THE SOUND OF MUSIC

May 23 - June 29, 2025

The Cast

Cast Bios

MARAH SOTELO (Maria Rainer) is thrilled to be back at Berkeley Playhouse! She was last seen on this stage as Cinderella in Into the Woods. Favorite credits include Eponine in Les Misérables (Champaign Urbana Theatre Company), Mimi in Rent (Station Theatre), Amalia in She Loves Me (42nd Street Moon), Cathy in The Last Five Years and Kei Kimura in the Peninsula Premiere of Allegiance (Palo Alto Players), and Sally Bowles in Cabaret, which won her the award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, BroadwayWorld, San Francisco (Pacifica Spindrift Players). She also recently played the roles of Mayala/Lourdes in the World Premiere of Larry the Musical in San Francisco (Brava Theatre). All my love to Chris & Pepper! IG: @marahsotelo

TERESSA FOSS* (Mother Abbess) is delighted to be appearing at Berkeley Playhouse for the first time! Bay Area roles include: A Christmas Carol (Mrs. Fezziwig) - Sacramento Theatre Company; Tuck Everlasting (Betsy Foster) - Theatreworks Silicon Valley; Il barbiere di Siviglia (Berta) and Le nozze di Figaro (Marcellina) - Opera San Jose; Master Class (Sharon Graham) - Berkeley Repertory Theater; Delicate Particle Logic (Lise Meitner) - Indra’s Net Theater; The Light in the Piazza (Signora Naccarelli) and Rags (Rebecca) - Willows Theatre Company; Kiss Me Kate (Lilli Vanessi) - Cabrillo Stage, and 42nd Street Moon: A Gentleman’s Guide To Love & Murder (Marietta Shingle), Zorba (The Widow), Oh, Kay! (Kay *BATCC Nomination). Fun Fact: in 2006, she played Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music at the Hollywood Bowl, with Marnie Nixon as “Mother Abbess”!  www.TeressaFoss.net . IG: @tessonstage.

CHLOE ANGST (Sister Berthe / Ensemble) (they/she) is excited to make their debut at Berkeley Playhouse! They are the founding artistic director of B.A.D. Musical Theatre and a Bay Area actor whose goal is to disturb the gender binary, promote anti-racism, and challenge traditional white ideas in community and semi-professional theatre. Aside from composing their own solo music, recent theatrical roles include the title role in Lizzie: The Musical (6th Street Playhouse), Mae in Reefer Madness (Lucky Penny), Magenta/Usherette in The Rocky Horror Show (City Lights Theater Company), and Reza in Once (Hillbarn Theatre). They hold a BM in vocal performance and an MA in applied anthropology. www.chloeangst.com

SAGE ALBERTO (Sister Margaretta / Ensemble) (she/her) is thrilled to make her Berkeley Playhouse debut in this incredible show! Recent credits include: Constance Blackwood in the Bay Area regional premiere of Ride the Cyclone (New Conservatory Theatre Center), Alyssa Greene in The Prom and Martha Bessell in Spring Awakening (Pacifica Spindrift Players), and Jean in American Psycho (Bay Area Diversity Musical Theatre). She can be seen onstage next reprising her role in Ride the Cyclone for the New Conservatory Theatre Center’s summer season. Sage is also a teaching artist with the Spindrift School of Performing Arts. Love always to her family & friends for their support of her theatre journey. Follow along on social media! @sageemiliana_

AKSHAYA LAKSHMI (Sister Sophia / Ensemble)'s operatic debut in the summer of 2024 featured roles as Musetta (La Bohème) with the Regium Lepidi Opera Festival and Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) with Musika! by Varna International Music Academy. With an extensive background in musical theatre, her recent credits include: The Pirates of Penzance, Swingtime Canteen, Triumph of Love, Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Co-Director & Choreographer), RENT, Anne of Green Gables, Summer of '69 Dinner Theatre, Newsies Jr. (Choreographer), Ghost Quartet, and Mary Poppins. Akshaya is thrilled to make her debut with Berkeley Playhouse this season. She hopes you enjoy the show - as we invite you to climb every mountain and follow every note to where the music lives!

