FPFATA Presents Newsies Cast

Richie Pokrywka is thrilled to be performing as Jack Kelly and assistant directing in FPFATA's production of Newsies! He is a rising junior musical theatre and marketing student at Xavier University. Richie is excited to be performing in his fifth show with the FPFATA family, and he hopes you enjoy Newsies!

Samuel is extremely excited to perform in Newsies as this is his first experience with theater. He has sung in a number of choirs around Cleveland and loves everything related to music. He is ecstatic to study Vocal performance next year at BYU and he would like to thank his parents for teaching him to never give up on his dreams.

Axel Schmidt is 12 years old and in the 7th Grade. He is playing Crutchie. He has previously appeared in William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead (Sir Robert Cecil), Once Upon a Mattress (Knight), The Canterbury Tales or… Geoffrey Chaucer’s Flying Circus (The Nun’s Priest), Seussical Junior (Wickersham Brother), and The Addams Family (Conquistador).

Maddie Low is excited to be playing Katherine Plumber in FPFATA’s production of Newsies. Maddie has been so grateful to play such an amazing role with an awesome cast and crew. Some of her favorite past roles include Marian Paroo in the Music Man and Mrs. Phelps in Matilda. Maddie would like to thank her family and friends for their support.

Robby is excited to make his FPFATA debut as Pulitzer. He is no stranger to being a bad guy on stage having played Curtis in Sister Act. He would like to thank his mom for always being there to offer a quick vocal lesson and his cousin Richie, who got him here with a healthy dose of peer pressure. This fall he will be a Junior at Kent State.

Abby is now 10 years old is excited to be playing Les for this production of Newsies. This is Abby’s 5th theatrical show and her 2nd show with FPFATA. Abby will be in 5th grade next year and enjoys performing whenever possible. Abby is thrilled to be on stage once again with her brothers, Joey and Richie!

Rachel is once again delighted to work with FPFATA this year! You may have seen her as Marian in The Music Man, or Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Rachel is a classically trained Opera singer and sings with the chamber choir at the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist. You’ll catch her next at Opera in the Italian Garden in September! Toi toi toi!

Sean is excited to be taking on the role of Race for this years production. His favorite roles for FPFATA were Marcellus in the Music Man, and Sebastian in the Little Mermaid. Sean’s favorite part about performing arts is the ability to put on a different person each time he takes place on stage.

Bella is so thrilled to be in her dream show of Newsies and to be playing Albert! Last summer, Bella was in The Music Man as Gracie Shinn. Her most recent role was in Sound of Music as Liesl. This is Bella’s 10th year with FPFATA! Bella would love to thank her family and boyfriend. As well as all of her friends inside and out of FPFATA!

Joey Pokrywka is thrilled to play Finch in Newsies which is Joey’s 4th FPFATA show. He has also done shows at St. Joseph Academy, St. Edward HS, and St. Bernadette. This will be Joey's 3rd time doing Newsies, previously playing Davey and Les. He is excited to be on stage once again with his brother, Richie and sister, Abby for this production.

Liam is a Junior Music Education major at the College of Wooster. He is a member of the Wooster Christian Fellowship and sings on their worship team. He has been in many shows with other organizations, but had to come out of retirement to be a part of his first show with FPFATA. Liam is also a retired competitive Jump Roper.

Lauren is excited to be in one of her favorite musicals! She was last seen as a townsperson in The Music Man. Lauren is also a member of Beck Center’s Dance Workshop and Fairview High School’s Scarlet Singers. Lauren would like to thank her tap teacher Miss Mimi and all involved for making her dream of performing in this musical a reality.

Alissa is ecstatic to join the Newsies cast in her first FPFATA show! Her most recent credit includes touring with The Answer, the Musical as Mary Magdalene. She is beyond grateful for the supportive cast and crew at FPFATA. She thanks FPFATA for the warm welcome and her family and friends for their unconditional support.

