Pirates of penzance Show Bios

Brett Small is immensely excited to be a part of this rag-tag rollicking band of pirates and perform as a pirate/policeman! Some previous roles are: The Creature (Frankenstein), Mush (newsies) and, Billy Flynn (Chicago). Brett gives his thanks to his cast mates, his directing crew, his family and, his mother for giving him the choice of acting or debate!

Averi Williams (Kate) is so happy to perform with her amazing show sisters in her 7th show with state 48. She enjoys singing, dancing, acting, running cross country and performing with wildfire. Averi is 14, and is a freshman at Mountain View high school. Some of her favorite roles have been, Betty and Emily Drake (Murder at Sunset), Diana Barry (Anne of Green Gables), Vultora (Merlin and Morgonna), Vultora again (Weird Sisters) and Peter Pan (Peter Pan jr). She would like to thank Karli, Sammi and the wonderful cast for putting in the hard work and sticking with this amazing show!

Faith Millett (Isabel) is thrilled to be a part of this production and one of the “bevy of beautiful young maidens”! Faith is a sophomore at Mountain View High School, and enjoys being on swim team and playing in Symphony Orchestra. Her previous shows include Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins. Huge thanks to Sammi, Karli, and the amazing cast for making this happen!

Cameron Hill (Frederic) is extraordinarily excited to be a part of this production as a pirate. He’s 27 years old and has been singing and dancing since birth basically. Starting out in a performing arts school at a young age, the passion for music and theater has grown and has continued to call him back to State 48 when he isn’t producing and writing his own R&B music under the stage name, Razzberrie. This will be his 3rd show with the theater and he’d like to thank the wonderful directors and cast for giving him a safe, fun place to escape to and be a little melodramatic in. You all worked so hard and he appreciates you all. Let’s kill it guys and gals! Aarrrgghhh!!

Savannah Glenn (Daughter) is so excited to be in another show with State 48! She has been in three previous productions, Merlin and Morgana, The Possibly True Tales of Little Red Riding Hood, and Weird Sisters, and can’t wait to finally finish Pirates of Penzance after a year in the making! She loves everything music and is excited to keep exploring theatre. Savannah is 14 and a freshman at Mountain View. She would like to thank all her amazing directors, stage manager, cast, and everyone who helped make this experience possible for their incredible work along with her family who always support her in everything she does.

Grace Davis (daughter) is so happy to get the chance to perform again! Especially with all these great people! Some of her hobbies are acting, singing, dancing, and hanging out with her friends. She is 15 years old and is a 9th grader at Mountain View High School. She has been with state 48 for over a year now and she has loved every second of it. Some of her favorite plays she has been in here include Murder at sunset (Gwen), Anne of green gables (Jane Andrews Sr.), Merlin and Morgana (Ravenna), and The Weird Sisters (Ravenna pt. 2). She would love to thank her family, Andrea, Karli, Delmy, Cali, Amy, and of course all of her amazing friends. She loves them all, and hopes you enjoy the show!

Aubrey Boberg (Daughter) is so excited to finally be able to perform this wonderful show! Aubrey is a senior at Mesquite High school and plays on the varsity basketball team. Recent show include Romeo and Juliet, Frankenstein, and Murder at Sunset. She would like to thank Karli, Sammi, and the entire cast for their hard work and dedication to making this show happen!!

Tina Reynolds is happy to be back on stage (as Ruth) after a year and a half hiatus. Some of the things she enjoys when not doing musical theater are spending time with her grandkids, painting and singing with her band. Some of her most memorable shows are: Les Miserables (Madame Thenardier), Nunsense (Mother Superior), Sister Act (Mother Superior), Mama Mia (Rosie) and Urinetown (Pennywise). Tina would like to thank Karli and Sammi for their dedication and making this show possible.

Rachel Blaylock (Daughter) can not believe she got to be a part of this amazing experience! She has done two previous musicals, but this is her first community production, and she is so excited! She is a junior at Mesa High School and enjoys singing with her friends in choir and relaxing with a good book. She could never have the chance to be where she is without all the beautiful people who support her; her family who put up with her practicing at home over quarantine and her cast and fantastic directors for making such a hard working and fun loving space to be in during these hard times.

Chris Valenzuela (Police Sergeant) is a current Music Dance Theater major at MCC. He is BEYOND GRATEFUL to have worked for almost a year on this production. Chris has been involved in mostly musicals, with noticeable roles including Gremio (Kiss Me Kate), Dance Ensemble (Mamma Mia!) and has recently become a member of the MCC Dance Company. Chris hopes to transfer to Brigham Young University to continue his major and eventually become a drama teacher. The cast and directors have worked extremely hard during this uncertain pandemic, and Chris recognizes that and sends all his love to them. If he could, he would mention every wonderful person involved by name, but alas, that is not possible. But again, a huge hug of appreciation goes out to you all! “Take Heart, Fair Days Will Shine!”

