The World 082521

Vermonter and Broadway Actor
Merritt David Janes
Brings Broadway to Vermont
With most of the shows on Broadway closed
until later this year, some of Broadway’s leading
stars are heading up to the Green Mountains
for a special outdoor concert event.
Vermonter Merritt David Janes who performs
regularly on Broadway and in national tours
will bring his friends for “Broadway In Vermont”
on Wednesday, August 25th at 6:00
p.m. on the grounds at Moose Meadow Lodge
in Duxbury. Enjoy your favorite songs from
Phantom of the Opera, Chess, Little Shop of
Horrors, Sweeney Todd, Shrek and more. The
singers, accompanied by a live band, will perform
songs intermingled with stories about
their professional journeys. The event will be
an intimate look at some of the most legendary
musicals and life as a Broadway performer.
Gates open at 5:00 p.m. for picnicking.
Parking is limited. Carpooling is encouraged.
Food will be available for purchase from vendors.
Tickets are $30 general admission, $25
students and children, and are available online
at moosemeadowlodge.net.
Merritt David Janes
Originally from Colchester Vermont, Merritt
is a graduate of the Circle in the Square
Theatre School in New York City and is an
alumnus from the University of Maine (Class
of ‘04 and 2012 recipient of the Spirit of
Maine Alumni Achievement Award). Janes’
professional career began playing the title
role in the first roadway ational Tour
of the Wedding Singer as Robbie Hart. He
would then move immediately into his second
Broadway National Tour in his second
consecutive title role as the youngest actor
ever to tour the part of the murderous barber
Sweeney Todd. Moving next into the role of
the magical French candelabra, Lumiere as
an original cast member of Disney’s newest
creative version of the Beauty and the Beast
Broadway National Tour served as great contrast
to both of his previous productions, as
did the role of Lord Farquaad in the Broadway
tour of Shrek which became an around
the world adventure with an international
run in Asia. He then played the role of Carl
Hanratty chasing Frank Abagnale all over the
country in the first roadway Tour of atch
Me If You Can. He was an original cast member
in the 25th Anniversary Broadway Tour of
Phantom of the Opera and has most recently
finished the st ational Tour and roadway
run of School of Rock as Dewey Finn. “As
a Vermont native and former resident of the
Mad River Valley, I couldn’t be more thrilled
to bring my dear friends, who represent the
very best of Broadway, back home to perform
with me at the beautiful Moose Meadow
Lodge!”
Ben Jacoby
Ben Jacoby is delighted to join his friends
on stage at the Moose Meadow Lodge! For
over three-and-a-half years, Ben played the
role of “Barry Mann” in Beautiful: The Carole
King Musical on Broadway. On tour,
he originated the role “Raoul” in Cameron
Mackintosh’s re-imagined 25th anniversary
production of The Phantom of the Opera. He
has appeared regionally at the Milwaukee
Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of
New Jersey, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Marriott
Lincolnshire, Gulfshore Playhouse, and
Vermont’s own Weston Playhouse, among
others. Television credits include appearances
on both The Good Wife and Madame Secretary,
as well as etflixs hen They See Us.
Ben holds an MFA in Acting from UC Irvine.
Julia Udine
Julia Udine grew up in Voorhees, NJ where
her love for performing started at a very
young age. She danced for 15 years at South
Jersey Ballet School under the artistic direction
of Andrea Duffin, where she studied ballet,
modern and jazz. When she was nine years
old, she began studying voice at the Melissa
Daniels Vocal Studio, where she continues to
train currently. At 18, Julia moved to NYC
where she enrolled at T. Schreiber Studios for
acting. She also completed the Professional
Semester at Broadway Dance Center, where
she was able to work with some of the most
renowned choreographers and dance instructors
in NYC. After auditioning for a year,
Julia landed the role of Christine Daae in the
new production of The Phantom of the Opera
currently touring the US. Julia then went
on to make her Broadway Debut as Christine
Daae in the Phantom of the Opera. Other professional
theatre credits include City Center’s
Pirates of Penzance (Mabel) with Mastervoices,
Jack’s Back (Jenny), Shrek (Princess
Fiona). TV: Law and Order: SVU and All My
Children.
Cooper Grodin
Cooper Grodin is an actor, singer, musician,
composer and a big fan of all things Merrit
David Janes. Born and raised in New York
Merritt David Janes
City, he received his Masters Degree from
the Manhattan School of Music. Cooper’s accomplishments
include playing the title role
in Phantom of the Opera’s National Tour, Les
Miserables National Tour, The Bands Visit
Lab directed by Hal Prince, Shakespeare In
the Parks Into the Woods, Annie at Paper Mill
Playhouse, Carbonell nominated Best Actor
in the Carbonell winning Best Musical Sunday
In the Park with George, Drama Desk
Nominated The Golden Land, Henry Award
winning Best Musical Oklahoma! at the
Denver Performing Arts Center, NBC’s The
Blacklist, ABC’s Deception. Cooper’s Original
album “It’s the Little Things” is available
on iTunes. ooperrodinfficial.
