Jeff McCoy

Jeff McCoy

Jeff McCoy is the Director of Theatre Arts at Pulaski County High School where he has
led the troupe to three VHSL State Champion One Act Play Festivals (the most recent this past fall). All
shows have been original scripts written by him, his students, or through a collaborative effort. Each
year, the program produces seven to eight shows including two to three musicals, several straight
shows, SNL style sketch comedies, community event performances, and a children’s division show
produced, choreographed and directed by the high school students. He has either appeared onstage,
directed, or behind the scenes of almost every SME show since the beginning. Favorite SME roles have
included: Marcellus in the first production of Music Man, Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Nicely
Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, Luther Billis in South Pacific, Brave Sir Robin in Spamalot, SMEE In
Peter Pan, and Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast. He is an avid theatre geek and traveler having seen
eleven Broadway shows this summer. He is the 2017 Teacher of the Year for Pulaski County and a
member of an awesome Praise Team at his church.

Jennifer Arogo

Jennifer Arogo is thrilled to be performing in her first SME production this summer! She has previously been in two musicals, Aladdin Jr. and Annie Get Your Gun, both with Blacksburg High School. She is a rising sophomore at BHS and an avid dancer at Dance Tech Performing Arts Studio. She spends about 13 hours a week taking dance classes during the school year, and participates in 4-5 regional dance competitions every spring. At competitions, she performs solos, group routines, and large production numbers, each varying in dance styles. In her free time, you can find her hanging out with friends, volunteering, or braiding hair.

Alexa Mayer

Alexa Mayer (featured dancer/ensemble) is very excited to be in her 3rd show with SME. Alexa is going into 7th grade and loves to dance!! In her free time she likes to dance around her room, color and draw, and play with her 2 cats. She would like to thank her parents for being so supportive!!!

Joelle Shenk

Joelle Shenk is SUPER excited to return to the stage this Summer! You may recognize her from other SME productions-Cinderella (Step-Sister Joy), Peter Pan (Indian), or SHREK (Princess Fiona). When off the stage, Joelle teaches children’s production theatre, is a nanny, travels overseas on medical mission trips, and cuddles all of the dogs she can find. Joelle would like to thank Cindy, and her cast mates…especially the children for allowing her to hang out with them. Enjoy the show, NRV!

Elly Bryan

Elly Bryan is a 7th grader at BMS and a member of the Dance.tech Performing Arts Company. She enjoys dancing, singing, and acting. She is excited to be a part of SME’s production of Beauty and the Beast!

Meredith Hertweck

Meredith Hertweck is a rising senior at Blacksburg High School and is very excited to be a Featured Dancer/ Ensemble member in Beauty and the Beast. She has enjoyed being on stage since 2006 when she began dancing. Recently she has been in Annie Get Your Gun as well as Crazytown with BHS, and is a member of Thespian Troupe 3600.

McKinley Rorrer

McKinley Rorrer is a 2014 graduate of Christiansburg High School; and is currently a Senior at Radford University, where he is majoring in Elementary Education. While attending CHS, McKinley appeared in several plays including: “Civil War: The Musical”, “Neil Simon’s Rumors”, “Junie B. Jones: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”, “Elvis People”, and “You Can’t Take it With You”. “Beauty and the Beast” marks McKinley’s third show with Summer Musical Enterprise, having previously appeared in “A Christmas Story: The Musical” and “The Music Man”. McKinley would like to thank his Mom and Dad, Marie and Michael Rorrer, for always supporting him in everything he does. He would also like to thank his family, friends, and all the cast and crew of “Beauty and the Beast”.

Lydia Gorzycki

Lydia Gorzycki is excited to be performing in her first production with Summer Musical Enterprises. She has performed with Adaire Theatre in productions of Aladdin and The Jungle Book. She is 13 years old and enjoys playing soccer, singing, playing with her pets, hanging out with friends, and drama. She wants to thank her family, Eddie, and her friends for all their support and encouragement.

Anna Gibbs

Anna Gibbs (Belle) is thrilled to be making her debut with Summer Musical Enterprise. Her favorite roles include playing Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, making appearances in several operas (Carmen and Hansel & Gretel), and spending 4 years on-stage in The Gift (which she stage-managed for following graduating from college). She has a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Virginia Tech. Anna is currently on staff with New Life Christian Fellowship (NLCF), a church and campus ministry at VT, where she enjoys leading worship, planning events, discipling “her girls,” and developing leaders. In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, singing her heart out, and adventuring with her friends in Blacksburg.

Rodney McAllister

Rodney McAllister

Rodney is blessed to have spent 40 years on stages in Musical Theater Therapy. From amusement parks, community, dinner, and professional theaters, Rodney returned to SME for the 2017 production of “Beauty and the Beast” as Lumiere. Theatre can heal, it can enlighten, it can disturb. I highly recommend it. Favorite roles include: Seymour, “Little Shop of Horrors”; Bobby, “A
Chorus Line”; Sparky, “Forever Plaid”; The Baker, “Into the Woods”; “And the World Goes Round”; “A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine”; Buddy, “The Cardigans”; and he was a Kings Dominion singer and dancer. Rodney has also directed and choreographed “Gypsy”; “Baby”; the Charlotte Boys’ Choir; and numerous industrials.