ALICE BY HEART

New York theater includes understudying and performing the role of Viola in the 2018 Shakespeare in the Park/Public Works production of Twelfth Night. Other credits: Folk Wandering (World Premiere, Pipeline Theatre Company), Twelfth Night (Alley Theatre), Chasing the Song (La Jolla Playhouse), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tantrum Theater). Usual suspect at The Back Room Shakespeare Project. Film/Web includes “Basic Witch” (Amazon), “Half Full” (Refinery29 + TBS Comedy Writer’s Lab), and the upcoming indie feature Friday Afternoon. Training: BFA, NYU; MFA, UC San Diego. Faculty: Playwrights Horizons Theater School at NYU Tisch. Thank you DGRW team, Telsey, Tree, and my beautiful friends! As always, for my loving parents.

Mia DiLena is originally from Toronto, graduated from The Ailey School in 2009. Following that, she attended Springboard Danse Montréal for three seasons. Mia performed with Travis Wall’s company, Shaping Sound, on the tours of After the Curtain and Dance Reimagined, and most recently performed Travis’ choreography at the American Music Awards for Jennifer Lopez. Earlier in 2016, Mia worked with Stacey Tookey on the original creation of a Canadian musical entitled DANCER!: A Musical in Ten Furlongs. Some of her film and television credits include Disney’s The Music Man, From Time to Time (Bravo), and several music videos. Mia has danced in a number of Toronto-based companies including Helix Dance Project, Bridge To Artists, Conteur Dance Company, and TOES FOR DANCE. Mia was thrilled to be a part of the creation process of Alice By Heart, and is elated to be joining the cast here and now.

Zachary Downer Broadway: Hello, Dolly!, CATS (Mr. Mistoffolees). Television: “So You Think You Can Dance” S14, “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” YoungArts Alumni ‘15. World Ballet Competition – Bronze Medalist ‘14. Thanks to God, my incredible family, mentors, & Lakey Wolff & Co.! Psalm 16:6

Noah Galvin made his B’way debut as the titular character in Dear Evan Hansen. Upcoming Film: Booksmart (dir: Olivia WIlde), Film: Assassination Nation (dir. Sam Levinson). Television: “The Real O’Neals” (ABC). Off-Broadway: What I Did Last Summer (Signature Theater), Love and Information (New York Theater Workshop), The Golden Dragon (The Play Company), Yosemite (Rattlestick Theater), King Lear (Exit, Pursued by Bear), Treasure Island (Irondale Theater), Our Town (Barrow Street Theater), The Burnt Part Boys (Vineyard, Playwrights Horizons, New York Stage and Film- Lortel Nomination), Esther Demsack (Public Theater). Regional: The Power of Duff (Huntington Theatre Company), Filming O’Keeffe (Adirondack Theatre Festival), The Great American Mousical (dir. Julie Andrews -Goodspeed), Tommy (Bay Street Theatre), Wintuk (Cirque du Soleil), Ace: The Musical (St. Louis Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Old Globe-Kevin Kline Award). Audiofile Magazine’s Earphones Award winner (2014) for his narration of “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “Somebody Up There Hates You,” and “Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock.

Molly Gordon co-starred alongside Melissa McCarthy in the Warner Bros/New Line comedy feature film Life of the Party and just completed production on Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut film, Booksmart and the Universal Pictures comedy Good Boys directed by Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky for Seth Rogen’s Point Grey Pictures. Additionally, Gordon starred as Nicky in the TNT drama “Animal Kingdom,” based on the 2010 Australian film of the same name. Other TV credits include “Ramy” on Hulu (upcoming), “Orange is the New Black,” “Sin City Saints” and the voice of Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Stephen Colbert’s “Our Cartoon President.”  Her other credits include Sweeney Todd (Lincoln Center, Great Performances) and Love the Coopers. Gordon resides in New York and Los Angeles.

