STARLIGHT EXPRESS
The Fastest Show On Earth
Starlight trailer
Starlight Express tells the story of a child's train set that magically comes to life and the various engines that compete to become the Fastest Engine in the World! The underdog, Rusty the Steam train, has little chance until he is inspired by the legend of the Starlight Express. He ultimately defeats his arch-rivals Greaseball and Electra, before going on to win the hand of the lovely first class coach, Pearl.
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe.
Cast and Crew
Rusty - David Jarzen
Pearl - Emily Carbone
Greaseball - Jonathan Barger
Dinah - Frankie Mananzan
Electra - John McFarlane
Poppa - Julian Worth
Buffy - Delaney Claussen
Duvey - Jordan McCray
Ashley - Lizzy Rader
Belle - Jade Schaub
Red Caboose (CB) - Madison Eaton
Hip Hopper 1 - Grace Perkins
Hip Hopper 2 - Lena Harmata
Hip Hopper 3 - Madison Harden
Flat Top - Declan Boyle
Dustin - Tony Lemus
Hardhead (Steel train) - Max Marshall
Tank (Greaseball’s Gang) - Doug Black
Lube (Greaseball’s Gang) - Matt Evans
Purse - Sophia Farino
Volta - Halley Roy
Joule 1 - Becca Roberts
Joule 2 - Paige Edwards
Wrench - Natalie Edwards
Krupp (E) - Kat Amato
Espresso (I) - Luciana Ducceschi
Rurhgold (I) - Cody
Hashimoto (I) - Claire Havranek
Turnov (I) - McKenna Wirth
Bobo (I) - Jackie Amacker
Prince of Whales (I) - Casey Long
Boy - Charlie Ruppe
Mom - Lorna Ryan
Krupp (E) - Kat Amato
Who is who in Starlight Express
Espresso (I) - Luciana Ducceschi
Rurhgold (I) - Cody
Hashimoto (I) - Claire Havranek
Turnov (I) - McKenna Wirth
Bobo (I) - Jackie Amacker
Prince of Whales (I) - Casey Long
Boy - Charlie Ruppe
Mom - Lorna Ryan
Crew
Co-Stage Managers - Elaina Phalen, Emily Lyon
Costume Design - Jordan McCray, Helen Kitrosser
Makeup Design -Kaylie Kopicki
Costume/Makeup - Valentina Selnick Escobar, Quinn Burgard
Set Design Team - Elaina Phalen, Ella Moore, Natalie Jurkowski
Lighting Designers - Kayla Claussen, Jessica Steadman
Lighting Team - Hope Kyota, Gabe Lewis
Sound Team - Elaina Phalen, Victoria De Dios
Props - Helen Kitrosser, Quinn Burgard
Dance Captains - Emma Kelly, Lizzy Radar
Skate Captain - Delaney Claussen
Stage Crew - William Schless, Logan Claussen
Marketing Heads - Liam Armstrong, Lily Vita
House Managers - Hunter Harlow, Austin Harlow
Musicians Pit Singers
Henry Drembus - Trumpet Lorna Ryan
Cooper May - Trumpet Alanna Belmont
Halen Anderson - Trombone Zoe Greszler
Alex Kluskens - Trombone
Alex Burgard - Woodwinds
Anna Bozard - Bass
Cathy Manley - Piano #1
Aubrey Blount - Piano #2
Philip Drembus - Drums
Jackie Amacker (Bobo) is a freshman and is so excited to be in her first production with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She is completely confident that this show is on TRACK and it won’t be a TRAINWRECK. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Kat Amato (Krupp) is in her junior year at West Potomac and this is her sixth production with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She is beyond excited to show off her talents, but this time on roller skates! You may have also seen her as an Ancestor in Addams Family, Groovy Monahan in MVCCT’s production of Beverly Hillbillies, and a sound assistant up in the booth during Little Shop of Horrors. While she’s off skates she sings in the West Potomac Show Choir, SoundSations. She hopes you enjoy the show as much as she enjoys performing in it!
Jonathan Barger (Greaseball) is a sophomore and this is his sixth production with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. He was in Little Shop of Horrors, The Addams Family, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and American Idiot. He loves acting and is extremely excited to play such a great role with a wonderful cast. He greatly enjoyed learning to roller skate and work with such wonderful people.
Alanna Belmont (Pit Singer) is a sophomore at West Potomac High School and is ecstatic to be performing in her first musical with the Beyond The Page Theater Company. She is incredibly lucky to be given the opportunity to work with all of these amazingly talented actors. She would also like to thank everyone who comes, and hopes they enjoy the show!
Doug Black (Tank) is a freshman at West Potomac High School and this is his first show with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. He has enjoyed working with all of the cast members and can’t wait to show you what everyone has worked so hard towards.
