CAST
Chase Miller (Frankie Valli) is from Alexandria, Louisiana and attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. He studied voice under Dr. Corey Trahan, dance under Pia Wyatt, and acting under Dr. Jack Wann. He starred in productions including Rent (Roger), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Lead Tenor) and Songs for a New World(Lead Tenor) and the opera Gianni Schicchi (Rinuccio). He has been singing professionally since the age of 15, through many genres ranging from pop and soul to rock & country. In recent years, he has been performing in theme park entertainment, including Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, and King’s Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. He is beyond thrilled to be making a return to musical theater with the Hub City Players.
Nolan Lee (Tommy DeVito), a graduate from The University of Southern Mississippi, has been a part of the stage since he was nine years old. Lee is currently the Director of Choral Activities at Purvis Middle School and High School in Purvis, Mississippi. Some of Nolan's stage performances include:The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow), Peter Pan (John), Seussical (Horton), Shrek the Musical (Shrek), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Benjamin), Little Shop of Horrors (Voice of Audrey II), Legally Blonde (Emmett Forrest), Smoke on the Mountain (Burl Sanders), Once Upon a Mattress (Sir Harry), Showbiz! A Centennial of Showtunes, The Play That Goes Wrong (Robert Grove/ Thomas Colleymoore), Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson), A Tuna Christmas, Beauty and the Beast (Cogsworth). Lee is excited for this amazing opportunity with the Hub City Players, and he thanks his family and friends for their support.
Joseph VanZandt (Bob Gaudio) is a math teacher and debate coach at Purvis High School. VanZandt has appeared in the Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Joseph), The Music Man (Harold Hill), The Producers (Leo Bloom), Big River (Huckleberry Finn), Godspell (Jesus), Les Miserables (Marius), Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus/Judas), Cabaret (Clifford Bradshaw), The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow), Evita (Juan Peron),and The Rocky Horror Show (Riff Raff). VanZandt was also in Return to the Forbidden Planet (Cookie) for Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Hairspray (Corny Collins) for Command Performance Broadway Intensive, and The Drowsy Chaperone (Man in Chair) for Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company. With the Hub City Players, VanZandt has appeared in Rock of Ages (Lonny Barnett), James and the Giant Peach (Centipede), The Play That Goes Wrong (Dennis/Perkins), A Tuna Christmas (Arles Struvie, et al.), Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere). and Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour). VanZandt has directed Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde, and Once Upon a Mattress for Purvis High School, and The Who's Tommy and Return to the Forbidden Planet for HCLO. Joseph would like to thank his friends and family for their support, especially his wife Sara.
Dallen Boutwell (Nick Massi) is no stranger to the stage and has been involved in theatre for more than 20 years. He is an actor, dancer, abstract mixed media artist, and portrait photographer and currently works for HGTV’s “Hometown.” His most recent roles include Nigel Bottom in Something Rotten and Delmount in The Miss Firecracker Contest at the Laurel Little Theatre. He is a graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Production.
Jay Baggett (Bob Crewe, others) made his Hub City Players debut in the role of Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. (a.k.a. the Dentist) in last season’s run of Little Shop of Horrors. His credits also include: Laurel Little Theatre productions of On Golden Pond (Bill Ray), Annie (Daddy Warbucks), The Wizard of Oz (The Cowardly Lion), Aida (Radames), A Christmas Story (The Old Man), Big Fish (Will Bloom), Something Rotten (Shakespeare); along with Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera productions of Footloose (Ren McCormack), Cats (Skimbleshanks), The King & I (Lun Tha). Jay made his directing debut with LLT’s play The Miss Firecracker Contest. Jay manages a team of developers as a product manager for The Meridian Cooperative, a software solution for utilities throughout the US. Jay would like to thank his family and friends for their endless love and support.