Ari Groover Broadway: Head Over Heels, Holler If Ya Hear Me. Off Broadway: Bare: The Musical. Regional: Half Time, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Choreography: Burn All Night (A.R.T.), In the Heights (NYU), Broadway Dreams Foundation, Permission (Short Film). Film: Spider-Man: Homecoming (Sony). TV: “Law&Order: SVU,” “The Get Down” (Netflix).

Michael Hartung is thrilled to be a part of this brilliant new work full of brilliant people. Broadway: Hello, Dolly! Regional: The Saint Louis Muny, Goodspeed Opera House, Barrington Stage, Houston’s Theater Under the Stars, Music Theater of Wichita, The Gateway Playhouse, and West Virginia Public Theater. Television: “Peter Pan Live!”, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Originally from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Michael trained at The University of Michigan and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Endless thanks CTG and love to family, friends, teachers and Jason. 

Zachary Infante is passionate about new work and grateful to be making their MCC debut! Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Dir. Julie Taymor, Theatre for a New Audience), Big River (Dir. Lear deBessonet, New York City Center), Fingersmith (Dir. Bill Rauch, American Repertory Theater), Do I Hear A Waltz? (Dir. Evan Cabnet, NYCC), Pericles (Dir. Trevor Nunn, TFANA), Tamburlaine the Great (Dir. Michael Boyd, TFANA), Somewhere (Dir. Giovanna Sardelli, Hartford Stage), Peter Pan (Dir. Mark Hoebee, Paper Mill Playhouse), In The Heights (Dir. Nick DeGruccio, Orlando Shakes), The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Dir. Ken Rus Schmoll, Two River Theater), Rent (Dir. Nicola Murphy, Cas Di Cultura, Aruba’s National Theater), Petrol Station (Dir. Sulayman al Basam, The Kennedy Center), TV/Film: “Gotham,” “Alpha House,” Carrie Pilby (Dir. Susan Johnson), School of Rock (Dir. Richard Linklater). They’d like to thank their family, friends, and the team at Abrams for continued love and support. This one is for their niece Mia. @zachinfante

Andrew Kober has appeared on Broadway in School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George, She Loves Me, Les Miserables, and Hair as well as the West End production of Hair. He toured nationally in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and has appeared off-Broadway and regionally with Roundabout Theatre Company, The Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, The Old Globe, Yale Rep, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bucks County Playhouse, The Denver Center Theater, Barrington Stage Company, and four summers at Shakespeare in the Park, most recently playing Malvolio in the 2018 production of Twelfth Night. His television credits include “Ray Donovan,” “House of Cards,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Blue Bloods,” “Pan Am,” and the upcoming FX miniseries, “Fosse/Verdon.” Twitter: @andrewkober

Grace McLean MCC debut. Broadway: Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. Off-Broadway: Natasha, Pierre…, Kazino; Brooklynite, Vineyard; Bedbugs!!!, ArcLight; The World is Round, BAM; Sleep No More, McKittrick; Twelve Ophelias, Woodshed Collective. Regional: Natasha, Pierre…, A.R.T.; Pump Boys and Dinettes, Weston Playhouse; La MaMa Cantata, in Spoleto, Italy; Zagreb, Croatia; Belgrade, Serbia; From The Fire, Edinburgh 2011; MTM Best New Musical; The Last Goodbye, WTF. As a musical ambassador for the US State Department, Grace toured Russia with Migguel Anggelo (2018), and Pakistan with her band (2015). Grace McLean & Them Apples headlined Lincoln Center’s American Songbook in 2015 and 2016. Grace is the recipient of the 2017 Hunt Family Emerging Artist Award from Lincoln Center and her original musical about the early life of 12th century mystic and polymath Hildegard von Bingen is commissioned by Lincoln Center. Original music on iTunes. www.gracemclean.com @thatgracemclean

Andrew Mueller Off-Broadway: Prentiss in Peter and the Starcatcher. Regional credits include: Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Young Ben in Some Lovers (Old Globe and Adirondack Theater Festival), Mark Cohen in RENT (Paramount Theatre Aurora), My Paris (Long Wharf Theatre), Shakespeare in Love and As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare Theater).

