The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals
Cast
Anna is super excited to be back on stage after a year of working behind the scenes. She loves to sing, whether it’s Mozart, Sondheim, or Pete Seeger, and also does a pretty solid duck impersonation.
Caroline stars as Emma Perkins. She enjoys playing guitar, spending time with her friends, and watching really bad reality TV shows. She’s been in a few other CAA shows, including Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, Descendants, and SpongeBob.
Anne L. Knudson has been actively involved in CAA’s teen theatre since 2023, as well as in CHHS productions during the school year. Her past teen theatre roles include Tiblyn in Firebringer (2023) and Ms. Norbury in Mean Girls (2024). Or, if you want to look at her more holistically, she has hobbies that include swimming, hanging out with friends, and watching various shows with her mom. Her favorite drink is an Arnold Palmer, and her favorite song in this show is Show Me Your Hands. She thanks you for actually taking the time to read these bios!
Declan Davidoski is excited to play Ted Spankoffski in "The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals". In the past, he has performed as Plankton in "Spongebob: The Musical" at CAA and Race in "Newsies" at CHHS. He is excited for this performance and others to come.
Bridget loves being in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. Previously, she was in SpongeBob: The Musical, Descendants, and Everyone Gets Eaten By Sharks. When not on stage, she likes music, going on silly little side quests with her friends, and making videos online. In the future, Bridget wants to be an actress and, if that doesn’t work out (which it probably won’t), she’ll be a mall cop on those little segways. Have a good time at the show!
Erin is very excited to be performing in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals as her 10th musical at CAA. Her past roles include Elle Woods (Legally Blonde), Cady Heron (Mean Girls), Matilda (Matilda), Sebastian (The Little Mermaid), and Maleficent (Decedents). Offstage, Erin enjoys baking, participating in the arts, and spending time with Nola. She has 13 years of dancing experience and is an aspiring costume/fashion designer. Erin has had a great time and hopes the audience can resist singing along.
Even is ecstatic to be in his first Croton Academy of the Arts production in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals as Sam, General MacNamara, and Infected 1. Even's previous roles at North Salem High School include Horace Vandergelder (Hello Dolly) and Damien Leigh (Mean Girls). When Even isn’t doing his all on stage, he enjoys reading, writing, and philosophizing. He’s glad to start as a Freshman at Eugene Lang College in New York City in the Fall, pursuing Literary Studies. Enjoy the Show.
Grace has been doing theater for 4 years and is very excited to be in her second show at CAA. She is going into her sophomore year at CHHS. Grace loves performing and is a part of the New York City Children’s Chorus. Her favorite role she has played is Katherine in Newsies. Apart from the theater, she enjoys reading and making crafts.
Greyson (Grey) Freebern is an aspiring musician playing the role of Professor Hidgens in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. He has previously involved himself in numerous shows at Croton-Harmon High School, taking on roles such as Ryan Evans in High School Musical, Eddie in Mamma Mia!, and Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He also loves immersing himself in several other art forms, such as music performance and composition, visual art, and many assorted crafts.
Isaac is an aspiring cellist, actor and singer. He has been a performer from the moment he was able. He has a clear passion for the arts. He is very excited to be in another production.
Henry Schuerman is a junior at Croton Harmon. He’s been in The Laramie Project, Legally Blonde, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. How are you doing?
Lily is so excited to play Coffee Jerk, Infected Teen, Nurse, and many more in The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals. Before this show, Lily was known for Flotsam (The Little Mermaid), Jan (Grease), and Enid (Legally Blonde). Outside of performing, Lily likes to read, sew, and model when she's not at rehearsal. In the future, she hopes to pursue fashion design and management at FIT. Enjoy the show!
