Tenderly:
The Rosemary Clooney Musical

Mollie Vogt-Welch

BROADWAY: A Tale of Two Cities. NATIONAL TOUR: Guenevere in Camelot and Wendy in Peter Pan. OFF-BROADWAY: Wuthering Heights (Mint Theater), Smile (Barrow Street Theatre), and Mother Wife (Signature Theatre). REGIONAL THEATRE (favorites): Margaret in Light in the Piazza (Coachella Valley Repertory); Nellie in South Pacific and Evelyn Nesbit in Ragtime (Weathervane Theatre); The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Corky in Meteor Shower, and Gloria in Boeing Boeing (Theatre Workshop of Nantucket); Kim in Show Boat (Goodspeed Musicals); and Lily in The Secret Garden (Capital Repertory Theatre). OPERA: Die Zauberflote, Barbiere Di Siviglia, and Parsifal (Metropolitan Opera House). FILM/TELEVISION: The Night Agent, Law & Order: Organized Crime, The Village (NBC Pilot), and Amazon Galaxy. AWARDS: Winner at the Lotte Lenya International Singing Competition. WEBSITE: MollieVogtWelch.com. INSTAGRAM: @mollievogtwelch.

Sam Simahk

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK: Debut. BROADWAY: Into the Woods and Carousel. NATIONAL TOUR: Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, and The King and I. OFF-BROADWAY: See What I Wanna See (Out of the Box Theatrics), Ragtime (On-Site Ellis Island Concert Production), and Sweetie (Ford Foundation Theatre). REGIONAL THEATRE: The Hello Girls (Syracuse Stage); Gatsby: An American Myth (A.R.T.); West Side Story and The King and I (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Oklahoma! (Theatre Under the Stars); A Little Night Music (Huntington Theatre Company); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Pittsburgh CLO); Miss Saigon (Ogunquit Playhouse); Guys and Dolls (Virginia Stage Company); Sweeney Todd (Lyric Stage Company of Boston); A Man of No Importance and Big Fish (SpeakEasy Stage Company). FILM/TELEVISION: One Voice: Broadway (PBS). EDUCATION: BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College. WEBSITE: samsimahk.com. INSTAGRAM: @soapboxsam.

Janet Yates Vogt

Janet is thrilled that Rosie’s story has come back to the Playhouse along with the beautiful songs that have inspired her musical career. Janet fell in love with the Great American Songbook as a teenager, accompanying her father singing songs to her mother. Janet, along with her writing partner Mark, are the creators of several musicals represented by Theatrical Rights Worldwide and Concord Theatricals with worldwide performances in England, Italy, China, Denmark, Australia, including Philippines Repertory with their recent 100 performances of Mark and Janet’s Alice in Wonderland. Their family musicals have enjoyed two national tours of How I Became a Pirate and Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale. Notable Equity theatres producing their musicals include Santa Barbara Ensemble Theatre, Music Theatre of Connecticut, New Wimbledon Studio Theatre (UK), Phoenix Theatre, Georgia Ensemble Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, Hartford Playhouse, Weston Playhouse, Victoria Theatre, and Human Race Theatre (Dayton). Currently in collaboration with local playwright, Joseph McDonough, is their newest musical, Bootleg Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Great George Remus – the infamous story of the Cincinnati legend. A graduate of University of Cincinnati CCM in Piano Performance, Janet is also the composer of numerous piano teaching methods for children and adults. Janet is represented by Paradigm Talent Agency in New York City.

Mark Friedman

Mark’s passion for musical theatre began in his childhood basement, where he and his brothers built their own theatre complete with lighting and sound, performing for family. Today, he is a prolific playwright, composer, and lyricist of numerous musicals. Holding a Master of the Arts, Mark is a sought-after speaker and educator and has taught college level Master Classes in theatre. He was recognized as one of the 100 most influential artists in Cincinnati. Alongside long time collaborator, Janet Yates Vogt, their musicals including Tenderly, How I Became a Pirate, Snow White & the Prince, Alice in Wonderland, and Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale are licensed by Theatrical Rights Worldwide and Concord Theatricals. Performed throughout the U.S., their work also enjoys vast international success, playing in Canada, the UK, Denmark, Brazil, Australia, China, Thailand, Philippines, and Italy, among others. Translations include Alice and Snow White in Italian, and Rapunzel in Mandarin. Their latest project is a new musical based on the life of the infamous bootlegger George Remus. A cornerstone of the regional arts scene, Mark co-founded Cincinnati’s first free Shakespeare Festival, the enduring ArtReach Touring Theatre, and also co-created the popular Peanut Butter Theatre. As a performer, he has appeared in regional productions of Godspell, Guys and Dolls, A Day in Hollywood, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Mark is represented by Paradigm Talent Agency in New York City. He is delighted and most grateful to have Tenderly back at his hometown Playhouse