ROBERT LOPEZ (Captain Georg Von Trapp) is so excited to make his Berkeley Playhouse debut! Recent Credits: Bright Star (Jimmy), and Anastasia (Tsar/Ipolitov) at The Music Company Arts; Rock of Ages (Dennis) at Tri Valley Theatre Company; Mamma Mia (Sam), Joseph... (Pharaoh), West Side Story (Tony), and All Shook Up (Chad) at Tri Valley Repertory; Next To Normal (Dan) at Sunnyvale Community Players; and The Sound of Music (Franz/us Captain) at Hillbarn. Other Bay Area Credits include: Rent (Roger), Les Miserables (Marius), Sunset Boulevard (Joe) at Contra Costa Musical Theatre; The Producers (Leo) at Broadway By the Bay; and The Wedding Singer (Robbie) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Freddy) at Stage One. He’s also very excited to be sharing the stage with his daughter, Kaylee! Love to wife for her constant support. @robertlopez24601

PHILLIP LEYVA (Franz / Ensemble) (he/him) is an actor and educator originally from the San Joaquin Valley who is thrilled to make his Berkeley Playhouse debut! Recent theatre credits include Wadsworth in Clue (Onstage Repertory Theatre), Sir Galahad in Spamalot (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble), Posthumus in Cymbeline (Berkeley Shakespeare Company), and Igor in Young Frankenstein (Pittsburg Theatre Company). He holds a BA in English from UC Berkeley and an MA in Teaching from Saint Mary’s College of California. Phillip is a founding member of Berkeley Shakespeare Company, where he regularly produces shows. Follow him on Instagram: @phillleyva

DANA LEWENTHAL (Frau Schmidt / Nun) happily returns to Berkeley Playhouse after last being seen in Denise in Bridges (world premiere) and Miss Lynch in Grease. Her performance as Mrs. Cheveley in An Ideal Husband (Town Hall Theatre) earned Outstanding Actress nominations for both the Theatre Bay Area and Shellie Awards. Ms. Lewenthal showcased her flexibility in the two-woman cast of The Mystery of Irma Vep (West Coast all-female premiere, Role Players Ensemble) and three roles in Anton in Show Business (Contra Costa Civic Theatre). National credits: Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival, Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding, New Tuners Theatre. Dana holds an MFA in Acting from The Theatre School, Chicago. Love always to Adam and the M&Ms.

ERICA BLAND (Baroness Elberfeld Nun / Ensemble) is delighted to return to the stage in The Sound of Music. Her passion for performing began at age five with The Wizard of Oz and has since grown through roles such as Julie Jordan in Carousel and Despina in Cosi fan tutte. A classically trained soprano, she has studied voice and dance across multiple institutions and is always eager to grow as an artist. After taking time to focus on motherhood, she’s grateful for the chance to reconnect with her love of storytelling through music and movement. Erica thanks her family for their constant support and inspiration.

GRACE MARGARET CRAIG (Elsa Schraeder / Nun) Bio coming soon.

CHRISTOPHER SOTELO (Max Detweiler) Bio coming soon.

TYLER HEDRICK (Baron Elberfeld / Ensemble) is extremely excited to be performing with Berkeley Playhouse for the first time. A long time musical theater fan, Tyler has only recently started performing in shows himself, and has fallen in love with being on stage. Past performances include Guys and Dolls at Woodminster and a self-produced production of The Last 5 Years where he played Jamie. Tyler wants to thank his friends and family for supporting him, and Berkeley Playhouse for this wonderful opportunity! Instagram: @the_drick

TIM HOLT JONES (Herr Zeller) returns to Berkeley Playhouse after appearing in Annie and West Side Story. Locally, he’s performed with PlayGround, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Potrero Stage, Town Hall, Woodminster Musicals, Eugene O'Neill Foundation, Contra Costa Civic Theatre, Peninsula Symphony, 42nd St. Moon, and Altarena Playhouse. Favorite roles include Solyony in Three Sisters, Gaev in The Cherry Orchard, Ernst in Cabaret, and Bob Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird. Tim has received Theatre Bay Area recognition for August: Osage County (Bill) and A Streetcar Named Desire (Mitch). As a member of Seattle’s Alice B. Theatre, Tim toured North America with residencies at Toronto's Second City, Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica, and The Kitchen in NYC.

