Chet Wollan

(HOST: Cowboy Chet) Cowboy Chet is thrilled to be back in the saddle again in his third season as the Host of the Medora Musical. Most recently, he has been seen at the Plymouth Playhouse, the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre and the Circa 21 Dinner Theatre in Ring of Fire. National tour credits include, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Miracle on 34th Street, Ring of Fire, and Live! From Nashville.  He has also spent several years performing at Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, TN, where he met his wife, Candice. Chet would like to thank his family for their continued support! Enjoy the show, and this very special place!

Candice Lively Wollan

(BHS/Company Manager) Candice is excited to be back in the beautiful badlands for another great summer. Lately, she has been seen performing at Circa 21 Dinner Theatre and the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre’s Ring of Fire. National tour credits include: Pump Boys and Dinettes, Ring of Fire, Miracle on 34th St., and Live- from Nashville! Previously, Candice was a Lead Production Singer for Norwegian Cruise Lines, and spent several years singing, and dancing in Pigeon Forge, TN.  Favorite theatres include: The Smoky Mountain Opry, The Black Bear Jamboree, and Dollywood.  Candice would like send love to her family, and as always, she is excited to once again share the stage with her husband Cowboy Chet!

Bill Sorensen

(Co-host) Bill Sorensen and his family have been involved in Medora for the past thirty years. During those years, he has been a versatile variety performer, acting as a host, magician and producer for the popular 4M Revue, where he has produced at least two thousand shows.

When he’s not involved in Medora, Sorensen enjoys a varied career as a successful businessman, venture capitalist, boxing manager for renowned champion Virgil Hill, athletic promoter, public speaker/entertainer and public official. Sorensen served 12 years as the mayor of Bismarck; prior to that he served two terms as a state legislator and two terms as a Bismarck City Commissioner.

Today, in addition to his duties as co-host of the Medora Musical, Bill works as Development and Fund Raising Consultant for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation.

Misti Koop

(BHS) Originally from Grand Forks, ND... Misti is thrilled to return for her 6th season with "The Greatest Show in the West!" She earned her degree in music education from Gustavus Adolphus College and her master's in theater arts from the University of North Dakota. Her credits in North Dakota are from Frost Fire Summer Theatre, Fort Totten Little Theater, Fire Hall Community Theatre, Summer Performing Arts Company (SPA), Summer Arts Stages/Safari, and Empire Theatre Company. Her performing has taken her all over the country on two national tours. Favorite credits include, Maria in Sound of Music, Eponine in Les Mis, Percy in Spitfire Grill, Annie in Annie, Get Your Gun, and Disciple/Soul Sister in the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. Misti dedicates her performance in the Medora Musical to "Mr. D" (Larry Damico), a forever theatre director, mentor and friend. Also, check out Misti's Kids Show in Medora this summer, Come and "Get Misti-fied!"

Ken Quiricone

(BHS) Ken Quiricone is over the buffalo moon excited to be back in Medora for his 7th summer performing under the beautiful stars of the Badlands. Ken has kept himself busy on stage since last September performing in the comedy Lend Me A Tenor at The Legacy Theatre in Atlanta, and the musical revue Love Is A Many Splintered Thing at The Pines Dinner Theatre in Pennsylvania. Thumbs up to the amazing audiences that continually fill the Burning Hills Amphitheater. So much love to his supportive family and fellow cast members. And a huge thanks to the musical’s Producing Director Curt Wollan for welcoming him into this Magical Medora Family many moons ago. Bully!!

Ben Massouras

(BHS) Ben Massouras is thrilled to be spending the summer up here in Medora! Recent credits include Mamma Mia!, Bullets Over Broadway, The Music Man, Junie B Jones, Shrek, and Grease. Hailing from Arizona, he recently graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre from Arizona State University. Ben thanks the cast, crew, and production staff for this incredible opportunity, and his family and friends for their never-ending support.

Jessica Bradish

(BHS) Jessica is thrilled to be returning to Medora for her fourth season in The Medora Musical! She’s performed in shows everywhere from Alaska to Florida and always loves coming back to North Dakota. She’s originally from Des Moines, IA, and is now based out of New York City where she earned her BA in Musical Theater performance at Wagner College. She sends love and thanks to her family, Babba, and Ryan.