Aubrey Blount (Pit singer) has been in a part of Beyond the Page Theatre Company for five years. He performed roles like JoJo in Seussical, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Lucas in The Addams family, Joshua in American Idiot and Ponyboy in The Outsiders. He is thrilled to participate in a different side of the production of a musical with Starlight Express.
Declan Boyle (Flat Top) is a sophomore at West Potomac and Starlight Express is his third show with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. Declan is excited to be learning to roller skate. He hopes you enjoy the show!
Quinn Burgard (Props) is a freshman at West Potomac and is very excited to be teching for Starlight Express. This is her second production with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She is looking forward to teching, and hopes you will enjoy the show!
Emily Carbone (Pearl) is a senior at West Potomac, and Starlight Express is her 9th production with the Beyond the Page Theatre Company. Previous credits include Young Frankenstein (Frau Blucher), Avenue Q (Lucy), 8 the Play (Ted Olsen), The Addams Family (Morticia), Spelling Bee (Rona), and American Idiot (Heather). She is also the president of the West Potomac Choir department and the lead critic for West Potomac’s Cappies team. Additionally, this summer she will be training with the Open Jar Institute in New York City. Emily is incredibly honored to be skating alongside the BTPTC family for her final high school production, and she would like to thank the entire community for its never-ending support. Get ready to race!
Delaney Claussen (Buffy/Skate Captain) is a senior at West Potomac High School and Historian of Thespian Troupe 1899. She is extremely excited to be back onstage as Buffy and Skate Captain in this production of Starlight Express. She has been in and teched, many BTPTC shows and is thrilled this season has the theme of “Art That Matters.” BTPTC has allowed her to excel in many different areas and never fails at providing challenging material. Delaney loves that this unique show is her final at West Potomac and that she gets to share this experience with her cast and crew. She hopes you all enjoy the dynamic structures and complex characters within the musical.
Kayla Claussen (Lighting Designer) is a sophomore and is excited to be a part of Starlight Express. This is her fourth production with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She has been a part of the lighting team for Little Shop Of Horrors and American Idiot and has been a Lighting Designer for The Outsiders and now Starlight Express. She is excited to work with the cast and crew.
Logan Claussen (Video Projection Operation), a freshman, is glad to perform in his third show with Beyond the Page Theater Company. His first exciting two shows were American Idiot and The Outsiders. He is looking forward to performing a new skill, video projection, and having new experiences with Starlight Express.
Brendan DeBie (Stage Manager) is a sophomore at West Potomac and is over the moon to be a part of his first Beyond the Page Theatre Company show! He has enjoyed taking part in the intricate and exciting process of Starlight Express, and to be enhancing his experience behind the scenes as a stage manager.
Victoria de Dios (Sound) is excited to be working on Starlight Express. Victoria is a freshman who has previously performed in Seussical and The Outsiders. Victoria loves working with Beyond the Page Theatre Company and hopes you enjoy the show!
Luciana Ducceschi (Espresso) is a junior at West Potomac High School and this is her sixth production with the Beyond the Page Theatre Company. Her most recent production was playing the role of Jerry in The Outsiders. She is excited for everyone to see the show and hopes everyone enjoys it as much as she enjoyed being a part of it all.
Madison Eaton (Red Caboose) is a freshman at West Potomac High School and this is her first show with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She has had a great time working with the cast and crew and is looking forward to many productions in the future. She is thrilled to be part of Starlight Express and hopes you enjoy the show!
Natalie Edwards (Wrench) is a freshman at West Potomac High School and is so excited to be a part of Starlight Express. This is her second Beyond the Page Theatre Company production, the first being American Idiot. Along with theater she dances, sings, and is a Thespian. Natalie is looking forward to many more shows in the future.
Paige Edwards (Joule) loves to perform. In addition to acting, she also dances, and plays guitar. As a junior, this is her seventh West Potomac production. Starlight Express offers the new challenge of skating but Paige always likes trying new things. She is excited to show off her new skill while doing her favorite thing, performing!
Matt Evans (Lube) is a sophomore at West Potomac High School and this is his seventh production at West Potomac. He hopes you enjoy the show.
Sophia Farino (Purse) is a freshman at West Potomac High School and this is her first show with Beyond the Page Theater Company. She has been in many MVCCT shows and hopes to be many more Beyond the Page Theatre Company productions. Enjoy the show!
Zoe Greszler -
Madison Harden (Hip Hopper 3) is a junior at West Potomac High School and this is her first production with BTPTC. She is very excited to be a part of this amazing show and work with an incredible cast. She is also a member of the West Potomac Varsity Dance Team, and has been dancing for 15 years. Recently, she founded The Purple Tutu VA, which provides free dance classes to children with Down Syndrome. She wants to thank her mom, dad, Ms. Gen, and Clark for always pushing her to do her best. Enjoy the show!
