Esther: A Musical Based on the Old Testament Book Cast

Hannah Stage is a senior at Veritas. She has participated in Theatre Veritas since sixth grade on and off. Her favorite roles from past shows are Glinda from The Wizard of Oz and Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music. She is so excited to play the lead in Esther A Musical.

Cohen Taulbee is a Junior at Veritas and this is his second production with Theater Veritas. He has been a part of theater since fifth grade having parts in shows like Max in The Sound of Music, Horton in Seussical, and Laurie in Little Women. He is very excited and grateful to be cast as Mordecia in Esther A Musical, and he hopes you enjoy the show!

Mason will be returning on stage for his third musical. He is currently a junior at Veritas. He will be performing as King Xerxes in Veritas’ latest production of Esther A Musical.

Chris Bowyer is very excited to be in Theatre Veritas’ production of Esther! This is his fourth production he has been involved in and this is the largest role he has had. He knows that you will be blown away by this performance with him playing “Haman” of course. He hopes you enjoy the show.

Callie is thrilled to be a part of her 8th production with Theater Veritas and is delighted to play Zeresh. Some of Callie’s favorite roles include Marmee in Little Women, Antigone in Antigone and Mrs. Beaver in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Callie enjoys acting outside of Veritas and during the summer months, she can often be found at The Academy Of The Arts in Greenville, SC studying theater and film. She hopes that you enjoy the show!

Lillian Wack is very excited to take part in putting on Esther a Musical. She previously played the “Sentinel” in Antigone and “Fredrich” in The Sound of Music. She can't wait to see you there!

Molly has been attending Veritas for 11 years and is a junior. This is her 4th Theatre Veritas show, she has been in A Christmas Carol, Oklahoma, and Hamlet. She is excited for her roles of Kiana and Rachel, and she hopes you enjoy the show.

Tessa is so, so excited for Esther a Musical. This is her 5th performance with Theatre Veritas. She is playing Layliya, Wretch, and ensemble. She is so glad you are here and hopes you enjoy the show.

Alaina is very excited to be participating in Theatre Veritas again this year! She has been in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, was the “shy woman” in Rodgers and Hammersteins’ Cinderella, participated in Theatre Veritas’ “Easter Special”, as well as many other shows including The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Wizard of Oz, Little Women, and Sound of Music. She is very thankful to be a part of this loving group of students, directors, and all involved. Relax and enjoy the show!

Eden Clarke is exited to be in Esther a Musical. This is her second show with Theatre Veritas, she was in the fall production of Antigone. She thanks you for supporting Theatre Veritas and hopes you enjoy the show.

Lacy Burgess is very excited to be in the spring musical. She is excited for her roles of young Esther and Memucan. She has been a part of Theatre Veritas for two years and Esther is her favorite book in the bible.

Mae Taulbee is very excited to be in Esther A Musical this year. This is her first year being a part of any theater production. She loves singing and dancing and is ecstatic for you to see this year’s spring production of Esther A Musical.

Emma Redden is new at veritas this year and loves to socialize, sing, and dance. This is her second performance. She is very excited. She loves acting with her friends and is so excited for Esther a Musical!

Raina Maloney is a sophomore at Veritas, some of her favorite roles include Sister Margaretta in The sound of music, and Eurydice in Antigone. She is excited for her role as Mehuman in Esther and hopes to see you there!

Brooke Miller is performing as Harbona in this year’s spring production. She has been attending Veritas for 10 years and is a junior. This is her second Theatre Veritas show. She was Adam in A Christmas Carol in sixth grade and is very excited to return to the stage.

Ava is happy to be performing the role of Queen Yashti in this musical. This is her sixth show with Theatre Veritas. She hopes you all enjoy the show.

Winter Rose has been attending Veritas for eight years. Winter is so excited to be in her fifth performance, and second production with Theatre Veritas. She was in the Fall production of Antigone. Esther a Musical is her fourth Musical and she hopes you enjoy the show!

This is Adrian's first experience with Theatre Veritas. He is very excited to be in this musical as the role of “Hathach”. He hopes you enjoy the show.

Brady Teague is currently a junior attending Veritas Christian Academy. It is his first musical and and very excited to be a part of the production. He hopes you enjoy the show.

David is excited to be a part of this production of Esther. He has been in two plays before. In this show he is playing the role of Hegai, the man in charge of the women’s quarters, and Taresh, the guard who is plotting to kill the king. He hopes you enjoy the show!

I was born in Raleigh, NC in 2010 and moved to Fairview in 2018. I got my first drum kit when I was six, but I would only bang around on it because I didn’t know what everything was. My dad, who is also a percussionist, introduced me to the genre of Rock, which inspired me to truly begin my musical journey. He gave me his full-sized drum set and I took lessons from a drummer at my church. I now play the drums for my church on Sunday mornings and in the Youth Ministry, as well as play drums and keyboards with Rock Academy in Asheville. When I’m not a drummer, I’m an aviation enthusiast and I love learning about the basics of flying planes through Youtube, flight simulators, and raw experience.

Frank’s first “gig” was in seventh grade playing the National Anthem every morning for the opening of school. It has been non-stop playing and teaching ever since. In addition to teaching music at Veritas since 2001, he enjoys giving weekly private piano lessons to about 50 students, and is organist/pianist at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Hendersonville. He’s recorded albums of Christmas music, Broadway classics, and worship. When he’s not teaching or doing things with his wife Mary, Argo their Mini Pinscher keeps Frank busy playing ball.

Samantha Higgins has served as a teacher with Veritas for six years. She has two children who enjoy attending Veritas as well. She is married to Jimmy Higgins, Jr. She played clarinet for the AC Reynolds Symphonic Band and the Marching Green Stars in high school and was selected to play in the All County and All State Bands. She then went on to play for a community orchestra while attending Wingate University. Music continues to bring her great joy and she is delighted to be able to support her students by being part of the orchestra for Esther.

When Tyler was 14, he signed up for his high school orchestra as a guitarist. Unfortunately, the orchestra did not include guitars. On the first day of class his conductor, Mr. Peterson, saw that Tyler was wholly unprepared for this musical endeavor and gave him a tour of the instruments of the orchestra. Tyler naturally gravitated toward the double bass, mostly because it was tuned in fourths like a guitar, and partly because the bass’s large mass and size had a stronger gravitational pull than the other instruments. Tyler and the bass have been inseparable since then, though he still enjoys playing the guitar. Tyler lives in Hendersonville with his wife, Tiffany, and their three kids, Agnes, Beckett, and Windsor.

Caroline Kirsch is a flutist and teacher based in Hendersonville, NC. She has performed piccolo with the Mississippi Opera and held the position of principal flute in the Lamont Symphony Orchestra. She will feature on the soundtrack for the sci-fi Webtoon Original, “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Caroline holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Katie has been playing piano for 23 years and cello for 18 years. She is a private piano and cello teacher with her studio goal being to glorify God by spreading the joy of music to the next generation. Katie received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Thomas Edison State University.