Dustin LaFleur

(BHS) Dustin is happy to be back in Medora for a second year! This Louisiana native recently completed an MFA in acting and moved to NYC! Follow his journey on instagram: dustinrlafleur or at www.dustinlafleur.com <http://at www.dustinlafleur.com >

Benjamin Frankart

(BHS) Ben is very excited to be making his debut in the Medora Musical! A recent graduate of Ohio Northern University, with a BFA in Musical Theatre, he is originally from Republic, Ohio. Some of his favorite credits include: Tony in West Side Story, Willard in Footloose, Tommy Ross in Carrie: The Musical, and Frederic in Pirates of Penzance. Ben would like to thank StageWest Entertainment for bringing him along on this new adventure, as well as his parents for their love and support! 

Taylor Leet

(BHS) Taylor is elated to be returning to "The Greatest Show in the West" for her second season! Raised in her beautiful hometown of Bismarck, she grew up with a love for singing and dancing.  Following her dreams of music to Chicago, Taylor earned a BA in Vocal Performance/Contemporary Urban Popular from Columbia College Chicago.  She has performed with gospel ensembles for senators, mayors, and other Chicago elites.  Most recently, she has been fortunate to be a community ambassador for the arts in Bismarck performing for several conferences and events.  Growing up, she attended the Medora Musical each summer and is thrilled to be a Burning Hills Singer!  Taylor is grateful for the love and support from her family, friends, hometown, and the state of North Dakota!

Christie Robinson

(BHS) Christie is thrilled to make her Medora debut! A Maine native, Christie most recently earned her Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Florida in April 2017. She also holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maine at Farmington and a Certificate of Performance from The Circle in the Square Musical Theatre Intensive in NYC. Select acting credits include: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, The Snow Queen, Honky Tonk Angels (Hippodrome State Theatre), Rock of Ages, The Rocky Horror Show, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,  I Love You…Now Change, The Marvelous Wonderettes, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Boeing Boeing, Magnolias, Little Shop of Horrors (Penobscot Theatre Company). Christie has also been seen with The Nite Show with Danny Cashman (New England Emmy Award nomination), and “Just Kidding! A Live and Online Comedy Show.” Enjoy the show!

Kevin Korczynski

(BHS) Kevin is grateful to return to this beautiful part of the world, and “The Greatest Show in the West!"  An east coast native, Kevin has performed regionally and toured stages across the country.  Many thanks to Curt, Lexie, and the entire StageWest team for another bully-licious opportunity & seven incredible seasons.  Much love to Mom, Dad, and Medora friends old & new.  Enjoy the show, the Badlands, and the blue skies of the shining West!

Johnathan Woodruff

(BHS) Jonathan is extremely excited to be involved with this production! He recently graduated with his BFA in Music Theatre from Viterbo University. He would like to thank his family and friends for all their continued support.

Alyssa Scott

(BHS) Alyssa Scott, Fargo native, has been excited and anxious to return for her second year as a Burning Hills Singer in the 2018 Medora Musical! Alyssa is a graduate of McNally Smith College of Music and holds a degree in Vocal Performance. She currently resides in Nashville, TN where she has been performing and writing as much as possible! Before Nashville, Alyssa resided in Minneapolis where she was working full time as a vocalist for a variety of cover bands including, Scarlet County, Skewed View, and Marshall Star Band to name a few. Medora allows her to be right at home where she can live out her passions of performing and dancing on stage in front of an amazing audience! 

Alyssa can't wait to see all her friends, family and familiar faces as well as be back in the beautiful badlands for summer 2018!

Junior Mercer

(Steel Guitar/Dobro/Guitar) Junior Mercer comes to the Medora Musical from Sevierville, Tennessee.  He has worked with many country artists over the years including Con Hunley, Lorrie Morgan, and Johnny Paycheck. Theater shows include five years with Opryland Productions at the Alabama Theater in Myrtle Beach, SC, Nashville to Broadway at the Ronnie Milsap Theater also in Myrtle Beach, and five years with Country Tonight!  at the Country Tonight Theater in Pigeon Forge TN. Junior is proud to be a part of The Medora Musical!

Andrew Crowe

(Fiddle/Mandolin, Bandleader) Andrew Crowe is an actor, singer, and musician who has spent the last sixteen years performing all over the country. As an actor he has been seen in the national tours of Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, and Stand by Your Man, and over 50 regional productions. As a musician he tours with The Grand Tour - paying tribute to the music of George Jones and the Highwaymen. He is also a singer-songwriter and his original music can be found at www.andrewcrowe.net.

