Nicholas Burbo (Music Director/Conductor/Pianist/Singer)

Nicholas is thrilled to be back on stage for the first time in years, and he is so thrilled to have put together another incredible show with some of his favorite and most treasured collaborators. 

As an avid music director, Nicholas has now music directed 11 productions here at SALT Performing Arts. His credits include: Elf, Seussical, The Music Man, Cinderella, Big Fish, Jekyll & Hyde, A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music, Anything Goes, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He also played piano for SALT's productions of Annie and Singin' in the Rain. Nicholas also has the distinct honor of music directing the Main Stage musical at the Barrymore Award winning educational theatre program, Upper Darby Summer Stage! Credits: Newsies! & Something Rotten! During the daytime, he is proud to live out his dream of teaching music (chorus, piano, & guitar) at the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in Villanova, where he also music directs for their theatre program. Above all, Nicholas is simply enamored to finally share the stage with the love of his life, Emily Sgroi, for the very first time. They met right here at SALT during Big Fish and have been together ever since. He would also like to thank his family for their everlasting love and support in his career as a musician and educator. Finally, Nicholas would like to extend a big thank you to Lauren, Robbie, Chelsea, Val, Stephen, the cast, production team, and pit orchestra of A Grand Night for Singing for bringing the incredible music of Rodgers and Hammerstein to life! 

 

Isaiah Butler (Dancer)

Isaiah is thrilled to return to SALT for A Grand Night for Singing. He was last seen at SALT in Sweeney Todd (Ensemble/Sweeney U/S). Additional performance credits include: Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr., Jenkintown Music Theater), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey II, Facetime Theater), and numerous productions throughout the Philadelphia region. Directing credits include: Anastasia: The Musical (SALT Teen Production). A proud graduate of the University of the Arts (BFA), Isaiah sends endless gratitude to the creative team, his castmates, and his loving husband for their unwavering support.

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Hannah Cohen (Dancer) 

Hannah is honored to be involved in this production to celebrate SALT’s past, present, and future. Hannah works as a teacher at Petite Pas Ballet School, and as a choreographer. On the off chance she isn’t dancing, Hannah enjoys writing songs and poems, trying new recipes, and dancing some more. She has most recently been seen in Into the Woods(Lucinda/Cinderella Understudy), Beauty and the Beast(La Fille de Ville/Belle Understudy), A Chorus Line (Val Clark), and Jekyll and Hyde (Lucy’s Girl/ Lucy u/s). SALT has been a constant place in Hannah’s life where she goes to be surrounded by amazing people, and spectacular art-making. For that reason, she offers great thanks to the entire team for letting be a part of yet another spectacle, and an opportunity to express that gratitude on stage.

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Katy Engelman (Dancer)

Katy is very excited to be back on the SALT stage with so many friends for A Grand Night for Singing! Some favorite previous appearances at SALT include The SpongeBob Musical (Squidward), Beauty and the Beast (La Fille de la Ville), A Chorus Line (Dawn Kerr), White Christmas (Rita), and Singin’ in the Rain (Zelda/Ensemble). By day, Katy spends her time working with children as a preschool teacher. Katy would like to thank Lauren, Chelsea, and Val for giving her this opportunity to dance on the SALT stage again, as well as her friends and family for supporting her through this journey.

 

Becca Futty (Dancer)

Becca is thrilled to revisit this beautiful show. She had the privilege of being in the original cast of A Grand Night for Singing during SALT's inaugural performance. Some favorite past roles include Cabaret (Rosie), A Chorus Line (Laurey), The Crucible (Reverend Hale), Mary Poppins (Miss Andrew), A Grand Night for Singing (Dancer). When not on stage, Becca works behind the scenes as a director and choreographer. She holds a BA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Dance from West Chester University. She would like to thank the entire production team and cast for making this such a lovely rehearsal process, especially Lauren McComas for inviting her to honor the past and dance on SALT's stage once more. It has truly been a dream. Special thanks to Jon, Mom, and the boys for their love and support!

