What would happen in our current age and time if someone showed up preaching equality for all, offering free healthcare and wanting to feed those stricken with poverty? By many, this person would be deemed a hero for the poor and sick. By others, this person might be viewed as a “woke” zealot and be deemed a threat to their power. In the end, decisions would have to be made by all as to which side of the story they would want to be seen from.
With reimagined casting and a current take on the classic musical, Drag Daddy Productions and Chicken Coop Theatre are thrilled to bring you Jesus Christ Superstar this summer at Art Sanctuary, Louisville, Kentucky. Our diverse cast of more than 20 people will fill the space with movement and dance telling one of the world’s most famous stories through the lens of our modern age.
PROUDLY PRESENTED BY
IN SPONSORSHIP WITH THESE LOCAL ALLIES
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR CAST FEATURING
Gilda Wabbit is so excited to be involved in Jesus Christ Superstar! After studying classical music at the University of Kentucky, she moved to New York before sidestepping into drag performance. Returning to Kentucky, she’s so grateful to have performed in many theatrical productions including Drag Daddy Productions’ Alice in Derbyland, Snow White and the Seven Drag Queens, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch as well as Chicago with The Lexington Theatre Company and The Rocky Horror Show with Timeslip Theatre.
Myranda is absolutely thrilled to be back onstage with Drag Daddy Productions! Seeing as her first production was portraying Baby Jesus in her local church play, I think it’s safe to say Myranda has officially entered her “villain era.” Myranda has been a member of the Louisville Theatre Community for five years. Her favorite roles include Pippin (Leading Player), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Yitzhak), Murder Ballad (Narrator), Cruel Intentions (Kathryn Merteuil) and Coherence (Laurie). She would like to thank and shoutout this incredible cast and crew who have brought this beautiful story to life (wait till you hear them SANG y’all!) as well as the directors, Tony Lewis and Jason Cooper, for trusting her to play this role. A special thank you to her friends, family and, specifically, Mimi Housewright and Ashley Drury for being her platonic life partners and loving her endlessly. Enjoy the show!
William Nickles is thrilled to be a part of this exciting cast of Jesus Christ Superstar. As a trans man, he is honored to be able to take on such an iconic role and to bring a new perspective to the character. Some of his previous performance credits include La Cage aux Folles (Jean-Michel) with Pandora Productions, The Rocky Horror Show (Eddie) with Time Slip Theatre, Rent (Featured Ensemble) with Redline Performing Arts, and Twinkie and the Beast (Swell) with Drag Daddy Productions.
Lyndsey Jayne Pennington (Pilate) is thrilled to make her Louisville theatrical debut with DragDaddy and The Chicken Coop!Native to Stearns, KY, Pennington received her BA in Theatre with minors in Vocal Performance and Appalachian Studies from the University of Kentucky. She is pursuing her Masters of Divinity from Louisville Seminary, where she takes special interest in feminist and queer theologies. Favorite credits include: the Emmy-award winning It’s a Grand Night for Singing: 25th Anniversary, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: An Appalachian Folktale with Star City Shakespeare Festival, Viola/Feste u/s in Twelfth Night with AthensWest Theatre Company, Stage Manager in Our Town and Annelle in Steel Magnolias with Leeds Center for the Arts, Quinten in Hazard County and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors with Flashback Theater Company. Pennington would like to dedicate this performance to her late father, Jerry, without whom she would not have a voice. “I love you infinity.”
Erica Yoleeta Goodman, the self-proclaimed drama queen extraordinaire, proudly hails from the junction of Jeffersonville, IN and Jacksonville, FL. As the eldest of three siblings, she perfected the art of commanding attention from an early age.
Her lifelong love affair with the stage began in her youth, and she has since graced numerous productions, leaving audiences in awe and stitches. From belting it out in “The Wiz” to cultivating killer plants in “Little Shop of Horrors,” Erica has fearlessly conquered roles like a true virtuoso. She even dived headfirst into the soul-stirring world of “The Color Purple” and found her heavenly calling in “Sister Act.”