Catherine Ricafort was last seen as villainess “Karen The Computer” in SpongeBob Squarepants on Broadway. Catherine also originated the role of “Mahi” in Jason Robert Brown’s Honeymoon in Vegas on Broadway.  Other Broadway shows include Mamma Mia!, Cinderella, Allegiance, Disaster!, Holiday Inn, and Miss Saigon. Regional: Rocky Horror (“Janet”), Bucks County Playhouse. As a lead vocalist, she has performed on NBC’s “The Sing-Off” as a featured soloist of “The Backbeats,” can be heard on a cappella albums with “The SoCal VoCals”, and has performed for troops across the country with The USO Show Troupe.  As a director and choreographer, her latest project is “Choose”, the debut music video for Queens-based rapper Super Smack. B.S. Industrial & Systems Engineering (Cum Laude), University of Southern California. Love to God, Pa, Ma, Jaydee, Lims, Scott. Thanks to Telsey and the incredible Alice By Heart team for having me! www.catherinericafort.com @cattricafort

Colton Ryan is currently starring in Girl From the North Country at The Public. He recurred on FX’s “The Americans,” and Showtime’s “Homeland.” He will appear in Rhys Ernst’s upcoming feature, Adam, alongside Margaret Qualley and Nicholas Alexander. Colton understudied for Ben Platt in the Tony-Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. He also shot a lead role in the feature film The Social Ones, directed by Laura Kosann.

Heath Saunders spent much of 2018 involved in Jesus Christ Superstar, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, as Jesus, and also as an apostle in “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” on NBC. His summer and fall were filled with various workshops, readings, and new works, including being a featured vocalist with Constellation Chor at the New York Philharmonic’s gala welcoming Jaap Von Zweden. He made his Broadway debut in 2016 with the much-acclaimed musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, after participating in the show’s American Repertory Theatre production. He has appeared Off-Broadway in Newton’s Cradle (New York Musical Theatre Festival), for which he also wrote the music and lyrics. Other New York appearances include Lennon (Union Square Theatre), I Am Harvey Milk (Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (New York City Center Encores). Regionally Saunders has been seen in Twelfth Night (Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.), Blessing (Yale Repertory Theatre), The 12 (Denver Center), James and the Giant Peach (Seattle Children’s Theatre), and numerous productions at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, including Spamalot, The Pirates of Penzance, Hairspray! In Concert, Rent, and Titanic: In Concert. heathcliffsaunders.com @feeltheheath

Wesley Taylor Broadway: Spongebob Squarepants (original cast), The Addams Family (original cast), Rock of Ages (original cast). Theatre World Award Winner and Outer Critics Circle Nominee. Denver Center: An Act of God. Signature Theatre: Cabaret. Second Stage: Little Miss Sunshine. American Conservatory Theater: Tales of the City. TV: “Smash” (26 episodes), “The Good Wife,” “The Tomorrow People,” “One Life to Live,” “Looking,” “I’m Dying Up Here,” “Difficult People.” Taylor is a published playwright, as well as the Co-Creator/Writer/Star of “Indoor Boys,” (HuffPost Queer Voices/Vimeo) “It Could Be Worse,” (Hulu/Pivot Tv/Vimeo), and “Billy Green” (YouTube). BFA: North Carolina School of the Arts.

Natalie Walker is a performer and writer making her MCC debut. Onstage frequently at 54 Below, Joe’s Pub, and Ars Nova; onscreen less frequently in TBS’ Search Party; online in perpetuity writing articles for Vulture and tweets for herself alone. She is elated to be part of a new Duncan Sheik/Steven Sater musical over a decade after an ill-fated Spring Awakening open call audition at age 15, during which she specified that her interpretation of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” was “inspired by the version from The OC.” BFA: NYU Tisch. Thanks to her family for supporting and roasting her in equal measure, and to Audra McDonald for being Audra McDonald. @nwalks / natalieleerwalker.com