Cast & Creative

is the last remaining original cast member from when Hope in the Heartland first started in a church. She is so blessed to be part of this amazingly talented cast, which includes her daughter! Nicole is a child of God, a wife, and a mother of two fantastic (adult) kids!! Nicole is thankful for the Machens and Caren for letting her be a part of this show each year and is also thankful for her husband and his support.

is 12 years old and in seventh grade. She is thrilled to be returning to the Hope in the Heartland family for the second year! Some of Abby’s favorite past roles include The Music Man with Garland Summer Musicals; Seussical (Gertrude) with Wylie Acting Group; and Matilda, Bright Star, and Tuck Everlasting with Dallas Young Artists. In addition to her time spent acting, she takes dance, piano, and voice lessons. She is happiest when she is on stage! Abby would like to thank her family and Mrs. Caren for their unwavering support.

is excited to make her debut with this fun musical! She has been in numerous shows in the DFW area. Most recently Andrea appeared in Sister Act at RCT, Anastasia at NTPA Rep, and Follies and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Garland Civic Theater. To pay the bills, she designs wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. She cannot express enough thanks to the cast and crew for the opportunity to work with them to keep the arts alive, to her husband who puts up with all those evenings at rehearsals, and to God who instilled in me a love for music and fine arts!

is excited to be a part of Hope In The Heartland. He has been performing in theatre since the age of six. He was recently seen as Pugsley Addams in The Addams Family (The Hopeful Theatre Project), Ubaldo Piangi in The Phantom of the Opera (Shine), and Friedrich VonTrapp in The Sound of Music (Rockwall Summer Musicals). He wants to thank his family for their continued support.

is honored and excited to be returning to the Hope in the Heartland family. Melissa has been involved with community theatre for several years serving on the production side, but now she is taking the leap to perform on the stage now that her kids are grown. Most recently Melissa was in the ensemble cast of School House Rock the Musical at Wylie Acting Group. When not at a theater, Melissa owns her own business providing digital marketing and virtual assistant services. Melissa would like to thank her husband, her kids and Caren for their encouragement and support. Wishing everyone God’s peace and joy until we see you again.

is thrilled to return for another year in this heartwarming show! Previous regional credits include Crazy For You, Beauty and The Beast, The Addams Family, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Legally Blonde, and Oklahoma! (Dream Laurey). Summer holds a BFA in Ballet Performance from TCU and is a Certified Yoga Instructor. When not dancing, she works as a software product manager and is dog-mom to two Siberian Huskies. Huge thank you to the Hope in the Heartland production team for this opportunity, and to my husband, family & friends for their support! 
IG: @Summerina37

is beyond grateful to be returning to Hope In The Heartland along with this great cast and show. With a degree in Theater and Musical Theater from KD Studios, Ivan has worked at many theaters in the area. Favorite roles include Lumiere in Beauty & The Beast, The Body in Out Of Order, Puss in Puss In Boots, Minion in Dante: Inferno & Purgatorio, Lucifer in Lucifer Descending, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Frankenfurter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Fagin in Oliver, Ensemble in 42nd Street, Ensemble in Legally Blonde, Munkustrap/Coricopat/Macavity in CATS, Bill in It Runs In The Family, Mufaro in Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters and multiple performances with Dallas Opera! Many thanks to friends and family for your support!

is a voice teacher and choreographer located in Plano, TX. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from West Texas A&M. Her professional credits include Sadie, Elsie (Understudy) in TEXAS Outdoor Musical and Dorabella in Cosi Fan Tutti. Her most recent credits include Bombalurina in CATS (RCT), Red Cross Nurse/Queen of Hearts in Alice by Heart (LCT), and Betty in White Christmas (ACT). She is an active choreographer in the Collin County area and has co-choreographed SIX-the Teen Version at Rowlett HS this past year, which won “Best Musical” at the Broadway Dallas HS Theatre Awards. She thanks her amazing parents for their true and constant support of her.

is a recent transplant to the greater DFW area from Virginia. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Georgia and has performed and studied throughout the southeastern United States. Notable roles include Anne Eggerman in A Little Night Music, Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte, and Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Earnest. Most recently, Abigail performed as Evangeline Barley/Woman 3 in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at The Firehouse Theatre. When not performing, Abigail teaches voice lessons at The Dallas School of Music. In all aspects of her life, Abigail embraces Bach’s motto: Soli Deo Gloria, “To God alone be the glory.”

is excited to be returning to Hope in the Heartland for the second time. He enjoys being part of this meaningful performance. Some of his favorite theater rolls have included James in James and the Giant Peach, jr., Chip in Beauty and the Beast, and Hebert in Junie B Jones, jr. When he isn’t on stage, Evan enjoys camping, science, and playing games with his family. He is grateful to the Machens and Ms. Caren for the opportunity to be a part of the production, and to his family for their support. He is glad you are here and hopes you enjoy the show.

is grateful for the opportunity to perform in this wonderful show for her fourth season. She has been involved in North Texas community theatre productions since 2005 and has many favorite shows. Most recently, she appeared as an adult ensemble member in Corp’s Fiddler on the Roof. Other recent productions include GSM’s The Music Man at the Granville Arts Center. Samantha is a HIPster at My Possibilities in Plano, where she is continuing her education and will begin employment training for a career in the hospitality sector in January. She sends her love to Chris, Diane, Caren, and all her amazing friends in the cast and crew! Up next: Groundhog’s Day the Musical in Garland.

holds a BFA in Musical Theater from Sam Houston State University. Most recently, he appeared as a featured dancer in The Little Mermaid at Dallas Theater Center. Past favorite productions include The Odyssey (Dallas Theater Center), Something Rotten (Granville Arts Center) , 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (GSM), Godspell (Permian Playhouse), Mamma Mia (MCT), Peter & the Star Catcher ( SHSU), and To Kill a Mockingbird (SFASU). Brady wants to dedicate his performance to Amy and Kevin.

is a junior in high school. This is his second time performing in Hope in the Heartland and he is excited to join the cast and crew once again. Some of Paul’s previous roles have been Jack Kelley in Newsies, Nick Bottom in Something Rotten and Will Bloom in Big Fish. He would like to thank Ms. Caren and Mr. Chris for this wonderful experience, and he hopes you enjoy the show.

is a 3rd grade math/science teacher and Child Life graduate student. She’s previously been involved with music ministry through singing and playing bass and saxophone in worship groups as well as directing children’s ministry music programs and choirs. She’s honored to support and be involved with MxM: a collective of diverse persons, artists, and cultures who revel in the beauty of Jesus through creative arts and stories. Thrilled to be returning for her third year, she’s very grateful for the opportunity to share the “good, good news” and the story of hope in this special way with her fellow cast members. She would like to thank Chris and Diane for their years of unwavering support and encouragement and allowing her to participate alongside such amazing talent, all for His glory.

is 11 years old and is thrilled to be in Hope in the Heartland for her third year. Lily has recently been seen onstage as Young Alice in Alice by Heart, Young Will in Big Fish and Amanda Thrippin Matilda the Musical. Lily would like to thank Ms. Caren for always encouraging her and the Machens for allowing her to be part of such a wonderful show.