Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Into the Woods Bios

Nicholas Arevalo (Cinderella's Prince) is a senior at Hollywood High School. He is a student in Ms. Hertzner's choir class. Although Nicholas has no prior acting experience, he was given the opportunity to portray a charming prince in Into the Woods. His experience so far can be described as "a little nerve wrecking" but has become, over time,  easy and fun. Nicholas is the top ranking student academically in the Performing Arts Magnet and has a fourth-degree brown belt in judo. 

Hannah Barukh (the Witch) is a PAM sophomore at Hollywood High and is playing the role of the Witch. She has played a key role in a production of Little Shop of Horrors and served as a lead in Bye Bye Birdie.  She also played a role in Sister Act during her first year at Hollywood High. She has years of acting experience and has shown her ability to multi-task by working tech over the course of two years; however, acting has always held her heart. 

Anthony Bravo (Mysterious Man/Cinderella's Father) Anthony is a PAM sophomore at Hollywood High School. In the past, he has played "Daddy Warbucks" in Annie, Jr.; "Horton" in Seussical,  and "Pantalone" in The Servant of Two Masters. Over the summer, Anthony received a summer scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts's Conservatory for Young Actors. He thanks his family and friends for supporting him and is honored to be a part of the cast.  

 Davion Corley (the Steward) is a PAM student at Hollywood High School. Davion plays the role of the Steward and a part of the ensemble of this year's production of Into the Woods. Davion has been a part of the chorus and the spring choir show 2017. Davion is excited about this year's production. 

Audrey Crabano (the Baker's Wife) is a PAM junior at Hollywood High School. She is a musician, singer, and actress. Audrey has been a part of numerous musical productions such as Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray,  and Sister Act. She was last seen acting onstage as Smeraldina in The Servant of Two Masters. She is known for singing at school events such as football games, pep rallies, assemblies, and talent showcases. Audrey is a member of the Hollywood Highnotes show choir and has performed in concerts as a piano accompanist, as well as a featured soloist. She is honored and humbled to be working alongside such talented peers. Audrey is hardworking and driven and aspires to be on Broadway in the future. 

Danya Duarte (sound tech/assistant stage manager)is a PAM senior at Hollywood High School. She is the sound operator for all. She has been in stage crew before for the last several years for all the plays and musicals produced at Hollywood. She is also a part of the after-school Hollywood rock band. Danya is very excited to work on her final show and is proud of all the performers. 


Rae Green (Florinda) is a junior at Hollywood High, and Into the Woods is her first musical here. She used to live in Virginia and has done a variety of shows at her old school and at a local black box theatre. She is very excited to be a part of this musical and wants to thank her mom for all of her love and support.


Leah Jackson (Little Red Riding Hood) Leah is an SAS senior and is thrilled to be part of this production. She has been in several other Hollywood High productions such as Hairspray and Sister Act. Outside of school, she has participated in other plays, such as P.O.W. People Over Weapons (Cheryl) and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Stepmother). Leah has been singing since she could talk and acting for the last eight years at various studios. Over the summer, she did Broadway Dreams and loved every moment of it. She loves every moment she's onstage and is grateful to be going Into the Woods. 


Grace Jones (Ensemble/Birds/Sleeping Beauty) is excited to be part of this hilarious show. Ms. Jones is a sophomore at Hollywood High, who loves doing shows and learning from other talented people here. She has performed in Oliver, Mulan, Peter and the Starcatcher, Sister Act, A Servant of Two Masters, and now Into the Woods. After this show, she will hopefully make it out alive and be able take away some cast memories. 

Regina Kluchevskaia (Lucinda) is currently a junior in the Performing Arts Magnet at Hollywood High. She is starring as Lucinda. This will be her first musical and she's excited to be part of such a great cast. Ever since she stepped foot as a freshman at Hollywood she has been working in technical theatrical and building props for multiple productions such as Argonautica, Hairspray, and Peter and the Star Catcher, etc. 


 Whitney Kim (Snow White) Whitney is an SAS sophomore here at Hollywood High School. She played the main character in her church play contest last year and studied dance for two years between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Whitney is in both the ensemble and the crew of Into the Woods. She also loves to sing! 

Anselmo Ko (the Big Bad Wolf) is a junior in Hollywood High's Performing Arts Magnet and made his debut in last year's spring musical Sister Act.  Anselmo is in Ms. Hertzner's Show Choir and has performed numerous times in their vocal productions. Anselmo is also an active member  of the International Thespians' Society on campus and serves as head usher for all of the Performing Arts Magnet's shows. 

