Dance-Along Nutcracker® 2023: The Nutmare Before Christmas

Alix Feinsod

as Clara

Alix is a performer and teacher based in Oakland. Alix has been performing in musicals around the Bay Area all her life with Stagedoor, YMTC, The Marsh, and The Thrillpeddlers. She has also written and directed plays with her students. In past years, Alix designed costumes for the Magic Theater and other companies.

She is so excited to be in her fourth Dance-Along Nutcracker!

Evan Kaminsky

as Drosselmeyer

When Evan Kaminsky was in the closet, he found some fabulous things that he refused to leave without. Among these trinkets were an eye for all things beauty, meticulous skills, art, design, an ability to put people at ease and a talent to sing, act and entertain. With his gifts, some charisma, and great comic timing, Evan has been acting on stage and screen for the past 30 years. By day Evan is San Francisco’s Beauty and Grooming Guru and owner of Oui, Three Queens Productions where he provides expert Makeup Artistry, Skin Care, Waxing, Grooming and Wedding services to Every Gender, Every Body and Everybody!

This is Evan’s fourth Dance-Along Nutcracker and he’s excited to to be back this season working with friends and family!

Zelda Koznofski

as Sugar Plum Fairy

Zelda is a singer/composer/actor. Zelda records and releases original music as well as scores for original film and stage productions with band Gelb Rot Blau and performs at SF’s premier nightclub Oasis in drag parodies and musicals. Favorite roles include Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in Star Trek Live, Giles in Buffy Live: Once More With Feeling, Judy Garland in Tuck’n’ Roll Players’ Club.

Cameron Eng

as Mummy

Cameron Eng has been a producer, designer and performer in the Bay Area for 25+ years, known for his work in theater, film and theatrical events with countless local companies from grass roots, drag activism, to screen-to-the-stage adaptations from his company Foul Play, to the racy grand guignol of the Thrillpeddlers, and the musical machinations of Drunk Drag Broadway.

The Dance-Along Nutcracker has a deeply special place in his heart, and thanks the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band for this opportunity to return. He owes everything to his brilliant husband and partner in crime of 25 years, Terrance Alan.

Ryan Vásquez

as Fritz

Ryan Vásquez is a San Francisco-based singer and actor most recently seen as Ernst in Ray of Light Theatre’s Spring Awakening at the Victoria Theatre. A Central Coast native, Ryan has called San Francisco home for over ten years — a decade spent collaborating with NCTC, Ray of Light, and Brava Theater, and completing a BFA in Acting at AAU. Past shows include Hair (Claude), Silence! the Musical (Lamb), Legally Blonde (Emmett), The Rocky Horror Show (Riff-Raff), Claudio in both Measure for Measure and Much Ado About Nothing, and the title role in Aladdin.

Toni Lynn Guidry

as Mrs. Stahlbaum

No stranger to holiday musicals, favorite roles include Christopher (Christmas with the Crawfords – WA), Denise (Sanders Family Christmas – LA), and multiple young audience tours of The Elves and the Shoemaker with California Theatre Center. She has also stage managed her way around the Bay with 42nd Street Moon, Crowded Fire, Cutting Ball Theater, and is the production manager at New Conservatory Theatre Center, SF. Toni originally hails from South Louisiana.

This is Toni’s first Dance-Along Nutcracker.

Marilynn Fowler

Choreographer

Marilynn Fowler returns for her seventh season with the Dance-Along Nutcracker. She began dancing simultaneously with Page Hodel’s Box Dance Troupe and Voice Farm’s Oblong Rhonda. Her choreography credits include The Cool Ones, Way Out West, Hillbillies on the Moon, Rocky Horror Superstar, Rocket Girl, License to Kiss, The Untamed Stage, Club Inferno, and Cyberotica. She has worked with the Sick & Twisted Players, the Tuck & Roll Players, Artfull Circle Theatre, Teatro Zinzanni, the Thrillpeddlers, and countless drag luminaries.

Her dance inspirations are James Brown and Ann-Margret.

Allen Sawyer

Cast Director

Allen Sawyer, is a San Francisco-based playwright and director. He began his theatre career at the legendary Valencia Rose and also performed stand up at the Rose’s revolutionary Gay Comedy Open Mic.

