Cast

Congratulations to our 2013 Muir Musical cast!  Thank you to all who auditioned!

Sweeney Todd: Wylie Simpson

  • Wylie Simpson is a first year at the University of California, San Diego.  He is currently attending Sixth College and plans on majoring in Nano Engineering with a minor in Theater.  This is his first year participating in the Muir Musical but not his first time performing on stage.  His favorite prior roles include: Thernardier in Les Miserables, Bottom in A Midsummer Nights Dream, C.C. Showers in The Diviners, and Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  He loves his family, he loves his girlfriend and he like-likes his friends.

Mrs. Lovett: Chelsea Sykora

  • Chelsea Sykora is bloody excited to be involved in her third Muir Musical! As a 3rd year Human Biology major, she plans to pursue a career in the medical field. Having loved musical theater since the age of four, some of her previous theater credits include Rent, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Seussical (Sour Kangaroo), Damn Yankees (Lola), The Music Man, and many more. She would like to thank her family and friends for their constant love and support throughout this whole process, and will refrain from baking them into pies. Enjoy the show!

Anthony: Joey Odom

  • Joey Odom was ready to write a great, long, heartfelt, thankful bio but at the time of writing was abducted by a pack of wild baboons and rabid turkeys. How and why they teamed up is anybody’s guess. He hopes you understand.

Johanna: Kirstin Rower

  • Kirstin Rower is a junior-transfer majoring in Theatre with a minor in Music. UC San Diego credits: Lumping in Fargo. Other credits: Grease, Into the Woods, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, and The Ugly Duckling (children’s opera).

Beggar Woman: Susannah Snowden-Ifft

  • Susannah Snowden-Ifft is absolutely thrilled to be cast in such a magnificent musical as Sweeney Todd! She is a recent junior transfer to UC San Diego and is already loving the theatre department, particularly its fabulous students and teachers. She would like to thank each and every one of Muir Musical’s cast members and production team for being outrageously warm and friendly. This is the second Sondheim musical for Susannah, playing Lucinda the Stepsister in the production of Into the Woods at Pasadena City College. Other acting credits include Lenny from Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley and many assorted one-acts. She would like to thank Muir Musical’s production heads for having faith in her, as well as her friends and family for not being too surprised when she told them she’d been cast in Sweeney Todd.

Tobias: Allain Francisco

  • Allain Edrick Ganchua Francisco is a 4th year student pursuing a BS in General Biology and minors in both Theatre and Psychology. Allain is honored to be part of such an amazingly talented group of artists in his first Muir Musical. Recent UC San Diego credits include: The Lion in Winter (John), Arts in Action Connected, Hello. Goodbye. (Micky/ Chip), Sandwiches and Balloons (Steven), and Distance (Aaron).  He hopes to one day become a pediatrician and bring a smile to children, as he hopes to bring the same reaction from tonight’s audience. (Please insert clever/witty sentence here), and ENJOY THE SHOW!

Judge Turpin: Aaron Sida Ding

  •  Aaron Ding is a fourth year visual arts major who has been part of Muir Musical longer than Muir Musical would like him to be. When he’s not escorting arctic polar bears to safety or physically removing malaria from mosquitoes in the equator, he enjoys spending time working with the musical and all of its wonderful cast/crew. Shoutout to my apartmentmates, the 200′s, my parents and sister, and everyone who’s supported me!

Beadle Bamford: David Horstman

  • David is excited to be participating in his final Muir Musical! It’s been awesome being able to do musical theater while working on a science degree, and hopefully I can continue that trend at graduate school starting next fall. I’d like to thank to everyone involved in the show for helping to make my last quarter at UCSD fun and exciting.

Pirelli: Kevin Wright

  •  For his second year at UCSD, Kevin has decided to reprise his role as slimy rip-off artist. As a person who spends far more time in the rehearsal room than with his nose buried in the textbooks on the way to graduation, he went into UCSD telling himself: “I have to focus on studying, so I won’t try out for any musicals. Unless they’re Rent or Sweeney Todd. Never, ever pass up Rent or Sweeney Todd.” Fortunately, the glaring loopholes of this policy have been consistently exploited, and he couldn’t ask for it to be any other way.

