JACESON P. BARRUS
(Will Rogers / co-Director)
JaceSon is appearing here as Will Rogers after having played the role 13 years ago on the Plaza stage. He was younger then it's true, but the the rope tricks have come back to him just like riding a bike. JaceSon's day job is as Artistic Director and co-Producer here at PlazaCo which he has done since the theatre opened in 2007 with business partners Aaron and Tina. You may remember him in a few other roles here at PlazaCo like Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN, George Banks in MARY POPPINS, Miss Truchbull in MATILDA and Pap Fin in BIG RIVER for which he received the Column Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. He is also thrilled to be teaming with the incredibly talented Emily Potter as a co-Director of the show and is thankful for the partnership and opportunity. As ever, JaceSon's first love is Dad-ing as he is the proud father of Tabitha, Parker, Cameron, Eden, Miranda, Jonah and Charleston and he sends all his love and thanks to them and to his dear wife of nearly 31 years, Tina. "Go
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MEREDITH BROWNING
(Betty Blake)
Meredith has been active for many years throughout the DFW area as an actor, opera singer, and music director, but some of her favorite performances have been right here on the Plaza stage. You may remember her as Mary Poppins, Maria in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Marian in THE MUSIC MAN, Betty in WHITE CHRISTMAS, and Mae in TUCK EVERLASTING. She is also very proud of her work as music director for THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, for which she won a Column Award. Other favorite roles include Baker’s Wife in INTO THE WOODS, Mabel in PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Guenevere in CAMELOT, Amalia in SHE LOVES ME, and Luisa in ZORRO THE MUSICAL. Recently, Meredith performed as a soprano soloist in the Fort Worth Opera’s HANDEL’S MESSIAH concert. She sends all her love to Tyson, her husband of 26 years!
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ASHLEY TYSOR
(Ziegfeld's Favorite)
Ashley Tysor is a musical theatre performer, teacher, and choreographer based in Arlington, TX. Her credits include shows at Six Flags Over Texas, Evelyn Nesbit in RAGTIME and Charlotte in Cinderella at PlazaCo, SOMETHING ROTTEN at Stolen Shakespeare Guild, COMPANY, SPRING AWAKENING, THE 25th ANNUAL… SPELLING BEE with the Maverick Theatre Company, and BRING IT ON, THE MUSIC MAN, and H2$ with Summer Stock Austin. She is eternally grateful to her friends and family for the support and love they’ve given her! Pay her a visit at ashleytysor.com.
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EVAN FARIS
(Clem Rogers)
Evan is thrilled to be in his first production at Plaza. Some of his favorite roles have been Herr Schultz in CABARET, Narrator/Mysterious Man in INTO THE WOODS, Max Detweiler in SOUND OF MUSIC, Mr Lundie in BRIGADOON, Colonel Pickering in MY FAIR LADY, Sipos in SHE LOVES ME, and Nicely-Nicely in GUYS AND DOLLS. When not on the stage, Evan can usually be found on the golf course or in the kitchen. He was a guest chef for five years at the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival. Evan would like to thank his family for all of their support in his endeavors.
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GARY PAYNE
(Clem Rogers)
Gary is so happy to be back at PlazaCo for his 9th show! Plaza audiences may remember him from our recent production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Other favorites here include THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, MARY POPPINS, TITANIC, and HAIRSPRAY, to name a few. Most recently, Gary appeared as Pop and Pastey in Theatre Arlington's production of GYPSY, and next he will be playing Amos in our upcoming production of BIG FISH. Gary is represented by Core Talent - http://www.coretalent.biz/Talent/Gary-Payne/.
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TOM BLOSS
(Wiley Post)
Tom is honored and humbled to be part of his seventh production here at Plaza Theatre. At PlazaCo, Tom has portrayed a beloved father (Maurice in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST), doctors (OLIVER! and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES), famous men in history (J.P. Morgan/Admiral Perry in RAGTIME THE MUSICAL) and not one, but two poulterers (CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and A CHRISTMAS CAROL). Other notable roles in his long career include The Cowardly Lion in THE WIZARD OF OZ, Annas in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, Dr. Einstien in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, J.B. Bigley in HOW TO SUCCEED WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, and Andrew Carnes in OKLAHOMA! "Even old wings can still fly"
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ELI POOLE
(Will Rogers Jr)
Elijah is agog to be in this production of Will Rogers Follies, Elijah would like to thank Jaceson and Emily for trusting him with this. Some of his favorite roles include Narrator in INTO THE WOODS, and Puck in MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM. Right now he is getting ready to play Sir Andrew in TWELTH NIGHT, and Specs in NEWSIES He would like to shoutout his girlfriend channing, his mom and dad for their constant support.
