EXTENDED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE PRESENTS FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Posted April 2, 2025 in Press Releases
(Cleveland, OH) Cleveland Play House brings Fiddler on the Roof to the Allen Theatre stage to close the 2024-25 theatre season. Due to popular demand from theatregoers across northeast Ohio and beyond, the theatre just announced an extension week now running April 26 through May 25. The production is directed by Cleveland Play House Artistic Director Michael Barakiva, and features a cast of twenty five, starring award winning Broadway legends Robert Cuccioli as Tevye, and Joanna Glushak as Golde.
In addition to the extended week of performances, this production of Fiddler on the Roof will now include a limited number of onstage seating, providing a unique and memorable opportunity for audience members. Onstage seating is integrated right into the show's set design, allowing the audience to be an extension of the cast with this up-close and personal experience. Onstage seats are $29.50 (including fees) and can be purchased online or via phone.
Cleveland Play House Artistic Director Michael Barakiva says, “Fiddler, like many great musicals, tells the very specific story of a very specific community, and the more specific it gets, the more universal the experience becomes. The microscope becomes the telescope. The writers of Fiddler were very clear about how they wanted to tell the Jewish story as a lens for the greater human experience.”
Fiddler on the Roof, based on the Sholem Aleichem stories, first premiered on Broadway in 1964. It was the first musical of all time to surpass 3,000 performances, earning the coveted title of the longest-running Broadway production, until it was surpassed by the musical Grease. The 1964 production was awarded nine Tony Awards in 1965 and was turned into a film in 1971. The film earned eight Academy Award nominations – winning three – and became the largest-grossing film of 1971.
Fiddler on the Roof centers on the pillars of faith, family, and friendship. Set in 1905 in the Russian shtetl of Anatevka, Tevye the milkman and his wife, Golde, must walk the fine line of balancing tradition with turn-of-the-century progressiveness. A deeply moving tale about community and generational values, Fiddler on the Roof is a heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and love and laughter.
Cleveland Play House extends gratitude to The Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation, who have provided a generous gift of $150,000 to Cleveland Play House to hire musicians of the highest caliber for the orchestra.
Cleveland Play House Managing Director Rachel L. Fink states, “This production of Fiddler on the Roof is a celebration of our shared values. We are especially grateful to The Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation for their generous sponsorship of the Fiddler orchestra, ensuring that the unforgettable score echoes throughout our beloved theatre with the full, vibrant sound it deserves. This kind of philanthropy exemplifies what makes Cleveland special: a city that values the arts and understands their power to inspire and unite.”
Additionally, Cleveland Play House will offer a series of enriching programs designed by the CPH Education Department to accompany its production of Fiddler on the Roof, with each weekend offering a new theme that connects the play’s timeless narrative to contemporary community conversations.
Spanning topics such as generational trauma and mental health, music and art across cultures, building community through food, and immigration and displacement, the TAKE CARE and COMMUNITY FAIR programming features pre- and post-show workshops, expert-led panels, interactive art stations, live music, and permanent exhibits. In partnership with local artists, healthcare professionals, educators, and cultural organizations, these events create an immersive environment where audiences can reflect, create, and connect. With programming taking place in the Allen Theatre lobbies, each weekend offers new opportunities to learn more about and build collective stories of resilience, tradition, and hope. Permanent features like the photo exhibit and educational kiosks remain on display, while violin performances, conversations with creatives, and CPH CARE (Compassionate Arts Remaking Education) theatre workshops recur each weekend. This research/study/program was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Cleveland Play House Managing Director Rachel Fink says, “We are excited to present a series of free and interactive programs each weekend curated by our Education Department. This series is one of many CPH efforts to live our core values of artistry, community, and lifelong learning.”
The cast of Fiddler on the Roof features Elliot Block (Bottle Dancer, Russian Dancer, Understudy Fyedka and Mendel), Robert Cuccioli* (Tevye), Carolyn Demanelis (Shandel, Understudy Yente, Golde, Fruma-Sarah), Maria Noel Fallouh (Tzeitel, Grandma Tzeitel), Ethan Flanagan (Avram, Understudy Perchik, Nachum) Amy Fritsche* (Fruma-Sarah, Chorus), Sasha Geisser (Chava, Fiddler), Michael Glavan* (Fyedka, Chorus), Joanna Glushak* (Golde), Lester Gonzalez (Bottle Dancer, Russian Dancer, Chorus), Matt Koenig* (Constable, Label, Chorus, Understudy Lazar Wolf), David Lenahan (Bottle Dancer, Russian Dancer, Chorus), Brendan Lowry (Motel), Christina McSheffrey (Bielke), Calder Meis (Mordcha, Understudy Motel), Marc Moritz* (Rabbi), Bebe Moss (Hodel), Avery LaMar Pope (Perchik, Nahum), Geoffrey Short (Lazar Wolf), James Monroe Števko* (Mendel, Bottle Dancer, Russian Dancer, Chorus, Dance Captain, Associate Choreographer), Addie Wisniewski (Shprintze), Kristine Zbornik* (Yente), Madalyn Baker (Understudy Chava, Fiddler and Hodel), Meredith Nelson (Understudy Tzeitel, Grandma Tzeitel, and Shandel), and Adam Ortega (Understudy Tevye, Rabbi).
The creative team for Fiddler on the Roof features musical staging and choreography by Staś Kmieć, music direction by Diane Louie, scenic design by Raul Abrego, costume design by Suwatana “Pla” Rockland, lighting design by Zach Blane, sound design by Lindsay Jones, associate direction by Jailyn Sherill Harris, assistant direction by Madalyn Baker and Meredith Nelson, casting direction by Calleri Jenson Davis, stage management by John Godbout*, and assistant stage direction by Pamela Salling*.
