Shine Theatre Cast
Meet our talented cast and crew from Shine Theatre's production of Anastasia the Musical!
James Abbitt (COUNT IPOLITOV)
James Abbitt is a 20 year old who has spent most of his life on the stage. Theatre has played such a big part in his life and he loves getting to perform. He has performed as Crutchie in Newsies, Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and many others throughout the years. As well as performing, he also has had the opportunity to work behind the scenes in set building and stage managing a few shows. He loves getting to use his gifts to bring glory to God through the theatre.
Thomas Abbitt (COUNT LEOPOLD)
Thomas Abbitt is excited to be doing Anastasia with shine! Thomas has grown up doing theater and has been in productions of Shrek, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Music man, Cinderella, Newsies beauty and the beast and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Some of his previous roles include Brother Daniel From Seven Brides for Seven Brothers “Henry” from Newsies with Patriot and “Prince Topher” From Cinderella. Some of Thomas’s hobbies include watching baseball, videography and spending time with friends!
Katie Baker (ENSEMBLE)
Katie Baker was born and raised in Arizona, Katie Baker met the love of her life, Tony, all the way across the world in Israel. Tony followed Katie back to Arizona and immediately jumped into the theater scene. Katie has loved musicals since she was born and has always enjoyed attending the theater but only got the courage to join in when her husband encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone and follow him onstage. Now she wouldn't be anywhere else and loves performing together with him and her new theater family and has performed by his side in such musicals as Matilda, Wind in the Willows, Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, and Fiddler on the Roof.
M'chael "Tony" Baker (THE TSAR)
Tony was raised in a separate planet by weasel wolves (kinda like ligers, but not). Tony received a vision from the unicorn king to come to Arizona to find his wife. But Tony is a rebel and doesn't listen to unicorn kings so Tony's wife had to come find him in Israel. After coming to Arizona with his wife he became enslaved to dance onstage for the rest of his life. This is the story about a person coming to watch Anastasia. They sat in their seat and decided to look up the cast bios. Shocked, they read their exact actions on the page. They thought, "could this be about me?" With some amusement they shrugged off the idea and thought to themselves, "Maybe if I ask Tony he'll know my fortune. He'll know what's going on."
Kinsey Baumann (MUSIC DIRECTOR)
Kinsey has been singing and performing her entire life! After years of competitive choirs, orchestras, musicals, symphonies, and lots of studying of vocal technique and music theory, she began teaching vocal lessons and discovered her passion for helping the next generation of performers develop their skill and confidence in their God-given talents. Recently migrating from on stage to behind scenes as Music Director and Assistant Director, loving every moment. This show has been truly special, and she can’t thank the amazing cast enough for trusting her and letting her push them, but also having fun and being such a joyful group! She wants to thank the creative team for being such a great theatre family, her husband for always supporting and loving her through the long hours, and her parents for always encouraging her (and paying for hundreds of hours of private lessons over the years).
Jordyce Behm (ENSEMBLE)
Jordyce Behm is an 18 year old 2023 homeschool graduate who loves riding her horse Angel, teaching swim lessons at her job and being apart of fun theater productions! She has been acting since she was 7 years old and is so excited to be a part of Anastasia and excited to see all the opportunities to come with her new Shine family!
Sam Bibby (SERGEI )
The most important things to me are the three Fs: faith, family, and friends. But, honestly, they are really food, football, and Fast and Furious! When Uthread Ragnerson said, “destiny is all,” I felt that with this play. I was invited to see Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music by two wonderful people, Myhiel Tony and Katty Baker. At Shine Theater, I’ve met amazing people who shared their stories and victories. I enjoy giving life advice to the younger generation so they can avoid mistakes. I want to thank everyone involved in this production—the directors, choreographers, and costume team. I dedicate my performance to my grandma and my family across the country and in Kenya. Enjoy the show!
Claire Blander (TATIANA ROMANOV)
Claire Blander is a 17-year-old senior who loves the arts and all things music. She has been in 6 other stage productions including Harvey (Dr. Chumley), High School Musical (Martha Cox), and Big Fish (Josephine Bloom). She also has played flute in pit for her arts program when they performed Bandstand, Anastasia, and Me and My Girl. She is a huge nerd and loves Star Wars, The Hunger Games, Marvel, and Doctor Who. She is a huge Tolkien nerd and also occasionally enjoys writing and reading poetry. Some of her favorite books of the Bible are the Psalms, 1st and 2nd Samuel, and 1st Corinthians.
