Seussical Headshots and bioS

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Audio and video recording is prohibited at this production. A video recording of this performance can be purchased from Chris Tess Media here, at $10 off if you preorder now!

Please also refrain from eating and drinking in the auditorium.

Cast

Riley Alqueza - Cat in the Hat

Riley Alqueza is excited to make his debut in Needham Student Theater! He recently performed in Curtains with Roxbury Latin Dramatics, where he will be a junior in the Fall. His favorite roles include Young Simba in the Lion King, Jr. (Pollard/High Rock) and Les in Newsies, Jr. (Spotlight). He is incredibly grateful to be in another show with his local friends. He would like to thank his family for their support in making this possible.

PJ Murray - Jojo

PJ Murray is so excited to be performing as Jojo in his first Needham Student Theater production! In his free time, he likes to read, play tennis, and hang out with his friends! He would like to thank his family for their support throughout the rehearsal process and the directors and cast and crew for a great show.

Ben Gilman - Horton the Elephant

Ben Gilman is excited to be performing as Horton the Elephant with Needham Student Theater! Currently majoring in Musical Theatre and Broadcasting, Ben loves telling stories both onstage and behind the scenes. Recent credits include Percy Jackson in The Lightning Thief, Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening, JD in Heathers, and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. Ben has also had the opportunity to work on the Broadway national touring productions of Beauty and the Beast and Les Misérables. Beyond performing, Ben is passionate about creative leadership and helping others discover their confidence through theatre. Ben is excited to bring Horton’s story to life and share its message that every person deserves to be heard. He would like to thank his family for their constant love and support.

@bengilman_official

Amiya Tess - Gertrude McFuzz / Producer

Amiya is a rising Junior at Northwestern University and is so excited to be playing Gertrude and Co-Producing in her sixth and final year with SJST/NST. NST has been a huge and wonderful part of her life since her freshman year of high school and she is so grateful for the friendships and experience that she has gained each summer (and winter!). Previous NST/SJST credits include Bright Star, Heathers, and Spelling Bee (Director and Producer), Freaky Friday (Ensemble/Asst. Producer/ Asst. Music Director), and Romeo and Juliet (Sound Head). She would like to thank her family (for their support), Haley (for putting up with her text spamming) and Aria (for still being a sounding board two years after she left NST). Enjoy the show!!

julia goldman - mayzie

Julia Gabrielle Goldman used to be an 11st grader at Needham High School (Go Rockets!) and is absolutely exhilarated to be a part of this production! Julia Gabrielle Goldman has always been drawn to the stage. In the past, she has played Who Ensemble in Seussical, Mrs. Mayor in Seussical, and Jungle Ensemble in Seussical. She is thrilled to be back on stage and preforming in this wonderful production of Seussical! She cannot wait one more moment for everyone in the audience to see it!

Justice kamara - Mr Mayor

Justice Kamara is excited to embark on his acting career at Needham Student Theater as Mr. Mayor in Suessical. Outside of acting, Justice has obtained his cosmetology license and is a commissioned hairstylist. In his free time he likes to spend his time with friends or working out. Justice is so grateful for this opportunity that NST has brought him and is excited to take on this upcoming chapter.

Maddie Kadden - Mrs Mayor

Maddie has thoroughly enjoyed the experience of performing as Mrs. Mayor in everyone’s favorite rhyming musical, Seussical. In addition to her role as the wife of the Mayor of Whoville, she is very proud of her work as the assistant choreographer of this fine production. She is a recent graduate of Gann Academy, and is off to Quinnipiac University in the great state of Connecticut this fall to pursue a career in nursing. Previously, you might have seen her on the Needham High School stage in past summers as Martha in Heathers (2024) and Daddy Cane in Bright Star (2025). She is so amazed by the talent of the cast, crew, and pit of Seussical, and she hopes you enjoy the show!

