Cast & Creative Team

Shanna Slaap recently appeared in the Dutch play Nieuwe Buren and had her first leading role in Pretty Woman – The Musical in the Netherlands, for which she was nominated for Best Actress in a Large-Scale Musical. As a voice actress, she lends her voice to characters in animated films such as Disney's Wish and Netflix's Spellbound. Previously, she appeared on stage in the German production of Moulin Rouge as Arabia and regularly took on the role of Satine. She made her international debut in 2019 in London's West End in the musical On Your Feet. She has also appeared in major Dutch productions such as The Bodyguard and Aladdin. Shanna completed her training at the Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts and earned a master's degree in musical theater from the Fontys Academy of the Arts.

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His career in Germany began as Count von Krolock in Dance of the Vampires in Stuttgart and Berlin. In St. Gallen, he appeared as Javert in Les Misérables. He played Radames in the European premiere of Elton John's Aida in Essen. In Stuttgart and Oberhausen, he was Fiyero in Wicked, in Vienna Benvolio in Romeo & Juliet, and Radames in Elton John's Aida in Amsterdam and Klagenfurt. In 2011, he played Gerold in the world premiere of the musical Die Päpstin (The Pope) in Fulda. Before his engagement as Franz Joseph in Elisabeth, he toured as a soloist with Musical Rocks. He appeared as Axel Staudach in Ich war noch niemals in New York in Zurich before coming to Hamburg in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera. He also took on the role of the Phantom in Liebe stirbt nie and returned to Stuttgart in 2017 as Count von Krolock in Tanz der Vampire. Also in 2017, he appeared in Ghost – das Musical as Sam Wheat and Carl Bruner. He then appeared in Anastasia, Pretty Woman, and Wie im Himmel, among others. In 2019, he appeared on stage in Hamburg in the musical Die Päpstin. Most recently, he played Paul Stiller in Ralph Ziegler's Zeppelin in Füssen, Dan in Next to Normal in Kassel, and Bill in Mamma Mia in Hamburg.

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Sophie discovered her passion for the stage at an early age and literally grew up in the opera. After graduating from high school, she began her musical theater training in Hamburg, which she successfully completed in 2017. While still in training, she appeared on stage in various productions in German-speaking countries. This was followed by engagements such as Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella at the Metropoltheater Bremen, a revival of Footloose, and Evita at the Theater Kiel. In 2019, Sophie's dream came true: she became the lead singer on the TV-famous dream ship MS Amadea and traveled the world for nine months. In 2021, her passion for travel took her back to the oceans, this time with the MS Amera and the MS Artania. In December 2023, she took on the role of Tammy in the musical show Sixties Girls at the Capitol Theater in Düsseldorf. In the summer of 2024, she appeared in the cult musical A Chorus Line before performing in the comedy Bielefeld and in the hit comedy Traumschöff – Seekrank vor Glück (Dream Jury – Seasick with Happiness) at the Theater Ship in Bremen. In 2025, she appeared on stage at the Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein in the world premiere of Freischütz – Seele für Seele (Freischütz – Soul for Soul) and at the Luisenburg Festival in West Side Story.

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Benedikt Ivo, born in Marburg in 1988, completed a one-year choir director training course at the age of fifteen, followed by an apprenticeship as an organ and harmonium builder, which he successfully completed with a journeyman's certificate. His participation in the Sat. 1 casting show Ich Tarzan, Du Jane! (2008) – in which he was among the 21 best Tarzan candidates – eventually led him to the Joop van den Ende Academy in Hamburg, where he trained in acting, singing, and dancing. Since then, he has appeared in numerous musical productions, including Jean-Michel in La Cage aux Folles, Timm Thaler in Timm Thaler by Xavier Naidoo, Clyde Barrow in Bonnie & Clyde, Harold Bride in Titanic, Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady, Nicky & Trekkie Monster in Avenue Q, Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening, John in John & Jen, Lucas Beineke in The Addams Family, Simon Zealotes in Jesus Christ Superstar, Simon Stride in Jekyll & Hyde, and Billy Kostecki in Dirty Dancing.