Male Ensemble

Sam Van Gorden

  • This is my third year being a part of Muir Musical.  I’ve had a great time working with such a talented cast, crew, and orchestra and am thankful for the friends I’ve made along the way.  Sweeney Todd has been a truly unique experience; sometimes funny, sometimes suspenseful, always demented.  I hope you enjoy it!

Krit Kranratansuit

  • Krit is a third-year Warren College student double majoring in Music, Vocal Performance, and ICAM-Visual Arts and minoring in Management Science. His past shows include Guys and Dolls, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kiss Me Kate, and RENT. He’s been singing pretty much as long as he could remember and his repertoire is comprised of musical theater, classical and pop. He is also a member of UCSD all-male a cappella group Frequency. In his spare time he loves to hang out with friends, eat, and of course, sing and dance in public. He is Merlin.

Elaire Andrade

  •  Sweeney Todd will be my first musical ever. I have had a blast rehearsing for this. I am happy that I was given the chance to entertain. When I am not on-stage, I play the flute, taiko (Japanese drums), and baritone saxophone. I hope one day to perform in an orchestra or pit orchestra. Performing in  Sweeney Todd will be the cherry on top of an amazing four years I’ve had here at UCSD. Shout out to my family and all my friends! 

Tyler Oakley

  • Tyler Oakley is a third year theatre major dance minor in Revelle College.  This is his second time with the Muir Musical ensemble after performing in Rent last year (as the angry pastor, the angry cop, the angry mugger, and the guy grinding on the table).  Tyler gives thanks to Jordan, Nathan, and Amanda for taking on this Sondheim monster and thanks to you, person reading this, for coming, even if you didn’t come to see Tyler (extra thanks if you did!)

Christopher Vidimos

  • Chris started doing theatre in middle school and has been doing it ever since. Credits include Grease (Roger), Into the Woods (The Baker), The Crucible (John Proctor), Guys and Dolls (Lt. Branigan). Thankful for the opportunities and the family and friends who helped him along the way, without whom this would not be possible. Enjoy the show!

Brian Tsai

  • Brian has been singing ever since high school, and has been involved in choirs and acappella groups at UCSD like The Beat.  This is his first musical, and he is very excited to be a part of the cast and crew. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Tapakorn Prasertsith

  • Tapakorn’s absolutely thrilled to be part of his 3rd Muir Musical!  This marks the production where he finally learned how to [sort of] read music! Nothing but love to all his friends and family for all the support through his halfway mark at UCSD, and especially his dog Zeus for those cold, long nights. Lastly, pure thanks towards the staff and fellow cast and all the work put in to make this experience completely worthwhile.

Female Ensemble

Crystal Tong

  • HELLO! Meet Crystal. She likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. She can’t believe this is her 4th year performing with Muir Musical. This is where she met a type of people who keep her sane called best friends. Love it. Shoutouts to Mom – the strongest woman I’ve ever known,  Dad – the most honest and loyal man, and to my a cappella family The Beat.  Previous shows: You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Seussical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, RENT.

Tara Kostmayer

  • Tara is ecstatic to be involved in muir musical for the second time around and thanks the muir musical family for understanding her wacky and largely inappropriate humor. She is a third year from ERC majoring in cognitive science and minoring in dance. Her past productions at UCSD include: Winter works and Muir Musical’s RENT. She was also a member of UCSD’s hip hop team: Ascension for 2010-2011. Shout out to her family for supporting her through her theatrical endeavors as well as to her best friends Dalena, Natalie, and Kausar!