Sam Pomerantz - Sour Kangaroo / Assistant Music Director

Sam Pomerantz is a rising Junior at Needham High School. This is her 4th show with NST, including: Its a Wonderful Life, Bright Star, and A Christmas Carol! Outside of NST, she loves singing in her acapella group the Treble Rebels, participating in SAMD board and shows, NHS shows, and reading books. She would like to thank her family, Molly Lemberg (ghost writer), and Jill Ciccariello for supporting her! Have fun and enjoy the show!!!

Jeremy Coburn - General Genghis Khan Schmitz / Wickersham Brother

Jeremy Coburn can't wait to join the NST family, and is excited to kick things off with characters none other than a crazy war general and a gangster monkey. Most recently this past school year, Jeremy played Paul from The Outsiders and Papa Bear from Shrek. Special thanks to his family, friends, and camp counselors!

#buttersidedown

Eliana Nathanson - Wickersham Brother

Eliana is in 9th grade and is excited to be performing as a Wickersham in Seussical. This is her first year in theatre, and she is thankful to the cast, crew, and her family for their support.

Via Zacharias - Bird Girl #1

Via is a rising junior at Needham High School. She has done many shows at Needham High over her past two years at the school, yet this is her first time doing NST. Via has been doing theater for as long as she can remember, and NST has been a super enjoyable experience for her. When she is not performing in shows, Via loves to spend time with her friends and family.

Juju Jordan - Bird Girl #2

Juju is so happy to be putting on this fun show! She is a rising sophomore at Needham High School and loves dance, theatre, and track! She has really enjoyed the process of this show and is grateful for the cast, crew, pit, and staff. Juju hopes you enjoy and dedicates this show to her cousin, Lidinho!

Molly Kenneally - Bird Girl #3

Molly Kenneally is a rising freshman at Needham High School, and this is her first production with NST! She has performed in all the Pollard Middle School musicals, with multiple featured dance roles. Outside of school, Molly loves to dance and hang out with her friends. She hopes you enjoy Seussical!

Joshua Waber - Yertle the Turtle

Joshua is a rising Junior at Needham High School. This is his first summer show, but he has performed during the school year as the Judge in Chicago and ensemble roles in other productions. He is very excited to be in this musical based on his favourite children's author. He would like to thank his parents, grandparents, and all of his friends who brought the show to life.

Morgan Fairneny - Vlad Vladikoff / The Grinch

Morgan is excited to be in her first NST productions. Morgan goes to Needham High and has been doing theater since 7th grade with her first production being high school musical in the geek ensemble. Outside of theater Morgan participates in Needham highs Beat Buddies club and Habitat for Humanity. Morgan also loves to read and hang out with friends when she isn’t doing any theater. Morgan would like to thank the cast of seussical, tech crew and Miles and Katie for making this show a wonderful experience for Morgan and hopes that you enjoy the show.

Emma Kenneally - Max the dog

Emma is a rising Junior at NHS and she is so excited to be performing with NST for the first time! Besides Seussical, Emma performed in Pollard's production of Frozen and has also been a choreographer for other Pollard shows such as Pirates of Penzance and Finding Nemo. Emma has been dancing for 14 years; she dances at Needham Dance Theatre and also competes for the NHS dance team. Emma hopes this is her first of many NST productions and she hopes you enjoy the show!

Production and Technical Team

Miles Yountz - Director / Music Director

This is Miles’s first time directing a show and also his first time with NST. However, he’s had his fair share of experience with NHS theater, as Seussical will be his tenth show with NHS. In his last three years at the high school, Miles has played Billy Flynn in Chicago, Lord Farquaad in Shrek, Charley Kringas in Merrily we Roll Along, Warner Huntington III in Legally Blonde, among many other roles! He is currently serving as the President of SAMD at the high school and hopes to see you all at their production of Freaky Friday this October.

Miles has had an incredible time working with NST and this incredible cast. This show means so much to everyone involved with it and he hopes that you all enjoy it as much as this cast, crew, and pit do! Enjoy the show!