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Born in Graz, he studied acting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. His previous engagements include the Stadttheater St. Gallen, Graz Opera, Theater an der Wien, Schauspielhaus Graz, Landestheater Bregenz, Theater der Jugend Wien, Bühne Baden, Schauspielhaus Salzburg, Lehár Festival Bad Ischl, Next Liberty Graz, Dschungel Wien, Off-Theater Wien, Theater im Keller Graz, Ensembletheater Wien, and Scala Wien/Stadttheater Mödling. His most important musical roles include: Perchik in Anatevka at the Graz Opera, Frank Schultz in Showboat, Aladdin in Aladdin, and Jean-Michel in La Cage aux Folles at the Bühne Baden, as well as Gaston Lachaille in Gigi and Barnaby Tucker in Hello Dolly at the Lehár Festival Bad Ischl. Most recently, he appeared as Zach in A Chorus Line at the First Stage Theater in Hamburg.

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Born in Italy, Valerio Croce studied dance in Pescara, Rome, L'Aquila, and New York, and successfully participated in the Italian National Championships in Latin American dance. He has appeared in several Italian musical productions, including Le avventure di Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, and The King of Pop – Michael Jackson Tribute. He has appeared in TV productions such as Domenica in and Ciak, si canta. In 2015, Valerio moved his career to Germany. He worked as a hip-hop teacher and as a singer and dancer on AIDA cruise ships. This was followed by shows such as Der Ring, choreographed by Marvin A. Smith, Equila (Apassionata), and My Fair Lady. Valerio also worked with Olivia's Wilde Jungs. Since 2019, he has been a member of the dance music trio Anmava, led by producer Luis Rodríguez (Modern Talking, Fancy). In 2023 and 2024, Valerio became part of the Rock of Ages tour. This was followed by performances in the DACH region and on ZDF-Fernsehgarten. He also toured as a dancer for the musical Dirty Dancing, for A Chorus Line in Hamburg, and for Catch Me If You Can at the Stadttheater Bremerhaven. Most recently, he worked for the Disney musical Hercules in Hamburg.

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Máté Gyenei is a versatile dancer and singer with international stage experience. He has mastered a broad repertoire—from Latin American dances, ballroom, and Hungarian folk dance to modern dance, ballet, jazz, tap dancing, and acrobatics. His engagements have taken him to the Royal Variety Performance in London, performances with Take That, and TV shows such as Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel, the José Carreras Gala, and Germany's Next Topmodel. His musical career began with Dirty Dancing in Berlin, London, and Oberhausen. This was followed by roles in Ich war noch niemals in New York, West Side Story as Bernardo at the Komische Oper Berlin, My Fair Lady as Professor Karpathy, Tanz der Vampire as Black Vampire in Berlin, Cologne, and Stuttgart, Mamma Mia! as Swing/Cover Sky in Berlin and Hamburg, and Disney's Aladdin in Stuttgart. Most recently, he thrilled audiences as Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing – Das Original Live On Tour (2023/24 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) and as César Rodriguez/Cover Double J in Saturday Night Fever at the Seefestspiele Mörbisch.

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Manuel Nobis studied musical theater/show business at the Berlin University of the Arts. During his studies, he appeared in In Stanniolpapier at UNI.T Berlin and as Alex in the world premiere of Paradise Lost – The Genesis of Musical at the Neuköllner Oper. In addition to his studies, he performed at the Musicalrevolution 2022 at the Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt. Since summer 2022, he has been part of the operetta for two gay tenors in Berlin and Hamburg as a swing. He also appeared at Theater Basel in Kurt Weill's Lady in the Dark and in various productions at Clack Theater Wittenberg. At the 2023 National Singing Competition, he won in the musical category and performed at the winners' concert at Theater des Westens. Last year, he appeared in the Magdeburg DomplatzOpenAir production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies. He was also part of the world premiere of Boybandfieber at the Stratmanns Theater in Essen, sang the buffo role in the operetta Maske in Blau at the Theater Halberstadt, and this year once again played Freddy in Bibi & Tina's extraterrestrial hit parade on tour. Most recently, he was part of the Luisenburgfestspiele, where he performed in West Side Story and, in cooperation with the Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein, in the world premiere of Freischütz – Seele für Seele.

