Anatalia Aponte

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Anatalia Aponte (Andrea) is a passionate vocalist and dedicated performer thrilled to be a part of this exciting new musical! with a deep love for music, theater, and live performance, Anatalia has experience both on stage and behind the scenes. she is always eager to expand her skill set and contribute to every aspect of a production. Whether performing or working backstage, she values the creativity and collaboration that makes theater so special. Anatalia is grateful to be part of this talented team and can't wait to share the magic with you!

Socials:

lnstagram: ana.simplyy / Facebook: Anatalia Aponte

Danielle Balsamo (Ellen Sue) was an original member of the Pop's Diner table reads, and is delighted to be continuing working on this show as it moves into workshop! A lifelong music lover, Danielle’s stage credits include One Man Two Guvnors (Christine Patterson; u/s Rachel and Dolly), Be More Chill (u/s Christine, Chloe, Brooke), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Arista), Into the Woods (Lucinda), and more! Her training includes vocal and acting work, and she brings vibrant energy to all of her performances. She has also worked in scenic design (Perry Nominated), stage management, and TV/Film background work. Danielle holds a B.S. in Neuroscience & Music from Muhlenberg College, an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Rider University, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Offstage, Danielle enjoys traveling, volleyball, spending time with her family, hiking, and exploring historical sites. She is extremely grateful to her family and friends for their support, Marty for his teaching and friendship, and the creative team and her fellow castmates for the opportunity to help shape this new piece. 

Lissette Bautista (Ensemble) is very excited to be part of bringing Pop’s Diner to life. Lissette holds an MA in Mental Health Counseling, BA in Psychology, and a minor in Music. She has been involved in choirs since middle school and performed at Carnegie Hall with Rutgers’s Voorhees Choir. Lissette participated in Perth Amboy Community Theater’s (PACT) singing competition, The Voice, and was the first runner up in the adult age category. She was also part of PACT’s production of Godspell and Beauty and the Beast. Additionally, Lissette played the role of “Stella” in Bonnie & Clyde at StageWorks Theatre Group, was an ensemble member for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella at Star Royale Theatre, and played the “Witch” in Pixie Dust Players’ Shrek the Musical.  

Melanie Belonis (Mandy) is grateful to have the opportunity to embark on this unique journey. She is coming out of a 3 year retirement from the stage in order to assist Marty in bringing his vision to life.  You may have seen her appear in local productions as Inga (Young Frankenstein), Frenchie (Cabaret), Cha Cha (Grease). The opportunity to bring a brand new character to life is a challenge she was nervously and excitedly ready to take on. She sincerely hopes you enjoy the show. She would like to thank Melissa, George, Maria, Oscar, and her new HUSBAND IAN for being the most loving supportive family. And thank you to Marty and all the Angstreich family for being so kind and believing in her.  

Don Benhardt (Pop) has been in community theater productions for 26 years. Most recently, he’s appeared as Sir Danvers Carew in Jekyll and Hyde with the North Brunswick Drama Group, as a supporting cast member in the New Jersey Renaissance Faire and as Dick in 9 to 5 at NBDG. Through the years he has also worked with the Holmdel Theater Company, Wharton Community Players, Playhouse 22, Brook Arts Community Players, Period Productions, Dunellen Skylight Theater, Main Street Theater Company and WRSU. He is honored to be part of this workshop and to help in the refinement of this wonderful new show. He wants to thank Marty for this opportunity, the amazing cast of talented people he gets to work with, his family and friends especially his wife Mel and his biggest little fan, Piper.

Nicole Lee Cebulko (Debra Aster) is thrilled to be a part of this theater workshop. She is so excited to get the opportunity to create an original character and bring this story to life! Nicole has been performing on stage since she was 5 years old. She has trained in acting, vocal and dance with various private coaching over the years. She is currently represented by Adunni Rose Talent Agency and is really enjoying the opportunities they have given her. Recent theater credits include Pippin (Catherine), Mamma Mia (Sophie Sheridan), The Lightning Thief (Clarisse), Spring Awakening (Martha), Footloose (Wendy Jo), The Little Mermaid (Arista) & TV/Film credits include Mean Girls the Movie Musical (2024), Gladiator-An American Sports Story (S1E1), Elsbeth (S1E4 & S2E12), & Your Friends and Neighbors (S1E13). Aside from musical theater and TV/Film, Nicole also enjoys performing in her Acoustic Duo called Stereomotion. She has been a Registered Nurse for 5 years and loves to balance her passion for helping others with music and performance! She spends any free time she has left hiking, playing her ukulele and spending time with family/friends. She hopes to learn a lot from this process and cannot wait to get started!