Running April 26 through May 25 in Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre, performances of Fiddler on the Roof are held Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Additional performances include Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets for Fiddler on the Roof start at $35.40 (including ticket fees) and $29.50 for onstage seats. Ohio Direction/EBT cardholders receive $5.40 admission to any performance (up to 8 tickets). Military personnel can receive up to 50% off tickets. Single tickets can be purchased by calling 216.241.6000 or by visiting clevelandplayhouse.com. Groups of 10 or more can save up to 50% off by contacting CPH Groups Sales at 216.400.7053.
Accessibility performances for Fiddler on the Roof are as follows: English open caption performance on Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 p.m., and an ASL interpreted performance on Sunday, May 25 at 2:00 p.m. Assistive listening devices (ALDs) are available at every performance upon request. Audio described performances can be made available to patrons when the promo code AUDIO is used at the time of purchase. For more information about accessibility, please visit clevelandplayhouse.com.
KeyBank is the official sponsor for the Cleveland Play House 2024-25 Season.
Additional support for Fiddler on the Roof is provided by The Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation and The John P. Murphy Foundation.
This production was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The TAKE CARE and COMMUNITY FAIR is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education
Fiddler on the Roof is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
*denotes members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
For more information, please visit www.clevelandplayhouse.com.
BIOGRAPHIES
THE CAST
ELLIOT BLOCK (Bottle Dancer, Russian Dancer, Understudy Fyedka and Mendel) (he/him) recently appeared as Dr. Pomatter in Waitress at Beck Center. Additionally, he appeared as Mischa Bachinski in Ride The Cyclone at Beck Center. He is extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this production, and he would like to thank the whole team, his friends, and family for believing in him. Instagram: elliot_block
ROBERT CUCCIOLI* (Tevye) is thrilled to be making his Cleveland Play House debut with this production. He is known by many for his critically acclaimed TONY nominated performance in Jekyll & Hyde, for which he also received the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Jeff Awards for “Outstanding Actor in a Musical”. He debuted on Broadway as Inspector Javert in Les Miserables, and last appeared as Dr. Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Off-Broadway credits include And the World Goes ‘Round (Outer Critics Circle Award), Rothschild and Sons (Offie nomination – London), Jacques Brel, White Guy on the Bus, The White Devil, Caesar & Cleopatra, and A Touch of the Poet. TV appearances include The Sinner, Elementary, White Collar, Sliders, Baywatch, The Guiding Light. Film credits include Celebrity, The Stranger, and Impossible Monsters. In his 40-plus theatrical career, Robert performed in over 150 productions. He is featured on many original cast recordings including Jekyll & Hyde and released his debut solo album The Look of Love October 2012. www.robertcuccioli.com.
CAROLYN DEMANELIS (Shandel, Understudy Yente, Golde, Sarah-Bruha) (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist based in Cleveland, Ohio. Since moving back home in January 2021, she has performed throughout Northeast Ohio at Dobama Theatre, Karamu House, Beck Center for the Arts, convergence-continuum, Ensemble Theatre, Seat of the Productions, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Blank Canvas Theater, and Rubber City Theater. Regional credits of note: the central Ohio premiere of Grounded at Red Herring Productions, Alma in Summer & Smoke at Virginia Repertory Theatre, Lady Macbeth with Wit Theatre Company of Denver, and several seasons with The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival and Virginia Theater Festival. When not onstage, she works as a theatre educator with Beck Center for the Arts, Tri-C, and Lakewood High School. Her favorite role is Mama to Tiernan and Marlowe, all my love.
MARIA NOEL FALLOUH (Tzeitel, Grandma Tzeitel) (she/her) is an Arab-American actress whose recent credits include Rock of Ages (Regina), We Will Rock You, and The Marvelous Wonderettes (Cindy Lou) at Clinton Area Showboat Theatre. She was the winner of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival’s 2024 Musical Theatre Intensive and had the honor of performing as a guest artist at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. last April. A recent graduate of Bowling Green State University’s Musical Theatre program with a minor in Dance, she is thrilled to be bringing Tzeitel to life and stepping into the Cleveland theatre scene. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube: @marianoelsings | marianoelsings.com.
ETHAN FLANAGAN (Avram, Understudy Perchik, Nachum) (he/him) is a current sophomore music theatre major at Baldwin Wallace University and is excited to be making his Cleveland Playhouse debut. He most recently appeared in Beck Center for the Arts’ production of Waitress. Other regional credits include Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Camelot, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Additional credits: Jamie in The Last Five Years, Jesus Christ Superstar, Next to Normal, and Measure for Measure. Ethan would like to thank the cast and crew, as well as his friends and family for their endless support! Instagram: @eflan2
AMY FRITSCHE* (Fruma-Sarah, Chorus) is thrilled to be back at Cleveland Play House. She is currently an Associate Professor of Acting and Musical Theatre at Kent State University. She has worked with Fox Animations Studios, toured nationally with Annie and internationally in the world premiere of Best Intentions in London, England and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. At CPH she performed in the world premiere of These Mortal Hosts, The Diary of Anne Frank, and the reading of Little Row Boat or, Conjecture. Other roles include Next to Normal (Diana), Arcadia (Hannah Jarvis), As You Like It (Rosalind), and Violet (Violet). She received the 2015 and 2018 Cleveland Critics Circle Theater Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA, AGVA, and AEA.