Recently, she set the stage ablaze with her volcanic performance as “Asaka” in Redline Performing Arts’ captivating production of “Once on This Island.” Erica’s infectious energy and magnetic presence left no doubt that she was destined for the stage.
Education-wise, Erica graced the hallowed halls of Jeffersonville High School and the University of Louisville, where she majored in Theater Arts and Education. Her knack for captivating hearts and minds shines through her versatile skill set, making her a force to be reckoned with both on and off the stage.
When Erica isn’t busy evoking laughter and tears under the spotlight, she enjoys indulging in copious amounts of anime and plotting world domination, one standing ovation at a time.
Tony has been performing on stages around Louisville and surrounding areas for the better part of 20 years. A graduate of the Youth Performing Arts School, he secured his first professional acting job as a company member of the American Theater Arts for Youth, based in Philadelphia, PA. Since that time, he has performed with Stage One, Derby Dinner Playhouse, Actor’s Theater of Louisville, The Bard’s Town Theater, as well as directing and choreographing various productions for the Alley Theater and the Bard’s Town Theater. He’s also a proud member of the Vava Vixens Burlesque Troupe! JC Superstar is his absolute favorite musical, and he is so thrilled to finally be a part of this show!
Natalie is over the moon to be in a production with BOTH Chicken Coop and Drag Daddy! After completing a degree in Vocal Music from the University of Kentucky in 2015 and moving back to Louisville, she started performing again in late 2018 around Louisville and Southern Indiana. Natalie is pursuing a degree in Music Therapy from University of Louisville, and is currently completing a Music Therapy internship. She feels so lucky to live in an area of Kentucky that has such a thriving theatre scene! She was most recently seen in Once as the Bank Manager with Time Slip Theatre. Other appearances include American Psycho as Jean with Acting Against Cancer; The Secret Garden as Lily, Quilters, and A Christmas Madrigal Feast & Celebration with TheatreWorks of Southern Indiana; The Billy Goats Gruff as Lucy with the Schmidt Opera Outreach Program, as well as Les Miserables, Don Giovanni, Grand Night, Phantom of the Opera, and Falstaff with the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre. Natalie would like to thank her fiancé Drew, her family, and her friends, whom she loves with all of her heart.
Kate Holland Ballowe (Priest) is thrilled to be making their Drag Daddy debut with this amazing cast! She has performed with The Chicken Coop the past 3 seasons (Clue, The Haunting of Hill House, Xanadu), and is looking forward to their upcoming production of Bat Boy. Other local companies they’ve had the pleasure to work with (onstage & off) include Pandora Productions, Stage One, CenterStage, and The Bard’s Town. Love to Colby & the kitties.
Daniel Riddlesmith is a Louisville native who has been following in his mothers footsteps and doing theatre since he was 5. You may have seen him in assorted productions around town but more recently you might have seen him hosting Pianaoke or out playing live music as Cool Breeze. He loves that he got to be in both of the Big Gay Jesus Musicals this summer! He has loved working with this cast and can’t wait to work with all of them again!
Robbie Smith (Priest) is excited to be a part of this fresh and innovative production of JCS! Audiences might remember him from Pandora’s THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE (Tracy), SORDID WEDDING (Brother Boy), TORCH SONG (Arnold), or THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Eddie). You might’ve had a glimpse of him in Drag Daddy’s SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DRAG QUEENS as Happy. Robbie holds a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from Northern Kentucky University and has performed in stock, regional theatre, and has toured nationally. Robbie is the Food Service Coordinator at The Men’s Healing Place here in Louisville. Enjoy the show!
Alex Roby is thrilled to tackle one of his dream shows with Drag Daddy and The Chicken Coop! He attended Belmont University, earning his Bachelor and Master of Music in commercial music performance. While working as a vocal coach in Nashville, he was able to study with some of the leading voice scientists and contemporary vocal teachers from around the world. He also had the opportunity to share the stage with musicians such as Hans Zimmer, CeCe Winans, and Michael W. Smith. Since coming home to Louisville, some of his favorite productions have included The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Chip), Twinkie and the Beast (Wiggins), Peter and the Starcatcher (Peter), Xanadu (Thalia), and Mamma Mia! (Sky). Thank you Jason, Bert, and Benji for all of your love and support!
