A Note From Danielle Padula, Executive Director, Broadway Utica

When I began with Broadway Utica in 2019, I held close the vision of keeping high-quality, family-friendly programming alive and thriving in our city. Tonight, seeing Fame Jr. come to life as our first junior production in over a decade is a full-circle moment , and one filled with pride.

To the parents and families: thank you for entrusting us with your children these past two weeks. Your support and encouragement have been the foundation of this program, and we’re honored to have played a role in nurturing their dreams.

To CC Duval, thank you for your incredible work choreographing this show and inspiring every student with your passion. To Carter Klumbach, our assistant director, your dedication and energy helped bring each scene to life. And last but certainly not least, to Dennis J. Clark, our fearless director. Thank you for leading with heart, humor, and tireless commitment. Your mentorship means everything to these young artists and all of us at Broadway Utica.

To my staff, THANK YOU! My ideas are just dreams in my head or on paper, with your help we are here today. 

To our students, wow, with each passing day we have learned more and more from you. You are the true stars of this show and I am glad to have you part of our Broadway Utica for hopefully many more years to come! Don't ever stop chasing your dreams. YOU ARE CAPABLE OF ANYTHING! Keep up the "HARD WORK"!

To the patrons in the audience, every single thing you see, hear, and experience from the playbill to the set design, costumes, lighting, and sound — was created by the students. They've poured their hearts into this show, and we couldn’t be prouder.

This is truly my favorite part of Broadway Utica, being able to giving young people a stage, a spotlight, and a space to grow. Thank you for believing in this journey with us.

With endless gratitude,
Danielle Padula

Song List

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Caleb Hemming

Nick Piazza

Caleb Hemming is very excited to be performing as Nick Piazza in ‘Fame Jr.’ He is 15 years old, entering his sophomore year at Notre Dame high school. He is at the top of his class, and will soon be a 3rd degree black belt. Caleb has performed in ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ (Mr. Macafee), ‘Into the Woods’ (The Narrator), ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ (Sir Studley), ‘Wizard of Oz’ (Scarecrow), and Three Caberets for Notre Dame high school. He wishes everyone in this production of ‘Fame’ good luck!

Madison Lee Gadziala

Serena Katz

Madison starred as Little Red Riding Hood in her middle school play Totally Red. This marks her first musical performance, and she brings with her a big love for the arts and musical theater.

Hadley Dellecese

Joe Vegas

Hadley Dellecese is going into 8th grade at Whitesboro Middle School, and is ecstatic to be playing Joe Vegas in this production of ‘Fame Jr.’ Some of his past roles include Finch in the Ilion Theater’s production of ‘Newsies’, Martin the Mathlete in Rise Performing Arts’ ‘Mean Girls Jr.’, and the Dodo Bird in Whitesboro CSD’s performance of ‘Alice in Wonderland Jr.’ Hadley’s interests, outside of acting of course, include drawing, singing, gaming, drumming, and reading comics.

Elijah Chandler

Tyrone Jackson

Elijah Chandler is excited to be performing as Tyrone Jackson in ‘Fame Jr.’ Elijah has been in six musicals and two plays before this performance, and he loves to tell the stories of every character he plays.

Elle Smith

Carmen Diaz

Elle Smith is an NYC native and is thrilled to join the cast of Fame Jr. She has danced for seven years and has performed in various productions, including Frozen Jr. as Anna, Pippin (Ensemble), Grease: School Edition as Sandy, and The Lightning Thief as Annabeth. She was a soloist in scenes from Shrek the Musical and is the proud recipient of her school’s Drama Club and Vocal Medal awards. Elle is excited to begin her freshman year at the Frank Sinatra School for the Arts.

Josie Leone

Iris Kelly

Josie's full name is Josephina. She is 14 years old, and is playing the role of Iris Kelly. She loves singing, acting, figure skating, softball, field hockey and skiing.