SASHA GEISSER (Chava, Fiddler) Sasha Geisser is a third-year musical theatre student at Baldwin Wallace University. Originally from Parkland, Florida, she is thrilled to be a part of Fiddler on the Roof! Recent credits include Female Ensemble Swing in Waitress, Vivienne in Legally Blonde, Patsy in Spamalot, Isabella in Measure for Measure, and Brenda Strong in Catch Me If You Can. Sasha is particularly grateful to be part of a show that resonates deeply with her as a Jewish individual. She would like to thank the cast, crew, and creative team for their tireless efforts in bringing this production to life, as well as her friends and family for their unwavering love and support. She hopes you enjoy the show! @sashageisser | www.sashageisser.com
MICHAEL GLAVAN* (Fyedka, Chorus) A former member of the high school STARS program, Michael is thrilled to be making art on a CPH stage in PSQ. He is a proud ensemble member of Seat of a Pants, an ensemble-based and process-driven itinerant theatre company in NE Ohio (seatofthepants.org). NY Theatre: Three Sisters, Red, Sex Tips…Gay Man, 1776, Camelot, American Hero, Ethel, Ultimate Man!, Addams Family, and a series regular with the Tank NYC’s Fast and Furious. Favorite regional credits include Beauty and the Beast (Beast) for which he received a BWW Regional Award and Yeston & Kopit’s Phantom (Phantom). Michael is grateful to have worked with many of the terrific theatres that compose NE Ohio’s rich artistic community: Seat of the Pants, Dobama, Cleveland Public Theatre, Blank Canvas, Rubber City, and Porthouse. TV: Shahs of Sunset, Watch What Happens Live w/ Andy Cohen, Power, Law & Order. Love and thanks to LG, FG, & JN.
JOANNA GLUSHAK* (Golde) is an award winning Actress recently seen as Mrs. Peacock in the National Tour of the play, Clue. Prior to that she starred as John Dickenson in the National Tour of 1776. Broadway Credits include: Sunday in the Park with George, Les Miserables, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, War Paint, Hairspray, Urintown, Rags, Conversations with My Father, Welcome to the Club, After the Night and the Music, The Sweet Smell of Success, 1776. With New York City Opera she was seen as Petra in A Little Night Music and, Cleo in The Most Happy Fella. Beyond Broadway Joanna has played leading roles in National tours of Evita, Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, Finding Neverland, Xanadu, Fiddler on the Roof and more. Off Broadway Joanna has also performed leading roles at The Public Theater, Manhattan Theater Club, Playwrights Horizons, etc. Joanna can also be seen on TV as Mrs. Otool in the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Younger, Black List, and Madame Secretary to name a few. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.
LESTER GONZALEZ (Bottle Dancer, Russian Dancer,Chorus) recently appeared as Pepe in Houston Grand Opera's production of West Side Story. Other musical theater credits include the 2nd National Tour of Anastasia and Opera San Luis Obispo’s Carousel. He has worked with acclaimed ballet companies including Ballet San Antonio, Dayton Ballet, and Ballet Idaho. This will be his first time working with the Cleveland Play House.
MATT KOENIG* (Constable, Label, Chorus Understudy Lazar Wolf, Dia lect Coach) (he/him) This is Matt's first show at Cleveland Play House. He is the Head of BFA Acting at Baldwin-Wallace University. He has performed at Great Lakes Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Laguna Playhouse, Florida Studio Theatre, PCPA, La Mirada/McCoy Rigby Entertainment, Beck Center, and others. MFA: UC. Irvine
DAVID LENAHAN (Bottle Dancer, Russian Dancer, Chorus) (he/him) is thrilled to be making his on stage debut at Cleveland Play House, after serving as an understudy in last year’s production of The Play that Goes Wrong. Based in Cleveland, he has performed at Cleveland Public Theatre (Experts in a Dying Field, DanceWorks), Borderlight Fringe Festival (Luz del Abismo), Convergence-Continuum (Wonderland Wives, Tom and Bobby Love, and In the Closet), None Too Fragile (Boy), and Shakespeare at the Castle (Much Ado About Nothing—twice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Twelfth Night). In NYC, David has performed at The Lincoln Center’s NYPL stage (SONGBOOK: Songs of Braver and Dean), The Player’s Theatre (The Flying Dutchman Boards the Staten Island Ferry—Best Actor), and on a moving train aboard The Polar Express. David is a proud member of The Greenhouse. Film: Thundragon, The Repairman, A Walk Through Spoon River. IG: davidlenahan
BRENDAN LOWRY (Motel) is a proud CWRU/CPH MFA Acting student in his second year of study. You may have recently seen him in the CWRU/CPH production of The Cherry Orchard (Petya Trofimov) or in the ensemble of CPH's Pride and Prejudice. Other favorite credits include Floyd Collins (Floyd Collins), Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson), and Godspell (John/Judas). Originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, he received his BFA in Musical Theatre from Colorado Mesa University. Along with being a performer Brendan is an avid photographer, especially focusing on the local sights and architecture in the city. Brendan looks forward to another year exploring and living in Cleveland. Check out and follow Brendan's other works and interests: @bkylowry / bkylowry.com
CHRISTINA MCSHEFFREY (Bielke) is from Phoenix, Arizona, where she got her BA in Theatre at Grand Canyon University and worked as an actor and teaching artist. Some favorite acting credits include: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Maria in Twelfth Night (Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival); Miranda in The Tempest (Southwest Shakespeare Company). She taught theatre and voice at The Phoenix Theatre Company, Childsplay Theatre, and Phoenix Conservatory of Music. Love to her friends and family. @chefboyartina
CALDER MEIS (Mordcha, Understudy Motel) is truly honored to join the company of his favorite show, Fiddler on the Roof. As a member of the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting program, he has appeared as Yepikhodov in The Cherry Orchard, John Dodge in Middletown, and Bernard in Season's Greetings. On the CPH mainstage, he has been in the companies of Pride & Prejudice (Ensemble, Fight Captain, u/s Miss Bingley/Mr. Wickham/Mr. Collins), and A Christmas Story (u/s the Old Man). BFA, Baylor University. To life! .לזכר ס
MARC MORITZ* (Rabbi) originated the role of Talk Show Host in the 1981 Broadway production of Merrily We Roll Along, most recently appeared as Rabbi in Fiddler in LA at La Mirada Theater (Jason Alexander/Tevye) , and will be appearing as Rabbi in Porthouse Theater’s upcoming summer production of Fiddler (do we sense a pattern here?). He’s thrilled to return to CPH, having appeared as Redlich - Bell, Book, and Candle (2013) and Sheftel - Yentl (2014). Other roles include Otto Frank (Diary of Anne Frank), Emperor Joseph (Amadeus), Mushnik (Little Shop of Horrors), Claudius (Hamlet), Malvolio (Twelfth Night), Turpin (Sweeney Todd). Theaters include Goodman Theatre, GLTF, Idaho Shakespeare, Long Wharf, Human Race, Pittsburgh Public, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Dobama, and Karamu. Marc was in the Returning Professional Program at Kent State University (MFA). He has two beautiful children - Sarah and Joseph. This one’s for Leon and Eleanor. No doubt kvelling.
