Skyler is a 2009 Sparta graduate and a 2013 graduate from Viterbo University with a BFA Musical Theatre degree. Skyler has started his own interior design business and is currently a Special Education teacher here at Sparta High School. Throughout his high school, college, and professional career he has been in over 45 productions and has also directed and choreographed numerous show choirs and musicals. After graduating college, he moved to Las Vegas and worked for many show and talent agencies on and off the strip. He's performed shows through hotel/casinos such as the Bellagio, MGM Grand, Venetian, and Planet Hollywood. He was in a national commercial for Johnny Appleseed, a tour Motown show, and can be seen in the movie, "Show Dogs" with Will Arnett. This is the 5th musical Skyler has directed for Sparta High School. Skyler is now enjoying his time directing and adjudicating for WSMA festivals and solo ensembles and spending time with his two golden retrievers, Max and Finn.

Camie is a graduate from Winona State University where she received her Bachelors in Music Education with an emphasis in voice and piano. She is the director of the vocal music program at Sparta High School, and also directs the show choir and musical. She has directed over 25 productions at a variety of venues in the surrounding area. She was nominated for Outstanding Musical Direction through the Madison Overture Center's Jerry Awards in 2016, and has received this award twice; once in 2017 for Holmen High School's production of "25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee," and once 2018 for Sparta High School's production of "Cinderella." Camie continues performing on stage each summer. She also makes several trips to New York City every year to discover new Broadway shows, as well as participate in Broadway workshops and classes. She has had the opportunity to take workshops from performers such as: Jason Robert Brown (composer), Natalie Weiss (performer), Leo Ash Evens (performer), Lynn Ahrens (composer), David Yazbeck (composer), Susan Blackwell (performer), Kimberly Grigsby (music director of Spring Awakening), and Ian Weinberger (music director of Hamilton).

Leslie has been teaching ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, and musical theatre for nearly 25 years. She has choreographed for competitive dance groups that have won top honors and special awards. She has choreographed over 40 theatrical productions throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota. Leslie has held many roles onstage as well, and enjoys participating in various community theatres. She is a co-founder of Trilogy Dance Competition. Leslie is grateful for the love and support of Brad and their three awesome kids!

Andrew Nicholson is a Band Director for Sparta High School and Meadowview Middle School. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, and he has two Masters Degrees in Instrumental Conducting and Euphonium Performance from North Dakota State University. Andrew is also an active conductor for Sparta Spotlight Players' Musicals, Sparta Show Band with Upstage Adrenaline, and the Sparta Marching Band and Concert Band. In 2015, he was the Drum Corps International World Champion Euphonium Soloist for their Individual and Ensemble Competition in Indianapolis. Andrew is having a blast getting to know and make music with the professional musicians around the Sparta Area!

Originally from Kazakhstan, Irina trained at the Technical College of Textile and Sewing Industries and worked for many years as a technical engineer and fashion designer at the Regional Fashion House, Kazakhstan. She graduated from Light Industry College with an engineering degree at the sewing and textile industries and Shakerims University, Kazakhstan with degree in Art Teaching. After moving to the US, she worked at the Company Store as a technician at the Product Development Department. Irina graduated from Viterbo University with a BFA degree specializing in theatrical costume design. She currently works at Gundersen Lutheran and does her own wedding dress and costume alterations. She has also worked at La Crosse Community Theatre as a costume designer for many of their productions. In 2022, she received the Jerry Award for Outstanding Costume Design for her work on Shrek the Musical with Sparta High School.

Kristyn has been doing theatrical hair and makeup professionally for 10 years. She now loves to be a part of local theaters and share her knowledge! She is currently working full time as a Hair Stylist, Event Hair specialist and educator. She last did wig designing for Shrek and Frozen Jr. You can find her most days hanging out with her boys if she isn't doing hair!