Katie Memory - Director / Choreographer

Katie is thrilled for everyone to see the incredible work of the cast, crew, and production and directive team in NST’s Seussical The Musical! She is a rising senior at Needham High, and this is her first time taking on a directive role, but her second summer with NST - she performed in Heathers a couple years back. Katie has had so much fun these past weeks co-directing alongside Miles, and working with the cast and crew to put together an engaging, colorful, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud entertaining production of Seussical! She’s so very proud of the commitment, growth, and creativity each and every person brought to the process. It has been such a wonderful first experience of being on the other side of the table, as Katie has been performing on stage for quite a while, and hopes to pursue a career in theatre. Some notable past roles include Catherine Parr (SIX @ NHS Senior Directed), Princess & Ogre Fiona (Shrek @ Needham High Theatre), U/S Emma Nolan (The Prom @ Wheelock Family Theatre), and Percy Jackson (The Lightning Thief @ NHS Senior Directed). Katie is also a member of the Treble Rebels a cappella group, and in her free time she enjoys spending time with friends and playing guitar. Katie extends a huge thanks to all of her collaborators in putting on Seussical, as well as her friends, family, teachers, and directors for their constant support of her growth and ambitions as a performer, director, and person.

Miranda Collins Kullberg - Technical Director / Stage Manager

Miranda Collins Kullberg is incredibly excited to be stage managing for this production of Seussical, yet equally burdened with the grief of this being her last NST show. Her favorite previous productions include Bright Star, where she learned a deep appreciation of a banjo-led pit orchestra, and Heathers, which she kind of liked. Despite her old age and withering joints, outside of theater Miranda enjoys baking razor-thin cookies and long driveway discussions. You may know her from her jaw dropping performances as characters such as Ren Rilman. She hopes you enjoy this gorgeous production of Seussical!

Jenny "The Ginge" Koslow - Technical Director / Assistant Stage Manager

Jenny is so excited for her third summer musical with NST, Seussical! She first began her stage management career with Needham High School's Beauty and the Feast in 2023, and most recently their senior directed production of Six this spring. After an amayzing four years stage managing at NHS, she is enjoying this summer with NST before she is off to Brandeis University in the fall to study Cosmotology. She would like to thank her inferior technical director Miranda for not teaching her everything she knows, and of course the sound team for all their hard work but most especially Danny and Haley. She is so unbelievably proud of this cast and crew and hopes you enjoy the show! #GINGE OUUUUUTTTTTTTTT!!!!!

Haley Larson - Sound Engineer / Producer

Haley is a rising freshman at Notre Dame and is so excited to be co-producing and sound designing for her fourth year with NST. Previous NST credits include Big Fish, Heathers, and Spelling Bee. NCT has been such a pivotal point of her high school experience and she is so grateful for all of the friends, like Danny and Jenny, and opportunities NST has provided her with. She would like to thank her family for their support and her talented technical peers. She would also like to thank all of the incredibly talented people who are leaving NST after very successful and influential careers in the NST community. She will dearly miss all of their baking. She hopes you enjoy the show!!

Danny Culp - Sound Engineer

Danny Culp is a sound designer for this show, Seussical the Musical. He is a rising senior at Needham High School, where he has worked on notable musicals such as Chicago (2025) and Les Miserables (2024). Outside of theater, he enjoys going on adventures with his close friends Haley “The GOAT” Larson and Jenny “The Ginge” Koslow. He would like to thank Miles Yountz for providing comedic relief, and nothing else. (Written by Nadia Tess)

Robin Cressotti - Properties Designer

After designing props for Bright Star last summer, this is Robin's second show with NST. Robin will be a first year student at Dickinson College this fall. Outside of theatre, he loves painting, Thoreau, archaeology, and gardening.

Richie Kamens - Lighting board operator

Richie Kamens is 18 years old and an incoming freshman at Suffolk University. While at Gann Academy he spent 4 years working on lighting, learning both the technical and design side of the process throughout 8 productions. This is his first time working on an NST production.