Michael Marotta

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK: Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical (where he originated the role of the Doctor twelve years ago!) and Herr Schutz in Cabaret. OFF-BROADWAY (recent): Romeo & Bernadette (New York Times Critics Pick). NEW YORK (currently): FOMO: Formerly Mormon. REGIONAL THEATRE (Tenderly performances): Alabama Shakespeare Company, Florida Repertory Theatre, North Coast Rep, Ivoryton Playhouse, and Southeastern Summer Theater Institute. CINCINNATI: The Music Man (Cincinnati POPS). DIRECTING CREDITS: The Rat Pack Lounge; Forever Plaid; Beguiled Again: The Rodgers and Hart Songbook; An Inspector Calls; I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti; At Wit’s End; and A Grand Night for Singing! (Florida Repertory Theatre). Also, Left on Tenth (GableStage); The Game’s Afoot (Gulfshore Playhouse); The Fox on the Fairway, The Mousetrap, and Say Goodnight, Gracie (Flat Rock Playhouse); I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti and The Fabulous Lipitones (Penobscot Theatre).TELEVISION: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and several commercials. AFFILIATIONS/AWARDS: Artistic Director of The Theater Barn in the Berkshires (eight seasons) and is twice the recipient of both the Manhattan Association of Cabaret Award and the Backstage Bistro Award.

Matthew Umphreys

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK: A Christmas Carol. CINCINNATI: Tick, Tick... Boom! and Grease (The Carnegie); Mrs. Dalloway (Cincinnati Shake-speare Company); Carmen, Fierce, The Knock, Ave A to Broadway, and Sleepers Awake (Cincinnati Opera); Santa Claus, Casper, and Annie (The Children’s Theatre); You’ll Never Know: A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney, Perfectly Marvelous, I Put a Spell on You, A Cozy Christmas, and Cincinnati Rocktails (Queen City Cabaret). EDUCATION: Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. WEBSITE: www.matthewumphreys.com. INSTAGRAM: @matthewumphreys.

Tamara L. Honesty

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK: An Evening with Groucho. Outreach tours: River Rat and Cat, Lilly’s Plastic Purse, The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi, Noonie’s Masterpiece in Purple, Into the West, Tomato Plant Girl, Thaddeus and ‘Tila, Twelfth Night, Lives Worth Living, and The Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Monkey King. OFF-BROADWAY: The Memory Exam (59E59 Theatres and Oberon Theatre Ensemble) and Ghosts (Oberon Theatre Ensemble). REGIONAL THEATRE: The Black Rep, The Human Race Theatre Company, The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio, Cleveland Play House, West Virginia Public Theatre, Lexington Children’s Theatre, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, and Kitchen Theatre Company. FILM/TELEVI-SION: An Evening with Groucho. EDUCATION: MFA from West Virginia University and a BA from Wilmington College. AFFILIATIONS/AWARDS: Treasurer of USITT, Behind the Scenes Mental Health Initiative Steering Committee, USA 829, Society of Props Managers, Resident Artist at The Human Race Theatre Company, recipient of the Mabel DeVries Tanner Endowed Professorship, co-author of The Fake Food Cookbook: Props You Can’t Eat and The Fake Food Cookbook Volume 2: Props You Can Eat. WEBSITE: tammyhonesty.com. INSTAGRAM: @tammyhonesty.

Gordon DeVinney

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK (selected): The Turn of the Screw, Nixon’s Nixon, Coyote on a Fence, The Woman in Black, Wit, Shakespeare’s R&J, God’s Man in Texas, Proof, Hiding Behind Comets, Sing Hallelujah!, A Picasso, The Clean House, This Wonderful Life, Reckless, Murderers, Love Song, Marry Me a Little, Victoria Musica, The Understudy, The Piano Teacher, The Pavilion, Always… Patsy Cline (League of Cincinnati Theatres Award), Hank Williams: Lost Highway, The Book Club Play, The North Pool, Chapatti, Circle Mirror Transformation, Low Down Dirty Blues, Mothers and Sons, Disgraced, Be Here Now, The Last Wide Open, Rooted, and Sanctuary City. INTERNATIONAL: Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Harold Pinter Theater (London’s West End). REGIONAL THEATRE: Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Merrimack Repertory Theatre.