Shaniah Davis (Ensemble) is a Plainfield, New Jersey local. She is a graduate from Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, where she studied musical theater and minored in education. Shaniah has been in productions including Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors (Mina/Van Helsing), Into The Woods (Cinderella's Stepmother), A Class Act (Dr. Nodine/ Mona U/S), and many others, as well as short films such as My Sweet Angel, Beyond the Deli Door, In the Hallways, etc. Shaniah also made an appearance in a non-union movie called Jacqueline Remembers All Of This. She has intensely studied the Miesner method and hopes to apply it in her next project, may it be Broadway, Off-Broadway, Film or TV. A few of her acting inspirations include Colmon Domingo, James McAvoy, and Denzel Washington.  

My name is Daniel De Pierola! I will be playing Cody in the brand-new original musical workshop, Pop’s Diner. Growing up, music and singing has always been my passion. When I did my first musical when I was 11, I fell in love with theatre. While I always knew performing was something I loved, I stepped away from it during college and didn’t return to the stage for several years. During the pandemic, I pondered a lot about what exactly I wanted to do with my life and what makes me truly happy. That answer was being on stage and singing. I am my absolute happiest when I am on stage. That realization reignited my love for theatre and set me back on the path I was always meant to follow!

Returning to the stage after years away sparked something powerful in me. This spark pushed me to take musical theatre seriously. I continue to grow my craft everyday and I have big dreams in the musical theatre world that I aspire to achieve. Every accomplishment, even the small ones, go a long way. And here I am now, being chosen, to tell this brand new original story, and I am so grateful to be a part of it. It means the world to me to bring Cody to life. Here we go! 

Instagram: @daniel.dpier

Lana Dubrow (Stacy) has had a passion for music and the performing arts for as long as she can remember. She started with a passion for dance and quickly developed a love for singing and songwriting. She was introduced to musical theatre at 10 years old and instantly fell in love, performing in many theatre productions since. Some of her favorite past credits include Firebringer (Tiblyn), Mary Poppins (Jane Banks), Clue: On Stage (Mrs. White), The Spongebob Musical (Electric Skate 1/Featured Ensemble), and A Grand Night for Singing (Featured Performer). 

Lana attended Grunin Performing Arts Academy as a Vocal major, graduating with her high school diploma and an Associate’s degree in Performing Arts w/ a concentration in Music. Lana was also a member of The RockNRoll Chorus, a professional touring a capella ensemble, for 3 years. Lana is currently enrolled in Arizona State University (online), majoring in Astronomical & Planetary Sciences, while also pursuing a career in songwriting and music. Lana is thrilled to be involved in the workshop of Pop’s Diner and to bring this wonderful show to life!

Julia Mira Fuchs (Linda) is a professional performer and Pilates instructor from Montclair, NJ. She is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program where she had the honor of performing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York City Center. Julia participated in developmental workshops for Goddess and Saturday Church, which later premiered Off-Broadway at the Public Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop. Recent theater credits include Hadestown (Vanguard Theater Company), Shrek (Vanguard Theater Company), and A Chorus Line (The Little Theater). Julia is thrilled to join the cast of Pop’s Diner and bring Linda to life!

Courtney Glubo (Ensemble) is honored to have the opportunity to bring Pop’s Diner to the stage for the first time ever! Courtney has been dancing since before she could walk and is eternally grateful that she fell in love with musical theater and the amazing community that surrounds it long ago. Theater credits include: Crazy For You (Ensemble/Dance Captain), Suessical (Bird Girl/Dance Captain), Pirates of Penzance (Daughter), Aida (Ensemble), Cats (Ensemble), High School Musical (Ensemble), Brigadoon (Fiona), Mama Mia (Ensemble) and Pippin (Berthe/Dance Captain). She would like to thank Marty for his trust in helping him bring his vision to life, her husband for picking up all the slack at home so she can bring her full self to this show, and to her sister Nicole for encouraging her to audition for this incredible show. 

Chase Haffner (Matt) is so excited to be a part of his first ever workshop. He is 20 years old and a recent graduate of William Paterson University. He has been performing since elementary school and does not plan on stopping! His previous roles include Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd), Link Larkin (Hairspray), and Phoebus (The Hunchback of Notre Dame). He would like to thank all of his family and friends as well as this wonderful cast and crew. He can’t wait til it’s time to play that funky music!