Collaborating with John F. Karr, Sawyer created several musicals at Theatre Rhinoceros, notably Talking to the Sun, Dirty Dreams of a Clean Cut Kid, and Some Men Do. With the ArtFul Circle Theatre Sawyer helmed Jungle Red, Those Damn Calla Lilies, Christmas with the Crawfords, Way Out West, and Women’s Prison Christmas. He wrote and directed Gross Indulgences: The Trials of Liberace and Whatever Happened to Sister George. For his troupe the Hot Pants Homo Players, Sawyer penned a trilogy of plays, inspired by pulp paperbacks.

Sawyer has directed shows at Theatre Rhinoceros, The New Conservatory Theatre Center, Feinstein’s at The Nikko, and many other San Francisco venues. This is his third Dance Along Nutcracker.

Pete Nowlen

Artistic Director

Appointed Artistic Director of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band in August 2013, Pete Nowlen is one of Northern California’s busiest musicians. He is the founder and driving force behind Sacramento’s VITA Academy, dedicated to revitalizing classical music through innovative community and audience engagement and school music programs. Other conducting credits includes the Sacramento, Auburn, Camellia, UCD and CSUS Symphonies and more than a dozen major productions ranging from La bohéme to The Rocky Horror Show.

Pete was a member of the French horn section of the Sacramento Symphony for 10 years. He has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, Opera, and Ballet Orchestras, served as co-principal hornist of the International Orchestra of Italy, and has been a prize winner and finalist in international solo competitions.

John Lehrack

Music Director

John Lehrack is joining the Dance-Along Nutcracker artistic team for the first time in 2023. He has been the Event Production Manager for the Band since 2022. John has been working as a professional music educator, performer, manager, conductor, composer, arranger, and small business owner for over 30 years in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, Honolulu, Miami, and New York. He currently serves as the Music Director for the Speakeasy SF, Artistic Director for both Coastside Pride Chorus and Na Leo Nahenahe, Director of Music at Coastside Lutheran Church, and keeps an active teaching and performance schedule. His arrangements and compositions can be found on SheetMusicPlus.com and Amazon.

Todd Young

Art Props

Todd Young is a masterful fabricator renowned for his exceptional work in crafting one-of-a-kind props and set pieces for the “Dance-Along Nutcracker,” where he has been an integral part of the production for several years. His artistic prowess extends beyond the dance floor, as Todd is the creative force behind the monthly “Security Gate” installation at 220 Page Street. This ongoing project has amassed an impressive collection of over 100 installations, showcasing Todd’s ability to transform spaces into captivating visual experiences. Recognized for his artistic contributions, Todd holds the esteemed position of number 23 on the list of “23 Extraordinary Things to Do in SF’s Hayes Valley” by Secret San Francisco. To catch a glimpse of his artistic journey and latest creations, enthusiasts can follow him on Instagram under the username @thegateguysf. Todd Young’s imaginative touch continues to leave a lasting impression on the vibrant arts and culture scene in San Francisco.

Raphael Buenaventura

Stage Manager

Raphael Buenaventura is honored to rejoin the Production Team in its annual production of Dance-Along Nutcracker after having first stage-managed its return last year. Raphael is a Los-Angeles transplant, having recently relocated to the Bay Area in August 2022. His previous acting work in Los Angeles include La Cage Aux Folles at The Long Beach Playhouse, Ben & George in The Hollywood Fringe Festival, and Kenny in Fil-Am (2022), a short film directed by Tony Marquez, produced by VisionRey. Since moving to the Bay, he resumed involvement in theatre through stage and production management, working with Crescent Moon Theatre Productions, San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, Sarah Bush Dance Project, Left Coast Theatre Company, Fuse Theatre, and currently with Phoenix Arts. His most recent acting work include a staged-reading with Theatre Rhinoceros and a stage performance with Bindlestiff Studio’s Queer as F*ck. When not juggling with work, Raphael spends his time with his 10-year old puppy, Trixie, who has been a long-time constant in his life. E-mail Raphael for work and collaborations: rsd.buenaventura@gmail.com