Lena Harmata (Hip Hopper 2) is a senior and this is her fourth West Potomac musical. She is going to be attending James Madison University to study to become an Elementary School teacher. As a member of West Potomac’s Varsity Dance Team, Lena enjoys bringing her love for dance to the theatre stage. Being a part of BTPTC is something Lena looks forward to every spring and will miss it very much. She would like to thank her parents, Ms. Gen and Clark for always pushing her to do her best and supporting her. Thank you and enjoy the show!
Claire Havranek (Hashimoto) is a freshman at West Potomac. She is very excited to be in her first Beyond the Page Theatre Company production, She hopes you enjoy the show!
David Jarzen (Rusty) is a senior and is excited to be a part of Starlight Express. He has appeared in many Beyond the Page Theatre Company productions such as Young Frankenstein (Igor), Spamalot (Sir Robin), Next to Normal (Gabe), The Addams Family (Gomez) and American Idiot (Tunny). David won the 2013 National Cappies for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his role as Igor in Young Frankenstein. David will be performing next as Jamie in The Last Five Years at West Potomac High School this summer. He extends many thanks to Clark, Cathy, and Steve.
Natalie Jurkowski (Set Design) is a senior at West Potomac High School. Starlight Express will be her 10th and final production with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. Her experience in the theatre at West Potomac has been amazing, and she is grateful for every minute of it. She hopes you enjoy this awesome show!
Emma Kelly (Dance Captain) is very excited to be a part of her fifth Beyond the Page Theatre Company musical. She especially loves getting to lead the cast as a dance captain. Emma is a senior and will be attending Baylor next fall to pursue a physical therapy degree. She would like to thank the cast and crew for making this last show so incredible.
Helen Kitrosser (Costumes) is a junior and very happy to be part of Starlight Express. She found her place in the BTPTC by working backstage in Spamalot, The Addams Family, Next to Normal, The Outsiders and American Idiot. She also appeared onstage in Peter Pan and Wendy and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She is very thankful for the opportunities Beyond the Page Theatre Company has given her including going to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the summer 2015. She hopes you enjoy the show.
Kaylie Kopicki (Costumes and Makeup) is a sophomore at West Potomac and really excited to be doing costumes and makeup for Starlight Express. She has done costumes for The Addams Family and The Outsiders, and makeup for American Idiot. She would like the thank Clark for the wonderful experience and the costumes and makeup crew for all of their support.
Hope Kyota (Lighting team) a junior at West Potomac. This is her first production and she is very excited to work with the Beyond the Theatre Page Company. She’s looking forward to the many new experiences she will make.
Tony Lemus (Dustin) is very excited to be Dustin in Starlight Express. This will be his fourth show with Beyond the Page Theater Company. He has been in 8 the play, American Idiot, and The Outsiders. Tony would like to thank the whole crew at Beyond the Page Theatre Company for working with him and being awesome during the shows. He would also like to give a big thanks to Cathy, Mark, and Clark for making the productions amazing. Enjoy the show!
Gabe Lewis
Casey Long (Prince of Whales) is a freshman and this is her first production in Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She is very excited to be in this production with a great cast and loved learning to skate.
Emily Lyon (Co-Stage Manager) is a sophomore at West Potomac and this is her eighth show with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She is excited to be a part of this amazing production and is grateful for all the hard work the cast and crew has put into this show.
Frankie Mananzan (Botana/Dinah Understudy) is a junior at West Potomac High School. This is her 12th show with Beyond the Page Theater Company, and she has loved being a part of every single one of them. Starlight Express has been both a challenging and exhilarating production, and she is honored to be amongst such a talented cast and crew.
Max Marshall (Hardhead) is a freshman and is excited to be performing in his fifth show with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. He is excited to learn so many new things in this show and can’t wait to work with this amazing cast. Most recently, Max played a Soc in The Outsiders. Previously, he appeared as a Chase in American Idiot, as a Knight of Ni in Spamalot and as a “Who” in Seussical. Max wants to thank Clark, Cathy, family and friends for their support and help throughout the show!
Jordan McCray (Head Costume Designer, Duvey) is so excited to be Duvey and the Head Costume Designer for Starlight Express. Other shows she has been in include Young Frankenstein, Spamalot, and The Addams Family as a dancer. She was both the head costume designer and an actor in American Idiot. Jordan would like to thank Kaylie for being such an amazing assistant and Head Make- Up Designer. She would also like to thank the rest of her crew and the props team for being so supportive every step of the way. Finally, a huge thanks to Clark and Cathy for making the past four years so memorable. Enjoy the show!
John McFarlane (Electra) began his theater career in the womb, kicking furiously during the organ sequences of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd as his long-suffering mother performed in the pit orchestra. This is John’s third musical with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. His past performances include Pugsley (The Addams Family) and St. Jimmy (American Idiot). John would like to thank Clark and Cathy for keeping him alive on his skates and coaching him through this difficult show. John would also like to thank his family for enduring years of puns, driving him all over creation, and their patience and support.
