Cabaret at The Merc Presents 5th Annual RISING STARS Show

Presented by Cabaret at The Merc, in association with The Barn Stage Company, this exclusive look at some of the area's brightest Rising Stars is now in it's 5th Year! Featuring the best up and coming talent from all over Southern California singing some of the most exciting songs ever written! This is definitely a show you don't want to miss! With songs from Mainstream Radio and Broadway, come see why the future of Theater is in good hands with these exciting young talents! The show runs only one night, Monday, January 30th at 7pm at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater in beautiful Old Town Temecula.

In sticking with the tradition of bringing back one of last years Rising Stars to host the next year, we are excited to welcome Jake Bradford back for our 2017 show! Jake has appeared regionally in The 1940's Radio Hour (New Village Arts); West Side Story (Lamb's Players Theatre) and Peter and The Starcatcher (The Barn Stage Company). Educational: Seussical! (RBVHS); Tarzan (Moonlight Youth Theatre); 9 to 5 (RBVHS); Into The Woods (MYT).

Announcing our 2017 Rising Stars

Act One

The Cast includes Anna Forgét who currently performs at LegoLand California in the Lego Friends Show! She has also been seen on stage in such roles as Mrs. Tottendale in The Drowsy Chaperone and Marian Paroo in The Music Man at Ovation Theatre. She has also been seen at Hennessey's in La Jolla! Next up is Emily Smedley, who has starred on stage as the Narrator in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Penny Pingleton in Hairspray! Coming up next, she will star in the role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at Cathedral Catholic High School! Hourie Klijian is no stranger to the stage having performed in roles with Lambs Players Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, Moonlight Stage Productions and The Old Globe! Joshua Higbee has recently been seen on stage in roles such as Lumiere in Beauty and The Beast and Tarzan in Tarzan! Katelyn Walsh is a local actress from right here in Temecula, CA! Having performed many roles with the Patriot Players under the direction of Joseph Arreola! From Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Mille to Sally Brown in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Katelyn is no stranger to the stage! And last but not least, Saul Esqueda is the final performer in our first act!

Act Two

The Cast includes Claire Scheper, a resident artist who has performed in many roles across San Diego Theatre Companies! From her recurring role in White Christmas at San Diego Musical Theatre to playing Baby Louise in Cygnet's Gypsy to her turn as Annie in Annie with CYC! Next up is Courtney Conway, a Senior in High School and has recently played the roles of Miss Dorothy Brown in Moonlight Youth Production's of Thoroughly Modern Millie and Jane in Tarzan! She also has taken years of Ballet and has been featured With The West Coast Ballet company! Our next Rising Star from the second act is Makena Merrifield! You can seen Makena currently on stage at LegoLand California in The Lego Friends Holiday show! She has also performed in roles at Palomar College, The Avo Playhouse and Center Stage Productions! Roles include Martha in Spring Awakening, Eponine in Les Miserables and Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical! We are thrilled to introduce Olivia Hodson! Local Audiences may recognize Olivia from roles with a couple local regional Theaters! From her recent turn as Luisa in The Fantasticks at Scripps Ranch Theatre, to Jesus Christ Superstar at The Welk Resorts Theatre and Chava in Fiddler on the Roof! Our next Rising Star from the second act is Sittichai Chaiyahat who joins us from Oceanside, CA where he has performed on many stages including Moonlight, Diversionary and STAR Repertory theatre! Has also been seen on stage all over Washington and Oregon in various roles! He premiered the role of Feda in Diversionary's The Boy Who Danced On Air this past June. Last up is Trevor Cruse, currently in Cygnet's production of On The 20th Century playing the role of The Porter! He has also been seen onstage with Christian Youth Theatre in such roles as Joseph in Joseph...Technicolor Dreamcoat, Fester Addams in The Addams Family and Pinnochio in Shrek the Musical!

In May 2012, Writer & Producer Jordan Beck (Biting Broadway, Peter Pan: A New Musical) and Director J. Scott Lapp (Broadway's Bonnie & Clyde, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Murder for Two) teamed up to present Cabaret at The Merc, a popular concert series taking place in Old Town Temecula on the last Sunday of each month. Over the years they have brought the best of Broadway to Temecula, including evenings with Broadway's Eden Espinosa, Shoshana Bean, and Grammy award-winning and Tony-nominated composer Stephen Schwartz. With shows also celebrating a wide array of styles ranging between Billy Joel, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Queen, Motown, and The Rat Pack, Cabaret at The Merc has quickly become "the best kept secret in Temecula"!

RUN DATES | TIMES: Monday, January 30 at 7pm. LOCATION: The Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main Street, Temecula, CA. 92590. TICKETS: $20. Can be purchased by visiting www.TheBarnStageCompany.com or www.TemeculaTheater.org or by calling the Old Town Community Theater Box Office at 1-866-653-8696.

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