Amber Whatley

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK: Need Your Love, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Inci-dent at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and Stew. REGIONAL THEATRE: The Mountain-top and Fat Ham (Nashville Repertory Theatre); The Agitators (Pacific Conservatory Theatre); Wolves, 9 to 5, and The Worries of Wesley (The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio); Kindling Arts Festival, Brave New Works Festival, and Festival of Ghouls (Oz Arts Nashville); The Last Five Years, Dotty, Memphis, Next to Normal, Black Do Crack, and the Fuse Box Festival (the Ground Floor Theater); Natural Shocks (Hope Repertory Theatre); Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker (Ballet Afrique); HERE US (Denison University); Hamlet, The Play That Goes Wrong, Tom Jones, and A Year with Frog and Toad (Belmont University); and Violet and The Seagull (Ohio State University). EDUCATION: BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin. PhD Candidate at Belmont University. AFFILIATIONS/AWARDS: Professor at Belmont University; Founder of Blackout, a lighting design and technology workshop focused on access for BIPOC youth. WEBSITE: www.awhatleylighting.com. INSTAGRAM: @amberwhatleylighting.

Amoirie Perteet

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK: The Book Club Play. REGIONAL THEATRE: Clarence Brown Theatre and Assistant Sound Design credit with the Ameri-can Players Theatre. EDUCATION: MFA in Sound & Media Design at the University of Tennessee. AFFILIATIONS/AWARDS: Sound and Projection Engineer at Temple University, proud member of TSDCA, and 2025 USITT Robert E. Cohen Sound Achievement Award. WEBSITE: amoirie.com.

Stephanie Klapper, CSA

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK (14 seasons): select shows: Mythic, Where the Mountain Meets the Sea; The Book Club Play; English; Primary Trust; Clyde’s; Shane (world premiere); and A Chorus Line. BROADWAY: A Christmas Story, the Musical; Dividing the Estate; and Bronx Bombers. OFF-BROADWAY (recent): Crooked Cross (Mint Theater); Distant Thunder (Amas Theatre); Dig (Primary Stages); The Night of the Iguana (Off-Broadway); and All’s Well that Ends Well (New York Classical). REGIONAL THEATRE: Once (Capital Repertory Theatre); The Age of Innocence (Arena Stage); Peterborough Players and The Cape Playhouse. AUDIO FILM: Elf Quest. FILM: Netuser; The Nature of the Crime; Ranked, the musical and HBO documentary; and many more. AFFILIATIONS/ AWARDS: Casting Society Cares; Casting Society; multiple nominee and four-time recipient of the Artios Awards for Excellence in Casting; Advisory Board of Say Gay Plays; NYU Tisch School of the Arts Women’s Mentorship; Adjunct professor NYU New Studio on Broadway; teacher and guest lecturer at numerous colleges and universities.; and Judge for The Jimmy Awards. WEBSITE: www.klappercasting.com.

Brooke Redler

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK: Mr. Parent, The Chosen, A Christmas Carol, Frida...A Self Portrait, Destiny of Desire, 2 Pianos 4 Hands, Once on This Island, In the Heights, Million Dollar Quartet, and Native Gardens. CINCINNATI: Cincinnati Opera. OFF-BROADWAY: Breathing Time, The Faire, and From White Plains (Fault Line Theatre). REGIONAL THEATRE: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Denver Center); Hair: Retrospection, Stillwater, The Whipping Man, August: Osage County, Cabaret and five seasons of A Christmas Carol (Kansas City Repertory Theatre); Peter and the Starcatcher (Utah Shakespeare Festival); Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike (Center Stage Baltimore); The Drowsy Chaperone and Is He Dead? (Creede Repertory Theatre); Hairspray and The Sound of Music (Starlight Theatre); Stages St. Louis and Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. OTHER OPERA: Opera Long Beach and Santa Fe Opera. AFFILIATIONS: Lead Producer of The Over-The-Rhine International Film Festival.

Carolyn Fast

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK: Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, The Book Club Play, Dial M for Murder (Assistant Stage Manager), Rutka (Props Crew), and A Christmas Carol (Props and Wardrobe crews). CINCINNATI: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (Resident Stage Manager for 35 productions). REGION-AL THEATRE: Creede Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Human Race Theatre Company, Northern Stage, Peterborough Players, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Quintessence Theatre Group, and Hope Repertory Theatre. AFFILIATIONS: Central Region At Large Councilor for Actors’ Equity Association.