NEWSIES
Cast and Crew ~ Teen Actors Guild
August 2019
Jack
Sevon Askew
Sevon is thrilled to be back doing a show with Millennium Repertory Company. He was last seen on stage at the MAC as Conrad Birdie in Bye Bye Birdie and Evan Goldman in 13 the Musical. Sevon is a recent graduate from Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro. There, some of his favorite roles were Shrek in Shrek the Musical and El Gallo in The Fantasticks; as the latter he won the Spotlight Award for Best Actor in a musical and took the role to the Jimmy Awards, the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. Sevon will be pursuing his B.F.A. in Musical Theatre at The University of Michigan this fall. He would like to thank Landon, Danelle, JD, Rachel, and this incredible cast for an unforgettable summer and making this process one that will always stay with him. Enjoy the show!
Crutchie
Madelyn Hansen
Madelyn is 16 and is thrilled to be appearing in her dream role in Newsies. She has been performing since she was 5, participating in 25+ shows, and has had many notable roles such as Timon from The Lion King Jr, Cinderella from Into the Woods Jr, Gingy in Shrek Jr, the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, and Pepper from Annie. She is homeschooled, and in her free time she likes to draw, write, dance, play piano, take care of her pets, and hike. She also makes pet portrait pyrography commissions as a career.
Les
Aiden Shirk
Aiden is 12 years old and loves the sense of camaraderie created among members of a cast. This is his first production with The Millennium Repertory Company/Teen Actors Guild, and he has had a wonderful time. Other favorite roles to date include Babkak in Disney’s Aladdin Jr., Mowgli in Disney’s The Jungle Book Kids, Jaq is Disney’s Cinderella Kids, and being in the ensemble of Les Misérables High School Edition. He looks forward to whatever is next and thanks you for coming to see the show!
Hannah
Maddi Helms
Maddi is an upcoming Sophomore at Coffee County Central High School and is part of the Show Choir. Maddi first took the stage in first grade in a play at FBC Manchester. Since then she has been in many plays at the MAC and in church. Her favorite plays she’s participated in are Music Man, The Little Mermaid, and Peter Pan. The best part about shows are getting to meet new people and learn new skills.
Romeo
Nik Dunavant
Nikolas loves to sing, act, and dance! He began his acting career in HSTEP and have been in many productions at the MAC since. Most notably, he performed in last summer’s TAG production of Guys and Dolls and last autumn’s main production of Singin' in the Rain. He most recently starred as Scar in HSTEP’s spring production of The Lion King Jr. in May.
Finch
Nolan Ragland
Nolan welcomes you to Newsies! He is very excited to be in his last TAG show! He’s previously been in both 13 and Bye Bye Birdie here at MRC, as well as other shows in his school and in the community. He will be attending the University of Tennessee:Knoxville this fall, studying political science. He hopes you enjoy the show!
Katherine
Karis Knierim
Karis will be majoring in Musical Theatre at Molloy College/CAP21 Conservatory in New York. Some of her favorite roles include Patrice (13 the Musical), Juliet (Romeo & Juliet), Rosie (Bye Bye Birdie), and Drowsy Chaperone (The Drowsy Chaperone). Working with such a talented cast and production team has been such a joy for her! She would like to thank God, her family, and the production team for providing her with this opportunity and hopes you enjoy the show!
Davey
Micah Hansen
Micah is thrilled to be bringing the role of Davey Jacobs to the stage in the Manchester Arts Center’s production of Newsies. Micah has an extensive history in community theatre tracing back to when he was seven years old. Some of his favorite roles include Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, Mortimer in Arsenic and Old Lace, Donkey in Shrek, and Cornelius in The Matchmaker. Micah firmly believes that this is the finest cast that he has ever had the pleasure of being a part of.
Medda
Karisha Glover
Kariaha is so excited to be in this fun cast of Newsies! Over the years, she has had the privilege of playing such roles as: Les Misérables (Fantine), Heathers (Heather McNamara), and Once Upon A Mattress (Queen Aggravain). She’s also currently in an original rock opera called The Fortunate Few. She sincerely hopes you enjoy the show and thanks you for coming!