Although David Echevarria (Gyp DeCarlo, others) is making his debut with the Hub City Players, he is no stranger to the stage or to entertaining in Hattiesburg. Born in “Da Bronx,” he began honing his music skills in NYC at a young age after seeing KISS at Madison Square Garden in December of 1977. He was a staple of the NYC 80’s metal scene. Eventually landing in Mississippi in 2005, David studied and wrote blues music. His band “Doctor E and the Voodoo Kings” performed in and around the state of Mississippi and released an album on South City Records. He is especially proud of sharing the stage with two of his blues idols, Bobby Rush, and Bobby Blue Bland. His theater experiences include HCLO’s productions of Jesus Christ Super Star (King Herod), A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Present), Cabaret (Herr Shultz), and A Catered Affair (Tom Hurley). He is a die-hard fan of the New York Mets!
Hutson Rollins (Joey, others)is a performer from Gulfport, Mississippi and is currently working on his bachelor of arts in music at The University of Southern Music Mississippi. He has been in many shows such as Hairspray (Link Larkin), Beauty and the Beast (Prince), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander), Peter and the Starcatcher (Peter), and Rent (Roger). Hutson Rollins is working on his degree in Music Education at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. From Gulfport, Miss., Rollins previously sang with the Gulfport High School Choir and Madrigal group. He is a composer who writes for choir, piano, and string chamber groups. He sings with the Southern Chorale under the direction of Dr. Gregory Fuller and studies voice with Dr. Meredith Johnson. Rollins has taught and conducted many of his pieces, performed by the Gulfport High School Choir, Southern Miss. Concert Choir, and the Southern Chorale. He hopes to one day teach choir groups at a collegiate level and continue to compose.
Originally from Corinth, MS, Chris Wooten (Ralph Knuckles, others) is the Risk Manager for the City of Hattiesburg.He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Alabama in Communication and Theatre, and a Master’s Degree from The University of Southern Mississippi in Mass Communication. He worked at Pearl River Community College for seven years where he taught public speaking and theatre. Wooten worked as an adjunct professor at William Carey University, where he taught public speaking and, in the summer, worked with the Carey Dinner Theatre. He has been involved in building costumes, props, and designing lighting for 13 years.
Jacobi T. Daughrity (French rap star, others) was born in Cleveland, MS. He has been singing all of his life, and has been playing piano since the age of 10. While in high school, Daughrity participated in a show choir called Grenada Visions. He has a bachelor's degree in instrumental music education from The University of Southern Mississippi. He is the minister of music at Zion Chapel AME Church in Hattiesburg, MS and a praise and worship leader/vocal coordinator for Dominion and Power FLC in Petal, MS. Mr. Daughrity currently holds the position of Head Band Director at N.R. Burger Middle School and Assistant Band Director at Hattiesburg High School. Whenever he is not teaching at school or ministering through song at church, he does luxury musical entertainment with the Blue Rhythm Band based out of New Orleans, LA.
Jacob F. Morris (Nick DeVito + Norman Waxman, others) is a performer, director, and dog dad. Off Broadway Credits: 54 Sings! The Do Not Sing List NYC Original Cast (54 Below). Regional Credits: The Play that Goes Wrong (Festival South), Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (EverBlue Arts), and Tinsel Tones (OWA Parks and Resort). Jacob carries a Master of Arts in Musical Theatre from the University of Mobile. Jacob is the founder of JF Morris Performance LLC, a professional theatrical production and casting company based on the Gulf Coast. Regional directing credits include Mega Musicals, A Very Broadway Holiday, Broadway Night, The Addams Family, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Disney's The Little Mermaid, CLUE, and The Wizard of Oz. Jacob is also the Artistic Director of Bay Area Performing Arts, a pre-professional youth theatre academy. He dedicates this performance to his family, Hannah Grace, and his four dog children. @_jacob_morris_
Andrew Cox (Hank Majewski, others) is a 20-year-old vocal music education major at William Carey University. Andrew participates in the Carey Chorale, Worship Choir, and is a featured vocalist in Carey’s acapella group Carey On. Some of his past roles include Lewis in Pippin, John Utterson in Jekyll and Hyde, and Eli in The Spitfire Grill. Andrew is excited to make his debut with the Hub City Players.