BEBE MOSS (Hodel) is originally from Dallas, Texas and currently finishing her junior year as a Music Theatre major at Baldwin Wallace University. Recent credits: [Beck Center For The Arts] Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator) and Regional Premiere of Ride the Cyclone (Jane Doe U/S), [The Weathervane Theater] The Wedding Singer (Julia Sullivan), World Premiere of The Story Goes On: The Songs of Maltby and Shire (Woman 2), Global Regional Premiere Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Bex), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Betty). Recent classical and musical theatre voice competitions: Carnegie Hall's Golden Voices of America (3x National Winner), NATS Classical Voice (1st Place), and YoungArts Classical Voice (National Winner). She’d like to thank her Mom, Dad, brother, grandparents, and all her other incredible friends and family who never stop supporting and loving her- she would not be who or where she is today without them. Website: www.bebe-moss.com | Socials: @bebe.moss
AVERY LAMAR POPE (Perchik, Nahum) is a storyteller, arts educator, and self-published author from Cleveland, OH. Avery tells stories through theater, literature, and music. Acting credits: Cleveland Play House, Playhouse Square, Great Lakes Theatre, Karamu House, Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Public Theatre, Cain Park, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. Playwriting credits: Horizon Theatre Company, Dobama Theatre, and First Look Buffalo Theatre Company. Directing credits: Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Cleveland Public Theatre (asst.). A respected poet, selected commissions include NAREB’s 75th Annual Convention, the Ohio Crisis TextLine Campaign, and WKYC’s Breaking Barriers Program. He is also a founding member of The Sparrow’s Fortune Spoken Word Collective. Awards/Recognitions: 2024 Karamu House Room in the House Performing Arts Fellow, 2024 Cleveland Arts Prize Verge Fellowship Finalist, and 2022 Nord Family Foundation Playwright Fellowship Finalist. Avery graduated Cum Laude with a BFA in Performance from Ohio University. God is Good. Jesus is Lord.
GEOFFREY SHORT (Lazar Wolf) Geoff is thrilled to be returning to CPH in Fiddler on the Roof after understudying the role of Pap/Rev in Fat Ham here at CPH this season. He last appeared as Gerald Lamott in the Seat of the Pants production of Amerikin. Other recent appearances include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Mitch Mahoney), Cain Park, Brooklyn (Streetsinger), Near West Theatre, Once on This Island (Ton Ton), Slow Burn Theatre Co., Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas), Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts, Driving Miss Daisy (Hoke), Chicken Coop Theatre. Recent Directing credits: Evita, Something Rotten, Wedding Singer, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, In the Heights. Geoff thanks Cindy for her love and support, and all of his family and everyone at CPH for this opportunity. www.GeoffreyBShort.com
JAMES MONROE ŠTEVKO* (Mendel, Bottle Dancer, Russian Dancer,Chorus, Dance Captain, Associate Choreographer) is a NY-based dancer, actor and choreographer. He is currently a dancer at the Metropolitan Opera and a stager of the original Jerome Robbins’ choreography to Fiddler on the Roof. He originated the role of Mendl in the acclaimed Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. Originally a trumpet player with his sights set on music, he began dancing in college at the age of 18. He has also danced with: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Milwaukee Ballet, The MUNY and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. His features include: NY1, DanceInforma, DanceTeacher Magazine, Yiddish Book Center and Denník N, where he was profiled for studying the Slovak language on scholarship from the Department of Slavic Languages at the University of Pittsburgh. jmstevko.com @jmstevk
ADDIE WISNIEWSKI (Shprintze) (University of Mount Union, where she earned her BA in Theatre Performance. Addie served as executive producer, co-writer, and actor for her short film Class Act, created for the 11th Annual Easterseals Disability Film Challenge (now available on YouTube). She is honored to be an Ohio Valley Regional EMMY nominee for her voiceover work. Represented by DDO Artist Agency, Addie is deeply grateful for the unwavering support of her Chicago, New York, and LA teams. She would also like to express her heartfelt thanks to her incredible friends and family for their constant encouragement as she pursues her dreams. Follow her adventure on Instagram: @_addie_jo