Kai Kasiguran(Singer) 

Kai is so thankful to be a part of the SALT community and this production of A Grand Night for Singing.  Kai has also been a part of several SALT main stage productions, most recently in Anastasia.  Kai wants to thank the production team for including him in this project and making the experience so enjoyable.  Special love to Bay, August, and the rest of the family and friends for their support and love.  May this performance be an offering of gratitude to God!

 

Emily Peterson Merow(Singer) 

Emily is grateful to be a part of this show with some of her very favorite people! Emily’s most recent SALT performance was in Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife), and her oldest was in SALT’s first ever show in 2014, A Grand Night for Singing! Thank you, Lauren, for asking me to be in this special production! To Nick, Maggie, Emily, Kai, and Dan: Being together and learning from each other has been such a joy. You are all incredibly brilliant performers, and more importantly, wonderful friends, and I love you dearly! All my heart to Jesus, Robbie, and Faye. For Dave. ❤️

 

Andy Patterson (Dancer) 

Andy is so excited to be amongst this talented and amazing cast + crew. Over his 14 years of experience, he has been seen in over 50 productions and earned his B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Temple University '20. Favorite credits include: Anastasia (Dmitry), Cabaret (Emcee), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour Krelborn), Godspell (Jesus), Spring Awakening (Moritz Stiefel), CATS (Mistofolees) and A Chorus Line (Greg). Andy would like to thank the cast and crew, our incredible choreographers for creating such beautiful choreography for us to embody and our effervescent director Lauren McComas for stewarding this experience with such love and reverence; his family, friends and mentors for molding him into the human/artist he is today; and the community for continuing to show up and support live theater in these wild, unprecedented times. Thank you for being here and we hope this show touches your hearts as much as ours. 

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Maggie Riker(Singer) 

Maggie has performed in a wide variety of operas, musicals, cabarets, oratorios, and concerts. She enjoys performing whenever an opportunity presents itself and was most recently seen as Countess Lily in Anastasia at SALT Performing Arts. 

After studying Vocal Performance at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Maggie competed internationally in the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions, won the Bel Canto Scholarship, the Opera Columbus Competition, and received an Award from the Gerda Lissner foundation. Some of her varied roles/credits include Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Queen of the Night), Verdi’s La Traviata (Violetta), Puccini’s La bohème (Mimi), The Music Man (Marian), Oklahoma! (Laurie), Hello Dolly! (Dolly Levi), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey), Big Fish (Older Sandra), Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts).

Maggie’s favorite “gig” of all, though, is being a Mom. Tom and Emily - I love you to the moon and back! 

 

Emily Sgroi (Singer)

Emily is so excited to be performing such a timeless show! During the day, Emily works at Villanova University in the University Communication and Marketing department. Previous roles at SALT include Sweeney Todd (Johanna), Legally Blonde (Kate), A Chorus Line (Maggie Winslow) and Big Fish (Young Sandra), and other favorite roles include Carousel (Julie Jordan), Legally Blonde (Brooke Wyndham), Urinetown (Soupy Sue), and Pippin (Fastrada). Emily would like to thank the production team of A Grand Night for Singing for giving her this opportunity. Special thanks to Nick and her family for always supporting her. Enjoy the show! 

 

Daniel K. Williams (Singer) 

Daniel has been seen performing at SALT in The Little Mermaid (Ursula), The Wizard of Oz (Zeke/Lion), Spelling Bee (Barfee),  Little Shop of Horrors (The Dentist) and SpongeBob (Foley Fish). Other performing credits include How to Succeed…(J.B. Biggley), James and the Giant Peach (Aunt Sponge), Joseph… (Jacob/Potifar), Trial by Jury (The Judge, Defendant, Counsel), and The Sorcerer (Alexis). Daniel has directed Into the Woods, Beauty & the Beast, Anything Goes, Jekyll & Hyde, and Seussical for the SALT stage. Other directing credits include Nunsense, Company, Into the Woods, John & Jen, The Vagina Monologues, Spelling Bee, and Chess for Bravo Theatre Company as well as The Rocky Horror Show, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Assassins, and The SpongeBob Musical for Footlighters Theater. Daniel has also directed The Wizard of Oz at Limelight Performing Arts and a multitude of Gilbert and Sullivan shows at various groups in the Greater Philadelphia Area. (he/him)