Racer
Jonathan Hazen
Jonathan is excited to make his debut performance here at the MAC. His most recent Main Stage performance was at Center for the Arts Murfreesboro as Marius in Les Misérables. He has also performed at ACCC as Aladdin in Aladdin Jr. and several shows at Patterson Park with Perform Murfreesboro. He spent his summer doing Summer Theater Camps where he played the roles of Prince Eric in Little Mermaid Jr, Mr. Darling in Peter Pan Jr., Tinman in The Wizard of Oz Jr., and Shenzi in Lion King Jr. at Center for the Arts Murfreesboro. He is excited to perform as Racetrack Higgins in Newsies for you and hopes that you enjoy the show!
Albert
Carter Cantrell
Carter is a 17-year-old from Warren County. He is a homeschool student entering his senior year. He has been acting in musicals and plays for nine years and has been in over 30 productions in the Middle Tennessee area. His favorite roles include Scar in The Lion King Jr., Lucas in The Addams Family, and his most recent role as Farquaad in Shrek the Musical. This is his first production at MAC and he has really enjoyed it. The talented cast has been fun to work with.
Elmer
Jackson Eaton
Jackson is an upcoming 7th grader at Westwood Middle School. He has been in many church plays, school plays, and musicals. His last role before Newsies was as Pumbaa in Westwood Elementary's production of The Lion King in 2018. He was also a stage crew member in Westwood Elementary's production of Peter Pan in 2019. His favorite thing about being in Newsies has been learning the choreography.
Henry
Tanner Maccagnone
Tanner has worked in 10 shows. His most prominent roles include Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the musical Guys and Dolls, Mike-TeeVee in Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka and Uncle Leo in In-Laws, Outlaws, and Other People That Should be Shot. He has a two-year streak in TAG shows at Manchester Art Center and does not see that stopping anytime soon.
Splasher
Matthew Miller
Matthew Miller lives in Manchester, Tennessee. He is a senior at Coffee County Central High School. His favorite roles he has been in so far are a motormouth kid in Hairspray and Theo in Pippin. He plans to go to school for music.
Jojo
Kara Beth Patton
Kara Beth is the daughter of Jason and Wendi Patton. She is a freshman at the Coffee County Raider Academy and a member of the Lady Raider softball team. This is her first performance with TAG, but she has enjoyed every minute of it! Kara Beth was a member of the cast of Once on this Island at Westwood Middle School where she played a grand homme. As an eighth grader, Kara Beth played the role of Mary Hatch in It’s a Wonderful Life! Her favorite part of Newsies is being able to get to know each of her fellow cast members and being able to be a part of such an amazing show.
Tommy Boy
Kendyn Brock
Kendyn is from Tullahoma, is 13 years old and homeschooled. His theater debut was in 2017 as an Elf in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Since then, he’s found his love for musicals, performing his favorite lead role as Charlie in Willy Wonka. He’s been in several shows at both Manchester Arts Center as well as South Jackson Civic Center. His most recent roles were in Lion King (both Mufasa and Young Simba) and Annie (Wacky). Kendyn is so excited to have found his happy place on stage. His dream is to perform on Broadway.
Specs
Colleen Wainright
Colleen is from Manchester and goes to Coffee County Central High School. Some of her favorite roles have been Gertrude McFuzz from Seussical and the Jester from Once Upon a Mattress. So far this is another favorite role. She’s had an amazing time being a part of this show. She loves the energetic choreography, passionate songs, and friendly people. She’s very happy to have been apart of this cast.
Buttons
Cassidy Rose
Cassidy is a 10th grade student at Coffee County High School. Newsies is the third production she has been in; the other two being The Crooked House Murder”, in which she played Rebecca Fitzwilliam, and Pippin, in which she was a member of the ensemble. Newsies is also the first production she's been involved in at the Manchester Arts Center, and it has been an incredible experience. The cast is fun to work with, everyone in charge knows what they’re doing, and overall they’ve just generally been able to put together a good show.
