A PLAYSICAL BY
ABOUT THE SHOW
SCRIPT-in-HAND PERFORMANCE
THe WESTPORT LIBRARY - Monday, June 9, 2025
Sophie B. Hawkins brings to life the heartfelt story of an estranged daughter who returns home to New York City with her seven-year-old son to reconnect with her dying father. Amidst the tensions of old conflicts with her mother and sister, she seizes on the opportunity to create a new family. When a painful childhood memory resurfaces, it sets the stage for forgiveness, healing and redemption.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
“Welcome To My World”
“Missing”
“I Loved Him, Too”
“Red Flag Day”
“Meaningful”
“This Is What Freedom Feels Like”
“I’m So Scared”
“You Are My Balloon”
“Hostage”
“Protect You”
“Red Flag Day” (continued)
“I’m So Scared” (theme) / “Red Flag Day”
“Please Forgive Me”
“Waiting for the Balloons to Rise”
“Nothing”
“Hello, My Name Is Morley”
“It Happened”
“Meaningful” (reprise)
WHO’S WHO IN THE PERFORMANCE
SOPHIE B. HAWKINS (Book, Music, Lyrics)
Sophie is a singer-songwriter and Grammy Award nominee born and raised in New York, NY. Her platinum debut album, Tongues and Tails, featured the indelible Top 10 single “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” and was followed by her next platinum release, Whaler, which contained several hits including the longest-running single in Billboard Adult Contemporary chart history, “As I Lay Me Down.” She successfully fought her record label over creative control of the mix for “Lose Your Way,” the lead single off of her third album, Timbre, which was featured on Dawson’s Creek and the Bounce motion picture soundtrack. After winning this dispute, Sophie became an independent artist and released five more albums on her own imprint, Broken Plate Music. The last two decades have brought multiple awards, sold-out concerts, songs in current movies and on television, memorable appearances on screen including the NBC series Community, the acclaimed documentary film The Cream Will Rise, and a critically-lauded performance as Janis Joplin in the nationally touring play Room 105. Released in 2023, her most recent album, Free Myself, featured the single “Love Yourself,” which climbed to #3 on the UK dance charts. A dynamic creative force known for her spellbinding live shows that all but erase the divide between audience and performer, Sophie is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Whaler with a 2025 tour, which coincides with the upcoming release of her ninth album, Whaler Re-Emerging. Sophie’s first theater credit was as a composer working with the late, great Thomas Meehan, and her latest work is Birds of New York, an original musical currently in development, for which she has written the book, music, and lyrics.
Management: Katherine DePaul. Agent: Susan Weaving, WME.
Website: sophiebhawkins.com
JoANN M. HUNTER (Director / CHoreographer / Performer)
JoAnn has over 30 first class credits globally, from Broadway to the UK, to Australia and Asia. Directed and choreographed at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center.
In the early stages of development are: Dir/Chor, JO The Little Women Musical, Yasuke-The Legend Of The Black Samurai, and Birds of New York.
I have worked with some extraordinary creatives. How very lucky was I. In honing my craft, I keep my mentors in my heart.
Thank you to The Westport Library for hosting this most unique and special show. Written by Sophie! And thank you to the fabulous cast who will begin to bring this piece to life.
I am proud to be a Japanese American woman, and am more than just that.
CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
KATRINA ROSE DIDERIKSEN (Billie)
Katrina Rose is a dynamic American actress and singer celebrated for her powerful vocals and commanding stage presence. She has toured the country as Tracy Turnblad (Hairspray), Janis Joplin (A Night with Janis), and as herself in various symphony shows (Women Rock, Back to the 80s). In NYC, she has been on Broadway (Hairspray) and Off-Broadway (RENT, BloodSong) as well as various cabaret stages around town- even gracing Carnegie Hall in the widely celebrated and protested production of Jerry Springer The Opera. Katrina Rose was seen on Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson's teams on NBC's The Voice, before she started her greatest role thus far, Mom to her sweet boys, FGR & CB.
