Judy is in her 13th season with the MELHS Theatre Department. She previously taught Speech, Drama, and Musical Theatre to the middle and high school students in the Ferguson Florissant School District. She graduated in 2014 from SIUE with a degree in Theatre, Dance, and English Education. She has had the pleasure of assisting and directing MELHS Theatre Department for over 10 years with productions like Once Upon a Mattress, The Music Man, All Shook Up, Seussical, Carousel, The Sound of Music, Annie, Into the Woods, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Matilda, Zoomin’ Around the World in 90 Minutes, and Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka. She has also directed, choreographed and assisted with many productions in the Ferguson-Florissant and Maplewood Richmond Heights School Districts. During high school and college Judy also performed in numerous Dance and Theatrical productions. Judy was awarded the 1st annual Theatre Alumni Award at MELHS and several Fine Arts Scholarships at SIUE. She would like to thank God for His continuous steadfast provisions and blessings in her life. His unconditional love for His creation and children who are a constant inspiration to her in her teaching and directing. She would like to thank Mr Meador, Mrs. Wudtke, the staff at MELHS, and the parent and alumni volunteers of our show this year. The cast and crew have been abundantly blessed because of your hours of labor and guidance. She would like to thank the audience and supporters of the Fine Arts--we would not be successful or have people to hear our stories if it wasn’t for you. She would like to thank her family for supporting and encouraging her in her professional career adventures. Last but never least, she would like to thank her daughter, Anna for being our ray of sunshine and fun at rehearsals and her husband, Pastor Robert Brown for always taking care of and providing for her. She greatly appreciates their love, patience, and willingness to make compromises so that she can fulfill her passion for teaching and creating Theater and Dance.

“As you kids would say, that scene change music was out of pocket. ‘No cap.’”Joseph Meador is the band, freshman, and sophomore theology teacher here at MELHS. He has been in and directed many musicals. He had his acting debut as Gravedigger 2 in "Frankenstein 1931", was Horton in "Seussical", and was Wally Womper/Mr. Twimble in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” He directed the Pit Band for Concordia Preparatory School's first outdoor production of "The Sound of Music" and was the assistant director/musical director for "Little Shop of Horrors" He is obsessed with coffee and is thrilled to bring this wonderful show to everyone. A big shout-out to some of the cast for writing his bio, his homie Mr. Langendorf, and God for always being there. He loves the ongoing war he and a student have between Nebraska and Wisconsin. Some of the cast’s favorite Meador quotes are, “I don’t hate you guys, I dislike you all equally.” “Slow the crap down.” “Sounds like an issUe, not an iss-ME.” WE LOVE YOU, MR MEADOR.

Mrs. Wudtke has been in love with live theater ever since she played a native american in her second grade class Thanksgiving play. In high school she had roles in “An Evening with Thurber,” “Our Town,” and “Up the Down Staircase.” She loves attending any live shows at all levels with some favorite locations being the Muny and the Fox. She is excited to be assisting with the MELHS musical this year, helping students prepare to put on a great show!

Clara is a junior at Metro East Lutheran High School. She has participated in grade school’s performances of 'Happily Forever After', and 'Ester Ordinary Faith' as a vocalist and dancer. "My jobs for this production are: hair stylist, makeup artist, and dresser. I do actor's and actresses' makeup and hair for each scene and if they play more than one role. I am also in charge of making sure they can accomplish quick changes or things of that sort." She would like to shout out her "homeboy Jesus."

Faith is a sophomore at here at Metro East Lutheran School. She has been in Willy Wonka at MELHS, Pride, and Prejudice at MELHS, Shuddersome Tales of Poe at MELHS. She has had acting and vocal experiences. She was Matilda and an Oompa Loompa in Willy Wonka. She is also in the choir here. "My favorite memory is when the Oompa loompa s would be in every scene in act 2 and do different things every show. It was fun to just have free will to be an Oompa Loompa. Shout out to my mom and dad for running tech."

