MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS
Mamma Mia!
ISSAQUAH JUN 9 – JUL 10, 2022 | EVERETT JUL 15 – AUG 7, 2022
“ABBA-solutely fabulous.” —Daily Mail
Millions of people from around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the captivating story, and ABBA’s timeless music which makes Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good show. Sophie’s wedding day is right around the corner, and she wants her dad to walk her down the aisle. The only problem is she doesn’t know who he is. After secretly inviting all three of her mom’s old boyfriends to attend the wedding, things heat up at their already sizzling Grecian getaway. Village Theatre’s Mamma Mia! will have you singing and dancing all the way home.
“We’re going to breathe new life into this production of Mamma Mia! by reimagining what it could and should look like today. Part of that is having a beautifully diverse cast of storytellers, where we can ground and root the themes of our show in a very real way. All the fun and great songs that we love, anchored in something real, intentional, tangible and inspiring. I am rooting one of our themes in the West African word, ‘Sankofa.” A simple translation means to ‘retrieve’ or ‘go get it’. A more in-depth translation says: ‘…it is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.’ In our show, Donna is on her own personal Sankofa, as well as Sophie. Sometimes, you must to go back, before you can successfully move forward.”
—Director, Faith Bennett Russell
Be Russell, she/her (Rosie) is a born-and-raised Seattle actor/playwright, and is grateful to share the stage with these beautiful humans. Village Theatre: She Loves Me, The Homefront (Beta Series). The 5th Avenue Theatre: Beauty and the Beast. Taproot Theatre Company: Godspell, Crowns the Musical. Be gives all glory to God, and love to family and her dearest friends. Instagram: @be_russell755
Trina Mills (Tanya) Born and raised in Seattle WA, Mills is honored to be back at Village Theatre! Village Theatre credits include: Chicago (June/ Velma US), Funny Girl (Velma). 5th Avenue Theatre selected: A Chorus Line (Sheila), West Side Story (Velma). Regional credits: Asolo Rep Evita and Sound of Music, The MUNY Jersey Boys, and Paint Your Wagon, Kennedy Center Tommy. Love to Josh!
Varinique “V” Davis, she/her (Sophie Sheridan) studied at the National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center. She is a member of the Miranda Family Fellowship created by Lin-Manuel Miranda. V’s credits include Seattle Repertory Theatre’s Public Works productions of Winters Tale, Twelfth Night, and As You Like It; Howl’s Moving Castle (Book-it Rep); Office Hour (ArtsWest) IG: @515davis
Mark Emerson, he/him (Harry Bright) is so happy to be on stage again! Village: She Loves Me. National Tours: The Phantom of the Opera. London: Angels in America (Lyric Hammersmith). Regional: Sunday in the Park with George (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); Merton in Merton of the Movies (Dorset Theatre Festival). TV: “The Late Late Show with James Corden”. BS: Northwestern University; MFA: UCSD. Much love to Family and Jake! markemersonactor.com
Nate Tenenbaum (Bill Austin). Nate’s quarantine hobbies have included: making 1 strawberry cheesecake and several key-lime pies, sewing 1 shirt he wouldn’t wear in public, learning 25 German words a day, screen writing between naps and playing his vinyl. ABBA ROX. Regional credits: Dreamgirls, String (Village Theatre) Indecent (Seattle Rep) A Christmas Carol, Urinetown (ACT) Sister Act, Annie (5th Avenue Theatre)
Christian Quinto Sky, he/him (Sky). Christian is thrilled to be back on stage with Village Theatre! Select credits: She Loves Me (Village Theatre); The Odyssey, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night (Seattle Repertory Theatre); Office Hour, The Last World Octopus… and Jane Eyre(ArtsWest); Urinetown (The Studio Theatre TDS); Next To Normal (Chaminade Theatre); Daddy Long Legs (Taproot Theatre). 
Ays Garcia she/her (Lisa) is so excited to be back at the Village Theatre! She is a current student at University of Washington studying Music Education. She was most recently in Songs For A New World as the understudy for Woman 1 (Village Theatre). She would like to thank her family and friends for their unconditional love and support. She wouldn’t be here without them! Thank you all so much for coming! @ays.garcia
CJ Lorentz (Eddie) is incredibly honored to be making his debut with the Village Theatre in Mamma Mia!. He studied Musical Theatre for his BFA at Central Washington University and now is currently working on producing an album. He was recently seen in Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s latest production of Smokey Joe’s Café as Victor. He is filled with lots of gratitude and excitement for this production and many more to come!