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Ivan Persson hails from the charming southern Swedish town of Simrishamn and is a versatile artist who trained at the Urdang Academy in London. His stage appearances include Bert in Mary Poppins, Al in A Chorus Line, Minstrel and Robin in Something Rotten, and Vittorio in Sweet Charity. He has also performed in the ensembles of Kinky Boots and Evil Dead. He has also performed as a singer on Caribbean cruise ships and on various international stages. Among his favorite roles is Bert in Mary Poppins—a character whose story he finds particularly touching. He appreciates the comedic brilliance of Something Rotten, in which it was a real joy to make the audience laugh. He was also deeply moved when he conveyed the message of self-love in Kinky Boots.

Sascha Luder was born in Zurich and completed his studies at the August Everding Theater Academy in Munich. Even during his training, he made guest appearances at various theaters, including the Akademietheater Munich as Dracula in Dracula, the Deutsches Theater Munich as Ernst in Spring Awakening, the Landestheater Schwaben in Hippolytos in Phädra, the Prinzregententheater Munich, and the Salzburg Festival as a slave in The Magic Flute. He is also active in film and television. He has appeared in the series Hubert ohne Staller and Die Chefin, among others. He has appeared in numerous musical productions throughout Germany, including as Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me, Kate at the Bad Hersfeld Festival, as Don Lockwood in Singing in the Rain, Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever in Darmstadt, Ulm, and Bad Vilbel, and as Bernardo in West Side Story at theaters in Magdeburg, Dortmund, and Regensburg, among others. In Cologne, he was part of the original cast of Bodyguard – Das Musical at the Musical Dome. Most recently, he played Eddie Fritzinger in Sister Act at the Luisenburg Festival and at the Staatsoperette Dresden, Ludwig in Pippin, and Lelio Brown in the operetta Clivia.

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Leopold Lachnit, born in Landshut, completed his master's degree in musical theater at the August Everding Theater Academy in 2023. While still a student, he appeared in productions such as The Threepenny Opera at the Prinzregententheater in Munich, Chicago at the Staatstheater Augsburg, and Hairspray at the Staatstheater Nürnberg. His final project was the role of Malvolio in the German-language premiere of the musical Twelfth Night, directed by Stefan Huber. Since graduating, Leopold Lachnit has appeared in various musical and theater productions, including as Eugénie Floh in Im Ohr at the Stadttheater Ingolstadt, as Artie Green in Sunset Boulevard at the Tiroler Landestheater, as Hanna in La Cage aux Folles at the Staatstheater Kassel, and as Action in West Side Story at the MusicalSommer Kufstein.

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Paul Fruh, born and raised in Heidelberg, studied musical theater/show business at the Berlin University of the Arts from 2019 to 2023. He gained his first stage experience while still at school, appearing in various circus and acrobatic shows as well as theater productions in the Rhine-Neckar region. During his studies, he appeared as Maria in the world premiere of the musical In Stanniolpapier and as Gardefeu in the operetta Pariser Leben, among other roles. In the 2021–22 season, he appeared at the Staatstheater Kassel as Kit Kat Boy, Sailor, and Nazi Shouter in Cabaret and at the Schlosspark Theater in Berlin as Dude in Sugar – Some Like It Hot. He also played Peedy in the world premiere of the musical Paradise Lost at the Neuköllner Oper and took on the roles of Werther, Archimedes, and Georg in the musical Sofie's World at the Theater für Niedersachsen. Most recently, he was dance captain and part of the ensemble of Der Mann von La Mancha at the Theater Heidelberg, Pepper in Mamma Mia at the Neue Flora Hamburg, swing with cover Drew and cover Franz in Rock of Ages, and part of the ensemble with cover Tom in Abenteuerland at the Capitol Theater Düsseldorf. In the summer of 2025, Paul appeared in Schwäbisch Hall as Action in West Side Story and as Brad in Hairspray.

