Gilded Age Gaieties Cast
Heidi Swinford
is an actor and singer performing primarily in musical theatre productions across Northeast Ohio. Recent performances include: Players Guild Theatre: Chicago (Velma), Ragtime (Mother), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett), Jekyll and Hyde (Lucy), Annie (Grace). Akron Symphony: South Pacific (Dina). Tuscarawas Philharmonic Orchestra: A Night On Broadway (Soloist). The Ted Lewis Orchestra: Ted Lewis and Sophie Tucker: Jazz Jubilee (Vocalist) and Over There: The Music of World War One (Soloist). EJ Thomas Hall: Songs For A New World (Woman 1). Miss Swinford is married, has two children and resides in Tuscarawas County.
Matt Tolentino
Sharing his birthday with Fred Astaire, Mr. Tolentino is a native of Dallas, Texas. His main focus is on American popular song, 1895-1935: Ragtime, jazz, and popular standards that we still know and love to this day. A true multi-instrumentalist, he plays accordion, clarinet, saxophone, tuba, banjo, and piano. Mr. Tolentino does a lot of work in solo, trio, and quartet settings. He is bandleader of The Singapore Slingers, whose focus is pre-swing dance music, with a big emphasis on the hot music of the 1920s and early 30s, as well as a polka band, and The Matt Tolentino Band.
Mark William
Mark William is the winner of two 2019 BroadwayWorld Awards: Best Debut Act and Best Independent Album, for his debut album, "Mark William: Come Croon With Me", available on Amazon and all streaming platforms. His critically-acclaimed nightclub acts have thrilled audiences across the country and around the world. Mark has appeared globally in such shows as My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, Mame with Leslie Uggams, and Jerry's Girls with Susan Anton. Most recently, he was featured in the US premiere of the newly revised Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein at the historic Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. www.markwilliamnyc.com
Joseph Rubin
An expert on American popular music, Mr. Rubin specializes in “living history” concerts and recreating the music of 1880-1949 in a historically accurate manner. His favorite concert recreations include Victor Herbert’s 22nd Regiment Band 1897 Inaugural Grand Concert for Canton’s own President William McKinley and An Evening with Sigmund Romberg with a 40-piece concert orchestra. In 2018, Mr. Rubin produced and conducted a concert paying tribute to Rubinoff and His Violin, one of the most popular radio stars of the 1930s, restoring original orchestrations from the archives of Grammy Award winning historian Michael Feinstein. Mr. Rubin and his Orchestra completed a tour of Northern Ohio with Over There: The Music of World War One commemorating the centennial of the Armistice in November 2018. In June 2019, Mr. Rubin conducted I’ll See You In My Dreams: The Music of Isham Jones, honoring the 125th Birthday of this composer and bandleader in his hometown of Coalton, Ohio. Mr. Rubin is the founder and Executive Director of American Musical Productions and Curator of The Ted Lewis Museum. For further information: www.americanmusicalproductions.org
Don’s American Songbook
Donald Romano is the moderator of the Facebook page and radio program Don's American Songbook. Now entering its eighth year on Facebook, Don’s American Songbook highlights Don’s radio program and popular American music from the first half of the 20th century. Most of the music spotlighted comes from the canon of popular music called the Great American Songbook. Listen to the radio show and follow the Page for facts, dates, commentary, news, and interviews about the golden era of popular music on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DonsAmericanSongbook and at singer Peggy King's official website www.peggyking.org.
Hayesville Opera House
One of the oldest operating opera houses in the state of Ohio, The Hayesville Opera house opened on April 26, 1886 with a performance of the Offenbach operetta Genevieve. The opera houses features its original seats with hat racks under the seats, hand painted backdrops, ticket board. The stage area contains four dressing rooms with the floor of the stage being slanted or "raked" to provide the audience with the best view to the actors. The opera house is run by a a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and was fully restored in 2005. The venue currently hosts movies and live performances. Click here for more information on the opera house.