Cast for Queens Theatre in the Park
December 2010

Character Breakdown

KIRSTI CARNAHAN (Annie) originated the role of Marta in the Tony-Award nominated sensation Kiss of the Spider Woman, playing in Toronto, London, and on Broadway with the legendary Chita Rivera and Vanessa Williams. Other Broadway credits include the Alan Menken & Tim Rice pop oratorio King David (original cast recording), Baby (original cast recording), and the 1984 revival of The Three Musketeers. On National Tour she has performed Fantine in Les Miserables, Grizabella in Cats, and Grace Farrell in Annie. Recent roles include Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!, Vera Charles in Mame, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (NH Professional Theatre Award Best Actress in a Musical), Sister Aloysius in Doubt, Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit, Carmen Bernstein in Curtains, Hold Me, Touch Me in The Producers, and Female Authority Figure in Hairspray, all at the Weathervane Repertory Theatre. Regional appearances include four seasons at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, three seasons at the Goodspeed Opera, and two at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, where she played Amalia in She Loves Me and Ruth in Pirates of Penzance. In 1986 she received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for her portrayal of Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, while in 1998 she received the Upper Bucks County Critics’ Honors for Best Actress for her work in Painting Churches. Other theatre credits include Olivia in Twelfth Night, Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story, and Virginia in The Golden Age with Anne Pitoniak, all at the New Harmony Theatre; Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Florence in Chess; Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella; Eva Peron in Evita; Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls with Vic Damone; Nellie Forbush in South Pacific; and Martha Jefferson in 1776; among many others. In concert, Kirsti has guest starred with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in their Gershwin Centennial celebration, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra and several others. In 2001, she toured Taiwan with Bright Lights! Broadway! in a series of concert performances.

MARVA HICKS (Barbara) performed on Broadway in LENA HORNE: THE LADY AND HER MUSIC, in THE LION KING as Rafiki, and in Tony Kushner's CAROLINE OR CHANGE as the Radio. Off Broadway with Leslie Uggams in THUNDER KNOCKING ON THE DOOR at the Cherry Lane Theatre and THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER at the Signature Theatre, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Also with blues great Ruth Brown and Allan Toussaint in the Off-Broadway production of STAGGERLEE. Marva played Bess in a Jazz and Blues version of the Classic Opera PORGY AND BESS, for which she received the B. Iden Payne Award. Other Regional Theatre credits include the Arena Stage productions of CUTTIN' UP, in which she portrayed seven different characters, directed by Charles Randolph Wright, and Etta Mae in the world premiere musical production of THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE, for which she received the Susie Bass Award in the co-produced production at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA. Recently she was in the Arena Stage production of SOPHISTICATED LADIES starring Maurice Hines. Her eponymous CD on Polygram Records yielded her a Billboard top ten hit with NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE. She played record executive Jacara Principle on the ABC daytime show ONE LIFE TO LIVE and had recurring roles ont he primetime shows MAD ABOUT YOU, STAR TREK: VOYAGER, and LA LAW. Film credits include ASSUNDER with Blair Underwood, VIRTUOSITY starring Denzel Washington, and was the lead in the indy film IN A BLUE MOOD. She has traveled the world as a featured and backing vocalist for Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and James Ingram. As a gospel singer, she is a member and featured vocalist with the Broadway Inspirational Voices on their Christmas CD GREAT JOY. She is a Howard University Alumna and the winner of the Helen Hayes Award for her role as Glory in the Arena Stage production of THUNDER KNOCKING ON THE DOOR.

KATHY MORATH (Jodi) has a career in the theatre that has spanned over three decades. Ms. Morath has appeared on Broadway many times, including the NYSF production of The Pirates of Penzance and Arthur Laurents’ Nick & Nora. Off-Broadway, she has premiered numerous new works, including David Ives' All in the Timing, Marta Kaufman and David Crane's Personals, Liz Swados' Alice in Concert (starring Meryl Streep), the original Sullivan Street production of The Fantasticks and many others. Her extensive regional theatre credits include productions at The Guthrie Theatre, Denver Center Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Goodspeed Opera House, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Chautauqua Opera, The Kennedy Center, and The Dallas Theatre Center, among others. Roles in regional theatre and stock productions include Sarah in Guys & Dolls, Julie in Carousel, Gabby/Bobbi in City of Angels, Kate in Kiss Me, Kate and Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella. Television appearances include Law & Order, Walker Texas Ranger, Kate & Allie, Loving, All My Children, Another World and One Life To Live. While living in Los Angeles, she worked as a Voice & Dialogue coach for film and television, including the Bruce Willis motion picture, Hostage, and the PBS-TV children’s program, Wishbone. Her improvisational comedy troup, Four Out of Five Doctors, worked extensively in business-to-business and corporate venues, as well as at notable comedy clubs such as the Austin City Limits. Ms. Morath’s directing credits include Pump Boys & Dinettes at the Water Tower Theatre in Dallas and numerous summer stock productions. Ms. Morath served as line producer on the play Asylum by Brett Rickaby at the Court Theatre in Hollywood. Ms. Morath’s theatrical cabaret, Daydreaming...Channeling Doris Day, co-written with her Musical Director, Bruce W. Coyle, played at Masquers' Cabaret, The Norris Center for the Performing Arts in Palos Verdes, The Bellage Hotel Cabaret in Beverly Hills and toured various theatres/cabarets on the West Coast. She performed the show at New York City’s famed Zipper Theatre in the fall of 2008 with actor/pianist, Christopher Stephens.

KARYN QUACKENBUSH (Karla) is currently performing in Nora Nora Ephron’s Off-Broadway hit Love, Loss and What I Wore. She also appeared on Broadway in Nora Ephron's Imaginary Friends. Other credits include Broadway: Annie Get Your Gun (standby for Bernadette Peters and Reba McEntire), Blood Brothers. Off-Broadway: Charles Busch's The Green Heart, Preppies and Surf City. National tours: Annie Get Your Gun (Annie Oakley opposite Tom Wopat); Annie; Stop the World, I Want to Get Off w/Anthony Newley; The Sound of Music. Film: Isn't She Great w/ Bette Midler. TV: "Law & Order." Regional theatres: Arena Stage, Goodspeed, Pittsburgh Public, Paper Mill Playhouse, Pioneer Memorial, Geva, Studio Arena and Actors Theatre of Louisville, playing leading roles in Chess, Goodsports, A…My Name is Alice, Postmortem, Waiting for Godot, The Robber Bridegroom, A Little Night Music, Laughter on the 23rd Floor and Candide.