Nathan is thrilled to return to FPFATA to perform as Specs in Newsies. Recent roles include Jacey in The Music Man (FPFATA), Henderson in You Can't Take It With You (82nd Street), and Travis/Ensemble in Footloose (Cassidy). He would like to thank his friends and family for their endless support, and his optometrist for his great specs.

Molly is playing the role of Buttons. Previous shows with FPFATA include Shrek, ‘Molly’ in Annie, Suessical, Beauty and the Beast, and ‘Flounder’ in The Little Mermaid. FPFATA shows are ones she looks forward to every summer and she would like to thank her family, friends, and choir teachers for continuing to push and encourage her.

Maddie is excited to be playing Elmer this year! She joined FPFATA last year when she was a pick-a-little lady/core dancer in “Music Man”.Theatre has been a core part of her life as she has also played roles like Sandra Bloom in “Big Fish” and Erzulie in “Once on this Island”.Maddie wants to thank her family and friends for supporting her passion!

Claire Lutsock is very excited to be playing JoJo in this year FPFATA production of newsies! In past productions, Claire has played Zaneeta (Music man) and Arista (Little mermaid). what Claire loved about FPFATA is that she continues to grow and learn with a community. she’d like to thank her stage sister Bella, & her family and friends.

Lucas plays the role of Tommy Boy, a newsie. He also played an ensemble role in FPFATA’s production of The Music Man and has played Dennis Knolls in My Fatal Valentine. He played Mr. Boddy in Clue with his high school, as well as a different newsie named Buttons. He loves theatre, and would like to thank his family for dealing with crazy schedules.

Catherine is excited to be a part of newsies as “Mike.” This is her second year with FPFATA, she previously was in Music Man as a Pick-a-little Lady and a Core Dancer. She is so thankful for the opportunity to be apart of this production and amazing community. She loves performing and was grateful to be one of the Assistant Choreographers.

Emily is excited to make her theater comeback as Ike in “Newsies”! She has previously played Glinda in “The Wizard of Oz” & Edith in “The Pirates of Penzance”. She also is a part of her university’s improv troupe. She wants to thank her biggest supporters: her mom & dad, her partner Gwen, Ari, Lily, Kaci, and all of her friends!

Molly is ecstatic to play the role of Splasher in her 5th FPFATA show. She is honored to be surrounded by the amazing talent and passion of her FPFATA family each year. She is eternally grateful for the love and support of her friends, family, castmates, & directors. Molly thanks you for supporting community theater and hopes you enjoy the show!

Eileen is excited to be playing Spot Conlon, and additional Newsie/Bowery Beauty in her third show with FPFATA! Other credits here include Alana in The Little Mermaid and Alma in Music Man. Her favorite roles have been Woman 2 (Songs for a New World), and Lilly (Anastasia). Eileen loves the family-like community here at FPAFTA and hopes to do many more shows here!

Olivia is playing the roles of both an Additional Newsie and a Bowery Beauty in this production. She has recently been with us last year during The Music Man as an ensemble member. She has also done a production, The Beauty and the Beast, with LCC as a Napkin and a Wolf. She enjoys the music and working together with her cast and directors.

Morgan is excited that Newsies will be her first performance in ten years! She loves that theatre gives her a chance to become an artist again. She would like to thank her husband for his endless hours of support and her daughter for motivating her to do things that scare her.

Maya is excited to be back on stage this summer! Maya has enjoyed performing in previous FPFATA shows; Annie (Sandy/Ensemble), Seussical (Cindy Lou Who), The Music Man (Band Member/Ensemble) and Peter Pan (Indian) at (former)OPA. Maya thanks her family and friends for their support of local theatre!