Erin Garner (Edith) is 16 going on 17 and a junior at DRHS. Some of her favorite roles include Morgana (Merlin and Morgana), Benvolio (Romeo & Juliet), Claire Clairmont (Frankenstein), Gothel (Villains), and Phoebe (Murder at Sunset). She will soon be seen as the Witch in Into the Woods at AYT! As well as performing, she enjoys reading, writing, music, procrastinating her drivers test, and making people laugh. She sends all her love and appreciation to Karli, Sammi, Delmy, and the amazing cast, crew, friends, and family that made this show possible for her!

Maelie Stanford (daughter) is a junior at Desert Ridge High School and is so excited to perform with this amazing cast for her first time at State 48! Other roles she has enjoyed are Shelby (Steel Magnolias, Rafiki (Lion King), and Ms. Hannigan (Annie). She loves to learn languages and wants to be a translator someday. Maelie wants to thank Karli and Sammi for giving their all to make this musical happen and the rest of the cast for making this such a fun experience!

Andrea Rovegno (Daughter) is 15 and a freshman at LAA. This is her first show but is Princess Grace upcoming in Villains. Other than singing and acting she enjoys spending time with friends, drinking coffee, and making people feel good! Thank you for all the cast and crew for helping me learn quick and be more comfortable and confident! She is very excited to see how the show will come out and loves all the cast.

Duval Courteau (policewoman) is so excited to be joining State 48 for this production of Pirates of Penzance! (She has a secret, forbidden love for the lawless pirate Samuel; alas, duty calls). She is new to the company and to Arizona, hailing originally from Los Angeles, then from Philadelphia, where she attended college. Duval is 23 and is currently an acting coach. She has enjoyed 12 years of musical theatre, including some fun roles such as Motormouth Maybelle (Hairspray), Gabriella (High School Musical), and Crystal (Little Shop of Horrors). She’s excited to “join the force” and hopes you enjoy the show!

Thomas Wesley Wilson (Pirate King) is in his 9th production in the valley and he so blessed to be working with so many fun an talented people. A Tucson native, Thomas studied vocal performance at the UA’s Fred Fox School of Music. An avid lover of musical theater, Thomas has had the honor of performing many roles in the Tucson and Mesa areas, including The Baker in Into The Woods, Sir Harry in Once Upon a Mattress, Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast, Prof. Fritz Bhaer in Little Women, Jim in All Shook Up and The Waiter in First Date, among others. In 2017 Thomas graduated with dual masters degrees from UA’s Eller School of Management and has since worked as an Analyst at Republic Services. He wants to thank The Lord (his closest friend and support), his family and his many voice teachers Stevie Fox, Grayson Hirst, Hugo Vera, Cathy Hauan and the late Dr. Larry Day for their mentorship and support. For more about Thomas visit www.twwilson.weebly.com or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCacCxGfsYRMYYVg1Kip1UbQ/videos

Santiago Leon Salas Jr is a 16 year old Junior at Lumos Arts Academy. His first love for the arts started with drawing and doodling characters. There was no paper unturned in our home that didn’t turn into a piece of art! Soon he discovered he was able to play songs by ear on the piano and that quickly progressed to beautiful music and stage performances. While attending Lumos he discovered Sound Engineering and Digital music since 7th grade and has made wonderful covers and original music over the years and plans on pursuing a career in that field. His first introduction to theater and choir was in 9th grade where he blew us away with yet another discovery of a new talent. He has since then performed as Race from Newsies, Danced and acted as Grimsby from Little Mermaid, Won runner up at Lumos for the Shakespeare school competition which he then competed in State. He is loving the stage and can’t wait for more in the future. When he’s not performing he enjoys cosplay, roller skating, trivia, history, video games, writing music, drawing, and hanging with friend and family. He has a unique style and is a confident and kind young man that has great charisma and a positive out look on life!

Jorgen Hansen (Samuel) is 27 and excited to join State 48 Theatre for his first time in The Pirates of Penzance! He is an ASU mechanical engineer graduate. He has had a long hiatus from theatre and is very excited to get back into it! He has been involved in several music and theatre productions, including Seussical (Jojo), The Pirates of Penzance (pirate), and Beauty and the Beast (Chip). To whoever reads this far in the bio- a secret- Samuel is secretly in love with Duval the policewoman… 😉

Espie Owens (Major General Stanley) is a 22 year old educator thrilled to be officially joining the State 48 Theatre Company for the first time! Espie has previously been in shows such as Anne of Green Gables (Royal Gardener), A Murder is Announced (Patrick Simmons), Beauty and the Beast (Ensemble), as well as several short plays at MCC where Espie has taken theatre courses. Espie wishes to teach STEAM education through the use of stage play and acting skills and is excited to be learning from castmates and directors alike! Espie would like to thank their wonderful castmates and directors for the year of memories, Delmy for the many appreciated rides, and Spec- the best spouse a person could ask for- for supporting them!