Tim Rainey is a sophomore at Metro East Lutheran High School in Edwardsville Illinois. He intends to get a welding certification by the end of High School, and going into fabrication and car maintenance. He assisted in props and set management in The Tales of Shuddersome. He was in choir his entire time in school, and has won multiple first rating in solo and small ensemble. In addition to participating in theater he does yard maintenance for his neighbors and works on the small family elderberry farm. He had fond memories of the face Mrs. Brown and Even made when the discovery of there being mic belts in the tech closet and the purchase of mic belts would not have to be done. Finally he would like to shout out his sister and dad for driving him to Home Depot and Rural King to pick up random stuff.

Dalton is a sophomore at Metro East Lutheran High School. He has participated in past productions such as Willy Wonka, and Shuddersome Tales of Poe. "I’m fond of all the fun times we had during Shuddersome even though the actors were frantically trying to memorize their lines like how the tech people were just relaxing and talking while the actors were freaking out."

Ryan Sine is a sophomore at MELHS. He is excited to participate in his first musical. He helps with advertising. He likes to do track and golfing. He is on Student Council. He was voted by his peers as class president. "Shoutout to my parents to helping me!"

Ethan is a freshman here at Metro East Lutheran High School, or MELHS for short. His previous acting and production experiences include Shuddersome, Tales of Poe, along with multiple mini films with his best friend. Ethan has a job and enjoys the experience and memories he makes when working with MELHS theater and with his friends.

HAROLD PRINCE (Director/Producer) Last season Mr. Prince directed the Goodman's world premiere of Carrie Hamilton and Carol Burnett's Hollywood Arms, which transferred to Broadway. Mr. Prince also directed the premiere productions of Cabaret, Company, Follies, Candide, Pacific Overtures, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Evita, The Phantom Of The Opera and Parade. Among the plays he has directed are The Great God Brown, The Visit, End Of The World, Play Memory and his own play, Grandchild Of Kings. His opera productions have been seen at The Chicago Lyric, The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Vienna Staatsoper and the Theater Colon in Buenos Aires. Before becoming a director, Mr. Prince s productions included The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, West Side Story, Fiddler On The Roof and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. He served as a trustee for the New York Public Library and on the National Council of the Arts of the NEA. Recipient of a National Medal of Arts for the year 2000 from President Clinton for a career spanning more than 40 years, in which he changed the nature of the American musical. The recipient of twenty Tony Awards, he was a 1994 Kennedy Center Honoree.

Jerome Robbin is world renowned for his work as a choreographer of ballets and as a director and choreographer in theater, movies and television. Although he began as a modern dancer, his start on Broadway was as a chorus dancer before joining the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre in 1939, where he went on to dance principal roles in the works of Fokine, Tudor, Massine, Balanchine, Lichine, and de Mille. His first ballet, Fancy Free (1944) for ABT, still in many repertoires, celebrated its fiftieth birthday on April 18, 1994. While embarking on his career in the theater, Mr. Robbins simultaneously created ballets for New York City Ballet, which he joined in 1949, and became an Associate Artistic Director with George Balanchine. Mr. Robbins has directed for television and film as well, with his co-direction and choreography of West Side Story winning him two Academy Awards. After his Broadway triumph with Fiddler On the Roof in 1964, Mr. Robbins continued creating ballets for New York City Ballet. He shared the position of Ballet-Master-in-Chief with Peter Martins until 1989. He has created more than 60 ballets, including Afternoon of a Faun (1953), The Concert (1956), Les Noces (1965), Dances At a Gathering (1969), In the Night (1970), In G Major (1975), Other Dances (1976), Glass Pieces (1983) and Ives Songs (1989) which are in the repertories of the New York City Ballet, the Ballet de l'Opera de Paris and major dance companies throughout the world. His most recent ballets include A Suite of Dances with Mikhail Baryshnikov (1994), 2 & 3 Part Inventions (1994), West Side Story Suite (1995) and Brandenburg (1996) all of which premiered at New York City Ballet. In addition to his two Academy Awards, Mr. Robbins's awards and citations include four Tony Awards, five Donaldson Awards, two Emmy Awards, the Screen Directors' Guild Award and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. Mr. Robbins is a 1981 Kennedy Center Honors Recipient, was awarded the Commandeur de L'Order des Arts et des Lettres, is an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and was awarded a National Medal of Arts as well as the Governor's Arts Awards by the New York State Council on the Arts. Some of his Broadway shows include On the Town, Billion Dollar Baby, High Button Shoes, West Side Story, The King and I, Gypsy, Peter Pan, Miss Liberty, Call Me Madam and Fiddler on the Roof. In 1989, Jerome Robbins's Broadway won six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Director. He was most recently awarded the French Chevalier dans l'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur. Jerome Robbins passed away in 1998

