Meet the Musical Theatre Class of 2022!

Malik Bilbrew is beyond ecstatic to be joining the Musical Theatre B.F.A. class of 2022! Malik would like to thank his parents for being so prevalent in his career in pursuing the arts. Going to college at Penn State is a complete dream for him and he couldn’t be more euphoric to go to a wonderful school with wonderful peers and mentors.

MaryRose Brendel, from Cranbury, New Jersey, is ecstatic to be joining the Penn State Musical Theatre family! Favorite credits include Pippin (Catherine) and Urinetown (Hope Cladwell). She has been involved in many local productions in the Princeton area at the Kelsey Theater and the McCarter Theater. She is extremely grateful to her family, friends, teachers and the Penn State faculty for this incredible opportunity. She can’t wait to spend the next four years growing and learning at her dream school! WE ARE!

John El-Jor, from Midlothian, Virginia, is thrilled to be attending Penn State for MT! Playing various roles from Aladdin (Aladdin Jr.) to Javert (Les Miserables), he has enjoyed storytelling through musical theatre and is excited to do it for the next four years at such a marvelous program! He would like to thank his friends, family, and instructors for all of their wonderful support that led him to choose this path in life! WE ARE

Kate Fahey is from right outside of the Philadelphia area, and is filled with joy to be joining the Penn State Musical Theatre family! She would not be here without the constant love and support from her mom, dad, sister, and brother. Some of Kate’s favorite credits include: Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Charity Hope Valentine in Sweet Charity, and Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. When Kate isn’t doing shows or dancing, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and watching Disney movies while munching on Sour Patch Kids (the green ones are her favorite!). Kate is eager to open up to this new chapter in her life and cannot wait to learn from all the spectacular people at Penn State! WE ARE!

Ayana Francois hails from Long Island, NY, recently graduating from Baldwin High School, and she is thrilled to be joining MT ‘22. Ayana’s love affair with theatre began her freshman year in high school after being in Hello Dolly at her school. She has performed in community theaters across Long Island and can’t wait to begin her career alongside her wonderfully talented and amazing classmates. She wants to thank the Penn State faculty for giving her this opportunity and can’t wait to make some magic and memories for the next four years.

Marshall Joun, from Arlington, Massachusetts, is thrilled to join the Penn State Musical Theatre family! His credits include Reagle Music Theatre: A Chorus Line (Swing); Wheelock Family Theatre: In the Heights (Ensemble), Akeelah and the Bee (Dylan); Boston Children’s Theatre: Cabaret (Bobby). Marshall can’t wait to begin his journey here at Penn State! He sends endless gratitude to his incredible family and loving friends. WE ARE!

Jack Maloney is from Delray Beach, FL and is so excited to become a Nittany Lion just like his mom! Jack has been doing theatre since the age of 6 and some of his favorite credits include Pippin (Pippin), Shrek the Musical (Shrek),Grease (Danny Zuko), and Heathers (JD). Jack is thrilled to continue his artistic development in such an incredible program and would like to thank his parents and teachers for all their support! WE ARE!

Melody Munitz, from Cortlandt Manor, NY, is ecstatic to be joining the Penn State MT family! Melody has performed in several Off-Broadway productions, as well as at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Other favorite credits include The Fantasticks (Luisa), Beauty and the Beast (Belle), and Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins). Melody is also part of Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College, and cannot wait to spend the next four years following her passion alongside incredible peers and faculty! WE ARE!

Noah Silverman, from Tarrytown, New York, is thrilled to be joining the Penn State MT family. He is a recent graduate of Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts. Noah’s credits include A Doll’s House (Torvald), As You Like It (Orlando), Anything Goes (Sir Evelyn Oakleigh), and the film No Letting Go (Timothy). He also performed with the Augusto Boal Company for U.S. Congress in 2017. Noah is grateful for the support of his friends and family and couldn’t be more excited to study musical theatre at Penn State!

Madeline Sparkes moved from her hometown in England to Austin, Texas at age 14. She is now ecstatic to be moving to another American state to continue her passion and love for musical theatre. This journey began in London's West End. When Madeline saw Billy Elliot with her grandma and mum, a longing to be on the stage performing, rather than in the audience, took over. Some of her favorite credits have been: Mary Poppins (Mary), Violet Sharp (Violet), Evita (Eva Peron) and Chicago (Velma Kelly). Madeline would like to thank the entire British population, The Great British Bake-Off, Queen Elizabeth, and last but not least, her family, for raising her on tea and crumpets, a solid foundation of British TV shows, and a land full of love and rain. She cannot wait to enter Penn State this year with the wonderful other members of ‘22. WE ARE!

Matty Thornton, who resides in Pittsburgh, has loved theatre ever since his mom forced him to listen to Jesus Christ Superstar on the long car rides in his young childhood. Some of his favorite roles include Hair (Claude), Beauty and the Beast (Beast), and Les Miserables (Javert). He is ecstatic to be making new friends and to attend his dream school here at Penn State. WE ARE!

Daniel Tracht is ecstatic to be joining the Penn State Musical Theatre family! He is from Orlando, Florida and is ready to take on the cold weather. Daniel has been performing his whole life and some of his favorite credits include: Newsies (Davey), Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus), and Aida (Radames). He would like to thank his family, friends, and many teachers for their constant love and support throughout his journey. WE ARE!

Tedrick Wilson, born and raised in sunny South Florida, has grown an incredible passion for musical theatre ever since his first show at the Florida Children’s Theatre his freshman year of high school. Some of his most rewarding performances include Ragtime (Coalhouse), The Wiz (Scarecrow), and Little Shop of Horrors (Chiffon). Tedrick is incredibly excited to live the next four years as a Nittany Lion at Penn State and can’t wait to grow as an individual while doing what he loves with a group of people he loves.