Emmie Glazebrook is 17 years old and attends Highland High school. She has been performing for most of her life and it is what she is passionate about. She has been in 23 shows and hopes to get the opportunity to do many more. Her favorite things to do are singing, dancing, acting, and hanging out with friends. She takes advanced tap, teen hip-hop and teen jazz at Fuse Performing Arts, including being part of their show choir Wildfire. Emmie loves being apart of State 48 theatre and is grateful for all of the opportunities they have given her to perform and meet new people. She is so thankful for Karli, Sammi, Delmy, and Brie for working so hard to help this theatre company and helping everyone grow as performers and people. Even though it’s been hard this last year I’m so glad we have been able to adapt to the changes and learn to make the best of every situation and work hard. I am also so grateful for my family and their support for my love of performing.

Sydney Glenn (cop) is 12 years old. She is in 7th grade at Stapley Junior High. Her favorite role to date has been as Condora in Merlin and Morgana and Weird Sisters. She loves State 48 Theatre and is grateful to be a part of all the shows. She also enjoys doing tap, jazz and show choir at Fuse Performing Arts. Big thanks to Sammi and Karli for working through these trying times!

Sammi is so happy to finally bring Pirates of Penzance to the stage! She is a 25-year-old Ottawa University graduate who majored in secondary choral music education. She currently works at Lumos Arts Academy as a paraprofessional and has been directing Poston Junior High’s musical productions for the past 2 years (Beauty and the Beast Jr, Peter Pan Jr). Favorite performing credits include Oklahoma (Laurey), The Secret Garden (Claire), and Beauty and the Beast (Babette). She would like to give all her love and thanks to her friends and family for being supportive, the production team for being patient, and the cast for being willing to join us all on this truly wild ride!

Carson Giles (Cop) is 11 and a 6th grader at ALA. This is Carson’s 13th show. Some of his previous roles have been Toto in The Wizard of Oz (Fuse Pac) Grumpy in Villains (State48), Vicompte de Tournay in The Scarlet Pimpernel (State 48), Charlie Sloane Jr. in Anne of Green Gables (State48) and the Wolf in Little Red. In his free time Carson loves playing video games, board games, and hanging out with friends and family. He would like to thank Karli, Sammi and his family for all their support and guidance.

Noah Giles (Pirate) is a Freshman at ALA Gilbert North. He’s done many shows with state 48 including, Merlin and Morgana (Lancelot), Anne of Green Gables (Charlie Sloane) and Little Red (Sherlock Holmes). He loves skating, music, and hanging out with friends. He would like to thank Karli and Sammi for being amazing directors and Delmy Giles for being a great stage manager. He’s very grateful for State 48 Theatre for giving him so many opportunities to develop and grow as a performer, and for his family for always being so supportive.

Hayden Curtis (pirate) is a 23 year old Film and Journalism student at Mesa Community College. He can be found reading, writing, drawing, singing, playing instruments, or watching movies/shows in his free time and is just full of stories to share when given the chance. He’s been performing for as long as he can remember but never seriously got into it until taking Choir and Theatre at Mesquite High School. This is his first show with State 48 and is incredibly thankful for the opportunity and all those involved getting him here.

Jacki Beltran (Pirate, Queen Victoria, Tree) is ecstatic to return to the stage and be part of State 48 Theatre’s amazing production of Pirates of Penzance!! Jacki has been performing practically since birth.. She started dancing at the tender age of 4 and hasn’t stopped. Previous roles you might seen her in: The Sexton( Much Ado About Nothing), Officer Merriweather(Murder at Sunset), Mrs. Barry(Anne of Green Gables), Village Person(As You Like It), Peter/Friar John(Romeo & Juliet). When she’s not on stage, you can find Jacki hiking various mountains, running 5Ks( well maybe not running but walking really fast), being a mom to a teenager or or preparing for her next big adventure. Jacki wants to thank her daughter Kailei for being her little Matey on this roller coaster of life, her family(both here and watching from the clouds) for always being there and supporting her no matter how crazy my adventures and ideas are. For Karli and Sammi for bringing this production to life! She would also like to thank Andrea McFeely and Karli for all of these AMAZING opportunities and for pushing her more and more out of her box!!

Justin Kemper (Pirate) is happy to be joining State 48 for his fifth production on stage with the company. He was previously seen in Leading Ladies (Butch), Murder at Sunset (Hal), Much Ado About Nothing (Don Jon), and Pirates, a Love Story (Cyclops). Justin has also served as facilities manager, technical director, ticketing manager, and set designer for State 48 and enjoys the behind the scene work as much as being on stage! Justin works in IT for a medical supply company and runs a screen printing business on the side, so he is a pretty busy guy all around! He would like to thank Sammi, Delmy, and Debbi for all their hard work putting this show together. He would also like to thank his wonderful wife, Karli for being a terrific director and for being a support, and he gives a shout out to his two crazy boys, Jax and Ash, whom he adores very much.