Aaron Spiegel - Scenic Design / Set Construction / Spotlight Operation

Aaron is thrilled to be putting on his fourth NST production alongside the amazing cast, crew, and pit. A theatre veteran, Aaron has contributed to many theatre productions, both on the stage and off. Notable credits include: Bright Star (Stanford Adams/Set Design and Construction); The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals (Stage Manager); Shakespeare in Love (Sir Edmund Tilney/Set Design and Construction); and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Vice Principal Douglas Panch) to name a few. In the fall, Aaron will be returning for his third year at Ithaca College, where he majors in Architectural Studies with a minor in Environment & Society. Aaron would like to thank everyone involved with NST for the past four years, and feels a sentimental sadness to be aging out of such a wonderful community. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Pit Orchestra

Isabel Lewinstein - Conductor

Isabel Lewinstein is a rising junior at Oberlin College, where she is studying Politics (with minors in Music and Law & Society). This will be her third summer conducting at NST, following Heathers and Bright Star. She played viola in many of the musicals at Needham High School (Class of 2028), in addition to performing with the Chamber string ensemble. Most recently, she played viola in the pit orchestra for Dear Evan Hansen with the Weston Drama Workshop and for Little Women with the First Congregational Church of Randolph. She is very grateful for this wonderful opportunity and hopes everyone enjoys the show (especially the music)!

Coltrane Park - Alto Saxophone

Coltrane is a 20-year-old musician who attends Oberlin College and Conservatory. He is currently studying Neuroscience and Jazz Saxophone Performance under the tutelage of NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz. Coltrane has performed at several highly respected venues such as Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall, and has shared the stage with GRAMMY winners. In addition to his musical accomplishments, he is heavily involved in humanitarian work throughout the city.

Elliott Shoemaker - Trombone

Elliott is currently a rising Junior at Acton Boxborough Regional High School. He has been playing trombone since 3rd grade and enjoys playing classical and jazz music. He plays in ensembles at his high school, and at NEC prep in Boston on the weekends. This is his first musical pit that he’s played in.

Kaden Shin - Trumpet

Kaden Shin is an incoming freshman at Stanford University. He graduated from Lexington High School in 2026 and has been playing trumpet for 7 years. His past and current ensembles include the Boston Youth Symphony and the Beantown Swing Orchestra. He was classically trained but likes to play jazz whenever he can. In his free time he enjoys reading and scrolling reels.

Matias Welch - Drumset / Percussion

Matias is a recently graduated student of Needham High School, and this fall, he will attend UVM’s Environmental Science program. He has been playing the drums for 8 years and this is his second show.

Eleanore Alley - Violinist

Eleanore graduated Needham High School in June and will start at Boston University in January. She has been playing the violin for 9 years and was in her high school’s audition only orchestra. In March she performed in the pit for Needham High School’s Shrek the Musical. Eleanore has also enjoyed playing gigs at the local golf club with her classmates and friends.

Will Murray - Cello

Will Murray graduated from Needham High School in 2025 and is currently studying at the George Washington University. He has been playing the cello for 10 years in various ensembles and orchestras. This is Will’s second year playing in the pit orchestra for NST and he is excited for this summer’s performance of Seussical!

Valentina Welch - Bass guitar

Valentina has always loved musical theater. After this show, she will have participated in the cast, crew, and pit orchestra. She is a rising junior at Needham High School and plans on continuing her involvement with the pit. Outside of playing music, she likes to make crafts, hang out with her friends, and listen to music. She wants to thank her dad for always supporting her musical endeavors. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Jared Greene - Guitarist

Hello! I’m Jared Greene and I’m 20 years old. I am a jazz guitarist and Oberlin College but play many different genres. Very happy to be participating in The Suessical!

Oscar Li - Reed 2

Oscar is a rising college freshman at the University of Michigan and recent graduate of Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. He has played a variety of instruments such as alto saxophone (main instrument), tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpet, sousaphone and bass guitar in all sorts of bands at his high school and groups outside of school including jazz bands, wind ensembles (NEC MYWE), Orquesta (school salsa band), and marching band. In addition to music, he also enjoys going to the gym, cycling, and cooking. He thanks Elliott Shoemaker and Coltrane Park for making this opportunity to play in the Seussical pit aware to him.

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