Brandon Dahl (VLAD)
Brandon Dahl has been part of Shine Theater for over 2 years where he played the roles of the Doctor during the Matilda production in 2022 and Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins last year. He has also been a member of the Highlands Church worship team for 14 years. His favorite musical of all time is Little Shop of Horrors and he is deeply disappointed this church's theater program will never be able to put it on (understandably)!
Luca Diaz (ENSEMBLE)
From an early age, Luca has been singing, dancing and memorizing scenes from her favorite movies. She also loves to write, direct and film her own plays in her free time. Luca has always displayed a thirst to learn about the theatre. Luca’s first performance,The Wind and The Willows as a Field Mouse and a Fox, with Shine. Other credits include; Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast and Nemo. At just 9 years old, Luca has completely immersed herself into theatre life. Anastasia has been a huge learning experience as she has grown from this group of talented actors. “I am so thankful to be a part of Shine Theatre and its amazing team!”
Riley Dougherty (ENSEMBLE)
Riley Dougherty is 14 years old and is a freshman at Chaparral High School. She is portraying a dramatic street worker, countess Gregory, and a lead ballerina. Riley has been acting for eight years and this will be her fourth show with Shine! She loves to sing and preform in front of an audience. It is hard for her to pick her favorite musical but if she had to choose, it would probably be Hamilton. Riley has built such an amazing community during her time at Shine and has loved every second spent here.
Logan Farrington (LIGHTING DESIGN)
Logan Farrington is thrilled to work once again with Shine Theatre Company! Logan has been involved in the Phoenix theatre community since 2014. In that time, Logan has been an actor, lighting designer, stagehand, director, and stage manager, from high school stages across the Valley all the way to ASU Gammage. He joined Shine in 2022 as a stage manager and assistant director for Matilda and then later for Wind in the Willows. Recent credits include Catch Me If You Can (Desert Stages Theatre, LD, Zoni nomination), Beauty and the Beast (Patriot Productions, Assistant LD/Ensemble), and AzCAM’s upcoming production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Director). When not on stage, Logan is a Doctor of Pharmacy candidate at Midwestern University.
Andrew Hammons (GLEB)
Andrew Hammons is a 17 year old senior in high school at Madison Highland Prep. Theatre is a great passion of his. He has been doing theater for the past 2 years, being in a total of 3 productions, with Anestasia, being his first production at Shine. Anestasia is one of his favorite musicals, and he states his excitement for the opportunity to play Gleb in this production.
Darl Hanna (ENSEMBLE)
This is Darl’s fifth Shine Musical since September of 2022, where he had the pleasure of being a part of the musical Matilda. For Anastasia, Darl is cast as the Count Gregory. He also learned how to dance the Charleston for this production. Musical theater is still new for him and he has enjoyed the process. Darl is excited to be on stage with his beautiful wife Gina, who is also in the ensemble and helped him at home with the choreography! Many in the cast and Shine staff have encouraged and supported him in this new adventure of musical theater.
Gina Hanna (CHOREOGRAPHER)
This is Gina’s 9th show with SHINE Ministry. It all started with Wind in the Willow in the Fall of 2022. Since then, she has joined the Creative team for Mary Poppins, Shrek, Sound of Music, Disney’s Descendants, Nemo, Willie Wonka, High School Musical 2, and now Anastasia. Gina has been so blessed to choreograph and be able to perform in this show and is so grateful to her supportive and loving husband, Darl, and family. (Including her son Holden who got her and Darl started in Musical Theater.) Thank you also to Highlands Church for believing in Musical Theater and for Laura McGinnis and her incredible team that makes all of this possible. God Bless you all!
Gianna Infantino (ENSEMBLE)
"Gianna is a passionate young actress thrilled to be part of the Shines theater performance "Anastasia." With a love for the stage, she has previously shined in the first and second shows that Shine Theater has done. When she's not performing, Gianna enjoys spending time with animals , sewing clothes , sketching and painting . Her dedication to both theater and Arts reflects her vibrant and lively personality . She looks forward to bringing Anastasia to life through her character !”
Ana King (COUNTESS LILY)
Ana King is 15 years old and a Sophomore at GreatHearts, Scottsdale Prep, and has been pursuing her love for musical theatre her whole life. She started with ballet at three years old and has been doing theatre and other arts for about nine years! Anastasia will be her eighth show with Shine Theater Company, playing Countess Lily, and with many more shows to come! She is so excited to have another amazing show with the Shine community!