Jerry Bock was born in New Haven, Connecticut on November 23rd, 1928. That was his first out-of-town tryout. Thirty years later, he and Sheldon Harnick gave birth to The Body Beautiful in Philadelphia. That was his fourth out-of-town tryout. In between was Catch a Star, a fleeting revue that, according to critic Walter Kerr, posed the question; "What do you call something between a flop and a smash?" Kerr's answer? "A flash". Next, Jule Styne and Tommy Valano midwifed Bock, Larry Holofcener and George Weiss into birthing Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis Jr. The title song and "Too Close For Comfort" are still active off springs. Bock and Harnick's celebrated collaboration yielded five scores in seven years. The Body Beautiful, Fiorello! (winner of Broadway's triple crown: The Tony Award, The New York Critics' Circle Award and The Pulitzer Prize in drama, the fourth musical to do so). Tenderloin, She Loves Me - (winner of Variety's poll of critics as best musical, citing Bock and Harnick as best composer and lyricist). Fiddler on the Roof - (nine Tonys, notably the citation for best musical of the year), The Apple Tree and The Rothschilds. In addition to the 1989 silver anniversary production of Fiddler (from which a major excerpt was featured in Jerome Robbins' Broadway), a highly esteemed revival of The Rothschlds enjoyed a successful run off-Broadway the following year. Since then, Bock and Harnick were triply honored by being inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame, receiving the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Spirit of American Creativity Award from the Foundation for a Creative America. But the "award" that Bock holds near and dear is the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Wisconsin. It was there that he met his wife Patti, and it was there that he decided to be a composer. Mr. Bock is a member of a number of professional guilds and associations, among which the BMI Foundation, Inc. is a membership he relishes. As for Patti, his wife, George, their son and Portia, their daughter, Bock confesses they are his longest running hit.

Sheldon Harnick’s career began in the 1950s with songs in revues (e.g., "The Boston Beguine," "The Merry Little Minuet"). With Jerry Bock he created a number of memorable musicals, including Fiorello! (Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize), Tenderloin, She Loves Me (Grammy), Fiddler on the Roof (Tony), The Apple Tree, and The Rothschilds (subsequently revised as Rothschild & Sons). Other collaborations: Rex (Richard Rodgers), A Christmas Carol (Michel Legrand), A Wonderful Life (Joe Raposo), The Phantom Tollbooth (Arnold Black, Norton Juster), and The Audition (Marvin Hamlisch). He has written three musicals himself: Dragons, A Doctor in Spite of Himself, and Malpractice Makes Perfect. He and his wife Margery currently reside in New York City.

Joseph Stein won the Tony Award and Drama Critics Circle Award for Fiddler on the Roof. His other musicals include Zorba (Tony nomination, Drama Critics Circle Award); Rags (Tony nomination); The Baker's Wife (Olivier Award nomination, London); Take Me Along (Tony nomination); Juno; Irene (starring Debbie Reynolds); The King of Hearts; All About Us; and Enter Laughing: The Musical (Lucille Lortel nomination, outstanding revival). He also co-authored, with Alan Jay Lerner, Carmelina; and with Will Glickman, Mr. Wonderful (starring Sammy Davis, Jr.), The Body Beautiful, andPlain and Fancy. His plays are Enter Laughing, Before the Dawn, and Mrs. Gibbons' Boys. Stein grew up in the Bronx and first became a social worker while pursuing writing on the side. He began his career in TV and radio, writing for "The Sid Caesar Show," "Your Show of Shows," "Henry Morgan Show," and many others, and for personalities including Tallulah Bankhead, Phil Silvers, Jackie Gleason and Zero Mostel. On Broadway he made his debut contributing to the theatrical revues Lend an Ear (featuring Carol Channing) and Alive and Kicking. He wrote the screenplays of Enter Laughing and Fiddler on the Roof, for which he won the Screen Writers Guild Award. In 2008, he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.