Stephanie is making her debut performance onstage in the Louisville area! She grew up in the theatre, but always in the audience watching her parents perform. She has always had a passion for music and dance but is finally making the move to get onstage for the first time since high school show choir. Jesus Christ Superstar holds a very special place in her heart as her very favorite musical with fond memories of watching her dad in this show when she was a kid.
Stephanie and her husband are enjoying moving into their first house together here in Louisville, decorating and designing it, as well as discovering all the food and drinks the city has to offer. Stephanie would like to thank her parents and siblings for traveling so far to come see the show, and especially her husband for holding down the fort for the last few months!
Piranha Nicole Smith Del Rey is excited to be the newest drag queen working with drag daddy productions and be making their return to theater after almost a decade.
They were previously Ramona in Zombie Prom, Bet in Oliver, Elma in Bus Stop, and dozens more. They danced for 15 years and were colorguard captain for three years, winning first place at the New York State Field Band Conference.
Piranha is a huge activist for the mental health community. As a bipolar person she is constantly educating people about mental health matters. She was recently featured on WHAS11 discussing the anti drag bill SB115.
Yearly they work with VACA which is a organization that protects vulnerable seniors that need care and companionship.
As a trans masculine person Piranha is always fighting for the trans community.
Piranha is a proud drag parent of four incredible kids, Libertea Del Rey, Jaxon Stone, and Lilian and Penelope Drakewood and is thankful for the four of them. Piranhas so thankful for their mother Joan and drag mother Femnasty777, and best friend Vanity for being her biggest fans.
As a rock and roll vocalist they can’t resist Sir Webber and is thrilled to finally be doing a production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Peighton is thrilled to be back on stage with Drag Daddy Productions! You might have seen her last in the Redline Performing Arts production of Once On This Island as “Andrea”. Some of her favorite shows that she has been a part of are: Cruel Intentions (Cecile Caldwell), A Chorus Line (Diana Morales), 9 to 5 (Judy Bernly), Alice in Derbyland (Alice), Tick, Tick, Boom (Karessa), Rocky Horror Picture Show, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Marcy Park), Once, All Shook Up, Dogfight, and American Psycho. She would like to thank her friends and family for being so supportive throughout the years! Sending so much love & gratitude to Tony, Jason, & the whole creative team. Thank you for supporting local theater! Drag is Not a Crime. Love is Love. Support Trans Kids.
Kole Michaels (Apostle/Ensemble). Kole lives in Richmond, Kentucky with his 5 cats and 2 dogs. He is on show cast at Play, Louisville where you can see him Thursday nights with the UBU cast and Sunday nights with the cast of Church. He is a former Kentucky Entertainer of the Year and has been first runner up to the National Entertainer of the Year competition. Kole is excited to be returning to the musical theatre stage after several years sabbatical.
Sarah Tonini is thrilled to join the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar! After singing opera with various companies around the world throughout her career, she returned home to Louisville in 2013 and performs locally while maintaining her private voice studio, Smart Singer Studio. In January 2018, she founded and is Artistic Director of an all-female artistic organization – Nevertheless Arts Ensemble (501C3), which performs and promotes art and music created by women artists.
Taylor is an active event and wedding planner in Kentucky. Currently an Events Manager for AJS Hotels, Taylor spends her days creating and designing weddings, conferences, Galas, and Derby Events in the Louisville area.
Prior to arriving in KY, she was a proud member of AEA, and stage managed on and off Broadway, with her longest tenure as an SM for Blue Man Group. Her experiences in NYC were sprinkled with stage managing anything and everything, from NY FringeFestival, NY Fashion Week, to galas with Billy Joel, movie premiers at Lincoln Center, to being a Parade Captain with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
Taylor has tapped into the local community theatre scene, performing with TheatreWorks, Clarksville Little Theatre, Center Stage and Ballarmine University. She is currently the Board President of the Highview Arts Center, Louisville’s newest multi-arts theatre space. A lover of theatre, animals, and bourbon, she and her husband, John, spend their free time with their greyhounds, Barnie and Blaze, singing showtunes to anyone who will listen, and hunting for special bourbons.
