Meet The Cast

Want to know who's making you laugh so hard ? Well, meet our cast !

Mark and Rita Wells
Producers
Mark and Rita Wells have "knocked around the entertainment business" for a combined 40 years. Between the two of them, they have performed from "Cruise Ships to Shakespeare - and everything in between." Mark and Rita proudly opened Laffing Matterz in August of 2005, on Andrews Avenue in downtown Fort Lauderdale. In October of 2009, they relocated and launched their partnership with the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, becoming the Center’s first theatre in residence. Mark trained...many moons ago...at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Rita graduated Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Fredonia with a BFA in Musical Theatre. They met in the late 1980s when they were both performing at the Crystal Palace in Aspen, Colorado. The Crystal Palace was the launching pad for Laffing Matterz. They are extremely thankful to work with their incredibly talented cast and crew. Spread the laughter!

Jamie Cooper
Production Goddess
Jamie has been actively working as a production manager in South Florida for over fifteen years. Originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, she came to Florida to attend the University of Miami where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Education. Jamie has stage managed and served as technical director for numerous musicals and revues for corporate events including Motorola, Hewlett Packard, The Florida Sterling Awards, and The Nevada Governor’s Council. Some of her musical theatre credits include La Cage Aux Folles, Zero Hour, The Life, Perfect Harmony, Jim Bailey as Barbra Streisand, The Kid From Brooklyn, and Groucho starring Gabe Kaplan. Jamie has also served as tour director / company manager for over 30 Florida touring productions. In addition to stage managing, Jamie has also worked extensively as a choreographer and lighting designer all over the world. Her International credits include production shows at The Theatre Variete, Palais Montcalm, and The Shawinigan Theatre in Canada, Minakami, Dogashima, and Inatori Resorts in Japan, and most recently The Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Kevin Black
Director/Choreographer
Kevin realized his love of dance early on; by age 12 he was devoting much of his free time to class and before long performing at theme parks near his home in South Carolina and touring as the male lead with Dance Caravan. Soon after he was performing on renowned cruise lines and dancing in musical reviews. He continued to master his craft in New York City, studying with many of the best choreographers including Michelle Asaff, Frank Hatchet and Thommie Walsh.

His first foray into choreography and production came while working as General Manager at Norwegian Cruise Lines under Jean Ann Ryan. To follow this path, Kevin relocated to South Florida where he began Kevin Black Productions, a global company providing entertainment to cruise lines, corporate events, resorts, musical theater productions and tours.

Kevin’s extensive cruise line work includes costume design, choreography, production and direction on Norwegian, Saga, Royal Caribbean and Asuka Cruise Lines.
He has produced shows for HP, Motorola, Muvico & Giorgio Armani; tours include original works – Cirque style shows, as well as musical theater productions including, La Cage Aux Folles, The Jazz Singer, Smokey Joe’s Café, Funny Girl, Victor/Victoria & Dreamgirls.

Kevin’s work can currently be seen on stage in the national tour of Food Fight: A Musical Comedy for Waist Watchers, the world premiere of Miami the Musical: Wish You Were Here and in On The Town at the Stage Door Theater in Fort Lauderdale, FL as well as at the Villa de Palmar Resorts in Cabo, Mexico.

Kevin appeared in the 2003 film Stuck on You with Meryl Streep, Cher and Greg Kinear and was nominated twice in 2004 for the prestigious Carbonell Award which honors the best theater of South Florida for his work on The Life in Choreography and Costume Design.

Phil Hinton
Production Musical Director
Phil was, for many years, a pianist, arranger and conductor for the BBC in London, UK. He has also arranged and conducted more than 250 albums for artists such as Anthony Newley, Shirley Bassey, Howard Keel, Vince Hill and Andrew Lloyd-Webber to name just a few. He was also Vince Hill's personal music director for nine years. Since permanently relocating to the USA in 1994, he has directed countless theatre shows all over the USA as well as having toured with Aretha Franklin and Jim Bailey. He has also given many classical and jazz piano recitals around the USA and on several cruise ships, including the world-famous QE2. Phil was also conductor of the Florida Pops Concert orchestra for three years. Apart from now being music director for the new Laffing Matterz he is also director of music for LMIC in Coral Springs.