Katie Travis
Katie Travis is an award winning singer/
actor who played Christine Daae over 700
times in The Phantom of the Opera throughout
North America. Broadway: The Phantom
of the Opera. Regional: Cosette in Les
Miserables at The MUNY, Fireside Theater,
Liederkrantz Opera Theater. NYC Reading:
Edme in Cheri with Natalie Dessay and Vanessa
Williams. Katie has recently performed
concerts with the Saginaw, Midland, El Paso
and Mt. Rainier Symphonies. She is a winner
of the Lys Symonette award in the Lotte Lenya
Competition and is currently an Adjunct
Voice Professor in the School of Theater at
Penn State University. www.katietravis.com.
Kelly Thomas (music director, piano)
Kelly Thomas is the current music director
of the national tour of Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory. Other tours: Fame (conductor/
keyboard 1), Legally Blonde (keyboard 2),
Saturday Night Fever (keyboard 2). Off-
Broadway: Attack of the Elvis Impersonators,
The Underclassman. Regional: Saturday
Night Fever (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina,
music director). She has played concerts
at venues throughout NYC (54 Below, Joe’s
Pub, Birdland, The Duplex, etc.). She is a
regular audition accompanist at many casting
offices in the city, and also enjoys working
with kids and teens as a music director at
Broadway Artists Alliance. Kelly is a native
Texan and holds a music degree from Belmont
University.
Matt Cusack (bass, guitar)
Matt Cusack is a Broadway musician and
actor, songwriter, arranger and producer. You
can see him regularly perform with the Broadway
bluegrass band known as The Playbillies
of which he is a founding member. His bass
playing can be seen and heard on the show
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He regularly
works as a producer and arranger for theatre,
podcasts, and audio books. Broadway:
One Man, Two Guvnors; Bandstand. Off-
Broadway: The Robber Bridegroom, Desperate
Measures. National Tours and Regional:
Sweeney Todd, Million Dollar Quartet, Buddy
Holly Story, Beauty and the Beast. See and
hear more at mattcusackmusic.com.
Dov Michael Schiller (drums)
Boston Native, Dov Michael Schiller began
his journey and passion for all things
percussive at the age of five after being gifted
a hand drum on the streets of Jerusalem in
1977. Dov continues to strike things that create
a plethora of sounds & rhythms to enhance
the overall tapestry of musical color needed
for any project at hand. Schiller attended the
New England Conservatory of Music where
he studied and worked with fine jazz, third
stream and klezmer luminaries. After touring
in Europe for 10 years with various Broadway
Musical Theater tours, Dov is now based in
Vermont but maintains a busy touring schedule
with an incredible array of musical projects
throughout New England, New York
City and Los Angeles. Schiller has had the
pleasure of working with Sir Michael Tippet,
Ben Schwendener, Joel Grey, Wes Wirth, Arlo
Guthrie, Peter, Paul & Mary, John Adams, Mr.
Ho’s Orchestrotica, featuring the music of
Juan Esquivel, Liz Swados, Amanda Palmer,
Stuttgart Ballet, Shyamdas, Clay Aiken, David
Friedman, Rachel Bissex, Carl Roskott
and Leonard Bernstein among others.
Vermont’s Country
SuperStation
New Medical Staff
Central Vermont Medical Center
welcomes the following specialty providers
to our medical staff.
Find out more about
CVMC’s providers at:
www.cvmc.org/find-a-provider
LAUREN SUGGS, MD
CVMC Cardiology
Dr. Suggs joins CVMC Cardiology
from Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital, Philadelphia. Her clinical
areas of focus include women’s
heart disease, preventative heart
medicine, and heart imaging and
diagnosis. Dr. Suggs and her wife
live in Montpelier.
DANIEL D. SACKETT, MD
CVMC Urology
Dr. Sackett joins CVMC Urology
from Jefferson North East
Health Systems, Philadelphia. His
clinical areas of focus include
stone disease, benign prostatic
hyperplasia, and bladder outlet
obstruction. Dr. Sackett lives in
Waterbury Center with his wife
and three children.
BRENDAN EVERETT, MD
Green Mountain
Gastroenterology
Dr. Everett joins Green Mountain
Gastroenterology from the
University of Vermont Medical
Center. His clinical areas of focus
include Crohn’s disease, ulcerative
colitis, colon cancer screening,
dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing),
and liver disease. Dr. Everett lives in
Berlin with his wife and daughter.
Trusted local care. A network of expertise.
August 25, 2021 The WORLD page 7