Barry Smith

(Drums) A native Floridian, Barry Smith is a free-lance musician.  Based in the Orlando area, he has worked for Disney on numerous shows and has performed with Mannheim Steamroller for the past 10 years. Recent experience includes playing for the Broadway touring show Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.  He has performed with artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Woody Herman, Maureen McGovern, Arturo Sandoval, Marian McPartland, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, and worked in live television on the New Original Amateur Hour. Barry received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of North Texas, and has served on the music faculty for several colleges, including Assistant Professor of Music at Florida State University.

Brandon Fillette

(Keyboards and Vocal Captain) This is Brandon’s second summer as the pianist for the Medora Musical and he is thrilled to be back. He has been playing piano for over fifteen years and has performed in a variety of shows at a plethora of venues across the country. Brandon is currently working as a freelance accompanist and music arranger in New York City to help him afford pursuing his true passion: being a cater waiter and a dog walker.

Perry Orfanella

(Bassist) Enjoying his second season in Medora, Perry has shared the stage with Tony award winner Bernadette Peters, Emmy winner Bob Newhart, Grammy winner Peter Cetera and Oscar winner Rita Moreno. While not expecting to win any of these awards himself, his goal on stage is to not embarrass his children, who actually have most of the talent in the family.

Adam Vogel

(Guitar) Adam grew up in Melrose, a rural farming community in central Minnesota. He was introduced to music at a young age by his father and uncles. They had a local band and some of Adam’s earliest memories are of watching his dad’s family band rehearse and perform. Adam quickly gravitated to his dad's electric guitar. Since then, Adam has played in cover bands throughout high school and college. More recently Adam has played lead guitar for Andy Calhoun & The Outlaws, a country cover band that plays throughout the Minnesota area, Adam is extremely excited to be a part of the Medora Musical for the second time. "I'm overjoyed to be back in Medora to see family, the great friends I made last year, and to be performing for an amazing audience." He currently resides in Nashville Tennessee where he records and plays out as much as possible.

Curt Wollan | Executive Producer/Director

Curt Wollan is the Executive Producer and Director of StageWest Entertainment and Troupe America Inc., a Minneapolis based theatrical production company operating The Plymouth Playhouse in the Twin Cities area, and providing traveling productions for the National Tour Circuit. Curt has directed many National Tours including Steel Magnolias, Driving Miss Daisy, The 1940’S Radio Hour, Hank Williams-Lost Highway starring Jason Petty, and Stephen King’s Ghost Stories.  He has also co-produced three National Tours of Forbidden Broadway, directed M*A*S*H*’s Jamie Farr and William Christopher in the National Tour of The Odd Couple, and directed the National Tours of Moon Over Buffalo starring Gavin MacLeod, The Sunshine Boys starring Dick Van Patten and Frank Gorshin, and Same Time Next Year, starring Mackenzie Phillips and Adrian Zmed.  Curt has been based at the Plymouth Playhouse in Minneapolis since 1979 and has directed most of its productions, notably How To Talk Minnesotan, The Musical, Church Basement Ladies, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, Ring Of Fire, and Diamond Studs which won the Twin Cities “Kudos” Award for Best Direction, Choreography, and Best Musical.  As a free-lance director, his work has been seen at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium with Cotton Patch Gospel starring Gary Sandy, at Dollywood in Tennessee with Dolly Parton, Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, and at Kansas City’s New Theatre Restaurant.  Curt makes his home in Minneapolis and Fort Myers, Florida with his beautiful wife Jane, who he met right here in Medora when he was a Burning Hills Singer many years ago. 

Sandy Tipping | Musical Director/ Musical Arranger

Sandy Tipping (Music Director) was born and raised in a small town north of Toronto, Ontario (in Canada!).  He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, graduating summa cum laude (B.Mus), and moved to Nashville where he has frittered away the last 16 years as a busy recording engineer, music director, elementary music teacher, hired-gun keyboard player, producer, arranger, and bagel enthusiast.

In Nashville, he has been the music director for the popular night show on the General Jackson Showboat and is currently MD for touring jazz artist Jaimee Paul. He has also produced award-winning records for Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, Daniel Lee Martin and Jaimee Paul, toured with acts such as the Platters, the Temptations and Martha Reeves, engineered albums for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bobby Osborne and Andrea Stolpe, and orchestrated or arranged custom music for numerous churches, show bands, theme parks and publications, as well as shows for a variety of national and international acts.