Ceci's thrilled to be playing a Newsie and a Bowery Beauty in her first production with FPFATA! Previously, she has been seen onstage in such roles as Lady Rowena (Once Upon a Mattress, Beck Center) and Ensemble (Anastasia, LHS). Words cannot describe her joy for theater. She would like to thank her family and cats, Reggie and Neal (obviously)

Stephanie is very excited to be a part of this production. She was also in last year's production of Music Man along with school productions such as Young Frankenstein, All Together Now!, and Oliver Twist. Stephanie would also like to give special thanks to her friends, family, and her parents for all their love & support throughout this journey.

Emme is thrilled to be returning to the FPFATA this summer as a Newsie. She has previously been seen in the ensemble of The Music Man and The Little Mermaid. Emme has also performed in many dance productions at Beck Center. She loves the inclusion this group gives. Emme thanks all her dance teachers, especially Ms. Hadaway and Miss Ali!

Grace is playing an additional newsie. Although this is her first FPFATA show, she played Teen Anastasia in Lakewood High’s production of Anastasia. She likes the welcoming nature of this organization and how stress-free the audition process was. She’d like to thank her parents and Eileen for telling her about this.

Mia is playing an Additional Newsie. She has been in two musicals with FPFATA; The Little Mermaid Jr & The Music Man. She has danced the Nutcracker. Mia loves the friends she has made & enjoys the creative process. She would like to thank Mrs. Klopp & Sarah for directing her and also her parents for supporting her love of the theater.

Logan is a senior at Bay High School. He has also performed at Beck Center and Bay High School where he is a member of the Drumline in the marching band, show choir, men’s choir, A’cappella choir, Choraleers, National Honor Society, and International Thespian Society. Logan thanks his family for their love and support.

Brielle has been in 25 shows.7 of those have been with FPFATA.She has done shows at Beck and Fairview High School. Her favorite roles include Miss.Darbus in High School Musical, and Mary Patrick in Sister.FPFATA is like her 2nd family. She would like to thank her mom and dad for always supporting her in all her endeavors.

Yale is super stoked to be returning to FPFATA for his biggest role yet as Oscar Delancey. Previous shows also include Annie and The Wizard of Oz. He would like to thank Terri for allowing him to try his best New York accent on for size and to his family for continually listening to his New York accent and trying his fighting skills on his brothas.

Hilary has been involved in theatre since the age of 13 & is proud to be performing in her 20th show with FPFATA. Her favorite roles include: Fiona (Shrek the Musical) & the Wicked Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz). She thanks her family for their constant love & support and her dad in Heaven for sharing with her his love of theatre.

Maggie has been with FPFATA since she was 7 playing roles from Wickersham Brother, Silly Girl, Belle/Cinderella, and most recently Seitz in this production. She has also done shows at Rocky River High School and Miami University. She is excited to be back on stage with FPFATA to share her love of theater with the audiences.

Molly is excited to be in her first show with FPFATA and her first show with her son, Everett. She is so proud of him and has loved watching him light up at rehearsals. Molly is so very grateful to her husband, RJ, and her other son, Miles, who have allowed Mama to be at rehearsals many nights this summer.

Jill is so excited to return to Fairview as Hannah! She has also enjoyed such roles as Miss Gulch and a Boleyn sister in Annie. “It’s good to be back to the best community evah!” Thank you to mom and her kids for their continued tolerance of her random New York accent moments. Break a leg cast!!

David is grateful to have been involved since the beginning of this awesome group and to have played so many different characters throughout the years. He would like to send a big thank you to his wife for all of her hard work, dedication and love of the theatre and for putting up with him! And to all the cast and crew, break a leg!

This is Michael's 2nd show with FPFATA. He has enjoyed selling many winning 50/50 tickets. Guarantee winner tonight! He has also performed in multiple plays with the Cleveland Irish Players, both in Ohio & two separate trips to Ireland. He joins his son, Sean, on stage again this year. Thanks Anne for everything!

After taking on the role of Harold Hill in The Music Man last year, Todd is happy to be back with FPFATA in this production of Newsies! This is Todd's 5th performance with FPFATA, having previously played the roles of The Wizard in "The Wizard of Oz," and Albert Peterson in "Bye Bye Birdie."

