Dare to Dream Jr.

Madison Wethington

Madison is a future sophomore at Thomas Nelson High School and has been in two performances. Her debut performance was in her school's performance of Wizard of Oz (Glinda) and will now be Player One for Stephen Foster's Dare to Dream! performance. She would like to dedicate her performance to her parents and her theater directors, Ms. Kiefer and Mr. Brooks.

Haley Hamilton

Haley is excited to join the cast of Dare to Dream and bring a little Disney magic to the stage! She’s previously appeared as Aunt March in Little Women at Bethlehem High school and has been active in choir, 4-H, and behind the scenes as a stagehand and hair & makeup artist for Backspace shows. Whether she’s singing, acting, or working backstage, Haley loves every part of the theatre world and is thrilled to be a part of this summer’s production!

Stella McCarty

Stella is in sixth grade at St. Joe. You may have saw her recently in Something Rotten Jr (Portia) at KY Classic Arts. She also performed in Junie B Jones Jr (Mae) and Lion King Jr (ensemble) at KCA. Stella had fun with Bethlehem High School Theatre Dept during the production of Seussical (ensemble). Her love for the theatre began with Bardstown Theatricals in 2022. The stage is her happy place where she loves to shine! Thanks, Mom and Dad for always being my biggest fans.

Charley Luttrell

Charley is new to The Stephen Foster Story but she isn't new to theatre. She has performed on stage at CKCT in Springfield in Elf The Musical, in Lawrenceburg Children's Theater in Junie B Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells and most recently, at Ragged Edge Community Theatre in Harrodsburg in Elf The Musical, Jr. Charley is an upcoming 6th grader and attends Willisburg Christian Learning Center in Willisburg, Kentucky. She loves Jesus, singing and theatre!

Saylor Dudgeon

Saylor Blue loves the stage and is excited to join the Disney Jr. cast! She has previously appeared on stage with the Kentucky Classic ARTS at Centre Square in productions of Curious George and Junie B. Jones. She's also taken jazz, hip-hop and ballet with Dance Pro's of Bardstown. Shout out to Mamaw and Papa for being her drivers and to her singing coach Ms. Carman for helping her find more opportunities to perform!

Nyah O’Donoghue

Nyah is so excited to be performing in Dare to Dream Jr. She has performed in Grand Ole Popry at Breckinridge County High School and Seasons of Love also at Breckinridge County High School. Along with those, Nyah has also performed ‘Never Enough’ at a National Pageant for her talent.

Amelia Hightower

Amelia is excited to return to the stage for her second theater production! After debuting in Thomas Nelsons production of the Wizard of Oz as a munchkin and a flying monkey, she loves continuing to learn and grow as a performer. Outside of theater, Amelia enjoys playing basketball, volleyball, flag football, track and loves being in the spotlight with 5 years of competitive cheerleading. She would like to thank her directors, family, and friends for their support and encouragement!

Laura Higdon

Laura discovered her passion for theater three years ago and has embraced the stage with enthusiasm ever since! Most recently, she was seen as a Munchkin in TNHS's The Wizard of Oz. Her other notable performances include productions by Bardstown Theatricals as the Inspector in Agatha Christie’s Rule of Three, a Minion in Cinderella, the Honest, and a Gnome in Fairytales at Wickland. Laura is incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of her family and friends, and she extends a special thank you to Ms. Kiefer and Mr. Brooks for their incredible work wrangling so many budding "Imagineers"!

Araceli Gaona

Araceli Gaona is excited to be making her BIG stage debut in this production! She is 11 years old and loves singing, dancing, and using her imagination. When she’s not rehearsing her lines, she enjoys drawing, loving on her dog, Marley, and chatting with friends. Araceli would like to thank her family and friends for cheering her on and hopes you enjoy the show!

Memphis Whittinghil

Memphis has recently discovered a new passion for theater after being cast as one of the Munchkins in Thomas Nelson High School’s production of The Wizard of Oz. While new to the stage, she’s no stranger to performing—Memphis has spent more than half her life competing in cheerleading. With a love for the spotlight and a flair for performance, she brings energy and enthusiasm to every role she takes on. Memphis truly loves to put on a show! She would like to dedicate her performance to her family.

Olivia Minor

Olivia Minor is excited to be part of Dare to Dream Jr. Olivia has been actively involved in theatre since second grade and has participated in numerous productions, including roles with the Youth Theatre of Hardin County in The Addams Family, The Little Mermaid, and Matilda, and Bethlehem High School in The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong as Annie/Stage Manager, High School Musical as Gabriella Montez, Backspace as Fresh, Seussical as Gertrude McFuzz, and The Audition as Carrie/Stage Manager, and Little Women as Jo March. She also served as Assistant Director of The Audition. Olivia is also apart of BHS International Thespian Society and has been taking classes on Theatre directing from Ms. Kiefer. Outside of theatre, Olivia enjoys choir, swim, and softball. She is grateful for the support of her family, friends, and mentors as she pursues her passion for theatre and musical performance.