KRISTINE ZBORNIK* (Yente) Originally from Cleveland area, moved to NYC in 1977 to pursue work in the entertainment world. Excited to be back living in Cleveland and working locally for the first time. Credits include: Broadway: A Catered Affair. National Tours: Wicked -Madame Morrible; 9 to 5 – Roz; Mamma Mia – Rosie. Las Vegas,Off-Broadway, and Regional: Into the Woods – Jack’s Mother; Shakespeare In the Park/Delecourt Theater/NYC; Public Theater - Road Show (cast album); many renditions of Forbidden Broadway (two cast albums); Schlemiel the First – Yenta Pesha; Old Jews Telling Jokes; Goodspeed Opera House: Bye, Bye Birdie - Mae Peterson, Damn Yankees – Sister, Man of La Mancha –Housekeeper; OKLAHOMA! - Aunt Eller; Bershire Theater Festival. Most recent television include: Mrs. Maisel, The Other Two, and Tales of the City. A teacher, private coach and RYT teacher of Yoga and meditation. Created many award winning cabaret/one-woman shows in all major and minor venues throughout the universe. More Information at KristineZbornik.com
MADALYN BAKER (Understudy Chava, Fiddler, and Hodel, Assistant Director) Madalyn is an actor, illustrator, and musician from Northern California. She earned her BA in Theatre from Fordham University, and is now in her second year of the CWRU/CPH MFA program. Her recent credits include Lyubov Ranevskaya in The Cherry Orchard (CPH/CWRU), Mechanic/Aunt in Middletown (CPH/CWRU, Sally Bowles in Cabaret (CWRU), and Cathy in The Last Five Years (Soft Belly Theatre). She made her Cleveland Play House debut this past fall in the ensemble of Pride and Prejudice, and went on for one performance as Lizzie! In addition to being an actor, she writes music, and has her own illustrative art brand called Maddle Baddle. To learn more about Madalyn, you can check out her work at Madalynbaker.com, @madmaddybaker, and @maddlebaddle.
MEREDITH NELSON (Understudy Tzeitel, Grandma Tzeitel, and Shandel, Assistant Director) is an actor, director, and educator originally from Denver, Colorado. She received her undergraduate degree from The University of Evansville and is thrilled to be pursuing her master's with CWRU/Cleveland Play House. Some favorite roles she's played include Belinda in Season's Greetings, Dunyasha in The Cherry Orchard, the Librarian in Middletown, and Prospera in The Tempest. She is also the co-founder and co-artistic director of Soft Belly Theatre: a local Cleveland theatre company dedicated to producing accessible, courageous art with an open mind and a soft belly. You can find more information about her work at softbellytheatre.com.
ADAM ORTEGA (Understudy Tevye, Rabbi) is a second-year graduate student in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program. Hailing from South Florida, Adam earned his BFA in Acting at The University of Michigan. His other theatre credits include, Gayev in The Cherry Orchard (CWRU/CPH), Harvey in Season's Greetings (CWRU/CPH), Cop in Middletown (CWRU/CPH), Don Armado in Love's Labour's Lost (Great River Shakespeare Festival), and Drunk hakespeare (Off-Broadway). He would like to thank family, friends, and loved ones for all their constant support. Instagram: @adamaortega adamalexisortega.com
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JOSEPH STEIN (Book) won the Tony Award and Drama Critics Circle Award for Fiddler on the Roof. His other musicals include Zorba (Tony nomination, Drama Critics Circle Award); Rags (Tony nomination); The Baker's Wife (Olivier Award nomination, London); Take Me Along (Tony nomination); Juno; Irene (starring Debbie Reynolds); The King of Hearts; All About Us; and Enter Laughing: The Musical (Lucille Lortel nomination, outstanding revival). He also co-authored, with Alan Jay Lerner, Carmelina; and with Will Glickman, Mr. Wonderful (starring Sammy Davis, Jr.), The Body Beautiful, andPlain and Fancy. His plays are Enter Laughing, Before the Dawn, and Mrs. Gibbons' Boys. Stein grew up in the Bronx and first became a social worker while pursuing writing on the side. He began his career in TV and radio, writing for "The Sid Caesar Show," "Your Show of Shows," "Henry Morgan Show," and many others, and for personalities including Tallulah Bankhead, Phil Silvers, Jackie Gleason and Zero Mostel. On Broadway he made his debut contributing to the theatrical revues Lend an Ear (featuring Carol Channing) and Alive and Kicking. He wrote the screenplays of Enter Laughing and Fiddler on the Roof, for which he won the Screen Writers Guild Award. In 2008, he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.