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JONAH J. BARRUS
(Will Rogers Jr)
Jonah (or JJ to his friends) is enjoying another chance to perform on the Plaza stage after having played Oliver in OLIVER! last year and as Charlie Sloane in ANNE OF GREEN GABLES lat fall. He is the sixth of seven Barrus children and is a great big brother to his youngest sibling Charlie. JJ loves to play video games and VR, watch funny videos and most of all to work with his big brother Cameron on lighting design. He also loved designing the lights for the Plaza Jr production of THE LITTLE MERMAID JR and INTO THE WOODS JR. He hopes you have a great time tonight at THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES.
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MCKENZIE KARR
(Mary Rogers)
McKenzie is looking forward to being a part of this show. Some of McKenzie’s favorite past productions include Young Diana in ANNE OF GREEN GABLES with Plaza, Little Girl in RAGTIME with Plaza, MATILDA with Plaza, Brigitta in SOUND OF MUSIC, Elsa in FROZEN KIDS with Plaza, and Gabriella in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL JR in Glen Rose. McKenzie would like to thank Jaceson, and the cast and crew for giving her this opportunity, and her family for always being supportive of her dreams!
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SAWYER JENNINGS
(Mary Rogers)
Sawyer is a fifth grader who has been studying and performing theatre since age four. She has a passion for creative arts of all kinds including acting, singing, visual arts, writing and costuming. Sawyer is a student of Plaza Academy and has been seen in performances of The Little Mermaid Jr., Seussical Jr., Frozen Jr. and Annie Jr. The future is bright for this budding actress!
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COOPER KIMBALL
(James Rogers)
Cooper is very excited to be a part of this talented Follies cast! Cooper was last seen in the Children’s Ensemble in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Plaza Theatre Company. Other roles include Paul Irving in ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, Jeremy Potts in CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and a member of the Kids Ensemble in OLIVER, all at Plaza Theatre Company. In his spare time, Cooper is active in the Burleson ISD Archery Team, Cub Scouts, drum lessons, and attends the Musical Theatre Stars B class at Plaza Academy. Previous roles include JoJo in SEUSSICAL KIDS, Sebastian in THE LITTLE MERMAID JR, Pabbie in FROZEN KIDS and Sandy in ANNIE KIDS, all at Plaza Academy. Cooper attended the Junior Theatre Festival in Sacramento in February with the ShowCo group where they won the Excellence in Dance Award. Cooper would like to thank his friends and family for all their support!
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SAM HANEY
(James Rogers)
Samuel is very excited to be performing for the first at Dudley Hall. Previously he has had the privilege of playing Cogsworth in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR and Grimbsy in LITTLE MERMAID JR. He is also currently playing the role of Lord Farquaad in SHREK JR. with Plaza Academy. Sam looks forward to continuing to develop his love for both music and acting, and hopes this show is the first of many with PlazaCo. He would like to thank his family and friends for encouraging and supporting him along the way, and Meredith Browning and Gary Payne for all their help in getting him too and from rehearsals.
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CHARLESTON BARRUS
(Freddie Rogers)
Charleston will be quick to tell you that this is his 7th time in a Plaza Mainstage show as he first appeared as Boy in PlazaCo's summer 2021 production of TITANIC. Charlie is a precocious seven year old who is the youngest of 7 children just like Will Rogers and loves to have fun and play with his brothers, sisters and friends. He's truly never met a stranger and loves to make new friends wherever he goes. He hopes to see you after the show to say "hi" and thanks you for coming to see THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES.
