JOYFUL NOISE Cast

German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, concertos, and most notably his WATER MUSIC, MUSIC FOR THE ROYAL FIREWORKS and his MESSIAH. Handel speaks with a slight German accent, has a sardonic sense of humor, a passion for good music, and high appreciation for excellent musicianship. Handel (1685-1759) is recognized as one of the greatest composers of his age.

MAT YOUNG  (George Frideric Handel) Mat was last seen on TPNC stage in their production of Rocket Girl. Last year Mat was part of the cast of Murder on the Orient Express and the World Premiere of The Lobby by Don Creedon, at Curtain Call in Stamford. Other projects; Cactus Flower, Beau Jest, A Midsummer Night’s Queen, Much Ado About Nothing, The Pillowman,  Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Frost/Nixon, Arcadia, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Dancing at Lughnasa. Mat also attended the New Actors Workshop in NYC.

Kitty Clive was Britain's first celebrity singer. A singing actress, often performing in the Drury Lane Theatre. Kitty is pretty, cocksure, and extremely tough. She is street smart rather than highly educated, speaks in Cockney when emotional, and has a killer voice—and temper. She hates Susannah with a passion. ‘Kitty’ Clive (1711-1785, active 1728-1769) was a first songster and star comedienne of British playhouse entertainment. Clive led and created new forms of English musical theatre.

CLAIRE KENNY (Kitty Clive) is honored to make her stage debut for the Town Players of New Canaan! Past credits include Cinderella in Into the Woods at Curtain Call 2022, Tinkerbell in Midsummer Night's Queen with Lawn Chair Theater in 2021, Kit Kat Dancer in Cabaret, with Fairfield Center Stage in 2019, and Sophie in Mamma Mia at Curtain Call in 2018. This year she finally released some recordings on Spotify and YouTube. Feel free to check them out!

Suzannah Cibber was a singing actress, formerly of Drury Lane Theatre. Beautiful and frail, Susannah’s reputation has been ruined by circumstances beyond her control, affecting her confidence, career, health, and personal life. Still, she persists. It was said Cibber sang with simple sweetness and feeling, both of which appealed to Handel’s musical sensibilities. Susannah Maria Cibber (née Arne; February 1714 – 30 January 1766) was a celebrated English singer and actress.

RIA IPA (Susannah Cibber) is ecstatic to be a part of this stellar cast of Joyful Noise! Ria is a recent graduate of the renowned Manhattan School of Music. She is currently gigging around the tri-state area as a full-time musician. Most recently, she was seen as Sarah Gaylord in the Crystal Theatre’s production of The Burning of Norwalk. Opera credits include Second Woman (Dido and Aneas), Susanna (Le Nozze Di Figaro) and most recently Zweite Knabe (Die Zauberflote). In the summer of 2021 she Music Directed the Summer Theatre of New Canaan’s Junior and Drama-Rama productions of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Assistant-Music Directed the new musical Stoopkid Stories LIVE! Previous musical theatre credits include: Background Singer (Honky-Tonk Angels), Dorothy Gale (The Wizard of Oz), Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), and Ursula (The Little Mermaid).

Music patron. The twice widowed 18th-century Englishwoman thrived in her middle-age as a social butterfly, amateur artist, and trusted authority on everything from court fashion to natural science. She was well-dressed, kindly, and at times seems batty—but don’t fall for it.

AUTUMN RAYE ARTHUR (Mary Pendarves) is pumped to make her debut at the Powerhouse! Most recently, she played Juliet's Nurse in Romeo and Juliet at Curtain Call's Shakespeare on the Green. She has also played Friar Francis in Lawnchair Theatre's Much Ado About Nothing and directed The Great Hocus Pocus Pumpkin at the Carriage House. She has stage managed and designed local productions of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and Title of Show among others, as well as the world's first licensed all-female production of Cabaret with The Lipstick Project at Darien Arts Center. Prior to that she wrote and directed Perfect: a Cabaret with TLP at the Carriage House, and appeared for TLP as Friar Francis in Much Ado, Benvolio in R & J, Peter Quince in Midsummer, Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest, and Horatio in Hamlet. Special thanks to Nancy for always letting her be late!

King of England. Passionate, volatile, not educated but always striving to learn more, King George grieves the loss of his beloved wife, Caroline. He has a good sense of humor and a strong sense of honor.