With his business partner, he operates Advantage Music Production, a Dove award-winning one-stop shop for custom music production, recording, and arranging. (www.advantagemusicproduction.com) 

See also:  http://www.advantagemusicproduction.com/about-us/sandy-tipping/

Lexie Wollan-Swenson | Asst. Director/Choreographer

Lexie Wollan-Swenson (Choreographer) has loved Medora and the Medora Musical since she was born.  She has been “Sheriff Bear”, a BHS for ten years, the Assistant Choreographer for three years and the Choreographer for two seasons.  As a performer she has been seen on National Tours and Dinner Theatres across the country.  She now resides in the Twin Cities with her daughters and her husband, Jeremiah, who she met in Medora. 

Greta Grosch | Writer

A member of the Musical team since 2005, Greta is also an actress, director and producer whose work has been seen on stages around the country. She works regularly as a voice over and commercial artist, travels the country as a motivational speaker and corporate entertainer, and has written the last 5 installments of the highly successful Church Basement Ladies’ musicals. For more information visit gretagrosch.com

Erica Zaffarano | Set Designer

Erica Zaffarano (Set & Props Designer) feels fortunate to be involved in this, her 6th year with the Medora Musical. Originally from Iowa, she has designed east of the Mississippi in Indiana, Maine, Vermont, the US Virgin Islands and west of Washington, California, Utah, Nevada, Iowa and her newest home, Minnesota.  Coincidentally, while working in Los Angeles many years ago, she worked as a scenic artist for Rene´ Lagler, designer of The Burning Hills Amphitheater.  She feels lucky and grateful to be surrounded by the community of so many inspirational, unique, eccentric, delightful people in her work and loves coming “home to Medora!”

Alan Hanson | Lighting Designer

Alan Hanson is excited to be back for his 6th season as the Lighting Designer for The Medora Musical! Alan holds an MFA in Theatrical Lighting Design from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has designed productions throughout the country and including the National Tours of Lost in Yonkers and Leading Ladies for Montana Repertory Theatre and Miracle on 34th Street for Troupe America. He has toured nationally with the Montana Repertory Theatre (Miracle Worker, Steel Magnolias, The Trip to Bountiful, Lost in Yonkers, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, To Kill a Mockingbird), Chamber Theatre of Boston (Classics!), Troupe America Inc. (Babes in Toyland, Church Basement Ladies), and the Moscow Ballet (The Great Russian Nutcracker) as well as town Montana state educational outreach tours. For more information please visit www.alanmhanson.com

Katrina Benedict | Costume Designer

Katrina Benedict is thrilled to have the opportunity to costume design this year’s Medora Musical.  Katrina works as a free-lance Draper for the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, MN and as a Costume Designer for various theatres in the Twin Cities area.  Her design work includes:  Kirby, at the History Theatre, Sherlock’s Last Case at the Minnesota centennial showboat, and various productions at the Normandale Community College.  Her most recent designs include: Ring of Fire, and four of the Church Basement Ladies musicals –Church Basement Ladies: A Second Helping, Away in the Basement, A Mighty Fortress is our Basement, and The Last Potluck Supper.

Jason Lee Resler | Co-Costume Designer

Jason is very happy to return to the Medora Musical for his third season. Previously Jason has designed for theatre companies in Minnesota and around the country, including Idaho Shakespeare and Great Lakes Theatre Festivals, Phoenix Theatre, Commonweal Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Illusion Theatre, History Theatre, Hope Summer Repertory, Cortland Repertory, Citadel Theatre, and Minneapolis Musical Theatre. Jason has also worked in the costume shops of Barrington Stage Company, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice. During the year Jason is Assistant Professor of Costume Design at Indiana UniversitySouth Bend- www.claponcue.com

Deborah Kennedy | Production Stage Manager

Deborah Kennedy is thrilled to be returning to the charming, picturesque town of Medora! Originally from Florida, Deborah has been working in the Midwest for the past 17 years onstage, backstage, on screen, and has also recently added directing to her resume. Some of Deborah’s favorite stage credits include: Sister Amnesia in Nunsense, Carlotta in Phantom, The Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, Annabella/Margaret/Pamela in The 39 Steps, Rita in Educating Rita, and Louise Segar in Always…Patsy Cline to name a few. Deborah has also had a blast portraying various scream queens for numerous independent thrillers. Deborah would like to thank her husband and creative partner, Tom, for all of his support and encouragement throughout the years. “Be truthful, gentle, and fearless.” –Gandhi