Dave Zucker is playing Jacobi. He is an awesome Dad who joined this show to spend time with his beautiful daughter, Stephanie. Since Jr. High School, Dave was in many different productions including Grease and West Side Story. Last year's production of Music Man was Dave’s first show in over 45 years. This is Dave's 2nd show with FPFATA.

This is Henry's first time onstage, and he joins the cast of Newsies as the role of Darcy. Henry loves FPFATA for the chances it gives him to practice with new friends, and loves singing the songs of Newsies on repeat. Henry would like to thank Sarah Christensen for her work in guiding the actors through their parts day after day..

Finch was a part of the Ensemble in the production of Music Man. Finch loves the singing and the costumes that go along with each musical. They believe that the FPFATA family are extremely talented and kind. Finch would like to thank their family and friends for supporting them.

Cathy is so pleased to be back on the stage as a nun in Newsies. She is also so pleased to be sharing this experience with her grandson. Previous roles with FPFATA were in Annie, Seussical, Beauty and the BEast, Music Man, and My Fatal Valentine. Many thanks to Terri Klopp for including folks of all ages and abilities in the cast!

Diana is excited to be in her first musical, Newsies as a Nun/Policeman! Diana joined FPFATA onstage for the first time this spring in "My Fatal Valentine". Diana wants to thank her son, Lucas, for his encouragement to try something new. She also wants to thank her family and FPFATA for their support and welcoming her into the theater community!

Kathi is excited to be in her second theatre role(s). In High School she did props because she was too shy to be on stage, but last year took the leap (literally) and was cast in Music Man as a Pick a Little Lady and a Townsperson. She came back this year because it was so much fun!! FPFATA is like a family and I'm proud to be a part of it!

This will be Kim’s 8th show with FPFATA playing a nun and the woman who buys a paper and various other things in the ensemble. She’s been doing theater locally for many years with favorite roles being Ursula Little Mermaid (FPFATA), Sardine SpongeBob the musical (MGP). She would like to thank her husband for holding down the fort!

Paddy is a Strike Breaker and in the Ensemble for Newsies. He was a Band Member in The Music Man. He was a Seahorse in the St. Angela Merici Drama Club”s performance of The Little Mermaid Jr. Paddy likes being in theater productions because everyone is nice. Paddy would like to thank Mrs. Klopp and all the people who work so hard for FPFATA.

Paige is a scab and ensemble member in Newsies. She has been in FPFATA’s The Little Mermaid Jr., All Together Now and The Music Man. Paige loves dancing — especially learning new choreography. She thanks Mrs. Klopp, the cast and crew for putting on an awesome show. Paige also thanks everyone who came to see her.

Sadie has appeared in FPFATA’s The Little Mermaid Jr. and The Music Man. She has also been in several Beck Center virtual productions. Sadie enjoys dancing and how friendly everyone is in the FPFATA community. She thanks the whole staff, cast and crew for a fun experience.

Welcome to the stage, Evan! This is Evan's first production on stage. Previous stagecrew shows include Bay Middle School's "Everything I know I learned from a Zombie" & "10 Reasons I Should Have Stayed Home Sick". Evan thinks FPFATA is "fun and a great community". Evan would like to thank his family and Mrs. Yeager for their support.

Maeve is part of the ensemble of Brooklyn Newsies. Last year, Maeve enjoyed being cast as one of the townspeople in The Music Man. The best part of being in the play is being with friends. Thank you to my parents and grandma for driving me to rehearsals this summer!

Tommy is very excited to be in Ensemble 1 for his first theater performance. Having seen several shows for his Nana (Cathy Jacob, Nun), he thought it would be special to perform together. It’s been a fun adventure! Tommy would like to thank his mom, dad, Nana and cousin, Meghan and everyone in FPFATA for helping him.