Brooklynn Liberatore (TEEN ANASTASIA)
Brooklynn Liberatore. 13. 7th grade. Enjoys vocal lessons and piano. Participated with Shine Theatre since its first production of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Wind in the Willows, Mary Poppins, Descendants, Sound of Music, Finding Nemo Jr., and High School Musical Jr., and is excited now to be in the ensemble and Teen Anastasia in Anastasia.
Ruth Marrero (THE DOWAGER EMPRESS)
Ruth Marrero is excited to be making her AZ stages debut! Ruth’s entertainment career spans over 18 years. Stage credits include Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Hello Dolly, The Music Man, West Side Story, The Adam’s Family and more! Screen credits include How to Get Away With Murder, Love, Victor, Shameless, Dr. Phill, and more. She is grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such talented kids and looks forward to working with Shine in future productions! A special thanks to the people who support and love her on the daily. This show is dedicated to her dad who always has the best seat in the house. All glory and honor to God!
Grace Matejsek (OLGA ROMANOV)
Grace Matejsek has always loved singing, acting, dancing, and using her talents to serve the Lord. Anastasia is her third show with Shine and she has loved being part of the Shine community. Grace is an eighth-grade homeschooler who loves to learn. She also loves animals of all kinds and in her free time, she likes to play soccer with her puppy, sing, and do art. She absolutely loves hanging out with the cast, learning new songs and fun choreography, and making new friends at rehearsals. Her favorite musicals are Matilda and Wicked.
Laura McGinnis (DIRECTOR)
Laura McGinnis has directed over 50 musicals and numerous plays across Washington and Arizona, with a passion for bringing stories to life through theatre. She loves working with people of all ages—kids, teens, and adults—and is continually inspired by the incredible talents of her cast and crew. This Anastasia production holds a special place in her heart. Laura is immensely grateful to the cast, crew, and families who have poured their love and energy into making this show a reality. Their dedication has made this journey unforgettable. She is also thankful for the unwavering support of her family and friends and gives thanks to God for the blessing of doing what she loves with those she loves.
Brighton Nowack (ALEXEI ROMANOV)
Brighton is thrilled to be a part of Anastasia at Shine! She is in 5th Grade at Scottsdale Christian Academy. She has also performed in Shrek the Musical, Wonka and Finding Nemo Jr. When Brighton is not on stage, she loves playing volleyball and hanging out with her friends. She would like to thank her family for their love and support! Enjoy the show!
Emerson Ramsower (LITTLE DIMETRY)
Emerson recently performed as a “Nemo” in her debut performance with Shine Theatre Company in Finding Nemo Jr. Emerson, also, love portraying ‘Mini Miracle Bruce’ in the Phoenix Youth Theatre production of Matilda Jr. last year. That was her first theatre performance! She loves singing, acting and dancing; and has found a new passion for theatre which allows her to do all 3 at once! When Emerson isn’t at theatre, she’s busy taking vocal lessons & playing piano, along with being active on her soccer team -The Danger Noodles! Emerson’s favorite musicals are The Greatest Showman and Hamilton. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Ellie Richards (LITTLE ANASTASIA)
Ellie Richards is excited to play Little Anastasia in Anastasia. She has performed in three productions with Shine Theatre, including Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Wind in the Willows. Ellie loves being on stage and is passionate about acting and singing. When she’s not performing, Ellie enjoys arts and crafts, playing piano, and spending time with her family and dog, Kona. She adores this organization that helps her SHINE! Ellie loves spending time with her fellow actors and learning choreography with her friends. Known for her sweet spirit and positive attitude, she is grateful to be part of this amazing cast! She is so excited to perform as “Little Dmitry” & in the children’s ensemble in Anastasia!
Sharon Rodriguez (COSTUMER)
Sharon Rodriguez has been sewing costumes since she was 16. It is one of the greatest joys and creative outlets in her life. She believes that a good costume is like a hug to an actor! Sharon is wife to Steve the Great and Magical and mom to three amazing boys, Michael, Wesley and Joey who are her greatest joys. "Theatre is what we do but the Body of Christ is who we ARE!"