Mush
Faith Duke
Faith attends the Coffee County Raider Academy in Manchester, Tennessee. She previously played Fan in A Christmas Carol, Ferguson in Guys and Dolls, and a Grand Homme in Once on This Island, Jr. She has enjoyed working with the cast of Newsies and cannot wait to work on more shows with the MAC.
Tumbler/Ensemble
Cassie Douglas
Cassie an incoming freshman to Coffee County Central High School. Newsies is her first musical, although she was in WMS’ production of It’s a Wonderful Life last December. She has really enjoyed the overall atmosphere and relationships she’s built through TAG the past few months.
Darcy
Alana Shirk
Alana is 14 years old and loves all things musical theater. Her favorite roles to date include Flounder in Little Mermaid Jr, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Junie in Junie B. Jones the Musical, and Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls Jr., and being in the ensemble of Les Misérables High School Edition. This is her first production with The Millennium Repertory Company, and she has really enjoyed meeting even more theater friends. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Gianna Afflerbaugh
Dansemblé
A lass originally hailing from the west coast, Gianna is an expert in loquacious sarcasm. She finds that this provides ample opportunity for growth through challenging experiences in both her academic and dance career. Often duplicated, never imitated, you can find her quoting Parks and Rec and mainlining Starbucks with impunity. She looks forward to making her calves cramp and her bunions ache in Newsies.
Mason Singer
Seitz
Mason has done several shows along with Newsies which include some of his favorite roles, such as Dr. Einstein from Arsenic and Old Lace and Dill from To Kill a Mockingbird. Although he loves the stage, he plans to become a film director, producer, and writer, and he feels that this production has really helped him a lot because of everything about this show being so busy.
Ethan Cusick
Wiesel
Ethan was born and raised in Orlando,Florida, and moved to Manchester in November of 2018. He’s been homeschooled almost his whole life, and has enjoyed acting, singing, and playing sports for as long as he can remember. His first ever role was in 2006 when he played one of the Three Wise Men in a children’s church production of the birth of Jesus. He has since played basketball, football, and acted in other plays. Most recently he was in HSTEP’s production of Lion King Jr, and now in TAG’s Newsies. If you asked him what his dream role in a play is, he’d give one of two answers: Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, or Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton. His favorite stage actor of all time is Lin-Manuel Miranda. Ethan plans to continue acting even after Newsies is over, and he will take the lessons he has learned from the production into the future of his acting life. His favorite moments from production mostly revolve around stage fighting, and his friends Travis and John, (who are playing the Delancey brothers) and the jokes and running gags they have going between the three of them. Ethan has also enjoyed working with the rest of the cast, and directors involved with the show, and is excited for the public to get to see such a great show!
Dansemblé
Alex Baldwin
Alex is a recent graduate from Coffee County Central High School, and plans to attend MTSU in the fall. He has been acting for two years, and has played several roles, including Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. HIs favorite part of this production has been acting with old friends and meeting new people.
Dansemblé
Jaxen Waggoner
Jaxen will be going to Coffee County High School as a 10th grader this fall, and she will be taking classes from Duck River Dance. In addition to taking dance classes, she has been in Duck River Dance's Company this past year, and has been dancing for 10 years. She has been in various shows from ballets to musicals. But her favorite part of Newsies has to be the people she’s met and the family that has formed.
Pulitzer
Todd Green
Todd is the Worship Pastor at First Baptist Church Manchester. He has a Bachelors and a Master's degree in Church Music and Vocal Performance He has always love theatre and even did La Bohème with the Fort Worth Opera Chorus. His roles have included Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Jinx in Forever Plaid, Mr. Di Pena in You Can’t Take It With You, Henry Richmond in Four Tickets To Christmas. He has also acted in Oklahoma, and The Beams Are Creaking. Todd has directed over 32 church productions and has even written 2 musicals.