Annie Hendershoot

Mabel Washington

Annie Hendershot has been acting since Pre-K and has been singing her entire life. She is 13 years old and she is going into 8th grade. On the stage, she has played roles such as Fiona in “Shrek the Musical JR”, and Mildred Harper in “Murder at Mornington Manor”.

Joey Perras

Schlomo Metzenbaum

Joey is going into his senior year at Whitesboro high school. This is his 11th main stage musical, and some other performances he’s done are ‘Moana Jr.’, ‘School of Rock’, ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Alice in Wonderland Jr.’, and ‘Into the Woods Jr.’ Joey Perras has hopes of attending SUNY Cortland or Oneota majoring in musical theater (BFA) and education. Perras is also a part of Broadway Utica’s Youth Ambassador program (YAP) while being a part of 13 clubs at his high school. He would like to thank Broadway Utica and his family and friends, especially his parents for their constant and unconditional support.

Haven Jenkins

Grace ‘Lambchops’ Lamb

Haven Jenkins has been performing in musical theater productions in the Central New York area for over 10 years. Her first role was in a full-scale production of “Cats” when she was four years-old and she has been on stage ever since. She has held numerous lead and co-lead roles and worked with many local theater companies including The REV - Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Syracuse Opera, Redhouse, Gifford Theater, and Rome Capitol Theater. Off stage, Haven loves drawing, spending time with her friends, watching old movies, and listening to music. She lives in Central New York with her parents and too many animals to count.

Louie Brindisi

Goodman ‘Goody’ King

Louie is 13 and will be entering 8th grade at at Sauquoit Valley. Fame Jr. is Louie's third musical! He was recently in Cinderella through Rise Performing Arts and was Pugsley in the Addams Family at Sauquoit Valley. He is a member of the School Chair and Select Choir. This past year he participated in All County Choir. Louie plays the trumpet in the school band. He is and Altar Server and has sung with the whole church choir. His hobbies include puzzles, running and anything Broadway! This is Louie's first time participating with Stage Ready and he loves it! He wishes all his cast mates the best of luck and thanks the Broadway Theatre League for this amazing opportunity.

Lillian Grace Nashold

Ms. Sherman

Lillian is excited to participate in her first musical production as part of this year’s Stage Ready performance of Fame Jr. She will be entering her junior year of high school this fall and has a passion for dancing, singing, and playing the piano. Lillian has been dancing for seven years and has trained in a variety of dance styles. She would like to thank her family for their constant love and support throughout the years.

Isabella Bolton

Ms. Bell

Isabella Bolton is going into her 9th show with Fame. Some of her previous shows were Moana Jr, School of Rock, Mary Poppins, Something Rotten, and Cinderella. She has been singing for 8 years and has been dancing for 6 years. She has been accepted into the Broadway Utica’s Youth Ambassador Program (YAP) this past summer. She would like to thank all of her teachers and directors for teaching and guiding her on her musical journey. She would like to thank her cast mates from all of her shows for making the experiences fun and memorable. She would also like to thank her friends and family for encouraging and supporting her performances.

Morgan James

Ms. Myers

Morgan is 18 years old and a recent graduate of New Hartford High School. She will be attending Utica University in the fall, where she plans to major in English. Morgan has primarily worked on stage crew for most of the musicals she’s been involved in, making this her second time in the cast and her first time playing a role. She is excited to be part of this performance and would like to thank the cast and crew for making this such an enjoyable experience and for putting together an amazing show in just two weeks.

Neri Boyer

Mr. Sheinkopf

Neri is excited to be part of Fame Jr! He has been in every school musical since 6th grade and has always had a passion for the arts. A dedicated piano player for many years, Neri hopes to pursue a career as a full-time actor. His most notable role was playing SpongeBob in the youth edition of The SpongeBob Musical. He sends special thanks to his parents for dedicating three hours every day to get him to rehearsal!

