From the book "Free to Be...You and Me"
conceived by Marlo Thomas and Friends

Adaptation written for the stage by Douglas Love and Regina Safran

Contributions by Judy Blume, Dan Greenberg, Carol Hall, Sheldon Harnick, Bruce Hart, Edward Kleban, Elaine Laron, Stephen Lawrence, Betty Miles, Shelley Miller, Carl Reiner, Mary Rodgers, Shel Silverstein, Peter Stone and Charlotte Zolotow

Orchestrations and Arrangements by Jon Welstead
Originally produced by The National Children's Repertory Theatre, Inc.

Performed by The Center's annual Young Performers Festival.
Director:Billy Mitchell, Musical Director Liz Gerbi

Saturday Performances:

May 10, 2008 at 3pm and 7pm

$10.00 adults/$7.00 children & students

This production will also be availble for touring to schools in the NJ/NY area. More information can be found on our touring page.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Thomas A. DeGise, County Executive, and The Board of Chosen Freeholders.

YOUNG PERFORMERS FESTIVAL CAST

SABRINA BOGEN is happy to be a first-time cast member of the fun and funny Young Performers Festival. NYC credits include: American Girl Revue, Secrets Women Share, Being Born, Sunshine, Laughing Matters, 101 Dalmatians, and The People Garden. Regional theater: Annie, The Sound of Music, Snow White, The Wizard of Oz, Christmas Spectacular, The Frog Prince, The People Garden (touring) and various benefit shows. Upcoming: Peter Pan and an NYC reading for Birdseed, a new musical,.



BONNIE CALLAHAN is very happy to be making her debut with The Center for the Performing Arts in Free to Be...You and Me. She is an honors student in the 4th grade at Roosevelt School in Weehawken. Bonnie has performed in Christmas pageants, summer camp dance presentations and is a part of her school’s recorder ensemble. She can also be seen in the background with her mother and sister in the movie "Autumn in New York."




NICOLE CHAPLIK is excited to be in her first production at The Center. She just sang with the Camp Broadway Choir at the NY Pops 25th Anniversary Gala in Carnegie Hall. Nicole has appeared as a featured dancer in Alice in Wonderland at the Heckscher Theater and in local festivals and community events. She is a 5th grade honors student from Brooklyn and has been studying voice with Ms. Viktoria Kourbatskaya. Nicole loves dancing, ice skating, swimming and horseback riding. "Thank you to Billy, Liz, Shawna & David for making me a part of this wonderful experience. Lots of love to Mom."


EBONY COX is ten years old and a 4th grader at PS # 3 in Jersey City. Her hobbies include singing, dancing, karate, music and reading. Her favorite hobby is acting and gets high praise from her drama teacher, Mrs. Oliver. Ebony was last seen in Cinderella as the Fairy Godmother and in the Tempest Production of Oh, Freedom. Ebony is currently preparing for her role in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. She would like to thank her parents for all their support, but most importantly she would like to thank Mrs. Oliver who let her express herself in acting.



ANTONY CRUZ This is Antony's first role at The Center for the Performing Arts. He has performed in The Nutcracker Suite as The Mouse King and Russian Dancer and will also be appearing as the lead role of Charlie in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, both produced by the Drama Club of PS #3 in Jersey City. Antony was also chosen as contestant for the PS #3 version of "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?"




MICHAEL DIMACULANGAN is an eight year old student at PS #3 in Jersey City with a good passion in drama. He has performed as a Russian dancer in The Nutcracker and was a contestant for the PS #3 version of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" He will appear in an upcoming production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as Charlie.





PHOEBE GRACE is excited to be in her first production with The Center for the Performing Arts at DeBaun Auditorium. She has also appeared in The Beggar and the Wolf (Orfana), Charlotte’s Web (Lamb), and Bed Bugs (Ledoo), all at The Studio Playhouse in Montclair, NJ. "Thank you to my family; you made my dreams come true!"





SOFIA HAPPONEN This is Sofia’s first performance with The Center for the Performing Arts. She has appeared in The Beggar and the Wolf (Urchina) and Bed Bugs (Boogle) with The Studio Players. Sofia enjoys singing and acting and hopes to someday perform on Broadway. She is in the 3rd grade at Hillside Elementary School in Montclair. "Love to my family and friends and thanks for all your support!"





JAQUAN HOLDER This performance of Free to Be...You and Me marks Jaquan’s first production with The Center for the Performing Arts. Jaquan previously appeared in It Takes a Village to Raise a Child with the Curtis Estabrook School in Brooklyn, NY.