JERRY BOCK (Music) was born in New Haven, Connecticut on November 23rd, 1928. That was his first out-of-town tryout. Thirty years later, he and Sheldon Harnick gave birth to The Body Beautiful in Philadelphia. That was his fourth out-of-town tryout. In between was Catch a Star, a fleeting revue that, according to critic Walter Kerr, posed the question; "What do you call something between a flop and a smash?" Kerr's answer? "A flash". Next, Jule Styne and Tommy Valano midwifed Bock, Larry Holofcener and George Weiss into birthing Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis Jr. The title song and "Too Close For Comfort" are still active off springs. Bock and Harnick's celebrated collaboration yielded five scores in seven years. The Body Beautiful, Fiorello! (winner of Broadway's triple crown: The Tony Award, The New York Critics' Circle Award and The Pulitzer Prize in drama, the fourth musical to do so). Tenderloin, She Loves Me - (winner of Variety's poll of critics as best musical, citing Bock and Harnick as best composer and lyricist). Fiddler on the Roof - (nine Tonys, notably the citation for best musical of the year), The Apple Tree and The Rothschilds. In addition to the 1989 silver anniversary production of Fiddler (from which a major excerpt was featured in Jerome Robbins' Broadway), a highly esteemed revival of The Rothschlds enjoyed a successful run off-Broadway the following year. Since then, Bock and Harnick were triply honored by being inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame, receiving the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Spirit of American Creativity Award from the Foundation for a Creative America. But the "award" that Bock held near and dear was the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Wisconsin. It was there that he met his wife Patti, and it was there that he decided to be a composer. Mr. Bock was a member of a number of professional guilds and associations, among which the BMI Foundation, Inc. was a membership he relished. As for Patti, his wife, George, their son and Portia, their daughter, Bock confessed they were his longest running hit. Jerry Bock passed away in 2010.
SHELDON HARNICK (Lyrics) career began in the 1950s with songs in revues (e.g., "The Boston Beguine," "The Merry Little Minuet"). With Jerry Bock he created a number of memorable musicals, including Fiorello! (Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize), Tenderloin, She Loves Me (Grammy), Fiddler on the Roof (Tony), The Apple Tree, and The Rothschilds (subsequently revised as Rothschild & Sons). Other collaborations: Rex (Richard Rodgers), A Christmas Carol (Michel Legrand), A Wonderful Life (Joe Raposo), The Phantom Tollbooth (Arnold Black, Norton Juster), and The Audition (Marvin Hamlisch). He wrote three musicals himself: Dragons, A Doctor in Spite of Himself, and Malpractice Makes Perfect.
MICHAEL BARAKIVA (Director) (he/his) is an Armenian-Israeli American director and writer who proudly serves as the 11th Artistic Director of CPH. His work has been seen at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Primary Stages, Syracuse Stage, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, and the Hangar Theatre, where he served as Artistic Director. He founded The Upstart Creatures, a theatre company that creates community through performance and food, as well as the Leadership Initiative Project, which equips historically excluded artists with the tools to succeed in leadership positions. Barakiva has received three Drama League directing fellowships, the Phil Killian Directing Fellowship (OSF), the David Merrick Prize in Drama, and was a Granada Artist-in-Residence at UC Davis. He led workshops on musical theatre at the International Puppet Theater in Sofia, Bulgaria, and was a presenter at the International University Theatre Festival at UNAM in Mexico City. He served as producer of Summer Camp 6 (Soho Rep) and as the Readings and Workshops Coordinator at New York Stage and Film, as well as a Primary Coach on Season 2 of MTV’s Made. As a writer, Michael is the recipient of a Red Bull Commission for his adaptation of John Milton's Paradise Lost, an EST/Sloan Project Commission, and a co-author of String Theory (Connotation Press). His YA novels (One Many Guy, Hold My Hand, Keepers of the Stones and Stars, all published by Macmillan) novels have been named to the Rainbow List, Equality Family Council Reading List, The Barnes and Noble’s Perfect Valentine’s Day YA Novels list, spending over a year as Goodreads #1 LGBTQ YA Novel. Education: Vassar College, The Juilliard School. www.michaelbarakiva.com For my father, Haim Bar-Akiva, 1930-2022.
STAŚ KMIEĆ (Musical Staging and Choreographer) has directed/choreographed multiple productions of Fiddler on the Roof throughout the world, including the production in Yiddish – a surprise hit on the New York theater scene (2019 Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, New York Drama Critics' Circle Citation for "Best Musical Revival"). He honors the style, intent and tradition of Jerome Robbins, assuming the mantle as the "Keeper of the Fiddler flame" from the Robbins Foundation. Other works: LA premiere – My Antonia (music by Stephen Schwartz), Finding Madame Curie (Theater Row-NYC), Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Ireland premiere), Me and My Girl tour, The Elephant Man, Don Giovanni, L'elisir d'amore, Die Fledermaus, Nutcracker, Films - The Comedian, Trust the Man. Artistic Director: Ballet Western- Reserve, Lubliniacy Folk Ensemble, Sarabande Repertory Ensemble. Awards: New York Musical Festival's "Excellence in Choreography, Poland's highest cultural honor - Oskar Kolberg Award. He is a member of: Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Actors Equity, Screen Actors Guild- AFTRA, American Guild of Musical Artists.
DIANE LOUIE (Music Director) has crashed motorcycles in Pakistan and hunted with eagles in the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia. She is an award-winning composer/lyricist and conductor who has worked with some of the most recognized names in the recording industry including Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett and Roberta Flack. In over forty years as a music director, Diane Louie has helmed orchestras worldwide, among them the London Symphony, the Boston Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Detroit Symphony and the Royal Philharmonic. This is Louie's third collaboration with director Michael Barakiva. They share a love of good food (except live insects and roadkill) and peaceful vibes.
RAUL ABREGO (Scenic Designer) is a set designer for opera, theatre, and television. His work has been seen at The Juilliard Opera Center, The Manhattan School of Music, The Spoleto Opera Festival in Italy, The Rattlestick, Cherry Lane Theater, and Intar. Notable recent projects: Adamandi for Princeton University with book and lyrics by Mel Hornyak and Elliot Valentine, Lee and directed by Georgina Escobar; Ain't Misbehavin' for Barrington Stage and Geva Theater Center, directed by Jeffrey Page; The Brobot Johnson Experience by Darian Dauchan at The Bushwick Starr; Living and Breathing by Mando Alvarado, directed by Rebecca Martinez for Two River Theater, How to Melt Ice by Amalia Oliva Rojas for Boundless Theater Company; and New Perspectives directed by Elena Araoz. Television/Film: Assistant Art Director for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 3 & 4, Ghost (Power Book 2), Art Director for Falling Water (pilot), The Outcasts (film), and Production Designer for 2009 film Cruzando.