Nola is so excited to be participating in the CAA summer show this year as Greenpeace girl, Nora, Deb, and many other characters in this show. In the past, she was in Hello Dolly (Ermengarde) and The Little Mermaid (Flotsam) at Hen Hud High School, Descendants (Mal) and Mean Girls (Dance Captain) at CAA, and many other previous shows. When Nola is off the stage, she’s into dancing, shopping, fashion, and hanging out with Erin. Overall, Nola is so grateful for this experience. She is thankful for Joe, Myrlin, Emily, all of the stage crew, the cast, and her family. She really is so thrilled and loves everyone in this process!
Production Team
Joseph Riedel: Director
Joseph Riedel is a director, theater educator, and curriculum designer working throughout NYC, Westchester, and Fairfield County. His work is rooted in longform improvisation and a deep belief in the power of play. Whether developing a new production or guiding students in the classroom, Joseph leads with curiosity, humor, and a passion for helping others find their voice. Joseph holds a Master’s in Theater Instruction from Temple University and has developed and directed performances across K–12, collegiate, and community-based stages.
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Recent directing credits include, Seussical The Musical (Charter School of Educational Excellence), Mean Girls (Croton Academy of Arts), Godspell (Charter School of Educational Excellence), Diverse Voices Festival (Actor’s Conservatory Theater), Firebringer (Croton Academy of Arts), It's Hell Out There (Westchester Community College), What Even is Life (Westchester Community College), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Croton Academy of Arts), and She Kills Monsters (Croton Academy of Arts).
Harold Gutiérrez: Music Director
Harold Gutiérrez (Music Director) holds his BM and Master's from Queens College in New York City, where he has been active as an educator, composer, conductor, arranger, pianist, and session musician for over two decades. Gutiérrez has received numerous awards, including first place in the Long Island League of Composers Competition, the ACE Award as MD for the production "Rhythms of Latin America," the City University of New York Leo Kraft Composition Award, and the Colombian National Symphonic Composition Prize. Gutiérrez has been MD for the Society of Educational Arts and the off-Broadway Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in Manhattan. Since 2018, Mr. Gutiérrez has been a New York State Schools Music Association (NYSSMA)-published author, contributing to the repertoire of piano students in the state. Mr. Gutiérrez has been the Music Director for summer student productions in the United States, China, and Germany. It is his first collaboration at CAA, and he is proud and excited to work with this brilliant group of young talents.
Emily Riedel: Choreographer
Emily Riedel is a choreographer and educator with over two decades of dance training in classical ballet, jazz, theater dance, modern, lyrical, and tap. A proud graduate of Temple University (BFA, Musical Theater) and a recent graduate of Columbia University’s Teachers College (MA, Teaching of Social Studies), Emily has choreographed youth and teen productions including Mean Girls (Teen Edition), The Addams Family, Legally Blonde Jr., Anything Goes, Godspell, Peter Pan Jr., and Little Shop of Horrors, among others. She served as Resident Choreographer for Croton Children’s Theater for five summer seasons and has worked as a dance captain, assistant choreographer, and teaching artist throughout New York and Philadelphia. Her training includes the Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz and Contemporary Program, Dance Lab NYC’s Broadway Choreography Intensive, and Power Yoga Works Teacher Training. Emily’s work centers on physical storytelling, creative play, and the power of performance to cultivate empathy and community. This fall, she will begin her role as a full-time history and theater teacher at the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering in Manhattan.
She is endlessly grateful to this cast for their talent and heart, to Harold and the band for bringing the music to life, to Myrlin for always giving us a theater to play in, and to Joe, her brother and this show’s director, for everything.
Ollie Asch-Mei: Stage Manager
Ollie Asch-Mei is thrilled to be a part of yet another production at CAA. Ollie first started attending classes at CAA when he was just 8 years old. Over a decade and one BSBA later, Ollie worked at the academy this summer teaching kids improv at camp and serving as stage manager in this show. Yes, that’s right, the one you’re at right now. However, he’s perhaps most excited for one appearance at some point during the show that you might not even see. Outside of CAA, Ollie enjoys video production, board games, and playing D&D with his friends. He hopes you like the show… or else.