Rusty Allison
Cast Member
Rusty Allison is thrilled to return to Laffing Matterz for a second season at the Broward Center with some of his dear friends. He also is thrilled to add a few new faces to the Six Degrees of Rusty Allison game. A graduate of AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) in New York City, Rusty has worked all over South Florida since relocating here in 2000. He was most recently seen in 1776, at the Actor's Playhouse, and two seasons of summer Shakespeare at New Theatre in Coral Gables (The Taming of the Shrew and The Tempest). Among his favorite roles are the title role in Sweeney Todd and Morris in No Way to Treat a Lady. Special thanks to Mark, Rita, Kevin, Jaime, and Phil for the chance to be your server, as well as his old friends at the Broward Center, where he has been seen in several runs of Tony & Tina's Wedding and Grandma Sylvia's Funeral (which he also co-directed). Rusty sends his love to Robin, Jake, and his brother Jay. And by the way, would you like to try Chef’s Balls?

Alexa Baray
Cast Member
A newly minted alumna of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, Alexa Baray is thrilled to be joining Laffing Matterz this season. Having earned a double major in the incredibly useful fields of Musical Theatre and English Literature she is grateful and surprised to have an opportunity to utilize both (it’s spelled Lahfing btw). Some of her favorite credits include Louise in Gypsy, Lucy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Little Mary in Stage Door, Gertrude Lindsay in Smash and her recent stint as herself in the Fabulous 50s and 60s revue at the Show Palace Dinner Theatre. Thank you to all involved with the show and thank you, thank you, thank you to the loving and unbelievably supportive friends and family that consistently push her to follow whatever dreams may call.

Shane Cooney
Cast Member
Incredibly jubilant and stupefyingly excited to be a part of this incredible Laffing Matterz powerhouse cast, Shane is somewhat recently graduated from the University of West Florida having studied both Theatre and Television/Film Communications. Previous roles include Sylvius in "As You Like It", Judge Hathorne in "The Crucible", Drusselmeyer in "The Nutcracker", Peter and Sampson in "Romeo & Juliet", Tin Man in "The Wiz", Lucentio in "Kiss Me Kate", Cliff in "Cabaret", Paul in "Company", Brandy Bottle Bates in "Guys and Dolls", but his most favoritest role ever has to be as Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream". I am so thankful for my loving and supporting family and my incredibly talented soon-to-be world famous director girlfriend as well as the cast, crew, and production team at Laffing Matterz. "A day without laughter is a day wasted" -Charlie Chaplin

Richard Cortez
Cast Member
Award winning and internationally recognized singer-songwriter and Wollenberg Records founder, Richard Cortez, is overjoyed and grateful to be a part of the Laffing Matterz cast. Richard, named Best of Gay South Florida's Male Entertainer of the Year '07, has appeared most recently at both South Carolina and Milwaukee Pride with legendary musicians and television personalities RuPaul, Kathy Griffin, Joan Rivers, Bruce Vilanch, Patti LaBelle and Melissa Ferrick. Having just released his 4th independent album, "Sleeping with Strangers," Richard is delighted to announce that his work can now be purchased world-wide through the itunes music store, amazon.com and cdbaby.com! In the way of theatre, Richard studied Musical Theatre at AMDA in New York City and has appeared most recently in shows such as BARE - a rock opera, Escorts the Docu-Musical,The Jungle Book and Let There Be Balloons. Richard would like to thank God, his Fans, Friends and Family and he would like to especially thank Mark & Rita Wells, Jamie Cooper, The Broward Center for the Performing Arts, his fellow Cast Members for making this incredible experience a
possibility!

Jessica Rahrig
Cast Member
Jessica Rahrig is tickled pink to be joining the Laffing Matterz cast this season! Favorite credits include Dainty June in Gypsy, Olive Ostrovsky in Spelling Bee (Nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Musical), Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical, just to name a few. Jessica has been seen dancing on Good Morning America and the stages of Hershey Park in PA. Although she graduated college with a business degree (snooze fest), Jessica has spent most of her spare time engulfed in dance classes, workshops, and master classes all through New England and South Florida. She would like to extend a thank you to the beautiful Broward Center and every hand involved in making this show such a success! Love and gratitude to my two best friends: Jodie & Alex who support me in every aspect. This is for you guys! (and grandma, of course!)

