Madagascar: A Musical Adventure

J. Isaiah Smith is an award winning actor and singer native to Omaha, NE. He has been doing theatre (professionally) for 3 years. J. Isaiah Smith was most recently seen in BOOB Girls at The Circle Theatre, and in the staged reading of Angels In America at The Omaha Community Playhouse. He has been nominated for BroadwayWorld’s Regional Awards and is a proud winner of The Freddy G Award at The Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, Georgia for Outstanding performance by a male actor. J. Isaiah Smith, has worked with Kristen Chenoweth, Stephen Bray (Composer and Lyricist for The Color Purple), and Jason Michael Webb (Music Director of The Color Purple, Memphis, Billy Elliot), Brian Feinstein (Mimi Le Duck- Off Broadway), and Sammy Buck (Stinky Kids- Off Broadway). He is a published playwright, music composer and is currently hard at work on an original musical.

Jordan Smith is a local artist who is currently active film making. He recently made his stage debut at the Omaha Community Playhouse in the ensemble of Beauty and The Beast. Madagascar marks Jordan’s first appearance on The Rose stage.

Sue Gillespie Booton National tour credits include "Annie Get Your Gun", "Beehive", and "Grease". Her latest credits include "Rocky Horror" (Columbia), "Ring of Fire" (Ensemble) and "Always, Patsy Cline" (Louise,) for Artist Repertory Theater. She was an original cast member in Omaha’s longest running musical, "Beehive" (Brenda Lee, Petula Clark, Janis Joplin), and appeared in shows on Royal Carribean, Carnival, Royal Viking and Europe’s Sally Cruise Lines. Her most recent Rose stage appearances include "Cat in the Hat", (Thing #1), "Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly" (Mrs. McBee), "Pinkalicious - The Musical" (Dr. Wink/Allison), "Velveteen Rabbit" (Ensemble), "Charlotte’s Web" (Templeton/Narrator/Goose), "The Little Engine That Could" (Blue Dress Girl), "Cinderella" (Fairy Godmother), and "Miss Nelson is Missing" (Miss Nelson/Viola Swamp) Choreographic credits include "Mary Poppins", "A Christmas Story", "Tarzan", "Narnia", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "Madeline’s Christmas", "High School Musical", "High School Musical II", "The Cat in the Hat", "The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs", "HONK!" and "Annie - The Musical". She was a 2015 Theater Arts Guild Best Choreographer nominee for
Sue Gillespie Booton National tour credits include Annie Get Your Gun, Beehive, and Grease. Her latest credits include Rocky Horror (Columbia), Ring of Fire (Ensemble) and Always, Patsy Cline (Louise,) for Artist Repertory Theater. She was an original cast member in Omaha’s longest running musical, Beehive (Brenda Lee, Petula Clark, Janis Joplin), and appeared in shows on Royal Carribean, Carnival, Royal Viking and Europe’s Sally Cruise Lines. Her most recent Rose stage appearances include Cat in the Hat, (Thing #1), Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly (Mrs. McBee), Pinkalicious - The Musical (Dr. Wink/Allison), Velveteen Rabbit (Ensemble), Charlotte’s Web (Templeton/Narrator/Goose), The Little Engine That Could (Blue Dress Girl), Cinderella (Fairy Godmother), and Miss Nelson is Missing (Miss Nelson/Viola Swamp) Choreographic credits include Mary Poppins, A Christmas Story, Tarzan, Narnia, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Madeline’s Christmas, High School Musical, High School Musical II, The Cat in the Hat, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, HONK! and Annie - The Musical. She was a 2015 Theater Arts Guild Best Choreographer nominee for Tarzan, recipient of the 2014 National Freddy G Award given to outstanding musical theater educators, 2014 Theater Arts Guild nominee for her choreography of Tarzan, and awarded the 2014 Theater Arts Guild Education Award. She is The Rose Theater’s Resident Choreographer and Director of BROADWAY at the Rose, as well as the Rose Brigade and The Dance Lab Performing Company. She is thankful that she could return to her hometown and continue her professional career at The Rose Theater.

Manny Oñate will play Melman the Giraffe. A musical theatre student at Creighton University, Oñate will make his Rose debut with Madagascar. Other credits include Antigone at Creighton, Yucca Corridor at the Great Plains Theatre Conference and The Dairy Maid-Right a joint project with Creighton and the Blue Barn Theatre.

Alphonse Kroeten made his acting debut in 2002 as "Ren" in FOOTLOOSE. Since then, he has performed in over 20 theater productions throughout the nation. In his 15 year career, Alphonse is most recognized for his performances in THE WIZARD OF OZ, HONK, BERENSTEIN BEARS SAVE CHRISTMAS, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD. After performing on stages across the U.S. and Europe, including Disney’s Animal Kingdom, New York City’s David Geffen Hall, and Notre Dame in Paris, Alphonse attended Midland Lutheran College and received his Bachelor of Arts in Music, under direct tutelage of nationally recognized composer/directors Dr. Eric Richards and Jim Elsberry.
This is the 9th season Alphonse has been performing on the mainstage of The Rose Theater. With so much talent and creativity involved in every production, Alphonse is proud to be associated with The Rose Theater and to be part of HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON.

Brian Guehring is the Education Director /Playwright in Residence for The Rose and has been a member of the resident acting company here since 1999. He was most recently seen as Lord Farquaad in Shrek and as Turkey/Jay Bird in Honk! Some of his favorite roles at the Rose include Toad in A Year with Frog and Toad, Prince John/Will Scarlet in Robin Hood, the Mouse King in the Nutcracker, and Stepsister in the ballet Cinderella. As the Education Director, Brian teaches after school, Saturday morning, and summer acting classes here at The Rose and annually directs the award winning teen theater troupe Pride Players. He has also written over 25 scripts for the company including The Grocer’s Goblin and The Little Mermaid, The Misfits, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Super Adventures of Nutrition Man and Dr. Exercise, Brave Little Tailor, and The Bully Show. Brian's scripts have won several national and regional awards and have been produced by professional theater for young audiences and schools across the country. Brian is formerly served on the national board of directors of Theater for Young Audiences/USA and Pride Youth Theater Alliance.

Kevin Ehrhart has been a member of the Omaha Theater Company staff since 1988 as a Director/Actor/Instructor and Chief Technology Officer. While at the Theater, he has directed main stage, studio theater and national touring productions. His directing credits include Jack Frost, Charlotte’s Web, Scraps...The Patchwork Girl of OZ, Marine Brat, Richard Scarry’s Busytown, Amelia Bedelia, Treasure Island, Old Yeller, The Giver and Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten. Recently, Kevin directed Sherlock Holmes & The 1st Baker Street Irregulars, A Year in The Life of Frog and Toad, Pinkalicious - The Musical and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Kevin’s acting credits include George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life, Cat in the Hat in Seussical - The Musical and George in George and Martha: Tons of Fun. Kevin also teaches classes at The Rose on Saturday mornings, after school and during the summer.