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September 8-17, 2023
Jefferson Performing Arts Center
6400 Airline Drive | Metairie, LA
Wes, a 20-something social media obsessed fashion designer has returned from New York to his hometown of New Orleans to transform the former Upstairs Lounge nightclub into a retail store. After a nerve-wracking visit with his realtor, he time travels through a burned-out curtain into the 1973 arson-destroyed club. There, he meets the men who inhabited this “underground” venue decades ago. Despite the many limitations and challenges of the lounge patrons’ lives--and the horrifically tragic crime that ends them—their lifestyle ultimately proves to be more honest, authentic, and joyful than his superficial online social life. Will Wes take these lessons back to the future with him?
This production contains adult language, sexual content, and violence.
Director and Asst. Choreographer: Jack Lampert
Music Director: Max DoVale
Choreographer: Monica Ordonez
Dance Captain: Justin Hues
Scenic Designer: Marshall Harris
Costume Designer: Eddie Lockwood
Hair and Makeup: Amanda Bravender
Sound Designer/Operator: Eric Porter
Props Designer: Olivia Winter
Production Manager: Nikki Lopez
Stage Manager: Carlie Goodlett
Click headshot for bio
Donyae Asante is a singer-songwriter, actor and playwright from Chicago, IL. He is a R&B and hip-hop artist who released his first two albums in 2019 and is now working on his third album, HeavenEarth, slated for release this October. His recent credits include Vanya & Sonia & Masha and Spike (Crescent City Stage), Where The Suga Still Sweet (No Dream Deferred), Drapetomania: A Negro Carol (No Dream Deferred), The Exorcist Files (IHeartRadio), Craigslisted (The Nola Project) and his directorial debut Inner Child (The Actors Apothecary).
Wes
Ty Robbins (Patrick) is honored to be making his JPAS debut in his hometown of New Orleans. He holds a BFA in Acting from Oklahoma City University. Ty most recently has found work both on the stage and in theme parks. Credits: Walt Disney Entertainment, Cedar Fair Entertainment, The School for Lies (Oronte), Songs for a New World (Man 2), Measure for Measure (Provost; u/s), Enron (Skilling; u/s).
Patrick
Marshall Harris aka “New Orleans Entertainer” has been performing on many stages in New Orleans, including roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, Boys in the Band, Camelot, The Producers, La Boheme, Rocky Horror, and more. He has been creating and producing variety shows, musicals, cabarets, and concerts offering unique experiences for many audiences about town for over 20 years. In addition to his onstage role, offstage Marshall is also the set designer for The View UpStairs. Marshall has worked with some of the biggest Broadway tours such as The Lion King, Wicked, Les Misérables, and The Sound of Music, on the hair and makeup teams when they performed on New Orleans stages.
Buddy
Rayshaughn Armant is a singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, actor, and vocal coach from New Orleans. They are thrilled to be returning to the JPAS stage in this monumental production of The View Upstairs. Some of their favorite roles include Audrey 2 in Little Shop of Horrors (JPAS and Springer Opera House) Bobby in Cabaret (Glow Lyric Theatre) and The Preacher in the Color Purple (Springer Opera House). When they aren’t performing, they love to support the live music and theatre scene in New Orleans, skate, and cook!
Willie
Lauren Sparacello was most recently seen in JPAS’s production of Shrek: The Musical as Mama Ogre/Ensemble. Formerly, Lauren has been seen as Jan in Grease, Grown-up Wendy in Peter Pan, Ursula in The Little Mermaid, and Mrs. Peacock in Clue: Onstage. In addition to their work onstage, Lauren can occasionally be found offstage as an up-and-coming stage manager. She has worked as a stage manager for JPAS, The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company, and The Destrehan High School Theatre Department. When not on stage, Lauren is a Special Education Paraprofessional at Destrehan High School and is completing coursework for their senior year at Nicholls University for their Bachelor of Arts in History.
Henri
Daví Martínez is a non-binary, first generation Colombian American living as a full time artist in New Orleans, Louisiana. Performing under the name Eddie Lockwood, they are a co-producer of the performance arts company, Prettie Boi Presents. Showcasing burlesque & performance Artists from all over the country. They’re a skilled costumer designer, model, and flow artist. Their work has been seen all over the globe including: The Show Me Burlesque Festival (St. Louis, Missouri ), The Burlesque Hall of Fame (Las Vegas, Nevada) & VarieTEASE (Tokyo, Japan).