Anna Bick, Kate Clester, Raegen Krause, Tino Visalli

Acting Ensemble

This is Anna’s second musical, having performed in Alice in Wonderland Jr. during the 2024–2025 school year. She has nearly six years of dance experience and also enjoys skiing and snowboarding. Anna’s favorite animals are cats and dogs, and she celebrates her birthday in August. Kate is from Virginia and is part of the acting ensemble in this summer’s production. She has previously performed in Descendants and Peter Pan as a member of the ensemble. Kate is excited to be making her Broadway Utica Stage Ready debut and looks forward to sharing this experience with the cast and audience. Raegen is very excited for the production of Fame Jr. With this being her third musical, she is glad she gets to practice with everyone here to learn and grow in her acting, singing, and dancing skills. Tino has been participating in musicals since 5th grade, starting with a mandatory school production. Since then, he has been part of three other musicals and played the role of Oliver in Oliver! Jr. at New Hartford Junior Perry High School. He has also been part of a singing group known as Pulse.

Gianna Rose Colangelo, Elliana Thibault, Sophia White

Music Ensemble

Gianna is a kind and dedicated actor who always pushes herself to get things done. She has been in three shows, and this will be her fourth. She’s super excited to be part of Fame Jr. because of how intricate and serious the show is. Along the way, she has made so many new friends. Gianna is part of the musical ensemble—while her role may be small, she’s making the most of it. She plans to keep growing her musical count and continue building her confidence in singing, acting, and dancing! Ellianna "Elli" Thibault is excited to be a part of the cast. Past credits include Wicked Witch of the East in Conflict Resolution in Oz , A Return to Broadway, multiple monologues for Ilion Little Theater production The Ugly Duckling, a member of the Lollipop Guild, Monkeys, and Poppies for the Wizard of Oz with Utica College, and The Best of Broadway. Elli wants to thank the cast and crew of Fame Jr for the opportunity they have shared with her this far and wishes all the best of luck! Sophia is thrilled to be taking part in her first musical! Inspired by Heathers, she found her love for theater—and now here she is. She would like to thank her mom for supporting her every step of the way.

Alexandra Blum, Annette LaBarbara, Kambria Occhipinti, Emily Roy

Dance Ensemble

Alexandra “Lulu” considers herself pretty funny—at least, she thinks so! She has a true passion for dance and a deep love for Broadway. This is only her third musical, but she’s excited to keep growing and excelling in the arts of dance, music, and acting. She can’t wait to see where this journey takes her. Annette LaBarbera has been performing on stage since she was four years old. She has appeared with Utica Dance, Rome Capitol Theatre, Ballet Arts, Players of Utica, and Notre Dame. Some of her favorite roles include Jack in Into the Woods Jr. and Bielke in Fiddler on the Roof. She’s excited to work with Dennis again and is grateful for the continued support from her family and friends. Kambria "Kami" Occhipiniti is in dance ensemble for FAME Jr. She is a native to Deerfield, NY. She has done many shows before. Kami has been in "I was a teenage vampire", "Westward Ho!", "I was a teenage werewolf", "Alice in Wonderland Jr.", and "Twisted Tales". Kami has danced for 10 years and currently takes hip-hop, jazz, tap and lyrical. Most recently, Kami was selected for All County. Emily Roy is 15 years old and heading into her junior year at Clinton High School. She’s been performing for four years, with roles in Matilda Jr., Annie Jr., Mamma Mia, Sister Act, and The Drowsy Chaperone. Emily would like to thank her family for always supporting her along the way.

Dennis J. Clark

Director

Dennis J. Clark (Director), locally is an adjunct in the Theater Department at Utica University and director of the Theatre Program at Notre Dame. He is also a nationally known freelance Director/Choreographer and proud member of Actors Equity. He was the first full time Artistic Director of the Ritz Theater in Sheffield, AL. Dennis has also taught and directed shows for the Walnut Hill School For the Arts and Stagedoor Manor. He serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Fort Salem Theatre Co. As a director and choreographer Dennis has been involved with productions across the U.S. including Jersey Boys (Cumberland Theater & Post Playhouse), Guys & Dolls, Nunsense Jamboree (Post Playhouse) The Great American Trailer Park Musical, My Way, Nunsense (Cornwell’s), Bright Star (Fort Salem) I Love You Because, Company, Into the Woods, Baby, The Wizard of Oz (Utica University) Rounding Third (Players of Utica) and many more!