SUWATANA “PLA” ROCKLAND (Costume Designer) joins Cleveland Play House as Costume Designer for Fiddler on the Roof. Currently a resident costume designer, professor, and costume shop supervisor at The College of Wooster, SUWATANA is originally from Thailand where she was a professional dancer, actress and choreographer. She has worked on commercials, TV shows and stage productions and holds an MFA in Costume Design from Kent State University. Her professional credits have included: Baldwin Wallace, Beck Center for The Arts, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Public Theater, Dobama Theatre, East Meets West, Karamu House, Ohio Light Opera, Patravadi Dance Theatre, Porthouse Theatre, and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. SUWATANA is thrilled to join this production and honored to take part in telling this story at this moment in history. www.Plarocklanddesign.com
ZACH BLANE (Lighting Designer) CPH Debut. TELEVISION: Wicked in Concert (PBS, dir. Baayork Lee). INTERNATIONAL: Lohengrin by Wagner, The Sound of Music, Shrek (Sofia National Opera House, Bulgaria); Remember This (Poland, Spain). NEW YORK (selected): Titus Burgess, Take Me to the World (Carnegie Hall); Into the Woods, In Concert (Town Hall); Too Much, Too Much, Too Many; Suicide Incorporated (Roundabout Theatre Company); The Siblings Play (Rattlestick Theater); King of the Jews (HERE Arts); Would You Still Love Me If (New World Stages, dir. Kathleen Turner); Charles Busch’s Cleopatra (TFANC); Wringer (City Center). REGIONAL (selected): May We All (TPAC), Djembe (Apollo Theatre), Bottle Shock, Witnesses (CCAE). Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare, Pasadena Playhouse, Two River Theater, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Barrington Stage Company, Bucks County Playhouse, Dorset Theatre Festival, Cape Playhouse. Instagram: @zachblane. www.ZachBlane.com
LINDSAY JONES (Sound Designer) Broadway: Slave Play (Tony nominations for Best Score and Best Sound Design of a Play), The Nap, Bronx Bombers, and A Time to Kill. Off-Broadway: Privacy (The Public Theater), Bootycandy (Playwrights Horizons), Feeding the Dragon (Primary Stages), Top Secret (New York Theatre Workshop) and many others. Regional: Guthrie Theater, Center Stage, American Conservatory Theater, Hartford Stage, Alliance Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, Old Globe Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre and many others. International: Stratford Festival (Canada), Royal Shakespeare Company (England) and many others. Audio dramas: Marvel, Audible, Next Chapter Podcasts, award-winning “The Imagine Neighborhood.” Film/TV scoring: HBO Films’ A Note of Triumph (2006 Academy Award for Best Documentary, Short Subject) and over 30 other films. He is the co-chair of Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association, and teaches Composition for Theatre and Music History at the University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts. www.lindsayjones.com
IAN PETRONI (Puppet Design and Construction) (he/him) is a Cleveland based artist specializing in unique constructions for theater, installation, and celebration arts. Currently the Production Manager for the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Parade the Circle, he has been involved there for many years, creating his own artistic ensembles of giant puppets, floats, and costumes, as well as facilitating the work of students, community groups, and other artists. His recent work in the theater includes designing the moving leaves and trees of Requiem by Hannoch Levin at Cleveland Public Theater, the set for the original musical Velveteen produced by Playhouse Square, and the puppets and set for The White Cat created by the Baroque music ensemble Les Délices. He has also worked often with Inlet Dance Theater, notably designing and building the set and interactive pieces for their original adaptation of Kobe Yamada’s book What Do You Do with an Idea. Ian was formerly the Props Carpenter at Cleveland Play House for several years and is excited to be working with the company again.
JAILYN SHERRELL HARRIS (Associate Director) is a Cleveland-based choreographer, director, and performer with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Dance from Bowling Green State University. She has performed across Northeast Ohio, with credits at Dobama Theatre, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, and Karamu House. Notable performances include the world premiere of Velveteen: A New Musical at Playhouse Square and Heartbreakers in Hell at Rubber City Theatre.Jailyn recently served as Associate Director and Choreographer for Fat Ham at Cleveland Play House and has choreographed productions for Near West Theatre, Dobama Theatre, and Sitar Arts Center in Washington, DC. Her directing credits include Matilda (M.A.D. Factory) and Wishful Thinking (Rubber City Theatre). A 2023 Room in the House Fellow, Jailyn specializes in Jazz, Hip Hop, and Musical Theatre and is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).
CALLERI JENSEN DAVIS (Casting Directors: James Calleri, Erica Jensen, Paul Davis) is a creative casting partnership of over 20 years located in NYC. They are thrilled to be working with CPH. Awarded 16 Artios Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Casting. Broadway credits include Topdog/ Underdog, The Piano Lesson, For Colored Girls..., Thoughts of a Colored Man, Burn This, Fool for Love, Venus in Fur, Hedwig & The Angry Inch, The Elephant Man (also West End), Of Mice and Men, Hughie, The Visit, 33 Variations, A Raisin in the Sun, Living on Love, Chicago, James Joyce's The Dead. TV credits include Love Life (HBO Max) Queens (ABC), Dickinson (Apple +), The Path (Hulu), Lipstick Jungle, Army Wives, Monk, Hope & Faith, and Ed. www.callerijensendavis.com
JOHN GODBOUT* (Stage Manager) was Cleveland Play House's resident stage manager from 2001 to 2008 and returned to CPH in the fall of 2011. Most recently, he stage managed Pride and Prejudice, A Christmas Story, and Fat Ham at Cleveland Play House. John has also stage managed at North Shore Music Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, The Weston Playhouse, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Northern Stage, Seaside Music Theatre, Porthouse Theatre, and Trinity Repertory Company.