Jim Skiba
Cast Member
Jim is excited to be making his debut with the Laffing Matterz group. A recent transplant to Florida and formerly a Wisconsin Architect by edumacation, he is a corn fed cheesehead, and a theater and band geek at heart. He has appeared in many professional theaters throughout the midwest including the Skylight Theater, Broadway Baby Dinner Theater and Oscar’s Dinner Theater. Favorite roles include Francis and Smudge in “FOREVER PLAID”, Harold Hill several times in “THE MUSIC MAN”, Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's “COMPANY”, Albert Peterson in “BYE, BYE BIRDIE”, the Scarecrow in “WIZARD OF OZ”, Mayer Rothschild, in “THE ROTHSCHILDS”, Lieutenant Cable in “SOUTH PACIFIC”, Charles Dalrymple in “BRIGADOON” and Prince Orsino in Shakespeare’s “TWELFTH NIGHT”. Jim has also created and enjoys performing in his own 50's & 60's doo wop performance group he created called “4 EVER 50's”. Jim thanks his family and friends who have pushed him to dream big and follow his passion!

Cannon Starnes
Cast Member
Broadway National Tour "THE FULL MONTY" (Buddy Keno Walsh), Off-Broadway "NAKED BOYS SINGING (The Naked Maid), Regional Theatre Favorites: "CABARET" (Emcee), "JOSEPH/AMAZING TECHNOCOLOR DREAMCOAT" (Joseph), "LA CAGE AUX FOLLES" (Nicky), "FOOTLOOSE" (Lyle), "THE SECRET GARDEN" (Fakir), "ANNIE GET YOUR GUN" (Tommy Keeler), "CRAZY FOR YOU" (Wyatt), and some I have purposely forgotten. Happy to be back in Florida for the winter enjoying the sun and fun with family and friends. LIVE, LAUGH, AND LOVE - you only get one chance!

Angela Thomas
Cast Member
Angela was discovered at the age of 4 singing and dancing on tables for money at Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in Decatur Illinois. Immediately after, her mother used her earnings to enroll her in Tap lessons. Angela continued to perform and received her BA in theatre from Eastern Illinois University. It was her MFA in Acting and Directing from Florida Atlantic University that brought her to Florida. Angela was the Artistic Director of the Florida Playwright’s Theatre in Hollywood from 1993-2000. She was named Best Actress in a Comedy by the New Times “Best of” issue for her portrayal of Doris in The Loman Family Picnic and received a Supporting Actress Carbonell nomination for the role of Holly in Uncommon Women and Others. Angela teaches theatre as an adjunct professor at Broward College and is a theatre teacher in the Broward County schools. She received a Broward County Teacher of the Year nomination in 2008. Angela is so thrilled to be a part of Laffing Matterz and would like to thank Mark, and Rita for the incredible opportunity, the amazing Phil Hinton for getting her back into the biz, and her 6 year old daughter Frances aka “Frances Harvard” for the insight, direction, and constant motivation

Hayley Wells
Cast Member
Freshly transplanted from New York City, Hayley Wells has retired to Fort Lauderdale to ferment and get a tan. She is out of her mind excited to be part of the Laffing Matterz cast. Some of her credits include: Mayor Maggie/Ron in Bat Boy, Gertie from Oklahoma!, 6 Ensemble characters in David Lindsey Abbaire's Wonder of the World, Flash Mob Dancer in the film Friends With Benefits, Stand Up Comic featuring Jim Gaffigan and Jerry Seinfeld at Gotham Comedy Club, Stand Up Comic in Girls Gone Funny featuring Mary Dimino, and Improv Comedy Performer at The Upright Citizens Brigade NYC. And for one night only: Fuzzy (singing, tap-dancing vagina) in Charles Goonan's Splatter Variety Show at Broadway Comedy Club NYC.

Hayley would like to thank Mark and Rita for this opportunity as well as their love and support. Long live laughter!