In the years since starring in her kindergarten class play, Tess has been writing, directing, and appearing in productions with family and friends. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to be in a real show with FPFATA as a member of the ensemble.

Alexa is a member of Ensemble 1. She was a Seahorse and a Seagull in FPFATA's The Little Mermaid. She has attended Music Theatre Camp at BWU, plays the trumpet in band, sings in choir and dance class. Alexa loves theatre because of the excitement backstage when she is about to go on! She would like to thank her family and friends for their support!

Tess is excited to be in the ensemble I of Newsies and join such an amazing cast! She is 8 years old and has performed with FPFATA in Music Man and at the Beck Center in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Once Upon A Mattress. Tess loves the singing and making friends!

Elise is an 11 year old in the ensemble. This is her first year with the FPFATA. She has been dancing with the Beck Center for 3 years, and has performed in 2 shows. She also has done an acting class at Beck. She loves how theatre amazing way to show your creativity. She would like to thank her friends and family for being so supportive :)

This is Rylee’s 5th FPFATA production. The other FPFATA productions she participated in were Music Man, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Seussical. Rylee loves theatre and the FPFATA productions. She would like to thank her mom and a special thank you to her dad for helping build the set each year.

Aislin is part of the Ensemble for this production of Newsies. She has also been in The Real Valkyries of Valhalla, Bugsy Malone, & Once Upon a Mattess at the Beck Center and Historic Haunts at Near West Theater. Aislin enjoys FPFATA because it is always fun and she loves to perform.

This is Cameron's debut at FPFATA as a part of Ensemble 2. His previous credits include Ensemble (Shrek), and Villager (Beauty and the Beast), as well as studying theater at the Beck Center. Cameron enjoys the welcoming community here at FPFATA.

Jimmy is in ensemble 2 in Newsies. He was a Band Member in the Music Man. He was Ziggy Vulture in Jungle Book kids and a gull in the Little Mermaid Jr , both with the St. Angela Merici Drama Club.. Jimmy like FPFATA because they give everyone a fair chance and everyone is always nice. Jimmy would like to thank his family for being very supportive.

Charlie had a blast playing an evil Spirit in his school performance of Snow White. After seeing every performance of St. Ed's run of Newsies this past spring, he's excited to get to be in the ensemble of Newsies himself with FPFATA.

This is Lucy’s first time with FPFATA and she is joining as part of the Ensemble cast. She is excited for her first play and for the friends she’s made during the play. She loves Cedar Point and Kung Fu. She wants to thank Mrs Klopp and her family.

Madeline King is proud to be a part of the Newsies production this summer. She is 11 years old and enjoys the theatre, sports, piano, and hanging out with friends and family. This is her 5th performance with FPFATA. She would like to thank her family for their support, Mrs. Klopp and all the people behind the scenes that make this possible.

Everett is proud to be in his first full-length musical. He was in his first show, The Music Man, Kids Edition, last year at ICT. He is happy to learn all the Newsies songs and to meet new friends at FPFATA. He would like to thank Ms. Terri, Ms. Heidi, Ms. Joy, Ms. Sarah and all the cast and crew for a great show!

This is Ashley's 5th show with FPFATA! They are so excited to be part of the show and get more theater experience. Their previous shows with FPFATA were The Little Mermaid, All Together Now, The Music Man, and My Fatal Valentine. They hope to do more shows in the future when they’re not busy with Marching Band or other theater activities.

Charlotte is excited to be part of the ensemble for Newsies. This is her third production with FPFATA. She was also part of the ensemble for The Little Mermaid and The Music Man. Charlotte loves singing and dancing and getting to make lots of friends. Thank you, to her family for supporting her!

Oskar joins FPFATA for the first time this year. Previously, he has acted in Lakewood Congregational Church’s production of Beauty and the Beast. Oskar is passionate about acting, and loves theater for the unique way it allows him to use art to express what he’s feeling. Oskar would like to thank his mom for always supporting his artistic career.