IVCC 'Mamma Mia!' cast set

Illinois Valley Community College Theater Department’s April production of “Mamma Mia!” will feature one of the largest and most varied casts assembled for a show on the IVCC stage.

“This is a big, exciting production and we had an amazing turnout of talent," said director and choreographer Don Grant Zellmer. "We have a cast of about 50 percent students — many of them theater students — and the other half a combination of experienced performers that are community members, alumni, faculty and staff.

“This show is well-known from the stage, the movie and simply because it’s all ABBA music," he added. "We’re fortunate to have this much talent available to us, because the bar is set high.”

Assistant Director Chad Brokaw, of Princeton said, “It’s a geographically diverse cast. We have actors from Princeton to Morris, and Lacon to Mendota and beyond. At the first table read, it turned out that many of the performers had acted with others in various venues, and paths that have crossed are amazing.”

The production staff also includes producer and costume coordinator David Kuester, assistant choreographer Lexi Zellmer, of Peoria, music director Alex Guerrero, of La Salle, technical director Matt Boehm, of Peru, stage manager and archivist Alyce Scott, of La Salle, and assistant stage manager Mia Carretto, of Oglesby.

The cast of “Mamma Mia!” includes Emily Pytel as Sophie and Ashley Hurst as Ali, both of Peru, Alexis Trammel, of Ottawa, as Lisa, Kelly Johnson, of Seneca, as Donna Sheridan, Deb Torri, of Spring Valley, as Tanya, Melanie Maskel, of La Salle, as Rosie, Joey Santos, of Peru, as Sky, Jake Jakielski, of Marseilles, as Pepper, Adam Paden, of Peru, as Eddie, IVCC instructor Adam Oldaker as Harry Bright, Ron McCutchan, of Princeton, as Bill Austin, Don Zellmer as Sam Carmichael and IVCC instructor Brian Towne as Father Alexandrios.

The company performers include Emma Roden, of Princeton, Stephanie Boehm, of Spring Valley, Mady McKeown, of Princeton, Zoe Piano, of La Salle, Erik Aguilar, of Mendota, Karen Lesman, of La Salle, Cyndy Bruch, of Magnolia, Morgan Phillips, of Lostant, Lexi-Anna Verda, of Tonica, Summer Hoagland-Abernathy, of Ottawa, Xavier Braboy, of Dalzell, Alison Anthony, of Oglesby, Amy Lund, of Tonica, Macie Jansen, of Princeton, Patrick Foley, of Mendota, Andrea Kurth, of Walnut, Ella Johns, of Peru, Abbey Fiegenschuh, of Princeton and John Megow, of Dana.

Crew members include Katrina Rudolph, of Princeton, Kathy Hart, of Peru, Danni Ehret, of Ottawa, and Denise Weik, of Tonica.

“Mamma Mia!” plays on the IVCC stage from Wednesday, April 17, to Sunday, April 28, and tickets will be available in advance, with ordering details available in late February.

To follow this and other events, join the IVCC Fine Arts Facebook group at fb.com/groups/IVCCFineArts.