Gerry/Gerald Robertson He, they Apostle/Ensemble is over the moon to be making a double debut with both Drag Daddy Productions and The Chicken Coop Theatre Company .
You may recognize Gerry from their work with Pandora Productions where they have had the pleasure of the majority of their theatrical experiences . Most recently in GodSpell Apostle/Ensemble ( you may sense a theme)
Some favorite shows/rolls include The Boys in the Band/ Emory and Psycho Beach Party/ Chicklet . They strongly and passionately feel that this take and treatment of this production is timely and important and hopes that it will provoke much thought and feeling, about gender , humanity and our future survival as a whole.
Celeste is so excited to be in her 2nd show with The Chicken Coop Theatre Company as well as making her debut with Drag Daddy Productions! You may have previously seen Celeste with various theatre companies around town in Rock of Ages (Constance/Destiny), Carrie (Helen), Mamma Mia (Ali), Dogfight (Rose), Pippin (Ensemble), American Psycho (Vanden/Others), La Cage Aux Folles (Babette/Colette), Cruel Intentions (Ensemble), Head Over Heels (Ensemble), Ruthless (Myrna Thorn) and more. Celeste would like to thank Jason and Tony for the opportunity to be a part of this extraordinary production, the cast and crew for always bringing their beautiful, authentic selves to every rehersal and show, as well as her friends and family for all of their love and support. To her daughter, Wesley Kait: You are the most incredible little human and I can’t wait to see and love whoever you grow up to be! I love you more than you will ever know!
Leigh is very excited to be a part of her first production with Chicken Coop Theatre and fourth with Drag Daddy Productions! Leigh has been involved in dance and theater since elementary school, which was around the time the internet was invented. Leigh is a proud graduate of the University of Louisville where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts. Her film credits include an appearance on How I Met Your Mother (CBS) and a co-starring role on The Middle (ABC). You may have recently seen her as “Sleepy” in Snow White and the Seven Drag Queens or as “Jockey Dum” in Alice in Derbyland, for which she was described as “absolutely hilarious” by broadwayworld.com. Leigh would like to thank Tony, Chris, Jason, and the entire cast for their incredible hard work and support! DRAG IS NOT A CRIME!
Veronica is thrilled to be performing in her first production with Chicken Coop Theatre and Drag Daddy Productions! She began classical ballet training at the age of three in Louisville and performed in theatre throughout all of high school. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. Some of Veronica’s favorite roles include Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls, Lee in Coherence, Rebecca Steinberg in It Shoulda Been You, and Ariel Moore in Footloose. Sending a tremendous thank you to her incredible family and friends for their years of support and encouragement!
Kimberly Roeten (Featured Dancer) is psyched to be making her Chicken Coop Theatre Company AND Drag Daddy Productions debut and to be putting her dance skills to the test in this fabulous production of Jesus Christ Superstar! Some of her most recent credits include Bye Bye Birdie (Kim MacAfee) and Into the Woods (Cinderella) at Hayswood Theatre, and To Stephen With Love: Wayward Celebrates Sondheim with Wayward Actors’ Company. She would like to express her gratitude and appreciation to her friends and family for the infinite love and support, and to the cast and production team for making this a truly rewarding experience!
Jason Cooper (Co-Director) has worked in professional, regional, and community theatre for over twenty-five years. Locally, Jason has worked extensively as an actor and director for Pandora Productions, CenterStage, The Bard’s Town, Drag Daddy Productions, Time Slip Theatre, Eve Theatre Company, Derby Dinner Playhouse, and Stage One. Since founding The Chicken Coop Theatre Company in 2019, Jason has produced and directed The Mystery of Irma Vep, Clue, Grey Gardens, The Haunting of Hill House, Xanadu (Live at Champs Rollerdome), Misery, The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz, and Ruthless: The Musical. Jason just wrapped up a sold-out run playing Bob Crewe in Jersey Boys at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, TN. Up next for The Chicken Coop, is Batboy: The Musical, just in time for Halloween. Love, and gratitude to Darren.