TJ GASSAWAY (Admiral Von Schreiber / Ensemble) is thrilled to be making his Berkeley Playhouse debut in The Sound of Music. He believes musical theater has a magic way of bringing people together and he hopes that all who see the show feel that magic. Previous credits include Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show with The University of Washington’s Stage Notes, Jack/Earnest in The Importance of Being Earnest and Henry in Next to Normal with UC Berkeley’s BareStage, among others. TJ wants to thank his friends and family for all their support and love during his transition out of school and into the real world and hopes they all enjoy the show. 

JENNIFER NAGEOTTE (Nun / Ensemble) Bio coming soon.

WILL THOMPSON (Ensemble) is thrilled to be back at Berkeley Playhouse! You may have caught him on this stage in Fun Home (Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby Jeremy) or Kinky Boots (Ensemble). Recent other credits include Grease (Sonny) at Altarena Playhouse and Dracula (Jonathan) at Chanticleers Theatre. In 2024, he graduated from Saint Mary’s College with a BA in Theatre Performance and Studies. Theatre is, has been, and ever will be his first love; he is grateful to Berkeley Playhouse for allowing him to pursue it, and likewise wants to thank his family and friends for their unwavering support. Instagram: @willthompsonig

MARIE ALEXANDRA IBARRA (Nun / Ensemble) (she/her) is humbly ecstatic to debut with Berkeley Playhouse. Notable roles include Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music (Sunnyvale Community Players), Performance in Disneyland (Peter Pan Foundation), Mme. de la Grande Bouche in Beauty and the Beast (One Stage Theatre), Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors (Ohlone Summerfest), and Abuela Claudia in In the Heights (Cal State East Bay). Up next: Countess Lily in Anastasia (Broadway South Bay, Sept/Oct 2025). Marie advocates for the arts, education, and strength training. Off-stage, she is a Lead Coordinator for Diversity and Inclusion Student Affinity & Resource Centers at CSUEB. Much gratitude to her community for their unwavering support. IG: @justmmariee | mariealexandraibarra.com

EUGENIO GEIKEN (Ensemble) is an actor and a musician based in the Bay Area. Primarily a screen actor, The Sound of Music is his theatre debut. He has been seen in Land's End, an official selection for the Chandler International Film Festival, and in various advertisements for SurveyMonkey, Shipstation, and Salesforce. As a musician and singer/songwriter, he can be seen performing original songs at various venues, and is a featured artist on Sofar Sounds. He dedicates every performance to his parents, Brooks and Delfina.

ANDREA DENNISON-LAUFER (Nun / Ensemble) (she/her) is so excited to be back at Berkeley Playhouse for The Sound of Music! Past roles: Mrs. Green - The Prom, Evelyn Nesbit - Ragtime, Star to Be - Annie, Ariel - Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut - Avenue Q (Berkeley Playhouse); Pat - Kinky Boots and Miss Hedge - Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Ray of Light Theater); Christmas Past - Scrooge in Love, Lizzie Curry - 110 in the Shade (42nd Street Moon), Hannah - Disney’s Freaky Friday (Center Repertory Company), and Charlotte Lucas - Pride and Prejudice (Milwaukee Repertory Theater) where she was a member of the Artistic Intern Ensemble. Up next: 9 to 5 at Ray of Light Theater in SF!

“DO-RE-MI” YOUTH CAST:

ROWEN COLE WEERAMANTRY (Rolf Gruber) (he/him) is thrilled to be working with Berkeley Playhouse again! Past credits with the company include Becoming Robin Hood, Fun Home, A Christmas Story, and The Wizard of Oz. He was last seen as Orpheus in Hadestown and Damien in Mean Girls at Head Royce and as Jeff in Kimberly Akimbo at Altarena Playhouse. Other credits include Freddy in Carrie, Laurie in Little Women, and Young Dick in A Christmas Carol at American Conservatory Theater and as Bruce Bogtrotter in Matilda at KORSA. He is grateful to be a part of a show that is particularly special to him. The first musical he ever attended was The Sound of Music at Berkeley Playhouse when he was almost 3! IG: official_rowenweeramantry

LUCY FISCH (Liesl) (she/her) is delighted to be returning to the Berkeley Playhouse MainStage after performing in Matilda the Musical in 2022! She is looking forward to starting her junior year at Berkeley High School, where she was seen as Eurydice in Hadestown this past spring. Past favorite Berkeley Playhouse credits include Janis (Mean Girls the Musical/YouthStage Spotlight), Joanne (RENT/TeenStage), and Alice (Addams Family the Musical/TeenStage). The Sound of Music has been a special part of Lucy’s family for decades, and she hopes you enjoy it as much as they do!

