A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Audition

Friday, November 8th 2024 @ 7:30 PM

Wisp Productions presents A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Audition.

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Audition” A cabaret about audition mishaps, mayhem, and miracles through hits from the Opera, Operetta and Broadway stages.

Award-winning director Martin Marchitto adds his comedic spin to song selections for the madcap musical cabaret A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Audition. Join us for an evening featuring talented singers and opera professionals lamenting audition mishaps, mayhem, and miracles through hits from the opera, operetta and Broadway stages.

Ticket Prices

All Tickets: $15.00

Ticket price includes all service fees. For Group Sales, Military Discounts, and Accessible Seating,
please contact the Box Office at 203-699-5495. 

Buy Tickets for 7:30 PM Show on Nov 8th, 2024 

Meet the Cast!

Allison Bradshaw is delighted to be performing with WISP once again! She was most recently seen in the ensemble of Sweeney Todd and Bright Star at the University of Texas at Arlington, and just finished Musik Theater Bavaria, a month-long musical theater intensive in Germany. Some of her favorite roles include Elle Woods, (Legally Blonde), Eponine (Les Miserable) and Velma Kelly, (Chicago). Much love to Karen and Rob for everything they do!

Michele Clay is a Connecticut native from Middletown. She has performed in numerous theatrical productions. Some of her favorite roles include The Lady in Green (For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enough), Deloris Van Cartier (Sister Act), and Miss Sophia (The Color Purple) for which she received rave reviews from Broadway World Connecticut describing her portrayal as “bold, brash and brilliant as she belts and bellows each of her signature songs… from a comedic standpoint she was the highlight of the evening prompting raucous laughter from the audience.” Michele also played the supporting role of Jamila in the sitcom pilot Long Distance. She has performed in comedy shows and was a member of the R&B/ Neo-Soul Band Beans & Greens. Michele is the Director of the Performance Arts Ministry at Cross Street A.M.E. Zion Church. Last but not least, she plays the leading role of a lifetime as mother to her 20 year-old handsome son, Terrence Lamont Jackson, Jr., who plays Division II College Football.

Michael Cocchi is excited to make his WISP debut. Mike is a board member of the New Haven Oratorio Society and has emceed their annual cabaret fundraiser since 2014. He previously performed with Wallingford Community Theatre in their productions of 1776 (Rutledge) and Matilda (Rudolpho). Mike is the Director of Content Rights Management at ESPN and is the recipient of a Sports Emmy and Peabody Award as part of the Sports Century Project. He was also awarded a patent for advances in footage reporting technology in 2017. Mike thanks WISP for this opportunity and his wife Zorayda for every day of the last 29 years.

Gina Consiglio is so grateful to be part of the WISP family. She began her operatic singing endeavors at the historic renowned Amato Opera in NYC. Some of her credits include appearances with Hartt Opera, DiCapo Opera, Mannes Opera as well as performances abroad in Orvieto, Italy. With an affinity for the Neapolitan repertoire, she was also a frequent guest soloist at various Italian festivals in her native Little Italy of New Haven. Her biggest thanks to husband Erich and daughter Ariana with whom she gets to share life and music with every day.

Brayden Esler is a rising sophomore at Trinity College pursuing a major in theater & dance and psychology. Some favorite roles include Mark Cohen (Rent), Marius (Les Misérables) and Ren McCormack (Footloose). He is very excited to perform with this incredible cast. He is also very thankful to Rob and Karen for this special opportunity. Enjoy the show!

Ruby Iovanna is a fifth-grader at Baldwin Middle School in
Guilford. She made her stage debut at the age of three in Scrooged, The Musical. Past shows include Legally Blonde We The People, Shrek, Spongebob The Musical, Annie, and Dear Edwina, Jr. She is currently playing the role of Chloe in Stand Up and Speak Out, The Musical at The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center. Ruby has performed in many WISP cabarets and has been a soloist at the East Haven Tree Lighting and the Branford Festival. Special thanks to her family and friends for their support, and especially to Marty and Jim for this amazing opportunity and Nouveaux Talent Management.

Brittany Kammerer has been performing for many years in musical theater. She has appeared in shows such as Little Shop of Horrors, Les Miserables, Chicago, West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen, Mamma Mia, and many more. She currently holds her master’s degree from Quinnipiac University (Go Bobcats!!) and is a 3rd grade teacher. She would like to thank her family and friends for their never-ending support as well as Karen and Rob.

Lexi Kinniburgh is a junior at Morgan High School in Clinton, CT. She is very excited for her first WISP production! She has been performing in musical theatre for the past ten years and has studied dance for 13 years. Some of her favorite roles include Regina George (Mean Girls), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins). Lexi would like to major in musical theatre and pursue a career in the performing arts.