Kyla Lee (Cinderella's Stepmother) is a senior in the Performing Arts Magnet at Hollywood High.  She fell in love with acting and performing while performing the lead role as Sister Mary Patrick in last year's musical Sister Act. She is very excited to be a part of this production and is looking forward to graduating as a thespian.

Grace Lyde (Granny/the Giantess) Grace Lyde is an SAS junior at Hollywood High School. She’s been in Hairspray and Sister Act during her high school career and now takes on the role of Granny. She helped write the 2017 Black History Assembly with Kate Bridges and has worked with Ms. Bridges many times since on such shows as  "To Serve Mankind", the Halloween show,  in which she played Rod Serling, and in the spring production of A Night of Deranged Durang. She’s currently writing a web series as well as writing and doing voice acting on an altered reality game. 

Winston Oughourli (the Baker) made his debut playing the male lead last year in Hollywood High School's production of Sister Act. Winston played the servant "Truffaldino" in last semester's Servant of Two Masters and is once again taking on a major role in the musical Into the Woods. Winston is also a member of Ms. Hertzner's Show Choir and has performed in their last three vocal productions. 

 Jennifer Palencia (Cinderella's Mother) is a PAM senior at Hollywood High School. She has been a part of various productions with the Hollywood High Notes, the school's show choir.  Jennifer has also been in the ensembles of Bring It On, Hairspray, and Sister Act.  She is very excited about her final show Into the Woods at Hollywood High. She has taken choir classes throughout high school and is passionate about her love for singing.


Tyler Ransom (Rapunzel's Prince) is a junior at Hollywood High School and an American singer-songwriter and guitarist with a steep background in jazz, blues, and rock-and-roll. His music defies boundaries as he excels in jazz and indie rock. Tyler recently co-authored a book with his father, Chronically Positive: My Son's Five-Step System to Staying Positive",  in which he discusses his musical journey. Tyler has also just published a full album entitled "Prom Night", which is available on all musical platforms. Into the Woods is his first performance at Hollywood High School.  

Chloe Roston (Ensemble/ Understudy for Lucinda) is a freshman in the Performing Arts Magnet at Hollywood High. This is the first musical she has been in, but she does have a background in acting and singing. She has been singing her entire life but has just recently started taking vocal lessons a year ago. 



Zoe Schiller (Cinderella) is a PAM sophomore at Hollywood High School. She plays the role of Cinderella. In middle school, she was the lead in two musicals, Little Shop of Horrors and Bye, Bye Birdie.  Zoe also has a professional dance history as a Clippers' Junior Jam cheerleader for four years. She previously played the role of Tina and a fantasy dancer in Hollywood High's production of Sister Act  and is a part of Hollywood High's advanced ballet class with Ms. Goldschein. 


Angel Velasquez (Jack) is a sophomore in Hollywood High's Performing Arts Magnet and is currently enrolled in Ms. Bridges' acting class. He made his debut on the Hollywood High stage last October in the Halloween show How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse. Then, a month later, he shifted gears and played the young gentleman Silvio in The Servant of Two Masters. 

India Williams (Jack's Mother)  is a PAM junior at Hollywood High School. She made her debut in Hollywood's production of The Masque of the Red Death.  She has studied contemporary dance with Lisa Goldschein for two years and performed in the dance shows at Hollywood High School. India has also performed in the choir shows conducted by Lisa Hertzner. Outside of school, India has starred in the Deliverance production of A Charlie Brown Christmas,  performed with Dance Guard, performed in the Black History assemblies, and danced for Ooni of Life. India will also be in two short films this year. 
Rae Green is a junior at Hollywood High, and it is her first musical here. She used to live in Virginia, and she had done a variety of shows at her old school and at a local black box theatre. She is very excited to be apart of this musical and wants to thank her mom for all of the love and support.

Kedase Wone (the Narrator) is an SAS  junior at Hollywood High School and is making his theatrical debut in the spring musical Into the Woods. Kesase has studied martial arts for the past three years, and is an avid football player. He has performed in two music videos and has appeared as an extra in a film.  Kedase was also a member of the SAS Student Union. 

Student Stage Managers and Assistant Directors

Carter Demus (Stage Manager) has been involved in theatre since middle school, and stage managed her first musical (Annie) at thirteen.  At Hollywood High's Performing Arts Magnet, Carter has done a bit of everything: singing, acting, and now tech crew and stage managing. She's worked on seven shows in her time at Hollywood and Into the Woods with be her eighth and final show in her senior year. Carter also created the poster for Into the Woods.  After graduating she will continue in theatre at UCLA in their TFT program. She hopes you all enjoy the show that every student has worked so hard on!



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