Kaitlyn Woody

Kaitlyn Woody is new to the stage but has been a performer since she could walk. She loves singing, dressing up, and putting on shows. Kaitlyn is a recent 5th grade graduate and is looking forward to where new adventures lead. Thank you to my family and Ms. Spoonamore for all the love and support!

Lily Hall

Lily Hall is 8 years old and excited to be starting her journey in theater. She made her stage debut as Mrs. Mayor in Suessical the Musical at BES and instantly fell in love with performing. Lily has loved books and storytelling since she was very little. She is excited to continue learning, growing and bringing characters to life!

Brooklin Downs

Brooklin Downs is a 10 year old student at Cox's Creek Elementary. She just recently was the coroner munchkin in the Wizard of Oz at Thomas Nelson High School. She loves being on stage and performing. She is excited to be in Dare to Dream Jr. to sing all of her favorite Disney songs. Thank you Mr. Brooks and Ms. Kiefer for this amazing experience.

Allison Koehler

Allison loves to sing, especially Disney songs!! She is excited for this opportunity to learn more about theater and performing arts. This past spring she performed with some of her classmates in Bardstown Elementary School's, Seussical the Musical. She was part of the "Who person" ensemble. Allison also participates in Tiger Tunes, an after-school singing club led by Ms. Martin. Allison is finishing up 3rd grade at Bardstown Elementary.

Mary Therese Surtees

Mary Therese is enjoying her introduction to musical theater with the Stephen Foster Story's production of Disney's Dare to Dream. In her spare time she plays violin, guitar, ukulele, and mandolin. She lives in Bardstown with her mom, dad, two sisters and a magnificent cat named Mark.

Anna Morris

Anna has been interested in musical theater since she was a toddler. She has relished any opportunity to perform for an audience. Anna is passionate about performing arts. Some of her recent performance roles have included Violet in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Cinderella in Cinderella, Medusa in Medusa and Anders in The Mystery of Mr.E She has recently been accepted into camp Broadway in New York City this summer. Anna is thrilled to be a part of the production Dare to Dream Junior.

Katie Kiefer

Ms. Kiefer has been teaching at Bethlehem for 10 years. During that time, she has been the Theatre Director and the International Thespian Society Troupe Director. She attended Bethlehem High School (Class of 2012), where she was a part of very theatre program. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from University of Louisville (2016), a Certificate of College Advising from Murray State (2022), and is currently working on her Master's Degree in Theatre Education at the University of Northern Colorado(2025). Ms. Kiefer has always been a lover of theatre and has participated in quite a few productions herself. Her favorite productions include: Mamma Mia (Lisa), Cinderella (Ensemble/Understudy), Carrie (Norma), The Addams Family (Bride Ancestor), and American Idiot (Ensemble). She has worked at The Stephen Foster Story for 9 summers, getting experience in the Box Office, as the Props Master, Stage Manager, as an actor and as the Director of the Stephen Foster Story Youth Performing Arts Academy! She is so excited to see what the future holds for this program! Special thanks to Mom, Dad, and Allen.

Allen Brooks

Allen is a Math Teacher and Theatre Director at Thomas Nelson High School and Music and Tech Director for Bethlehem High School. Some of the recent productions Allen has been blessed to be part of include: The Play that Goes Wrong (Robert), 10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse (Director), The Secret Garden (Dr. Craven), The Stephen Foster Story (Sound Designer/Audio Engineer), Cinderella (King Max), Anastasia (Director), and he is currently working on The Wizard of Oz at TNHS (Director). This production has been a blast and Allen is so proud of what the students have achieved in Little Women. All glory to Christ our King! (John 1:14)

Caylee Newport

Caylee is a senior and has been apart of our tech crew since August 2021! She has done every school production throughout her high school career. She has been apart of our tech crew since she started and worked her way up to becoming Stage Manager. Caylee is also an active member of the International Thespian Society troop and served as the president. She has earned the Honor Thespian Award and the Carry the Touch Award; both awards were earned because of her leadership, dedication, and commitment to theater! In the fall, Caylee is studying at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University!

Scarlett Newport

She is a junior at Bethlehem High School and is involved with book club, art club, and theater! Outside of theater, she loves playing fortnite.