EMORY KEMPH has appeared in more than a dozen productions. Her notable roles include The Wiz in The Wiz, The Narrator in Into The Woods, and The Jester in Once Upon A Mattress. She is a 4th grader at The Hoboken Charter School who enjoys soccer and softball. Emory wishes all of her great castmates the best of luck!





PEYTON KENNEDY Peyton is excited to be in her second Young Performers Festival production. She was recently in The Theater Company’s very fun production of Seussical as a Who. This past December, she appeared in A Christmas Carol as a Crachit child and Want, having been part of that show three years in a row. Peyton is a member of the Hoboken Children’s Theater Company and has been in the musical productions of The Little Princess, Beauty and the Beast, Honk, Godspell, Cinderella and Annie. Her many interests include acting, singing, ice skating, Girl Scouts, swimming, cheerleading and softball. She is a high honors 4th grader at Theodore Roosevelt School in Weehawken, NJ. "Love to all my family and friends and to my castmates. Glad to have a friend like you!"

LEANN MARTIN is so happy to be apart of her first musical. She is having so much fun and looks forward to doing theatre in the future. Leann has won two first place singing awards with the New Jersey All Stars and other solo performances. Leann plays the violin and takes ballet, modern and hip hop dance. She thanks her Mom and Dad and God for the wonderful opportunity.





BRIELLE RADDI is eleven years old and has performed numerous vocal and dance solos and in ensembles, as well as acting and singing throughout NY and NJ. She was most recently in The Little Mermaid as Ariel and a semi-professional production of The Rink as Child Angel. Other credits include Once on This Island Jr. (Villager), Dear Edwina Jr. (Katie Spoonapple & Periwinkle), The Secret Garden (Dreamer), Peter Pan (Lost Boy), Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.(Shulie), Seussical (Who), and The Wizard of Oz (Munchkin/Flying Monkey). Brielle enjoys cheerleading with the Cedar Grove Competition Cheerleading Squad and spending time with her family, which she thanks for their love, support and dedication. "You must have fun, enjoy and love what you are doing to be successful. I am confident that theatre will be my future success story!" Brielle is seeking representation and can be contacted at anneraddi@netzero.com.

SOPHIE SILVERSTEIN is a 7th grader at City & Country School in Manhattan. She has enjoyed performing in musical theatre since she was four. She has appeared in five mainstage productions at TADA! Youth Theater, where she is a Principal Member of the Resident Youth Ensemble, as well as performing in productions at iTheatrics, French Woods, and the Pocono Playhouse. She hopes to pursue theater as a career and thanks to The Center for helping her broaden her experience as a performer.



STELLA SILVERSTEIN is a 3rd grader at City & Country School in Manhattan who is making her stage debut at The Center. She has previously performed at recitals of musical theater classes at TADA! Youth Theater, where she plans to audition for the Resident Youth Ensemble once she turns eight. She has also appeared with her sister Sophie in a trilogy of student films made in 2006.





QUINN STEVEN This marks Quinn's third production with The Center for the Performing Arts after appearing in previous Young Performers Festival presentations of Schoolhouse Rock Live! (Mercury) and If Only I Could. She has appeared in the Park Players productions of Seussical as Sour Kangaroo and The Wizard of Oz as Glinda. She has also performed at the Show Place Ice cream Parlor, Surf Light Theater Company’s mini program, on Long Beach Island for the last three summers, which combines three of her favorite things: singing, jokes and ice cream!


AOLANIE VARGAS is a 3rd grader at The Frank Conwell Primary School. She is extremely excited to be a part of this wonderful production with such an amazing cast. Aolanie studies dance at the Jersey City Dance Academic with a concentration in Hip-Hop and Ballet. In school she is involved with the Conwell Kidz, The Conwell School Drama Program. Favorite roles include Clara in The Nutcracker and Violet in Willy Wonka. Aolanie also plays the piano and does gymnastics. She would like to thank her parents as well as her drama teacher, Nicole Oliver, for all of their support and love.


MARC WRIGHT is an eleven year old 5th grader at PS #14 in Bayonne. He was accepted into this year’s Papermill Playhouse Summer Intensive Conservatory, marking his second year in the Conservatory, and will appear in their "New Voices of ‘08" Concert in August. Marc was also accepted into Papermill’s Travelling Junior All Stars where he will perform throughout NY and NJ. Since age 5, Marc has appeared in over 10 local musical productions, including Oliver, Annie and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. He studies piano and saxophone, and plays baseball for his local Cal Ripken League and roots for the Yankees and the Packers with a vengeance. Marc would like to dedicate this performance to his wonderful first director, Shia Saltzman, who sadly passed away in March.


Click the links for information on the touring production and its touring cast.