He has also enjoyed participating in several productions at the Manchester Art Center including the Ultimate Oldies Show, The Music Man and Funny Girl.
JD Dill
Mayor
James “JD” Dill is a US Air Force veteran of 21 years. JD comes to us from Ansbach, Germany. A native of Live Oak, Florida, he now lives here in Manchester working as the Emergency Management Director for AEDC/Arnold Air Force Base. JD has appeared in more than 30 theatre productions in both the United States and Europe, and toured the world with Air Force Entertainment’s “TOPS IN BLUE” in 2000 as a vocalist. His ability to bring his characters to life resulted in him being named “Best Actor In A Play” at the 2017 European Tournament of Plays (TOPPERS) awards in Wiesbaden, Germany. You may have seen him in his MRC debut as Billy Flynn in Chicago this past April. JD will next hit the stage in MRC’s upcoming productions of Much Ado About Nothing and My Fair Lady. Always involved, JD was recently elected to the MRC Board of Directors.
Michael T. Hansen
Teddy Roosevelt
Michael began performing with the Millennium Repertory Company by portraying the ghost of Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol. A lifetime performer in musical groups and in radio, he currently hosts Coffee County Hootenanny and the Friday edition of the Community Jukebox on WMSR Thunder Radio. Michael is thrilled to share the stage at the Manchester Arts Center with his children, two of which have lead roles in this fantastic production of Newsies.
John Brock
Snyder
from Tullahoma found his way to theater to support his son, Kendyn. He’s been in performances at Manchester Arts Center, South Jackson Civic Center, and The Fly. He has also stage managed, and will soon take on his first Assistant Director position for Spamalot. In his free time, John enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. He’s a proud husband, father of 3 sons (2 grown, and 13-year-old Kendyn), and grandfather of a rambunctious 5-year-old. You will often hear his wife of 27 years joking that “Theater is Life.”
Nun/Ensemble
Addison Welch
Addison has been in several shows including Once on this Island and It's a Wonderful Life at Westwood Middle School and The Wizard of Oz and In-laws, Outlaws and Other People (That Should be Shot) at the Manchester Arts Center. She takes ballet, tap, jazz, and musical theater at Duck River Dance.
"Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica" -The Office
Jacobi
Vanessa Jarman
Vanessa is a resident of Manchester and a recent homeschool graduate. She picked up theatre at the MAC in 2017 after a long hiatus. Her favorite role ever played was Pumbaa in HSTEP’s Lion King Jr. One of her favorite parts of TAG’s Newsies, as there are a lot of them, is the heavy dance requirements; she love the challenge of it!
Dansemblé
Shiloh Bakalyar
Proud to be part of this production of Newsies, Shiloh has been singing and dancing since the age of 3 and acting since the age of 10. Newsies is currently her favorite show! Other roles she has enjoyed playing include Baby Bear in Shrek The Musical, Cindy Watkins in Hairspray, and Ensemble in Singin’ in the Rain. This is her first production at the Manchester Arts Center. She hopes you enjoy the show.
Oscar Delancey
Travis Lawson
Travis is a recent graduate from Coffee County Central High School, and plans to attend MTSU in the fall. He has been acting for two years, and has played several roles, including Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. His favorite part of this production has been acting with old friends and meeting new people.
Morris Delancey
John Michal
John started doing shows within the last year. Newsies is his second show, but his first at the MAC. He’s been having so much fun learning new skills for future shows.
Bill
Brennan Clarneau
Brennan is a 15-year-old homeschooled student who has been involved in theater for five years. Some of his favorite roles have been The Artful Dodger in Oliver, Lord Farquaad in Shrek Jr, Charlie in Willy Wonka Jr, Winthrop in The Music Man, and Adult Simba in Lion King Jr. Brennan is thankful for all the opportunities he has had to learn and grow as an actor here at the MAC, as well as the chance to work with so many talented people in this production of Newsies.