Lauren Cate Leake (Lorraine, others) has been singing, dancing, and performing since age four. She is trained in ballet, pointe, musical theatre, lyrical and jazz dance. She trained vocally under Dr. Lori Guy in classical, legit, musical theatre belt and mix styles. She was most recently seen in Hub City Players Beauty and the Beast (Belle). Favorite stage credits include the sold out runs of Rent, The Phantom of the Opera (Meg Giry), The Phantom of the Opera (Christine Daae) and Les Miserables (Cosette.) Her other favorite performances include Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdalene), Into the Woods (Cinderella), Rock of Ages (Waitresses #1), Festivals South’s Forever the Music of Queen and Iconic, and Hattiesburg Community Theatre’s Bad & Belty. She has spent her life performing and has over one hundred performance credits to her name. She recently founded Hattiesburg Community Theatre, and produced four concerts, including the sold out Bad & Belty cabarets, and Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing through the new company. Many thanks to Festival South, Hub City Players, and all the sponsors and patrons of the arts in Hattiesburg! There is no where she would rather be than on her home stage.
Caroline Parks (Mary Delgado, others) is absolutely thrilled to return to the Hub City Players since her debut in Beauty and the Beast. She has recently moved to the Hattiesburg area from Atlanta, GA. She grew up in Texas, and obtained a bachelor’s in musical theatre from Sam Houston State University. She has performed in many different theaters across the Southeast with some of her favorite roles including Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, #46 in the Texas debut of The Wolves, Roxie Hart in The Owen Theatre’s production of Chicago, and Mrs. Erlynne in Lady Windermere’s Fan. She is so happy to be back on stage and excited to be a part of this arts community!
Rachel Claire Stevens (Francine Valli others) is a 22-year-old from Sumrall, Mississippi. Performing has been a passion of hers since she was five years old. She had leading roles as a student performer at Stagestruck Performance Studio where she is currently employed as a choreographer. After high school, Rachel Claire attended The University of Southern Mississippi where she studied voice with Dr. Jonathan Yarrington and was a member of the Southern Chorale and Spirit of Southern, an acapella group. Most recently she performed in Southern Opera and Musical Theater Company’s production of Guys and Dolls and Curtain Up, Hub City Players’ production of Sincerely Stephen Sondheim, and Hattiesburg Community Theater’s A Classic Christmas, Bad and Belty Cabaret and A Whole New Cabaret. Rachel Claire also enjoys singing with local bands around Hattiesburg and playing multiple instruments. She is honored to be back on stage again in this performance of Jersey Boys.
Jennie Blackwell (Frankie’s Mother, Church Lady, others) is excited to be appearing in her fourth production with her Hub City Players family. Previous shows include Steel Magnolias (Clairee), James and the Giant Peach (Ladybug), and Rock of Ages (ensemble). She has a lifetime of experience performing on different Hattiesburg stages in a variety of capacities. Currently she is the female vocalist with Madewood Street Music Band. Bringing joy through entertainment is one of her greatest thrills. Her biggest fans and strongest inspiration are her sons. Her most important role is being a mother. Her best advice is to laugh at yourself…perfection is impossible so don’t take yourself too seriously.
Joseph Jones (Billy Dixon, others) is a junior vocal performance/music education major at The University of Southern Mississippi. From Gulfport, MS, he studies voice with Dr. Kimberly Davis. He has performed with the USM Madrigals, Southern Miss Concert Choir, and is currently a member of the Southern Chorale. Jones has also played roles in over 30 musical theater productions, most notably Beauty and the Beast (Lefou), The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), and Hairspray (Seaweed J. Stubbs). Despite his multiple theater credits, Jones has his sights set on performing opera and dreams to perform both styles professionally. Jersey Boys is Jones’ second production with Hub City Players and he looks forward to many more.
Alex Miller (Onstage drummer) is a math teacher with Hattiesburg Public School District and he would not be where he is today without his family, friends, colleagues, students and two wonderful dogs. He recently was the puppeteer for the Hub City Players production of Little Shop of Horrors and is incredibly thankful to Dr. Mike Lopinto for this second opportunity to perform with them. He is absolutely blessed to be surrounded by such amazing talent.