Carter Klumbeck

Assistant Director

Carter Klumbach (Assistant Director) Carter was previously a Youth Ambassador for Broadway Utica from 2018-2020. Since graduating from the program he has continued his love for theatre as he has been involved with many local productions through Rome Capitol Theatre, Mohawk Valley Community College, Stage Two Theatre in Herkimer, Utica Dance, and a Broadway Camp at Proctor’s Theatre in Schenectady. Shifting focus from normally performing onstage to making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes is very challenging yet even more rewarding. Being able to work with and teach the upcoming generation of performers and theatre lovers has been a dream come true for Carter. He hopes you all enjoy the show that these kids have worked so hard on. And to the children involved in the production, he wants you to know how truly special and talented each and every single one of you are. Be confident and true to yourself and you will have no problem achieving your dreams and all the FAME that comes from it!

Cierra Duval

Choreographer

Cierra Duval also known as CC began dancing at the age of 3 and has immersed herself in all aspects of the dance world—from competing as a soloist and team dancer at age 8 through her senior year of high school, to earning numerous awards in entertainment, scholarships, and top overall placements. For the past two years, she has taken on the rewarding role of teacher at her home dance studio, where she continues to inspire the next generation of dancers. Cierra’s love for musical theatre began at a young age when she performed in Aladdin Jr. right here at The Stanley—an experience that sparked her creative drive to bring stories to life on stage. She’s thrilled to be returning to this stage, this time as a choreographer, and is excited to work alongside such a talented cast and crew to bring this production to life!

Ruby Schroeder

Stage Manager

Ruby has been involved in theater from a young age and has spent nearly a year working in tech, running sound, lighting, and more. She’s excited to be helping out with this production of Fame Jr.

Nora Magnarelli

Production Manager

Nora is in love with the stage. This is her first production being backstage and she is honored to see the cast putting the show together piece by piece. This is Nora's 13th production! She has starred in Rise's "Matilda" and recently appeared in "Cinderella" as a knight. She would love to thank Danielle and Kristen for making this show possible, and Dennis J. Clark for being the guest director! And she wants to give a special thanks to the cast, specifically Reagen and Lulu, for being there for her the whole way!

Evelyn Karpe

Assistant to Stage and Production Manager

Evelyn is excited to be the assistant stage manager for this production. She’s performed once before in the ensemble of The Wizard of Oz but is happy to take on this new role. Evelyn thinks everyone, the cast and crew, are kind and amazing to work with.

Evy Leone

Assistant to Stage and Production Manager

Danielle Padula

Broadway Utica, Executive Director

Kristen Matteson

Broadway Utica, Program Director

Jill Conley

Broadway Utica, Finance Director

Thank you to the following people and organizations who have made this production possible. 

• Broadway Theatre League of Utica Board of Directors
• Tabernacle Church / Pastor Debbie
• T.R. Proctor High School & Utica City School District
• Proctor Drama Club
• ICAN
• Patrick O'Connor
• Alexa Conley
• Gianna Acey 

Broadway News

	Liza Minnelli To Present Janet Jackson With 2025 ICON Award At The Gala Of The Stars
	HAMILTON and Ron Chernow Receive National Constitution Center's 37th Annual Liberty Medal
	Video: Lindsey Ferrentino Is Getting a Royal Welcome to Broadway
	Videos You Missed This Week: RAGTIME, ROMY & MICHELE and More
	Everything to Know About 'Wicked Night' on DANCING WITH THE STARS
	Video: BLUE MOON Stars on the Bond Between Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers
	Video: From Page to Stage, Adam Gopnik Wants to Tell You a Story
	Photos: WATER FOR ELEPHANTS North American Tour First Look
	Victor Carrillo Tracey To Play 'Sodapop Curtis' in THE OUTSIDERS
	Video: Inside Opening Night of RAGTIME with Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz & More