyrics were set to music by Galt MacDermot. A dynamic stage and life presence, he originated the role of Berger in HAIR. On his own, he authored the Broadway musical Dude, with score by MacDermot. He teamed up with another composer, Steve Margoshes, who wrote the music for the Ragni opus Jack Sound and His Dog Star Blowing His Final Trumpet on the Day of Doom. Soon thereafter, he and Rado rejoined forces to collaborate on a new musical they called Sun. A gifted actor and prolific writer and painter, he originated “paper-napkin art” and he wrote a volume of dynamic poetry under the pen name Virginia Miller. He passed in 1991. His son, Erick Ragni, is an innovative architect.

James Rado (1932-2022) was an actor, songwriter and co-creator of the characters, story, dialogue and lyrics of HAIR. His daydream, since he was a teenager, was to write a Broadway musical. He taught himself how to write lyrics from intense study of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter, etc., as well as pop music from the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. In college, he wrote the music and lyrics for two shows: Interlude at the University of Maryland and Cross Your Fingers at the Catholic University of America.

After a two-year gig in the U.S. Navy, in 1956 he moved to New York to be an actor. Five years later he got his first Broadway break when the famed director and teacher Lee Strasberg plucked him from an acting class for a small part in June Havoc’s Marathon ’33 starring Julie Harris. This led to a string of acting roles in Luther, Generation, The Knack and, in 1964, Hang Down Your Head And Die, where he met fellow actor Gerome Ragni. He told Ragni about his daydream of creating a Broadway musical and proposed that they team up to write a show about the hippies and the antiwar movement which was happening all around them. Ragni came aboard with some of his exciting experimental poetry.

In 1966, in the midst of writing HAIR, Rado got a leading role as Richard the Lionhearted in the James Goldman play The Lion in Winter, starring Robert Preston, Rosemary Harris and Christopher Walken. By 1967, Rado and Ragni had a presentable script of HAIR, which they gave to the producer Joseph Papp. Papp liked what he read and decided HAIR would be the inaugural production of his newly-founded New York Shakespeare Festival at The Public Theater on New York City’s Lower East Side. HAIR opened on Broadway in the spring of 1968 and starred Rado and Ragni in the lead roles. The rest is theatrical history. In his later years, Rado continued working on two other pieces: American Rainbow and Sun.

James Rado photo by Marc B. Weiss.

Galt MacDermot (1928-2018). Two-time Grammy and Tony Award-winning composer Galt MacDermot is best known for the music he wrote for the Broadway scores of HAIR and Two Gentlemen of Verona. He garnered his first Grammy for the song “African Waltz” in 1960. His work spans the gamut of performing arts: musicals, ballet scores, film scores, chamber music, the Anglican liturgy, orchestral, poetry, drama accompaniments, band repertory and opera. His work encompasses a wealth of musical genres, crossing the boundaries of jazz, folk, funk, gospel, reggae and classical styles.

The son of a Canadian diplomat, Galt was born and raised in Montreal. He received a Bachelor of Music from Cape Town University, South Africa. Based on his traditional training, he wrote his own arrangements. He moved to New York in 1964 and, three years later, wrote the music for the landmark Broadway production HAIR, which he later adapted for the screen. He formed the New Pulse Band in 1979, which features his original music played by some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Bernard Purdie and Wilbur Bascomb.

Galt’s music is consistently sampled by hip hop and rap artists who find his rhythms perfect for setting their lyrics to, as in Run DMC’s Grammy Award-winning “Down With The King” and Billboard’s top chart-buster, “Woo-Hah!! Got You All In Check” by Busta Rhymes.

Galt MacDermot wrote more than 3,000 songs over his lifetime. His music is listened to and enjoyed in 179 countries worldwide, and HAIR has been performed constantly since its inception in over 40 countries worldwide.

Galt MacDermot is music.

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.

Jill is an actress, singer, and dancer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A California native, Jill moved to the East Coast and made her Broadway debut in Show Boat. She toured across the country and around the world with various productions including the National Tour of Damn Yankees as Lola opposite Jerry Lewis, as Peggy Sawyer in the National Tour of 42nd Street. Most notably, Jill performed as Cassie in an unbelievable number of Regional, National, European, and International tours of A Chorus Line.