JAXON HUNT (Friedrich) is extremely excited to be in his first Berkeley Playhouse production!  Some of his past favorite roles include: Cinderella's Prince/The Wolf in Into The Woods, Ralphie in A Christmas Story with Lafayette Town Hall Theatre, Fletcher in Freaky Friday with Diablo Valley College, Daddy Warbucks in Annie with Poison Apple Productions, Tweedle Dee in Alice In Wonderland with Missoula Children's Theatre, and being part of the Teen Ensemble in The Music Man with Tri Valley Theatre Company. Jaxon loves to perform in musicals and plays, is taking voice lessons and piano lessons, and he is super grateful to his family, teachers, and friends for all their support!

MIRANDA KLEIN (Louisa) is delighted to return to Berkeley Playhouse, having previously played the title role in Matilda on the mainstage, Summer in School of Rock (YouthStage Spotlight), and Annabeth in The Lightning Thief (YouthStage). Other credits include performances with Town Hall Theatre, San Francisco Shakespeare Players, Peter Pan Foundation, Performing Academy, the Ballet School Walnut Creek, and Sacramento Music Circus.  On-camera credits include Young Lisa in Premium Casket and various educational videos.  Miranda is a 7th grader at Head-Royce School. She dances at California Academy of Performing Arts in Moraga, studies electric guitar at Bradley School of Music, and is a four-time Lamorinda Idol winner.  IG: @mirandaklein.official

RAY KHALILI (Kurt) has been performing on-stage for the last two years. He most recently played Peter Cratchit in A Christmas Carol at Center Repertory. Prior to that, Ray was cast as Maui in Moana Jr. the Musical at NorCal Academy of Performing Arts in San Jose. Ray is an avid actor, singer, dancer and pianist. He spends most of his time outside of school formally training in these arenas and loves every second of it. He is also a competitive martial artist, specializing in Kung-Fu and competes for his local Kung-Fu school in tournaments. Special thank you to all family, teachers, agents and mentors for all the support!

SAGE LUU (Brigitta) A favorite role of Sage’s was King Arthur in Spamalot at Berkeley Playhouse’s YouthStage. In 2024, her cast’s dances in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with San Francisco Ballet, were lauded by BroadwayWorld and San Francisco Chronicle. Also, with SF Ballet, she’s performed alongside Principals in Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. She recently sang at Radio City Music Hall opening for the Rockettes and performed in American Conservatory Theater’s A Whynot Christmas Carol. TV credits: Étoile (Prime Video); Poker Face (Peacock); SF Loves Learning (KTVU). Sage is grateful to God, her family, friends, and the artists who have trained and encouraged her over the past 9 years, throughout her performing arts journey.

KAYLEE LOPEZ (Marta) (she/her) is delighted to return to Berkeley Playhouse, after debuting in Seussical last winter. Her previous theatre credits include: Tri-Valley Theatre Company’s The Music Man (Amaryllis), TMC Art’s Anastasia (Young Anastasia), and Hillbarn Theatre’s The Sound of Music (Gretl). Other recent credits include: Frozen Jr. (Elsa) at Starting Arts and Finding Nemo Jr. (Nemo) at Hillbarn Conservatory. Kaylee also enjoys swimming, singing, Girl Scouts and Irish dancing. Follow her adventures on Insta @kayleeolopez

ERIN KOH (Gretl) (she/her) is absolutely THRILLED to be making her Berkeley Playhouse debut in one of her very favorite musical productions!! Previous theater credits include: Gretl Von Trapp in The Sound of Music (Korsa Musical Theater), Young Simba in Lion King Jr. (Poison Apple Productions), and Lead Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz Youth Edition (Peter Pan Foundation). In addition to her theater credits, Erin was a 2024 Lamorinda Idol winner, has trained at Broadway Artists’ Alliance in New York City, and has performed in several vocal showcases. She would like to thank everyone involved in this amazing production, as well as her family & friends. For more on Erin, follow along here: @erin_nalae_koh