CHRISTIAN MILLER (King George II) Chris has been acting on stage and in film since fourth grade. In New York he has been seen in such roles as King Taos in Iphigenia in Tauris with the Elysium Theater Co., God in the Rainer Rilke’s adaptation of Stories of God. Locally he has been seen at Shakespeare on the Green in many seasons. Most recently as Montague in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and the titular role in Julius Caesar. Chris was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, attended the New Actors Workshop in NYC, and as always wishes to thank his family and especially his beautiful wife, Rory, for their support.

Business manager, amanuensis for Handel. Smith is quiet, efficient, and witty. Quietly and with good intentions, Smith both manages and manipulates Handel to do what is best.

GRADY DENNIS (John Christopher Smith) is thrilled to be making his New Canaan debut. A native of Sumter, South Carolina, he began studying theater at the age of 6 at the "Sumter Little Theater'' (under the direction of the late Katie Damron). Grady has been a part of many different facets of the theater from acting, directing, writing, producing, acting/voice coaching, choreography, and costume design. Grady was last seen on stage at The Wilton Playshop as Hunter in Title of Show. Other local credits: Curtain Call as Bob in Beyond Therapy, Charlie in The Foreigner, and Jack in The Boys Next Door. Some of his favorite regional credits include: Clifford in Side Man, Brad in The Rocky Horror Show, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Pippin in Pippin, Emory in The Boys in the Band, Anatoly in Chess, Huck in Big River, The Young Thing in Hello Again, Marvel Ann in Psycho Beach Party, and Sideway/Collins in Our Country's Good. He has written and starred in over 100 online sketch comedy shorts, which have been featured in “The Huffington Post,” “Time Out New York” and several other media outlets. Other training includes musical theater at Millikin University and improvisational comedy at the famous Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City. Thank you, Nancy and a fabulous company.

Prebendary of Durham, and Clerk of the Closet for the Royal Household. Egerton is educated, pompous, and inflexible in his beliefs and practices. He despises Handel.

PATRICK DUFFY (Bishop Henry Egerton) Patrick recently was seen as Serge in Art at the Wilton Playshop. Other favorite roles have been in Dancing at Lughnasa at the Wilton Playshop (Michael), Arthur Miller’s The Price at WCT (Walter), Beau Jest at Curtain Call (Bob), The Good Woman of Szechwan at the Casey Center in Wellesley, MA (Yang Sun), and Outside Mullingar with Town Players of New Canaan (Anthony), and Fool for Love at the Carriage House (Old Man). He also has participated frequently with TPC’s Stage II readings directed by Frank Petrilli, including his original works Hedgehog and Of No Pleasant Side.

English landowner and patron of the Arts. Squire of Gopsall, librettist of Messiah. Jennens is extremely religious, meticulous, and insensitive to all others’ feelings and practices. He is a non-juror (one who refuses to swear an oath to royalty).

TIMOTHY HUBER (Charles Jennens) was seen at TPNC last season as David Bliss in Hay Fever. Other recent roles include Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (NewArts), Sidney Bruhl in Deathtrap (TheatreWorks), Launce in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (FineLine Theater Arts), Dr. Sloper in The Heiress (Town Players of Newtown), and, at Ridgefield Theater Barn, Michael/David/Malcolm in The Divas and multiple roles in The Exonerated. Other favorite roles include Dale Harding in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (RTB), Mr. Myers, Q.C. in Witness for the Prosecution (TheatreWorks), Theo in The Underpants (Sherman Playhouse), Georg in She Loves Me (Theater at Walnut Hill), and Charles Audelle in The Veil (Town Players of Newtown). Much love to his wife Laine for her recurring role as supportive spouse.

SEB WINTERTREE (Le Blond) is exuberant to make his first performance since childhood. Joyful Noise is his first show performing since being told to resign acting as a boy. In October 2021, he participated in the stage crew for the Fairfield Center Stage production of Mamma Mia where he found himself singing the Abba melodies quietly in the background. He is very excited to be reborn in musical theater in 2022.

Joseph Riedel is a writer, director, and performer located and operating out of the NYC, Westchester, and Fairfield county areas, with extensive work as an improv comedian. Joseph is thrilled to be involved in another Nancy Meyer production, albeit hands-off as a voiceover artist. His newest play, It's Hell Out There, premieres on November 18, 2022.