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MIKE BEIMS
(Freddie Rogers)
Mike has had a blast playing in this show, especially since it is his first show with long-time friend Sam Haney. Prior to WILL ROGERS FOLLIES, Mike played Tiny Tim in A CHRISTMAS CAROL and Michael Banks in MARY POPPINS at Plaza Theatre Company, as well as Mr. Beaver in THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE at Artisan Theater in Hurst. In addition, Mike has been involved with several church productions and has attended acting and vocal performance classes at Kids Who Care. He would like to thank his family for continuing to support his dreams, the director and company for being a part of this experience, and most of all, his mom for being his biggest cheerleader!
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ADDISEN BAIRRINGTON
(The Follies)
Addisen is pumped to be back on the Plaza stage in this sweet, sparkly, Ziegfeldian show! She was previously seen as Amy March in LITTLE WOMEN at Plaza, and Dance Captain in BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL at Casa Mañana. Addisen will be attending Rider University in the fall as a musical theatre major. Hebrews 13:2, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
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ANNA LOONEY
(The Follies)
Anna is thrilled to be onstage at plaza again. When she is not on stage, Anna is a preschool teacher for an amazing and crazy group of kids. She would like to thank her cast mates for making this experience so fun, her directors, Emily and Jaceson, for the amazing opportunity, and her family for their love and support.
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EDEN BARRUS / CHOREOGRAPHER
(The Follies)
Is thrilled to be returning to the PlazaCo stage in THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES having just played the role of The Ghost of Christmas Past and Bell in A CHRISTMAS CAROL last year here at PlazaCo. Past favorite roles include Graziella in WEST SIDE STORY at Granbury Theater Co,, Amyrillis in THE MUSIC MAN at Lyric Stage, Ella in CINDERELLA, Beth in LITTLE WOMEN, and a Newsie in NEWSIES all at PlazaCo. Eden also had the opportunity to film two Broadway Jr. choreography dvds, CHILDREN OF EDEN JR. and 42ND STREET School Edition with iTheatrics in NYC. Eden has also loved choreographing THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES after just finishing the choreography for HELLO DOLLY at Granbury Theater Company. Eden would like to thank her friends and family for the constant love and support they provide her.
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KAITLYN COGGIN
(The Follies)
Kaitlyn is currently a senior at Burleson High School and has been doing theatre for almost 8 years. This is her 9th main stage show, however, you may have seen her in other productions such as CINDERELLA in INTO THE WOODS JR, SILLY GIRL/DANCE CORPS in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, TEEN DIANA in ANNE OF GREEN GABLES or, FOX/DANCE CORPS in CINDERELLA. Preforming is one of Kaitlyn’s main source of happiness and lives to provide entertainment.
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MIRANDA BARRUS
(The Follies)
PlazaCo was founded at almost the very same time that Miranda was born so the theater has been her second home since she was a baby. She has loved playing Mary Lennox in THE SECRET GARDEN, Junie B. Jones in JUNIE B. JONES JR. and Scout Finch in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD for which she received the Best Actress Column Award (non-Equity) in 2018. She is also the fifth of seven Barrus children. As much as she loves performing she also loves choreographing such shows as TUCK EVERLASTING, assistant choreographer for MARY POPPINS, SEUSSICAL KIDS, and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. She is grateful for the chance to be a part of such a beautiful group of ladies as Follies and hopes you love the show tonight. @mimibarrus_
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NICOLE CARRANO
(The Follies)
Nicole Carrano has performed and choreographed at numerous theaters around DFW including Plaza and is thrilled to be back on the stage! She dedicates her performance to her Grandma Zeet, who took over a dance school in Connecticut in 1946 at the age of 16 where Nicole was first introduced to the iconic "Campaign" number. Nicole is thankful every day for her ever growing DFW theatre family, and thanks her friends and family near and far for their constant support! @nicole_ _jamie
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SOFI WARREN
(The Follies)
Sofi Warren is thrilled to be returning to the theater where she performed in her first musical ever. She is a profesional ballet dancer, singer, actress, choreographer, and teacher. She has danced with Texas Ballet Theater, Ballet Arizona and Ballet Frontier of Texas in roles such as The Dew Drop Fairy in THE NUTCRACKER, Ugly Stepsister in CINDERELLA and corps de ballet in too many shows to count. Her favorite role is the one she is currently doing; However past roles she’s enjoyed have been Brooke Wyndham in LEGALLY BLONDE, Ronette in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Deb in ELF THE MUSICAL, and Martha in THE ARK. She has also choreographed many a show including CINDERELLA here at Plaza, PETER PAN with LYCT, and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST with GTA. She hopes you are enthralled by this performance. “Now sit back, relax, and enjoy our well rehearsed Follies.”