Ensemble
Erin Maccagnone
Erin has been doing plays at the Arts Center for about 3.5 years now. Her first show was for North Coffee Elementary (Alice in Wonderland). She played the Queen of Hearts. Her favorite role was Bunny, the talkative aunt from New Jersey in TAG’s In-Laws, Outlaws, and Other People that Should be Shot. She is 13 years old, and will be going into 8th grade at CCMS. Acting is her passion. She says, “I sure do love doing what I do.”
Bunsen
Kaden Hobbs
Kaden is a 14-year-old upcoming freshman at Warren Country High School. He enjoys playing music, video games, and as much theater as possible. He has been acting for three years between Warren Arts, the Arts Center of Cannon County and Warren County Middle School. His favorite roles have been Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Gilligan in Gilligan's Island the Musical. He's very excited to be performing at the Manchester Arts Center and would like to thank the Teen Actors Guild for this opportunity. Enjoy the show!
Spot
Mangos Campbell
Anna “Mangos” Campbell is from Lynchburg, Tennessee. She is going to Motlow College to study Art Studio. She works at a lovely candy shop on the Lynchburg square called Velma’s Candy. Her favorite shows she has been in are Shrek, Jr., Guys and Dolls, and Beauty and the Beast. This is her last show with the Teen Actors Guild, and she is proud to have been a part of such a wonderful and talented group of teens.
Dansemblé
Leah Stewart
Leah is from Manchester, Tennessee. She goes to Palos Verdes High School in California. One of her favorite roles was Belle in Beauty and the Beast. A few things she loved about this production were the dance choreography and the people.
Dansemblé
Alyssa Freeze
Alyssa Freeze is an 8th grader at Westwood Middle School. She is so excited to be a part of the Newsies cast. Some other shows you might have seen her in are The Little Mermaid at Cumberland County Playhouse (Flounder), Annie at The Arts Center of Cannon County (Annie), and Guys and Dolls at the Manchester Arts Center (Hot Box Dancer).
Director
Landon Spangler
Director of Bands and Choirs at Westwood Middle School and MRC’s own Music Man, Landon studied Music Education at Tennessee Tech University, before moving to Manchester 8 years ago. Landon found his way on the local stage first in Tullahoma, and then joined Millennium Repertory in 2013 where he met his lovely wife Rachel. Since then he has participated in many roles including actor, director, producer and Vice President of the Board. Landon’s directoral debut was for 2017’s Deathtrap, but he has also been the music director behind many MRC productions: Chicago, Once Upon a Mattress, Catch Me if You Can, Company, Young Frankenstein, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Little Women.
Mary Margaret Edwards
Stage Manager
Mary Margaret likes to talk about herself in the third person. Mary Margaret lives in Shelbyville, Tennessee, and she is about to be a college senior at Tennessee Tech University studying Early Childhood Education. Mary Margaret has done TAG shows since she was 13 years old, her favorite roles being Liza in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Mary Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, and The Nightingale of Samarkand in Once Upon a Mattress. Mary Margaret’s favorite thing about stage managing Newsies is using the pile of news bags as a pillow.
Mary Green
Stage Crew
Mary will be going to North Greenville University to study theatre, and her favorite rolls in a show would be Brigitta in The Sound of Music... or being in the ensemble of Hairspray. The thing I’ve enjoyed most about this production was how everyone is always there for you and is such a great cast.
Danelle Afflerbaugh
Choreographer
Danelle Afflerbaugh is the owner and Artistic Director of Duck River Dance, located in Manchester, TN. Now a member of the Tennessee Association of Dance, Danelle is originally from southern California, where she studied ballet under the tutelage of Paul Maure, former dancer with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, as well as many other styles of dance. During her eleven year tenure as the head cheerleading coach at the University of Redlands her teams competed and ranked regionally and nationally. Specializing in choreography for musical theatre over the past four years here in Manchester, Danelle’s steps have been seen in MRC productions of The Music Man, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Singin’ in the Rain and Chicago, among others. Duck River Dance will be presenting The Nutcracker Ballet at the MAC this December.