CARLOS VELASQUEZ ESCAMILLA (Beau)
Carlos is a SAG-AFTRA actor with experience across stage, screen, and voiceover. Off-Broadway workshop credits include Big Famous (The Directors Company) and The Stork Derby (Amas Musicals). Regional Theatre credits include Mary Poppins and Beauty and the Beast (Summer Theatre of New Canaan), A Bronx Tale (Seven Angels Theatre), and Gypsy (Goodspeed Opera House). TV: Sesame Street (Season 54, Episode 11) Voice Over: Tonies (Tracker), CoComelon (Wally the Wolf), and Santiago of the Seas. He is represented by Becky Randazzo at Kreativ Artists. Special thanks to his Vocal / On Camera coach Cynthia Gibb from Triple Threat Academy. Insta: @carlosveofficial
FELICIA FINLEY (Morley)
Broadway: Tanya in Mamma Mia!, The Wedding Singer* (Linda), Aida (Amneris), Smokey Joe's Cafe*, The Life* (April). Off-Broadway: Forbidden Broadway* (SVU and 2001 Space Odyssey), MTC’s The Wild Party* (Rose), Playwrights Horizons Bubbly Black Girl*, Disaster! (Jackie). Treasured favorites: Patsy in A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, Damn Yankees (Lola opposite Andre De Shields) Songbird* (Tammy) Two River, Evita (Evita) Ogunquit, Sweet Charity (City Center - Directed by Gwen Verdon). Awards: Best Actress (Andes Award) for Patsy Cline. Most Distinguished Performance for Linda in Wedding Singer (Drama Desk), NYC's Best Cabaret (Bistro Award), Best Musical Revue (Drama Desk), NJ Best Actress for Pinky in Happy Days*.
*denotes Original Company and cast album.
feliciafinley.com
SARA GETTELFINGER (Celeste)
Sara most recently starred as “MOTHER!” in The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse at The New Group and as “Barbara” in the Tony Award winning Water for Elephants. Other Broadway / National Tours: The Addams Family (Morticia), A Free Man of Color (Dona Athene) , The 101 Dalmatians Musical (Cruella de Vil), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Jolene Oakes), Nine (Carla), The Boys from Syracuse, Seussical, Fosse. Other NYC/Regional: The Cher Show, Carnival!, Tenderloin, Chicago, Grey Gardens, Anything Goes, Catch Me If You Can, Pippin. TV / Film: Guiding Light, Ed, Without a Trace, Georgetown, The Big C, Forbidden Love, Sex and the City: The Movie and coming up: The Man with the Bag.
Behind the Scenes
WENDY BOBBITT CAVETT
(Musical Director)
Broadway and off-Broadway credits include Come From Away, Hamilton, Mamma Mia!, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Sabbath Girl, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Most Happy Fella, and A Tale of Two Cities. National and International credits: Come From Away, The Who’s Tommy, Mamma Mia!, and A Chorus Line. New projects include The Heart, premiering at La Jolla Playhouse summer of 2025. Wendy is on the theatre faculty of Wagner College.
SUE WESTPHAL
(Facilitator and Promoter)
Sue has been beyond passionate about theater since growing up in New York City, and has been friends with Sophie since elementary school. So, she can think of no better way to spend her free time than working behind the curtains on Birds of New York! Having no acting talent of her own, she works full time as Chief Counsel at Melissa & Doug, LLC.
SUZANNE KRAUSS
(Facilitator and Promoter)
Suzanne is currently the event director for The Vision Council. Prior to this she was a retail editor in the print magazine world for publications such as YM Magazine and Cosmopolitan. Suzanne is a published author of an Amazon bestselling memoir. As a fan of Broadway and friend of Sophie’s, she is thrilled to be part of the Birds of New York production.
WALTER SCHMIDT
(Marketing / Digital Media)
Wally is co-founder and owner of Bounce Creative Group, a boutique marketing agency based out of New York and New Orleans that serves clients in the film and television, streaming, and music industries. Over his career, he has developed marketing strategies for hundreds of entertainment properties, including three Oscar-nominated films and campaigns that have received accolades from the RIAA, The Recording Academy, Licensing International, OTT.X/Entertainment Merchants Association, and the Clio Awards.
GREG SIM
(Assistant to the Director)
Greg is a Singaporean theatre artist currently in New York while it's still fun, patiently awaiting the day he’s bequeathed a farm by... you? Favourite credits include SuperYou, Chicago, Mamma Mia and Love and Information.
A HUGE thank you to The Westport Library
(and especially to Jennifer Keller for her tireless support and direction).
And a special thank you to Triple Threat Academy (Cynthia Gibb and Jill Mann)
for connecting us with Carlos Escamilla.