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BRAEDON CARLTON
(The Cowboys)
Braedon Carlton is so excited to be back at PlazaCo. With theatre experience for the past six years, you might have seen him in shows such as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, OLIVER, SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN, CINDERELLA, and RAGTIME, all at PlazaCo and shows at other local theaters. Braedon is an aspiring actor and is working hard on his talents.
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CARSON CLAY
(The Cowboys)
Carson (They/He) is so thrilled to be in Will Rogers Folles here with Plaza Theatre Company! They recently in 2022 started co-teaching acting in the Musical Theatre classes at Plaza Academy. Some of their favorite shows they have recently been in are RAGTIME at Plaza Theatre Company, ANASTASIA THE MUSICAL at Alvarado High School, and R&H CINDERELLA at Plaza Theatre Company. Some other shows they have done is BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, MARY POPPINS, ONE FOR THE POT, EIF THE MUSICAL, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF JR., TITANIC THE MUSICAL, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2, JAMES...GIANT PEACH JR., and PROOF. Other shows they worked backstage for are BASKERVILLE A SHERLOCK HOMES MYSTERIES, LITTLE WOMAN, THE LITTLE MERMAID JR., ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. “I’d like to thank the directors and production team for giving me this wonderful opportunity!!”
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MATTHEW LEAKE
(The Cowboys)
Matthew is agog to be back on the Plaza stage. Some of his favorite roles include Stanley in Hello Dolly, Dancer in MARY POPPINS, Noah Claypole in Oliver!, Fyedka in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Centipede in JAMES PEACH JR, Uncle Fester in THE ADDAMS FAMILY SCHOOL EDITION, Big Kid in MATILDA, Dance Corps in WHITE CHRISTMAS, Jeb in SEVEN. BROTHERS and Frank Jr in CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN.
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NOLAN MORALEZ
(The Cowboys)
Nolan is delighted to be apart of in his 25th production with Plaza Theatre! No matter if it’s on stage, backstage, choreographing, or directing, he is always looking for his next project! Some of his favorite roles have been, Usnavi in IN THE HEIGHTS, The Duke in BIG RIVER, Bernardo in WEST SIDE STORY, and Romeo in ROMEO AND JULIET. In his free time he enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons, longboarding, and reading. He dedicates this performance to his grandfather, Richard Helmcamp.
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EMILY POTTER
(Co-Director)
Emily has been involved in over 30 productions here at Plaza Co. You may have most recently seen her as Mother in RAGTIME, Winifred Banks in MARY POPPINS or Jo March in LITTLE WOMEN. However this is only the first time you are seeing “Co-Director” next to her name after previously Assistant Directing on Cinderella. Emily would like to thank the Plaza Theatre Producers and her production team for giving her this opportunity on such a charming show. A special thank you to her newlywed husband, Dustin, for holding down the fort while she gets back to playing!
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SONI BARRUS
(Musical Director)
Soni works as resident prop mistress here at Plaza Theatre Company and gets to design multiple shows a year. Along with set dressing and detailing Soni is pleased to have Musical Directed THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES as well. A long time verteran of the stage, Soni began her theatrical career whose husband Jodie first saw her in a stage production. She's loved working with this delightful cast and hopes all the effort pays off in a wonderful show for you tonight.
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LUKE HUNT
(Fight and Intimacy Director)
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FREDDY MARTINEZ JR
(Stage Manager)
Freddy is exceedingly exceptionally extraordinarily excited to be Stage Managing his Second show for Plaza. He has just come from directing BASKERVILLE and also just played The Beast in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. In his free time he likes to move "Caution: Wet Floor" signs to carpeted areas. You will next see him in a production of "Chekhov" where he'll play the Gun. He would like to thank God, his family, his Beautiful wife, and as always: Meryl Streep.
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