Finley Seidel (THE TSARINA)
Finley Seidel is 14 years old, and a freshman at Chaparral High School. She is playing the role of the Tsarina. Finley has been acting for two years, and has been in shows such as The Sound of Music and One Stoplight Town. In her free time, she participates in extracurriculars such as Chaparral Choir and Chaparral Theatre Company. Her favorite part of the show was meeting new cast members and making new friends!
Victoria Sherrard (SET COORDINATOR)
Vikke Sherrard is proud to have been working behind the scenes on the set crew since Shine’s first production--"The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe", and every show since! She enjoyed her time on stage with the Ensemble Casts of "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music". She is back behind the scenes with "Anastasia" and has loved working with the set crew on this production!
Austin Spaulding (ENSEMBLE)
Austin Spaulding 25 years old. From Dana Point, California. I have been involved with community theatre for the last 5 years. His past shows include Music Man - Harold Hill, Godspell - director and Sound of Music - pianist (orchestra).
Alexis Stoltz (ASST MUSICAL DIRECTOR/COSTUMER)
Alexis Stoltz is delighted to be working with Shine Theatre again. She has been in many a show starting at the age of 14, with MoezArt Production from Music Man to Honk Jr. Her favorite musicals she listens to on the daily include Anastasia (no duh) Tuck Everlasting, Epic The Musical and Band Stand. This is her first show to help with music and is forever grateful to have Kinsey as a mentor. She would also like to thank Shine Theater for the many opportunity’s given to her and for this amazing theater community. She looks forward to the next shows with Shine. She wishes you all to sit back, get cozy as we take you on a journey to the past.
Tracy Stoltz (COSTUMER)
Tracy Stoltz has been part of Shine since 2023 coming on as a coach for Fiddler on the Roof and performing in her first musical with Sound of Music in 2024! She is 1/3 of the costume dream team who costumed Guys and Dolls and now Anastasia. In September she was thrilled to be hired as Shine Theatre’s PT Administrative Assistant! Since 2018 Tracy has worked behind the scenes (box office, front of house, spotlight, social media etc.) finally getting on stage in 2023 with Kelpaz, Sense and Sensibility, Charlotte's Web, just to name a few. She is Assistant Directing and on stage for AzCam's upcoming Best Christmas Pageant Ever. What she loves most about theatre is that everyone is family.
Killian Thompson (DMITRY)
Killian is 14 years old and an 8th grader at Carefree Christian Academy. He is honored to play the role of Dmitry. Killian has participated in theater for the past two years. His last appearance was in Guys & Dolls, Jr., where he a coach and performer in the production for teens and adults with special needs. Killian plays the piano and is part of Highlands Church youth worship team. Thank you Laura and the entire Shine team for offering this opportunity to shine!
Isela Tovar (ANYA)
Isela Tovar is excited to make her Shine debut as Anya in Anastasia! This is her 12th production, and her most recent shows include - Valley Youth Theatre’s Hunchback of Notre Dame (choir), CHS’s The Little Mermaid (Flounder), and SYT’s Mary Poppins Jr. as Mary Poppins (ariZoni nom- best female lead in a musical-youth). She would like to thank the directors and production team for giving her this incredible opportunity and for trusting her with Anya-and her parents and family for supporting her! She cannot wait to help bring the audience on a journey to the past and tell this story of home love and family with her amazing castmates and crew and bring them home at last! <3
Sharesa Uher (ENSEMBLE)
Sharesa Uher is excited to be making her debut performance at Shine! Sharesa has been in over 25 productions in Chicago and Arizona. Some favorite recent credits are Seussical (Gertrude McFuzz), The Little Mermaid (Flounder), School of Rock (Ms. Sheinkopf) and The Sound of Music (Sister Sophia). She aspires to be a Second City graduate and SNL performer one day or a voice over actor. Sharesa would like to thank her family and friends, the welcoming Shine family, and all of you for coming out to see our show!
Lila Weber (MARIA ROMANOV)
Lila Weber is a 16-year-old junior at ASU Prep Digital. This is her first production with Shine Theater, but hopefully not her last! Opera, Classical-stye Broadway musicals, Debussy and “yacht rock” are her happy places. She enjoys rehearsing and performing with Upscale Singers, and singing offertories at church. Her time playing piano and singing with the residents at a local memory care center is a highlight of her weeks. When she isn’t doing something musical – and sometimes even when she *is* doing something musical – you can find her drawing, painting, crocheting or playing board games. Her current favorite class is Astronomy.