“EDELWEISS” YOUTH CAST:

SAM CANNY (Rolf Gruber) (he/him) is exuberant to be a part of this incredible production and his second MainStage show. He was last seen at Berkeley Playhouse in Seussical (Ensemble) this past winter, and has performed in many TeenStage productions here including Footloose (Willard) and Head Over Heels (Musidorus). Sam is excited to finally be playing this role onstage as he just recently understudied Rolf in another production of The Sound of Music last summer with Korsa Musical Theater, where he also made his most recent appearance in Heathers. He would like to thank his family, friends, and all his previous and current directors for getting him where he is today.

GRACE GALLAGHER CEDARS (Liesl) is thrilled to make their MainStage debut! Grace is a rising senior at the Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) and has starred in multiple Berkeley Playhouse youth productions including Les Misérables (Inspector Javert), Newsies, (Hannah/Bowery Beauty), and School of Rock, in addition to Oakland School for the Arts’ production of Matilda (Mrs. Wormwood). Grace just filmed The Light Whispers (Bryce) with Young Actors Theatre Camp—which should hit some film festivals soon—and Grace is a multi-year participant in Lamorinda Idol! Grace extends thanks and appreciation for their vocal coach Ms. Rena Wilson, guitar instructor Mr. John Blasquez, and love of supportive family and friends.

NEVO NAFTALIN-KELMAN (Friedrich) (he/him) has been seen in many shows at the Playhouse. He was Billy in School of Rock, and Mr. Duvall in Mean Girls, both YouthStage Spotlight shows at Berkeley Playhouse. He was recently in the youth ensemble for Seussical at Berkeley Playhouse. He was also Hot Blades Harry in Urinetown at Berkeley High. Nevo is very excited to be a part of this production, and he hopes you enjoy it! He would like to thank his parents for providing him with the support he needs to continue acting.

NOEMI KIM (Louisa) is a seventh grader at Head Royce School in Oakland and is excited to make her MainStage debut in The Sound of Music! Noemi was previously cast in Berkeley Playhouse KidStage Productions of Seussical (Sour Kangaroo), Freaky Friday (Adam), Cinderella (Fairy Godmother), and Spamalot (Lady of the Lake). Outside of performing Noemi enjoys volleyball, reading, and spending time with her dog, Gigi. She thanks her family and friends for their endless support and hopes you enjoy the show.

NATHAN BENNETT-CRUMP (Kurt) (he/him) is excited to be back with Berkeley Playhouse’s MainStage! Nathan has been acting at Berkeley Playhouse since age five, when he debuted as Scar in a summer camp production of The Lion King. Since then he has acted in the Youth Ensemble in Cinderella Enchanted and Seussical, as well as the YouthStage Productions of Monty Python’s Spamalot, Starmites, and Freaky Friday. Nathan lives in Berkeley with his mom, dad, and brother. When not acting, he enjoys riding his bike and doing the lighting and tech for his school’s drama program. Nathan thanks his parents for their support for his love of theater.

ARACELI GRACE (Brigitta) Bio coming soon.

MELODY URIBE (Marta) has been an avid fan of Berkeley Playhouse since age 3. This season is her debut with Berkeley Playhouse as Marta in the production of The Sound of Music. She has attended Bay Area Children’s Theater, where she played a variety of characters in such classics as: Sing or Swim (Siren) and Jungle Book Kids (Monkey & Snake). Melody would like to thank her parents for their support of her singing and performance passion, and for their invaluable musical, dance and vocal instruction. Melody is pleased to dedicate this performance to her grandmother Mity.

ALICE SONG (Gretl) is excited to be a part of this incredible cast as she makes her Berkeley Playhouse debut. She is a student of Tielle Baker and has performed locally. Outside of singing and acting, she also loves dancing in various genres, playing piano, skiing, playing club soccer, and reading voraciously. Alice would like to thank the cast and crew for all their hard work, and her friends and family for all of their support in her musical and performing arts endeavors.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.