Freddy
JeAnne Grant Marcus is a New Orleans-based Soprano making her debut with Jefferson Performing Arts Society. JeAnne holds opera degrees from both Loyola University New Orleans (M.M.) and The Hartt School of Music (B.M.). She currently performs as a soloist for various churches, synagogues, and event halls across the New Orleans area. Among her accolades and awards, JeAnne earned Gambit's Big Easy Foundation's award for Best Performance of New Classical Music for her recital An Unquiet Spirit: Madams, Madmen, and Other Unsavory Characters featuring contemporary works making their New Orleans premiere. Other award-winning performances include the title role in Carlisle Floyd's Susannah with Loyola Opera, Rossini's Stabat Mater presented by St. Charles Presbyterian Church and LPO, Lady Billows and The Female Chorus in Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring and The Rape of Lucretia respectively, Anna Maurrant in Kurt Weill's Street Scene, The Old Lady in Leonard Bernstein's Candide, as well as her creating the roles of Saxon Spellmeyer in The Self Portrait of Jonathan Jenkins and Rebecca Cummings in EE me & Pollack thee with New Orleans Fringe Festival.
Inez/Realtor
Tom Vaughn (Richard) was last seen as George in Sweet Potato Queens: The Musical. Tom is a member is St. George Episcopal Church and President of the board of directors for Jefferson Performing Arts Society. A native of Cape Girardeau Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Vocal Performance and a minor in Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University, Vaughn spent over 26 years in New York City where he studied and worked professionally in musical theater. His national and international credits include working for theater companies including Scala Theater in Basil, Switzerland, eight productions with Opera Northeast under the Direction of Don Westwood, A National Tour of Kiss Me Kate with Musical Theater Advancement Group, three musical productions including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at The Brandon Fradd Theater in Fire Island, NY: stock theater at Seaside Music Theater in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Bucks County Theater, New Hope, Pennsylvania. Since moving to New Orleans in 2018, Tom has performed in six JPAS productions.
Richard
Justice Hues is a multidisciplinary artist with a passion for telling the stories of people in the margins. They studied Musical Theatre at Northwestern State University in their hometown of Natchitoches, LA and moved to New Orleans in 2021 to widen the scope of their artistic opportunities. You may have seen Justice locally as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots (Rivertown), Hannah Jelkes in Night of the Iguana (TWTC), Siobhan in Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Le Petit), and most recently as Regina Adams in The UpStairs Lounge dance with Mélange Dance Co.
Dale
Matthew Welch has most recently been seen at Tulane Summer Lyric Theater in The Music Man and Oliver. He has played memorable characters such as Lonny in Rock of Ages and Joseph Gillis in Sunset Blvd at the Cutting Edge Theater. He played Mr. Bundles/Henry Morgenthau Jr in Annie at JPAS. Matthew is a member of the Thespian Society and a fine arts major at Delgado. He has been in numerous productions across the New Orleans area. A member of Hollywood South, look for him as "Jared" in Disney's Untitled Sister's Project.
Cop
Apollo Yong is an actor-singer from the Washington DC area, and he is proud to make his NOLA debut with JPAS. Apollo is also a newly minted lawyer, having graduated last May from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. Recent credits include Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Arlington Players; Arlington, VA); Senator Fipp in Urinetown (Workhouse Arts; Lorton, VA); Young Buddy in Follies (Live Arts; Charlottesville, VA); and William Barfée in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (UVA Drama; Charlottesville, VA). Apollo has musical theatre performance training from Greg Harris at the University of Virginia.
Ensemble
Joel Sunsin is thrilled to be making his JPAS debut and so excited for this opportunity. Some of his most notable roles have been recently as Brother Boy in Sordid Lives, Hertz in Rock of Ages, George in Sweet Potato Queens, Babe in Queen of Bingo, and have had the pleasure of playing the iconic Brad Majors all at Cutting Edge Theatre in Slidell.
Ensemble
Andrew is thrilled to be back in New Orleans after spending 11 years working in Los Angeles. He has spent 20 years crafting his passion for the arts and cannot think of a greater joy in life. Some of his favorite stage/screen credits include Balladeer/Oswald in Assassins, Amadeus in Amadeus, Jamie in Love.Life, and starring alongside, Eugene Byrd, in ‘Tis the Season.
Ensemble
Ti Zampino is a recent graduate from the Loyola University College of Music and Media. He has been performing and working in theatre throughout his educational journey the last 8 years. This is his second show since graduation, as he was a member of the ensemble in Tulane Summer Lyric's production of Oliver!. As a transgender and pansexual person, he believes that every queer story needs to be told and he wants to participate in sharing those stories everywhere.