Ella Moore (Set Designer) is currently a junior at West Potomac. This is her tenth production as a set designer and third year as a student in the technical theatre class. She was thrilled to be a part of two Cappie award-winning set design teams from past seasons. She is extremely grateful for this amazing opportunity to be part of such a special musical. She would like to thank Clark, her family, friends, and peers for their continuous support. She hopes you enjoy this once in a lifetime show!
Grace Perkins (Hip Hopper 1) is a sophomore at West Potomac, and this is her third show with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She was previously a dancing ancestor in The Addams Family, and was part of the crew in American Idiot. Along with being part of the theatre company, she loves dancing with WP Varsity Dance Team. She would like to thank everyone who helped make this production be amazing. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Elaina Phalen (Co-Stage Manager, Set Designer and Sound) is a sophomore and is excited to be involved in her sixth production with the Beyond the Page Theatre Company. In previous West Potomac shows she has been set designer, assistant set designer, a dancing ancestor, assistant stage manager, head stage crew, and the violinist in American Idiot.
Elizabeth "Lizzy" Rader (Ashley) is ecstatic to be performing and roller-skating in her last show at West Potomac! She’s delighted to return to the stage after performing in The Outsiders and American Idiot. Other theatre credits include performances at LTA, Signature, MSA, Theatre Lab, and MPAT. Many thanks to Clark, Cathy, Ms. Gen, Mark, and the cast and crew of Starlight Express for making this an unforgettable show.
Becca Roberts (Joule) is so grateful to be working with such a fantastic cast and crew. She has loved being a part of Starlight Express. It is her fifth production with the Beyond the Page Theater Company. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Halley Roy (Volta) is a freshman at West Potomac. She is thrilled to be in her second production with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She previously played a “Who” in Beyond the Page’s production of Seussical. She is on the varsity dance team at West Potomac and is excited to continue dancing while using her newfound skill of skating. She would like to thank all the amazing people who have helped put this show together.
Charlie Ruppe (Boy) is a 6th grader at Stratford Landing Elementary School and is very excited to be back with Beyond the Page Theater Company. He performed in Peter Pan and was one of the three infamous Knights of Ni in Spamalot. He also appeared in several Christmas Carol productions at the Little Theater of Alexandria.
Lorna Ryan (Pit singer and Mom) is a sophomore and this is her seventh production with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. She recently performed as Shwartzy in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cherry in The Outsiders, as well as ensemble and understudy for Whatsername in American idiot. She is happy for the opportunity to be in Starlight Express and can’t wait for future shows.
Jade Schaub (Belle) is really excited to finish off her final West Potomac production with such a big and tricky show as Starlight. Her first production with Beyond the Page Theatre Company was in Spamalot where she also played a character named Belle. It’s perfect to end were we began. Other shows Jade has been a part of include Little Shop of Horrors, 8 the play, and Addams Family. Jade has had a great four years at West Potomac and wants to thank Clark and the entire theater family. Without everyone’s hard work, this show would never be possible.
Will Schless (Stage Crew) a sophomore who is a 2nd generation tech with the Beyond the Page Theater Company. He is a Thespian and is excited to do this amazing show. He has done two previous shows including The Addams Family, as part of the Morph Suit crew (which was nominated for a Cappie) and American Idiot. He is looking forward to this amazing and breathtaking show, Starlight Express.
Valentina Selnick (Costumes) is a freshman at West Potomac High School and this is her second production with Beyond The Page Theatre Company. She is very excited to be a part of such an amazing and challenging production, and is looking forward to participating in future shows at West Potomac. She hopes you enjoy Starlight Express!
Jessica Steadman (Lighting) is a sophomore at West Potomac and is so excited to be part of such a large production. This is her fifth show with Beyond the Page Theatre Company and she couldn’t be more excited to continue participating in theatre.
Lily Vita
Audrey "Cody" Wilson (Ruhrgold) is a senior at West Potomac, and is super excited to be a part of this amazing production! This is Cody’s 2nd and last production with West Potomac. Cody will be attending Juniata College next year to major in English. Cody hopes you will enjoy the show, and would like to thank Clark for this wonderful opportunity!
McKenna Wirth (Turnov) is a sophomore at West Potomac High School, and this is her sixth show with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. Over the summer, she performed in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as Marigold Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She has also contributed to American Idiot, Next to Normal, The Addams Family, and Little Shop of Horrors. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Julian Worth (Papa) is thrilled to be a part of such a unique and special show. This is his fifth musical theatre performance with Beyond the Page Theatre Company. He has also worked backstage and as a musician. His love of theatre has only grown over the years, as he started doing community theatre at an early age. He would like to thank his parents and everyone else involved in the show for their support.