Cy Paolantonio (Ensemble, Tanya u/s, Dance Captain) is a multiracial, multidisciplinary artist who is thrilled to party on this stage with this show! Recent Village credits: Charlie Brown (Choreographer); Welcome Home (Co-Director); Matilda (Ensemble). Their work has also been seen at The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, NYMF, NY Fringe, The Smithsonian, The Arad Fort in Bahrain, Cave B, Carnival Cruises, NBC, BET, & VH1. Visit @mamasemamacy & 
Tia Petersen (Ensemble) is exceedingly grateful to step foot on this stage again. Village Theatre: Guys and Dolls. The 5th Avenue Theatre: West Side Story, Holiday Inn. Proud graduate of The University of Washington. Much love & thanks to her family and her Kyle. @t_uhpetersen
Kataka Corn, They/Them/Theirs (Ensemble, Sophie Understudy). Kataka is a musical theatre performer/teaching artist in the Seattle area. They have previously been seen in Village Theatre’s Welcome Home – A Holiday Concert, Beyond The Curtain virtual series, The 5th Avenue Theatre’s 2021 Gala, and Adventure Musical Theatre at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Cancelled shows: Village Theatre’s 2020 Beta Series show Homefront (Maya) and The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Shrek: The Musical (Dragon). Kataka is grateful for the endless support.
Brian Sandstrom, He/Him (Ensemble) is excited to be back at Village Theatre after performing in Newsies! And growing up with KIDSTAGE (with Faith as a director!) Outside of Village, he loves doing sketch comedy with the YouTube channel SMOSH and performing musicals for children Off-Broadway and around the country for TheatreWorks.
Jimmy Shields (Ensemble) is a professional choreographer and director in the greater Seattle area. You may have seen some of his previous work at Village Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, or as the co-host of the 2019 Gregory Awards. Performing has always been his biggest passion and he is thrilled to be making his return Village to the village stage!
Faith Bennett Russell (Director) is a Jamaican-African American, activist for racial and social justice, and proud Brooklyn, New York native. For the past 30+ years she’s been an actor, director, teaching artist, playwright, and choreographer in the greater Seattle area. In 2012, she was named one of the top 5 best Seattle Actors by CBS Local, and in 2018 was nominated twice by Broadway World Seattle for Best Director of a Musical. Faith’s new work As Simple As It Seems, made its virtual debut through The Drinking Gourd: Black Actor’s at Work, a collaboration between The Hansberry Project and Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company. Through Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE program, she served as the Education Assistant Manager, and host of the Webinar Series Meet the Masters. Select directorial credits: Until the Flood (Harlequin Productions), Legally Blonde (Showtunes), CROWNS (Taproot Theatre Company), In the Heights (Village Theater KIDSTAGE). Upcoming projects: Pride and Prejudice (SPU) and Pipeline (Seattle Public Theater).
Aaron M. Davis Norman (Music Director). Aaron is an educator-artist-activist originally from Compton California. Aaron has performed across Europe, Canada, and the US and continues to fight for equitable theatre programs for youth and diverse representation on stages and productions teams. Aaron is currently the Institute Manager at Village Theatre KIDTSAGE, teaching voice Cornish College of The Arts, and one of the Co-Education Managers for Re:Theatre.
Andrew Pang (Music Director) has been performing in musical theater for over 7 years. He worked on In The Heights and Out of Bounds at Village KIDSTAGE. He is classically trained in violin, viola, and piano, and composes, while teaching all of these topics. He spends his free time watching dramas and anime with his cat Ellie.
Katy Tabb, she/her (Choreographer) is a choreographer, director, performer, and teaching artist. Katy’s past choreography credits include: Newsies (Gregory Award for Best Choreography), Singin’ In The Rain, Billy Elliot, ZM (Beta Series), and Hello My Baby at the Village Theatre, as well as Bright Star, Persuasion (World Premiere), and Sweet Land at Taproot Theatre Company. She choreographed Wonderful Town for the Seattle Symphony and recently directed and choreographed Bohemia at The Triple Door.
