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Meet the cast!
Natalie Jambor
Mal - Opening Cast
This will be Natalie's 8th production at MYT with favorites including Elsa in FROZEN JR and the ladybug in JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH JR. Other roles include Matilda in MATILDA THE MUSICAL (Wallingford Community Theatre), The Dragon in SHREK JR (Middletown Stage Company) and Tiger Lily in PETER PAN JR (West End Players). In addition to musical theatre, Natalie enjoys dancing and spending time with her friends. She is currently an 8th grade student at Moran Middle School and is looking forward to high school. Natalie thanks the cast, crew, staff and all her MYT friends!!
Brie Beard
Mal - Closing Cast
Brie is so excited to partake in her second MYT Production (Brooke in LEGALLY BLONDE), and cannot wait for everyone to see the hard work put in by the cast and crew alike. This past year she played Mother Superior in SISTER ACT (Avon High School), Leaf Coneybear in THE 25TH…SPELLING BEE (CAST Manchester), and Miss Scarlet in CLUE: ON STAGE (Avon High School). She has also worked on Sound Tech for MOANA JR (Thompson Brook School), and is currently Assistant Directing THE LITTLE MERMAID JR at Avon Middle School. She thanks everyone on the production team and hopes you enjoy the show!
Mariah Parker
Jay - Opening Cast
This will be Mariah’s third production at MYT (Paulette in LEGALLY BLONDE, and Sabbath Prayer Soloist in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF JR). Other favorite roles include Constance De Bonacieux in THE THREE MUSKETEERS (Platt Theatre) and Kelli Poshkonozovich in DEAR EDWINA JR. (Lincoln Middle). Mariah is a sophomore pursuing her dreams of becoming an actress. She thanks everyone involved at MYT and hopes you enjoy the show!
MollyAnn O’Malley
Royal Guard
MollyAnn has performed with MYT since the second grade. Some of her favorite productions have been JINGLE JURY, ELF, GODSPELL, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF along with many others. Besides MYT MollyAnn is a senior at Maloney H.S. and is a member of Props and Paints, Choir and Captain of the Maloney Colorguard. She also plays the Violin & Trumpet. MollyAnn is looking forward to continuing her education in Computer Science and Music. She would like to thank her family, friends, MYT family and the MHS Music Dept. for all their support over the years.
Jamie Baribault
Coach - Closing Cast
Jamie is a sophomore at Southington High School and is a huge theater fan. She has been in many shows including, THE LIGHTNING THIEF THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL (Warner Theatre Summer Arts Program), THE LITTLE MERMAID (Southington High School Drama Club), FROZEN JR (Southington Youth Summer Theater), THE LION KING JR, (Flanders School Drama Club), WILLY WONKA (Southington Community Theatre) and many others. She is very excited to be participating in her third MYT production, DISNEY'S DESCENDANTS, with her friends and can't wait for you to see the show that everyone has worked so hard on.
Sofia Maksymiw
Lady Tremaine, Ariel's Child
Sofia is a Senior at Plainville High School. She just recently played Elliot in, "THE PRICE OF FIREWOOD" This will be her fourth show with MYT. When she isn't on stage at PHS and MYT she stays busy taking hip hop, lyrical, jazz, tap and competition hip hop at Dance Incorporated in Plainville. Sofia will be studying Education next year in hopes of being a special education teacher.
Ray Sanders
Cruella - Closing Cast
Ray loves being part of MYT especially helping the young kids as a CIT. MYT: Mum/Russian (MATILDA), Charlie (ELF JR), Yente (FIDDLER ON THE ROOF JR), Ryan (HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 JR), Aaron (LEGALLY BLONDE), Blind Mice (SHREK JR), Andrea (ONCE ON THIS ISLAND JR), Mulan (MULAN JR), and Farmer Sherry (DEAR EDWINA JR). Meriden Schools: Ariel (THE LITTLE MERMAID JR), Babkak (ALADDIN JR), Dorothy (WIZZARD OF OZ JR), and Scott (DEAR EDWINA JR). Ray attends Education Center for the Arts in New Haven studying theatre. Thanks to everyone at MYT for their support on and off stage.
Jessica Rybak
Fairy Godmother - Closing Cast
Jessica brings light and sunshine where ever she goes! The Descendants is her second production with MYT after her summer production of Elf. She has also been involved in Emma A Pop Musical at CRHS, Shrek and Mary Poppins with Paperhouse Productions, and Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and the Wizard of Oz at YPPCA. She is so happy to have found her family at MYT and to be involved in this production of The Descendants
Kara Starkey
Maleficent - Opening Cast
Kara is an 8th grade student at North Haven Middle School. DESCENDANTS is her 6th production with MYT. Previous roles include Pabbie in FROZEN JR and Sergei in MATILDA. Kara is also part of the Whitney Players Theater Company. She was recently Chita in HELP, I'M TRAPPED IN A MUSICAL and Zebulun's Wife in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAM COAT. She has been dancing since age 3. The first 6 years with Act III and the next 4 including presently, with En Lair Studio of Dance. She hopes to attend the half day program at the Educational Center for the Arts next year as a high school Freshman.
Opening Cast - Fri 7 & Sat 2
Closing Cast - Sat 7 & Sun 2
MYT Teen Company
- 2022: Descendants: The Musical & Elf JR
- 2021: Legally Blonde & High School Musical 2 JR
- 2020: Once on this Island JR
- 2019: Chicago High School Edition & Camp Rock
- 2018: 13: The Musical & Aladdin JR
- 2017: Into the Woods JR & Seussical JR
- 2016: Grease: School Edition & The Wiz
- 2015: Little Shop of Horrors & Shrek TYA
MYT Staff
- Director - Lindsay Porter
- Assistant Director - Cessa Fontanez
- Music Director - Maureen Ruhe
- Choreographer - Nich Palumbo
- Costumes - Rachel Herbst-Vasas
- Technical Director - Joe Oblon
- Program Director - Carolyn Daniels
- Jordan Jarrell - Stage Manager
Special Thanks To
- Tech Crew: Stefanie Szawerda, Rowan O'Hara, Bella Panico, Cali Ruhe, and Katherine Sanders
- Set Crew: Christopher Vasas and Stefanie Szawerda Parent volunteers for donating the concession items, selling tickets, and helping to run the lobby.
- Parent Ad Committee: Kelly Therrien and Dottie Starkey
- Star Gram Chairperson: Melissa Rella
- Freddie and the custodial staff at Edison Middle School
- Kendra Henderson, Luke Henderson, Erin Lyons-Barton, Catherine Vega, and the Edison Music and Theater Department
- The Meriden YMCA
- Brian Cyr & Meriden Public Schools
- CMI Sound & Show Lighting
Director's Note
Thank you for your support in Meriden Youth Theater’s production of “Descendants.” This has been one of the hardest working casts I’ve had the pleasure to work with. And we are so excited to be one of the first youth theaters in the area to perform this show.
Thank you for your support!
The MYT Staff would like to thank all our families for their support this year. Between donating to our concessions tables, buying items for Witch Upon a Star, purchasing booster ads in show programs, and ordering show photos, MYT raised enough money to purchase significant upgrades for our program! In 2022 we added new speakers, 4 digital microphones, new LED lighting, a haze machine, projection control software, and more! Your support allows MYT to keep growing - thank you!
Join MYT for our Spring 2023 Production!
Registration at the YMCA for students in grades 1-12 is now open! Auditions are next week, January 14th. Rehearsals are on Saturdays. Performances April 21-23.
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