Erin Hugenroth

  • While Erin has not been acting in musical theatre shows for very long, it has quickly become one of her passions. She’s been in several shows at her high school and local community theatre, but as this is her first year at UCSD, it is her first year in Muir Musical, hopefully the first of many! She would like to thank the entire cast and crew for always being able to cheer her up no matter what, and her family, both biological and the sisters of Chi Omega, for always being there to support her. Enjoy the show!

Amanda Guilardi

  • Amanda Guilardi is a first year in Muir College, from Los Gatos, California. Besides the musical, Amanda is a part of Muir College Council and a variety of other clubs. She has been in many other musical productions at her high school and at Children’s Musical Theater San Jose. Most recently she has appeared as a featured ensemble dancer in Xanadu, Legally Blonde, and Aida. Sweeny Todd is Amanda’s first college production, and she is very excited to be apart of such a great show. She hopes you enjoy the performance!

Erin De Leon

  • Erin is a 1st year linguistics major from Eleanor Roosevelt College.  She is incredibly grateful to be a part of such a ratchet cast. Outside of rehearsal, Erin spends most of her time watching “Rupaul’s Drag Race” and learning how to twerk. Previous roles include Rona Lisa Peretti in 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, Mrs. Meers in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, and Alison Brie’s best friend in her dreams. She dedicates this performance to her mama.

Lea Magro

  • Ever since receiving thunderous acclaim following her first performance as the title character in her Kindergarten production of “There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” (playing the lady, not the fly), Lea was bitten by the drama bug.  She has since joined the ensemble of musical theater productions of The Wiz, Once Upon a Mattress, Sweeney Todd, and Fiddler on the Roof as well as playing Mrs. Krumholtz in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Matron Mama Morton in Chicago (for which the cast took First Place at the 2012 Ohlone Theater Festival).  Lea has also sung in several vocal groups and is proud to be among the newest members of the Daughters of Triton, UCSD’s premiere female a cappella group.

Danica Bailey

  • Danica Bailey is a junior-transfer Theatre major from Santa Cruz, California. Sweeney Todd is her first production with Muir Musical. Past roles include: Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fanchette in The Marriage of Figaro, and Hope Cladwell in Urinetown. In her spare time, she likes to stay up late and write books that will probably never become published. Danica would like to thank her wonderful family: Mama, Pops, Lyndsey and her wee-nugget Sydney. Thank you, and enjoy the show!

Smita Patibanda

  • Smita Patibanda is a first year at UCSD. This is the second musical Smita performed in. In the past, she was in Beauty and the Beast. She is very excited to be her first Muir Musical.

Aubrey Oxley

  • Aubrey is thrilled to be a part of her first Muir Musical. She has previously been in several musicals, such as Once Upon a Mattress, Guys and Dolls, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Into the Woods. She would like to thank Jordan, Nathan, Amanda, and the rest of the production crew for their hard work and her family and friends for all of their support.

Amy Kuhn

  • Amy is a second year student in Roosevelt College majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Literature/Writing. She is super excited to be a part of her first Muir Musical! She was a part of seven theatrical productions in high school with Tri-School Productions and is thrilled to be able to continue her passion for theater in college. She would like to thank her family for all of their support and hopes that everyone enjoys the show! :)

Melissa Wedeen

  • Melissa has been been singing, composing, and playing music for as long as she can remember, and is excited to finally enter the world of musical theater with her roommates Crystal and Brian!!  She comes from a classical background and enjoys “pretending to be” creepy, so naturally she took the opportunity when Sweeney Todd auditions were held after she got back from Japan.  In addition to being part of Muir Musical, Melissa has performed as a chorus soprano at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Hall, and directed the premiere all-female a cappella ensemble at UC San Diego, shout out to the DOTs!!!  Being part of Muir Musical has been amazing, and she would like to thank the cast for all the times they fed her and made her laugh so hard that her stomach hurt, the production staff and crew for spending long hours making everything come to life, the orchestra for being fantastic, and her roommates for being there all along the way.  She sends love to all her friends in the audience, and hopes you enjoy the show!