Ellsey Caulkins is a junior this year. This will be her second year being our stage manager, she also was a stage manager for the A.C.T. Program that runs in Tomah. Not only does she work behind the scenes but she has been in five musicals and nominated for a musical camp. Ellsey is also one of the VP for DECA and a part of their Leadership Council. DECA is where she found her passion for marketing and also was able to make it to Nationals last year for her sales project. Lastly Ellsey would like to thank her parents for keeping up with her crazy schedule and for always being there when she needs it.

Daisha VanBeek is sophomore this year, and this will be her first year as Assistant Stage Manager. She has worked with SATAG, a community theatre in Sparta. She also is on the high school dance team. Daisha would like to thank her mom for pushing her to do this show!

Natalia Campos is a sophomore this year, and this is her second year being involved with the musical. Last year she operated as a sound technician, but is moving backstage this year! Natalia enjoys singing, running, and creating art in her free time. She’d like to thank her family and friends for supporting her throughout her endeavors. Most of all she hopes you enjoy the show!

Demeter is a junior this year. This is her second year with the Sparta Spotlight Players as a spotlight operator. She previously helped with the production of “Shrek The Musical.” She enjoys playing and performing music, as well as reading and making art. She is also in the Upstage Adrenaline Show Choir. She would like to thank her mother especially for constantly supporting her through her difficulties. She’d also like to thank her best friend, Nadia Lopez, for being a light that shines in her life.

Io is a sophomore this year and in her second year with the Sparta Spotlight Players as a spotlight operator. She enjoys playing drums, listening to music, and analyzing movies to a totally “normal'' extent. She would like to thank her brother for being cool, her best friends for being cool, and her parents for being cool.

Bio coming soon...

Bio coming soon...

Abrihana is a freshman this year. This is her first SHS musical as backstage crew. In her free time, she loves to paint, draw, and do makeup. A few extracurricular clubs she is involved in are Art Club, Robotics, Archery, DECA, and is also backstage crew for the Upstage Adrenaline show choir. She would love to thank her older sisters Ciara and Shea for getting her to try out and get involved and her friends and parents for giving her love and courage.

Emma is a sophomore this year, this is her first time working backstage for SHS Spotlight Players. She loves to paint and do hair and nails whenever she can. Emma is also involved in DECA, FCCLA, and does hair for the Upstage Adrenaline show choir. She would like to thank her parents for always encouraging her and supporting her in all that she does.

Luke is a sophomore this year, and this is his second year being on stage crew with the Sparta Spotlight Players. He enjoys playing video games, reading, tennis, and golf. He is also in other extracurricular activities such as robotics and the Upstage Adrenaline show choir. He would like to thank his friends for getting him into doing musical theater and show choir.

Bio coming soon...

Tyler is very happy to be playing again for Sparta High School. He has recently been in the pit for "Shrek the Musical", "Mamma Mia," and "Cinderella" and has enjoyed every minute of it. Though he recently moved to La Crosse, he still teaches piano and violin at the Sparta Music Shop. Originally from Utah, he has been in Wisconsin for 7 years and loves the community here. He would like to thank everyone involved in "The Addams Family" for coming together to put up such a production, his friend Ellen Hemstock for introducing him to the Sparta community, and his family for giving up so much time so he could be at rehearsals!!

This is the 14th production Camie has played in a pit orchestra - 3rd for Sparta Spotlight Players. She loves being able to work vocals with the cast, but then join our amazing orchestra for performances! She also gets slightly too excited to work with the fun keyboard patches each production!! "I do have to give a huge shout out to our amazing talented orchestra members. We are beyond lucky to have such talented community members join us each year for our productions. Thank you all for sharing your talents with us!"