Ensemble
Cade Garafola is a performer and writer from New Orleans, LA. In the past, Cade studied Musical Theatre at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and today, he is attending Tulane University. Recent theatre credits include Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn (JPAS), Irving Berlin's White Christmas (JPAS), 42nd Street (Tulane Summer Lyric), and Newsies! (Tulane Summer Lyric).
Ensemble
Rusty Fox is a performer whose credits include ensemble work in A Christmas Carol and Kinky Boots, Cordell Hull and Judge Brandeis in Annie, Mr. Hilltop in Young Frankenstein, Seitz in Newsies, at Rivertown Theaters, and played Bernard Marigny with the Louisiana Living History Company.
Ensemble
Max Vernon - Composer/Lyricist/PlaywrightMax Vernon is a Tony Award nominee, 3 time Drama Desk nominee, Out100 Honoree, and recipient of the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical, Richard Rodgers Award, Jonathan Larson Grant, Pew Arts and Culture Grant, New York Stage and Film's Founders Award, New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship, and the JFund Award from the Jerome Foundation. They have been a Dramatist Guild Theatre Fellow, two time MacDowell Fellow, and an artist in residence at Berkeley Rep, Ars Nova, Kimmel Center (via The Public Theater), and Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat, among others. Their musicals include The View UpStairs, KPOP, The Tattooed Lady, and Show & Tell. They have also written/developed work for Audible, Broadway Video, Disney Creative Entertainment, Virgin Atlantic, and Tyra Banks. The View UpStairs (Book, Music, and Lyrics), ran Off-Broadway in 2017 and has since had 30+ productions around the world, including London, Sydney, and Tokyo. KPOP (Music & Lyrics), enjoyed a sold-out, extended run at Ars Nova and was the most nominated Off-Broadway show of the 2017-2018 season. The Tattooed Lady (Book, Music, and Lyrics) had its world premiere at Philadelphia Theatre Company in Nov 2022, simultaneous with the Broadway transfer of KPOP at Circle in the Square. Max is a founding member of the glam rock band, Tony & The Kiki (50k followers on TikTok), as well as an acclaimed singer/songwriter, music producer, and cabaret artist. Notable concert performances include a six-month sold out residency at Joe’s Pub (“Existential Life Crisis Lullaby”), Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Read more about Max at Max Vernon: Composer/Lyricist, Playwright, Performer, and Brooch Enthusiast
Jack Lampert - DirectorA native New Orleanian, Jack Lampert has been active in theatre since he was a young man at NORD Theatre working with Ty Tracy. Jack moved to Houston in 1972, where he was associate director at Stages Theatre, directing many productions including Man of La Mancha, Little Shop of Horrors, and Closer Than Ever. When he relocated to San Francisco with his husband, he was involved with The Peninsula Players and San Francisco University Theatre. In 1996 they moved to the Chicago area where Jack worked on many productions including Sweet Charity, A Chorus Line, Chicago, Oliver!, and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, among others, as well as performing as the MC in Cabaret and the devil in Damn Yankees. Upon retirement to Louisiana in 2009, Jack became the Education Director for Baton Rouge Little Theatre now known as Theatre Baton Rouge. There he established The Young Actors Program. In 2022, The Jack Lampert Endowment Fund was established to assist aspiring theatre students.
Max DoVale - Musical DirectorMax DoVale is a New Orleans based pianist, composer, and educator. In the last year, Max has music directed JPAS’ productions of Sweet Potato Queens and Grease, Loyola University’s production of Urinetown, as well as performed in productions of In the Heights, Guys and Dolls, Cinderella, Lion King Jr., and more. Outside of the theatre, Max works at Loyola University as a piano accompanist, plays around town at churches, restaurants, and bars, and teaches piano at several local schools and programs.
MONICA ORDOÑEZ (Choreographer)MONICA ORDOÑEZ is a Big Easy Award-winning choreographer based in New Orleans. Originally from Miami, Florida, she graduated from Tulane University with a double major in Dance and Paralegal studies. In 2012, she was selected by the Paul Taylor Dance Company as one of six choreographers to present work at the Marigny Opera House’s in their New Dance Festival. In 2014, Monica conceived Mélange’s mission and cofounded the company with Alexa Erck. She has choreographed numerous Big Easy Award nominated productions that each uniquely integrate storytelling, history, and themes of humanity that inspire, educate, and entertain, often bringing little known stories to the forefront, including Melange Dance Company’s 2014 dance project, The UpStairs Lounge, recently performed at the 50th anniversary commemoration events of The UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans in 2023.