Art Longley has been entertaining through song, dance, and theater for over 30 years. His true passion is making people forget the outside world for a while and giving them a smile to take with them.! He is forever grateful for the gifts he has been given and plans to give back as long and as much as possible. Thank you all for the love and support you have given me, especially to my amazing family and friends. Love you all.

Amanda Magurne is a New Jersey native transplanted to Connecticut in 2013. She was a featured performer in her high school with roles in Anything Goes, The King & I, Mame, and
Sweet Charity. Amanda pursued a drama studies program at SUNY Purchase College. Although she eventually switched her major to Psychology, she remained active in the arts, performing in several original student productions as well as in the plays America and Beirut. In 2023, Amanda was cast in a production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Since then she has been pursuing opportunities to share her talents. This is her first production with WISP and is excited for what comes next! Thank you to the cast for a wonderful production and for being such a joy to work with.

Heidi Manley was born and raised in East Haven. She is a lifelong parishioner of the Old Stone Church. Brought up in the church choir, she is accustomed to singing those old familiar hymns. She’s performed in church variety shows and is also the Office Manager for the Old Stone Church. Heidi is thrilled to be making her WISP debut!

Marissa Salazar Nassar Classically trained, she has studied with Karen and Rob intermittently for the past 12 years. She studied Classical Voice at Boston Conservatory under the training of Monique Phinney Billingsley. She finished her undergraduate studies at Southern Connecticut State University and has pursued a career in Mental Health while continuing to keep music on her list of passions. “I am beyond grateful to be performing Opera again with these incredibly talented musicians. Thank you for putting the music back in my heart.”

Victoria Reid is delighted to be appearing in her first production with WISP! Victoria has performed with The Little Theatre of Manchester (CT), Troupers Light Opera (CT), the Connecticut Gilbert & Sullivan Society, the Pennsylvania Players, MIS G&S (MA), University of Pennsylvania G&S, and the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival (UK). Past credits include Adele (Die Fledermaus), Mabel (Pirates of Penzance), Belinda (Dido & Aeneas), Iolanthe (Iolanthe), Fiamette (Gondoliers), Princess of Monte Carlo (Grand Duke), Kate (Gilbert & Sullivan on Wall Street). Victoria resides in Cheshire with her two rescued tuxedo cats, Rose and Maestro. She works as a communications professor at Quinnipiac University.

Ariana Simo is thrilled to return to WISP’s Summer Show! Most recently, Ariana was a soloist with the Hamden Symphony Orchestra for their 4th of July Pops Concert. Notable roles include: Rent (Maureen and Mimi), West Side Story (Maria), and Les Miserables (Cosette). Ariana also performs with Daniel Hand High School’s show choir VIBE. Other stage credits include: Into the Woods, Shrek Jr, The Wizard of Oz, Beauty & the Beast and Elf Jr. She has worked under the direction of Wayne Cilento (Broadway’s A Chorus Line and Wicked) as a soloist at NYC’s Symphony Space in Love Cures: A Benefit for the Abused Child’s Soul.

Erich Simo is thrilled to return to WISP, where he has been seen performing as Phantom in Phantom Of The Opera and Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. Other engagements have included appearances with New York City Opera, Opera Orchestra of New York, Bel Canto at Caramoor, Sarasota Opera and others. His biggest credit to date is his 16-year-old daughter, Ariana (also performing tonight), who keeps him on beat and on pitch.

Kate Simpson is thrilled to return to the WISP stage again. Past productions include: Bed Breakfast & Broadway (Sally Hendrickson), The Who’s Tommy (Mrs. Walker), Les Miserables (Lovely Lady 1), Murder on the Orient Express (Olivia Crenshaw), Reflections (Anna Gibbons), Loves Disenlightment (Jordon), and many more! Kate would like to thank her managers Robyn and Ashley Acarino at Nouveaux Talent, and of course Karen, Rob, Brittany, Jim, and everyone who made this production possible!

John Steeves is thrilled to be making his WISP debut! He has been a member of the Old Stone Players, has performed his Buddy Holly Show throughout Connecticut, and has palayed guitar and sang with many shoreline based bands. John is a lifelong member of The Old Stone Church where he sings in the choir.

Alan Wagner began his theatre career in the fourth grade when he was cast as Tinker Bell in Peter Pan. Since then he has been acting and directing for over 50 years. His directing credits includes South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, You Can’t Take It With You, Hello Dolly, Legally Blonde, and many others. Alan also produced the first seven productions at Branford High School and directed the Spring musicals for 17 years at Walsh Intermediate School. He also directed He’s History for Orange Players’ Acting Up Originals Festival. His many acting credits include Hello Dolly, 12 Angry Men, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Guys & Dolls, You Can’t Take It With You, and You Haven’t Changed A Bit for the Orange Players Acting Up Originals Festival. Alan is a founding member of WISP. Off-stage Alan teaches audition preparation and monologue workshops. His students have been or are currently appearing in regional theater, on television, and Broadway.