Alona Jones (Patty) has had a lifelong passion for music and performing. But her only exposure to theatre growing up, was being a part of The Aliens are Coming! in middle school and Julius Cesaer in highschool. That was 14 years ago. This past year, she's realized something has been missing for awhile. Belting songs in her car, the shower and karaoke bars wasn't enough. She wanted to find a space with other people who also loved singing and performing as deeply as she did, who also felt energized by it. 

So, in an effort to connect with her deep love for music and the arts, she auditioned for community theatre. This May was her debut in an interactive play, Grandma Sylvia's Funeral, playing Risa. Now she's thrilled for her musical debut in Pop's Diner as Patty and to work with such a talented cast. She couldn't do it without her family's love and support, and she's so excited to see how far we can take this project! 

Hannah Kolonoski (Cindy) is a dedicated stage and screen performer with a plethora of work across both theatre and film. Some of her theatrical credits include Ms. Smiley in Out of the Cave at Touchstone Theatre, Kelly Manning in The Mad Ones at Moravian University, and Sue Snell in a workshop production of Carrie: The Musical through Performing Arts Abroad. On screen, she portrayed Hannah in the independent film Death of Humanity and will appear as a featured background in The Next Play. 

While also having a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Theatre from Moravian University, she studied Musical Theatre in London through Performing Arts Abroad and West End on Demand, where she received intensive training in performance, voice, and movement from current West End professionals. 

Hannah is beyond ecstatic to be joining the cast of Pop’s Diner! She wants to thank her family and friends for all of the support they have shown her throughout the years and truly believes she would not be where she is today without them! 

Alex McEnroe (Greg) is excited to be a part of the cast. He’s very thankful for this opportunity to help bring this show to life. Theatre has been a big part of his life for nearly the last three years, and truly hopes to continue his passion for it.

His most recent show was with Aspire PAC, playing Harold/The Mad Hatter in their production of Alice by Heart. He’s also currently studying Theatre Studies at Montclair State University. 

Richard Novorro (Ensemble) is a musician by avocation. He is an accomplished vocalist and acoustic guitarist. When he decided to work seriously on becoming a better vocalist, he found Marty Angstreich (thank you, Thumbtack). As it turned out, Marty & Richard were natural and formidable collaborative partners. The chemistry was just “there”.

Richard has worked with Marty as a voice student for almost 10 years and the improvement has been almost unimaginable. Over the course of the years, Marty would point/shove Richard in the direction of community theatre from which Richard fostered an appreciate for working in theatrical productions.

Richard is  currently doing gigs - working at restaurants, bars & taverns, and events providing live acoustic/vocalist sets. 

Richard is excited at the prospect of working closely with Marty and the fine cast that he has assembled to bring the workshop to fruition.

Lindsey Saykay (Ensemble) is thrilled to be a part of Pop’s Diner! She started dancing at the age of 3 and has been doing theatre since high school. Though she took a break from dance when COVID hit, her love for theatre and acting never fell short. She first made her musical debut at the age of 10 as an ensemble member in a production of Seussical Jr. at Country Gate Playhouse back in 2013 and has been in numerous productions with her high school and college’s theatre companies through her years including a summer production of Legally Blonde (ensemble/laker girl) in 2019. In 2026, Lindsey will also be featured as a background/extra in the upcoming film, The Next Play. 

Lindsey would like to thank her family & friends for their endless love & support through her years of dance and theatre. She is so grateful for this opportunity and is so excited to get back on stage and help bring this musical to life.

Melyssa Searcy (Carol) is ecstatic to embark on this endeavor. She Is a New Jersey native, born and raised in Newark, and has been singing and dancing from a very young age primarily in church. It wasn't until the age of 14 that she discovered musical theatre and has been in love ever since performing not only in NJ but also in PA. She has her bachelors in business management from Eastern University (PA) and minored in theatre and also does lighting, sound and some set design when not on the stage herself. She also has directed a musical and a few short original plays at her alma mater and virtually as well. Some of her most notable roles include Sally brown (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown), John the Baptist and Judas (Godspell), The Scarecrow (The wiz), Sister Mary Hubert (NUNSENSE), Penelope Pennywise (urinetown), Leading player (pippin), Annie Sheps (IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU), Maria (Twelfth Night), Wanda/Aretha Franklin (Beehive: The 60s Musical) and many many MANY more!!! She is enjoying the ride and the journey and has no plans to stop any time soon!!!! Look out for her on a stage near you!!!