Some of her favorite regional credits include Rose in Gypsy, Polly in Crazy for You, Woman 2 in …and the World Goes ‘Round,’ Fastrada in Pippin, Miss Sandra in All Shook Up, Miss Adelaide opposite Maurice Hines in Guys and Dolls, Charity Hope Valentine in Sweet Charity, one of the cats in Cats, The Acrobat in SJCMT’s production of Matilda, Martha in SJCMT’s White Christmas, and Solange LaFitte in Follies at SF Playhouse.

Outside of theater, Jill is an adrenaline junkie and roller coaster enthusiast! She is a licensed skydiver (USPA ‘A’ License), and a skilled violin player.

In 2009, Jill began her second career as a registered nurse and graduated Summa Cum Laude at CUS Monterey Bay with a BS in Nursing. She finds that exposing herself to the vulnerability of live performance, where sheer terror lives, is a great way to unwind from the daily stresses of Hospice Nursing. She now lives in California and continues to pursue her passions both on and off the stage. She hopes to be the first Engineer/Nurse/Actor on Mars!

Michael Wilkins holds a B.A. in Music Theory and Composition and a M.M. in Choral Conducting both from Azusa Pacific University. He has worked on numerous productions as a Musical Director, Conductor, and Pianist. Musical direction highlights include Bright Star and Into The Woods at PCPA; Once and Chicago at Oregon Cabaret Theatre; The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical, Schoolhouse Rock and Coraline at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte; Rock of Ages, Dream A Little Dream and Passing Strange, all at Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte; The Rocky Horror Show at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, CA; and the Southern California Premiere of Jerry Springer The Opera at The Chance Theatre in Anaheim, CA.

Camryn is thrilled to return to SRT this season as an Artistic Associate! Previous SRT credits include: Sunday in the Park with George (Dot/Marie), Cinderella (Ella), Jersey Boys (Mary Delgado), and Elf (Jovie). Camryn has had the pleasure to perform at several regional houses including Casa Mañana and Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre. Camryn received her BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Arizona. She would like to thank her friends, family, and SRT for their endless love and support. Enjoy the show!

Select credits include: CCAE Theatricals: The Curious Incident of the Dog…, Witnesses (World Premiere), Once, Joseph & the Amazing…, Chess, Peter and the Starcatcher, Spring Awakening; Diversionary: The Mystery of Irma Vep; Arizona Broadway Theater: On the Town (Projection Design), The Little Mermaid (Projection Design). Off-Broadway/Regional Assistant credits include: Escape to Margaritaville (La Jolla Playhouse-Walt Spangler), Summer (La Jolla Playhouse-Robert Brill), Ain’t Too Proud (Berkeley Rep.-Robert Brill), and over 45 productions as David Goldstein’s associate including Emojiland (National Tour/The Duke), Clue (Sierra Rep), and Sunset Boulevard (ACT of Connecticut).

Janetta is very pleased to be working once again in a loving and professional theatre! She received her MFA from New York University. Coming from a broad base she has managed several costume shops, worked as an assistant for Broadway and numerous regional theaters. Additionally, she was a member of Elsen Associates, the wig and makeup company. Some of her favorite work venue’s include Washington Opera, Sesame Street Live, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Alice Tully Hall, The Denver Center, Philadelphia Street Theater, Jacobs’ Pillow and Central City Opera.  Favorite shows which she has been able to design are: The Comedy of Errors, The Threepenny Opera, Tartuffe, Electra, The Turn of the Screw, Blood Wedding, Noises Off and Ragtime.

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!

Isaac’s past credits include Shadow Directing on the TV show Chicago PD, directing stage productions of An Inspector Calls, Twelfth Night, Murder on the Orient Express, and Distracted. Lighting Design credits include How to Hug a Cactus, and James and The Giant Peach at Enlightened Theatrics. Outside of his theater life, Isaac is a studio artist, exhibiting this last year at the Salem Art Association, The Fishbowl Gallery, and CoCA in Seattle WA.

Matthew Rose: a man of many talents, from riveting audiences on stage in Daylight to Booneville, Deathtrap, and Into the Woods, to behind-the-scenes wizardry at Sierra Repertory Theatre. With a knack for bringing characters to life and a touch of humor, Matthew’s journey in theater is a delightful mix of passion and creativity. Whether wielding props or pulling strings, he’s a force to be reckoned with, both on and offstage.

Mateo is so happy to be a part of the Sierra Rep team! It’s been such a joy with working with all this talent returning and new! They would love to express appreciation to Scott and Jerry for letting them stretch their artistic arms in this way, and Tatiana for providing the tools and moral support necessary to succeed.