Norris Center for the Performing Arts

Cast Bios
LAYLI KAYHANI
Dance Ensemble
Layli is proud to return to
the Norris stage after her
recent role as “Tintinabula”
in A Funny Thing Happened
On The Way To The Forum.
You also might have seen
her here in a few of the Negri
Learning Center shows
including 42 nd Street, Guys
and Dolls, and High School
Musical. A recent graduate
of the PCPA (Pacific Conservatory
of the Performing
Arts), Layli had the
pleasure of being in many
productions in PCPA’s regional
theatre company, including
The Sound of Music,
Godspell, Hot Mikado, White
Christmas, Les Misérables,
and The Music Man. Layli
would like to thank the cast
and crew of A Christmas
Carol for this amazing experience,
and her family and
friends for their love and
support! Happy Holidays!
AUSTIN KELLY
Tiny Tim
Austin is very happy to be
spending Christmas together
with all of you in his first
Norris Theatre production.
Austin has performed with
Civic Light Opera of South
Bay Cities, Musical Theatre
West, Tustin Light Opera,
Limon/Carr Productions,
Huntington Beach Playhouse
and South Bay
Conservatory. Favorite
roles include Music Man
(Winthrop), Peter Pan
(Michael), Seussical (Jojo),
Sound of Music (Kurt),
Midsummer Night’s Dream
(Puck) and the Wizard of
Oz (Lollipop Kid, Flying
Monkey). Austin is a ten
year-old fifth grader at
Montemalaga Elementary
where he serves as Student
Council President. He enjoys
tap and hip hop dancing
and plays the violin and
saxophone. Austin would
like to thank Mr. Israel, Mr.
Gruessing, Mr. Thomas and
Ms. Martinez for making
him a part of this production.
Happy Holidays!
DEBBIE WICKS LA PUMA
Mrs. Cratchit
Deborah is a composer,
music director and performer
who is delighted to
be working at the Norris
again, this time on stage.
She has been working on
musicals for over 15 years
all around the country, but
her favorite thing to do is
write music, which she has
done for Nobody’s Perfect
at the Kennedy Center in
Washington, DC; Einstein
is a Dummy at the Alliance
Theatre in Atlanta, GA;
and Ferdinand the Bull and
Looking for Roberto Clemente
at Imagination Stage, MD.
She has been playing piano,
singing and writing songs
since she was nine, and
studied music at Stanford
University and NYU’s Tisch
School of the Arts. Like the
Cratchits, she has lots of
kids (3 girls) - one of whom
is playing her daughter in
the show tonight!
ROSIE LA PUMA
Martha Cracthit
Rosie is 14 years old and a
Freshman at Palos Verdes
High School. With the
Negri Learning Center, she
has performed in Nobody’s
Perfect (Cindy), Once Upon
A Mattress (the Queen),
The Wizard of Oz, Bugsy
Malone, and the last three
“Rising Stars” productions.
Other musicals include
Petpourri at Marymount
College and numerous
school shows. When not
performing, Rosie loves
to read, play viola and
electric violin, and do sign
language. She is thrilled to
be a part of this production
and hopes you all enjoy the
show!
NICK LEINBACH
Ghost of Christmas Present
Nick is making his Norris
stage debut! New York
stage credits include the
World premiere of Wallenberg,
NY Fringe Festival
Graveyard Shift. Regional
theatre credits include The
Producers, Little Women
The Musical, Oliver, Into
The Woods, 1776, Antony
and Cleopatra, Psycho Beach
Party, Smash, and Lysistrata.
MARISA MARTINEZ
Dance Ensemble
Marisa is thrilled to be a
part of A Christmas Carol.
Marisa recently finished
the new original musical
Imagine, Dream, Believe.
She just graduated from
Pacific Conservatory for the
Performing Arts, where she
has been training for the
past 2 years. She was in The
Music Man, White Christmas,
Batboy, Godspell (swing),
Les Misérables (swing), and
involved in several other
projects. Prior to school,
she was in several Norris
shows including A Chorus
Line, High School Musical,
and 42nd Street. She would
like to give a big thank you
to the cast and crew, and
hopes you enjoy the show!
TYLER MILLIRON
Young Ebenezer
Tyler is thrilled to return
to the Norris’s stage after
portraying ‘Hero’ in their
previous production of A
Funny Thing Happened...
Forum. Other roles include:
Anthony in Sweeney Todd
with El Camino College
and Victor in Cabaret with
International City Theatre.
Aside from theatre pursuits,
Tyler is a painter and
sculptor, with works across
California. Tyler extends a
special thank you to all in
the audience, for keeping
the arts alive regardless of
the times.
www.tylermilliron.com
SPENCER MORENO
Dance Ensemble
Spencer has been in
several productions for
the Negri Learning Center
here at the Norris. Past
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