Stephanie has been playing in band since the fifth grade. She also played the piano and loved to sing all the time. She graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a Bachelor of Music Degree. She currently plays in the La Crosse Wind Symphony, La Crosse Concert Band, Da Capo Concert Band, BRF Community Band, and the CrosseRoads Woodwind Quintet. She also plays with OAPC in Tomah for their Christmas and Variety Shows. Stephanie also plays with various other area High Schools in their musicals, the La Crosse Community Theatre, Viterbo and UW La Crosse Theatre.

riginally from the Philadelphia area, Steve moved to La Crosse in 2011 to join the English faculty at UW-La Crosse. He earned a BA in French and Russian from La Salle University and an MA and PhD in Linguistics from the University of South Carolina with a focus on American English dialects. He started playing sax in 4th grade and picked up the clarinet in high school to have more opportunities for musical theater gigs. He made the wrong decision to stop playing for about 15 years, but picked up his instruments again 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back. He plays lead alto sax in the Grumpy Old Men big band, alto sax in the La Crosse Concert Band and Da Capo Concert Band, soprano sax in a yet-to-be-named sax quartet, and whatever single reeds are needed in community musical theater productions. 

Michael has played trumpet for the past twenty-one years starting in school, and has continued appearing in various musical groups and events since graduating from Tomah High School in '09. He currently plays with community theaters, high schools, the One Accord Performance Company in Tomah, the Black River Area Community Band, as well as performs Taps as a USAF Veteran for military funerals and events. Michael graduated from Viterbo University with a Bachelor's in Management Information Systems, but music has always been his greatest passion. He is grateful for the opportunity to participate in another show with such a talented cast, crew, and orchestra! None of his participation would be possible without the incredible support from his wife, Alexandria.

Diane plays trombone, piano, and handbells. She graduated from UW Madison and UW Eau Claire and currently teaches English for the Alma Center School District and CVTC. She plays trombone in the BRF Community Band and Bone-i-fied Trombone Choir, as well as Dixieland Express, a combo which performs at the Eau Claire Jazz Festival, weddings, picnics, parties, and other civic events. Diane has played in numerous musicals in BRF, including Anything Goes, Shrek, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, The Music Man, and others and more recently, Bye, Bye Birdie in Tomah. She has enjoyed meeting new “pit peeps” and performing the ghoulish music of The Addams Family!

Matthew has been a musician since the age of 10 when he started playing piano. Born and raised in Sparta, he has been working with the music department at SHS since his sophomore year. After which, he studied one year at UW-Eau Claire with a Violin Performance Major, and will continue this next year. This will be his first musical with the orchestra pit, but he has loved being on stage in the musicals in the past. He decided to join the orchestra so he can continue being a part of these great productions.

Kathy has played in many pit orchestras in the area. Previous productions include: Les Miserables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Titanic, Mary Poppins, Cabaret, Bye Bye Birdie, Willie Wonka and more. She is a member of the La Crosse Symphony and is the owner of Pleasoning Gourmet Seasoning.

Calvin is 20 years old and a 2020 Graduate from Sparta High School, he spent his time there involved in Marching Band, Show Choir, Theatre and Jazz. Calvin studied Vocal Performance at Viterbo University in 2021 before leaving to follow his passion in the culinary arts. He resides in La Crosse and lives with his girlfriend, Morgan, and his Cat, Rey.

Brian is from Chippewa Falls, but has lived in Tomah for the last fifteen years with his wife and three children. He plays bass for One Acchord Performance Company in Tomah, and "The Addams Family" is the fifth musical (Wizard of Oz, Forever Plaid, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bye Bye Birdie) that he's been privileged to play in. "Thank you for coming and enjoy the show!"

They first got involved with the musical their junior year of high school playing percussion in the pit orchestra for “Cinderella.” They then played Bill in the 2019 rendition of “Mamma Mia!” Following graduation in the year 2020, they did a semester of online classes before attending Berklee College of music spring of 2021. After their time in Boston, they returned to the area, playing in various bands and working at Sparta Music Shop downtown. After “The Addams Family,” they will be driving out to Vegas to dabble in the music scene out west. Enjoy the show!

Sue has been involved in music for most of her life. As a fan of musical theater, it has been her good fortune to play auxiliary percussion for several western Wisconsin productions at UW-L, La Crosse Community Theater, OAPC and ACT in Tomah. It is a privilege to be playing for the first time in Sparta!