PAMELA SALLING* (Assistant Stage Manager) (she/her) is thrilled to be back at Cleveland Play House, where she was Stage Manager for What the Constitution Means to Me, Becoming Dr. Ruth, and New Ground Theatre Festival. Working in theater, opera, music, and dance, select PSM credits include the Wayne Shorter & esperanza spaulding opera …(Iphigenia) (Kennedy Center, MASS MoCA, ArtsEmerson, Cal Performances, BroadStage); Hamlet and Love’s Labor’s Lost (The Old Globe); How to Be a Rock Critic (ArtsEmerson); Petrol Station (Kennedy Center); The Apple Family Plays: Scenes from Life in the Country, Othello, Into the Woods, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, Knickerbocker, and Neighbors (The Public Theater); tears become…streams become… and De Materie (Park Avenue Armory); Blood Knot (Signature Theatre Company); A Family for All Occasions, Thinner Than Water, and Massacre (Sing to Your Children) (Labyrinth Theater Company); and extensive work with director Peter Sellars.
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
MICHAEL BARAKIVA (Artistic Director) is an Armenian-Israeli American director and writer who has staged new plays, revivals, and classics in New York City and around the country. Michael was appointed Artistic Director of Cleveland Play House in December 2023, where he served as director of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as well as co-director of CPH’s world premiere production of Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure. Barakiva’s work has been seen at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Primary Stages, Syracuse Stage, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, and the Hangar Theatre, where he served as Artistic Director. He founded The Upstart Creatures, a theatre company that creates community through performance and food, as well as the Leadership Initiative Project, which equips historically excluded artists with the tools to succeed in leadership positions. Barakiva has received three Drama League directing fellowships, the Phil Killian Directing Fellowship (OSF), the David Merrick Prize in Drama, and was a Granada Artist-in-Residence at UC Davis. He led a week-long workshop on musical theatre at the International Puppet Theater in Sofia, Bulgaria, and was a presenter at the International University Theatre Festival at UNAM in Mexico City. He served as producer of Summer Camp 6 (Soho Rep) and as the Readings and Workshops Coordinator at New York Stage and Film, as well as a Primary Coach on Season 2 of MTV’s Made. As a writer, Barakiva is the recipient of a Red Bull Commission for his adaptation of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, an EST/Sloan Project Commission, and a co-author of String Theory (Connotation Press). His young adult novels have been named to the Rainbow List, Equality Family Council Reading List, The Barnes and Noble’s Perfect Valentine’s Day YA Novels list, spending over a year as Goodreads #1 LGBTQ YA Novel. Education: Vassar College, The Juilliard School.
RACHEL L. FINK (Managing Director) is thrilled to be returning home to Northeast Ohio after 25 years. Her childhood was filled with fundamental and rich Cleveland arts experiences — and it was at Heights High (Go Tigers!) that Fink’s passion for arts access, social justice, and inclusive, equitable practices was ignited. She carried those values with her as she enrolled at Case Western Reserve University, where an astute professor introduced her to the field of arts administration, and she hasn’t turned back since. The experience at CWRU led to an internship at Cleveland Play House, followed by earning an MFA in theater management at the Yale School of Drama (now the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale). After graduate school, Fink ventured west to Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California, where she founded and grew the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre into a nationally-recognized learning hub which centered theatre as an essential education and engagement tool for all ages, providing direct service and support to more than 300 theatres and 2,000 artists across the San Francisco Bay Area. Most recently, Fink served as the executive director of the Tony Award-winning Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois. Producing highlights include Plantation! by Kevin Douglas and directed by David Schwimmer; Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, written and directed by David Catlin; Her Honor Jane Byrne, written and directed by J. Nicole Brooks (holiday radio broadcast in partnership with local NPR affiliate, WBEZ); Steadfast Tin Soldier, written and directed by Mary Zimmerman; and Lookingglass Alice, written and directed by David Catlin. Fink has held professional distinctions including co-leading the Professional Association of Chicago Theatres; and serving as a Fellow at the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago/Harris School of Public Policy; as the US delegate for the British Council’s Cultural Leadership International Programme; as a member of the American Express/Aspen Institute Fellowship for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders inaugural class; and as a 2016 artEquity facilitator cohort member.
ABOUT CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE
CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE, founded in 1915 and recipient of the 2015 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is America's first professional regional theatre. Throughout its rich history, CPH has remained dedicated to its mission to inspire, stimulate, and entertain diverse audiences across Northeast Ohio by producing plays and theatre education programs of the highest professional standards. CPH has produced more than 100 world and/or American premieres, and over its long history more than 12 million people have attended over 1,600 productions. Today, Cleveland Play House celebrates the beginning of its second century of service while performing in three state-of-the art venues at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland. Cleveland Play House is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Cleveland Play House is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. To learn more, visit: www.clevelandplayhouse.com.
MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students. MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City with additional offices in London (MTI Europe) and Melbourne (MTI Australasia).
###