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Lena-Sophie Pudenz completed her studies as a musical performer in 2021 at the Stage School in Hamburg. While still a student, she appeared as a soloist in various productions at the First Stage Theater and as Rusty in Footloose. After completing her studies, she took on roles as Crystal in Little Shop of Horrors, Rusty in Footloose again, Tess and cover Gloria in the tour production of Flashdance – The Musical, and Pamela in Die Königs schenken nach! at the Schmidt Theater. From 2023 to 2025, Lena-Sophie appeared in the production Abenteuerland – Das Musical at the Capitol Theater in Düsseldorf, among other roles, as the understudy for the lead role of Anna, before returning to the Schmidt Theater in Die Königs schenken nach! and Oberaffengeil.

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Born in Salzburg, she completed her musical theater studies at the Stage School Hamburg and classical vocal studies at the Hamburg Conservatory. While still a student, she appeared on stage as Roxanne in Cyrano de Bergerac and took on roles in Jesus Christ Superstar (Soulgirl) and Les Misérables (Cosette) at the Felsenbühne Staatz. This was followed by engagements in the Landgraf tour Stille Nacht – Ein Lied geht um die Welt (Silent Night – A Song Goes Around the World), as the cover for the title role in Die fabelhafte Welt der Amélie (Amélie) at Munich's Werk7 Theater, and as Sophia in the arena tour Bibi und Tina – Das Konzert (Bibi and Tina – The Concert). At the Theater Erfurt, she played Johanna in Sweeney Todd, at the Salzburger Landestheater she appeared in Cabaret, and at the Katielli Theater she played Crystal and Audrey in The Little Shop of Horrors. In 2023, she took on the role of Sister Mary Theresa in Sister Act in Schwäbisch Hall and played the title role in Die kluge Bauerntochter (The Clever Farmer's Daughter) at the Brüder Grimm Festival in Kassel. Further engagements took her to the TIC Kassel (Sister Act) and the Stadttheater Ingolstadt (Cabaret). Most recently, she thrilled audiences as a soprano soloist in Best of Musicals and made her debut at the Tiroler Landestheater in Hair. In the summer, she returned to the Felsenbühne Staatz, this time as Lisa Carew in Jekyll & Hyde.

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Noeï graduated from the Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts in Amsterdam, where she was able to indulge her love of singing, dancing, and storytelling. In the 2023/2024 season, she was part of the ensemble of Disney's Aida at the AFAS Circustheater Scheveningen and also took on the cover role of Nehebka. In the 2024/25 season, she took on the seductive role of Arabia in Moulin Rouge! – The Musical in Cologne. Noeï believes in the magic of theater to move people – and secretly dreams of traveling to Japan.

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Sofie De Schryver graduated in musical theater from the Royal Conservatory in Brussels in 2018. During her final year, she took on the role of Lucy Harris in Jekyll & Hyde and made her professional stage debut in the ensemble of The Rocky Horror Show (Deep Bridge). Between 2018 and 2020, she appeared in various productions in Belgium, including Scrooge, Neverland: The Adventures of Peter Pan, The Best Musicals of 2019, Kiss of the Spider Woman, La Cage aux Folles, and Cinderella. She made her debut in Germany as the cover for Magda and Gender Cross Swing in Tanz der Vampire (Stage Entertainment) in Stuttgart. She then appeared on stage as the cover for Anna and in the ensemble of Disney's Frozen at the Stage Theater an der Elbe in Hamburg. This was followed by engagements in Elisabeth – Das Musical (tour) as Fräulein Windisch and cover Elisabeth, as well as a soloist with the renowned WDR Funkhausorchester, with whom she presented the program Thank You For The Music: ABBA Symphonic. Before studying musical theater, Sofie completed a bachelor's degree in audiovisual arts at Ritcs in Brussels with honors.

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Martina Peruzzi is an Italian performer. She completed her studies in performing arts at the SDM – Scuola del Musical in Milan and in modern singing at London College University. She was resident director, dance captain, and cover Molly in Ghost – The Musical, as well as dance captain and cover Penny in Dirty Dancing. From 2021 to 2023, she was in the ensemble and cover Kit/Scarlett in Pretty Woman – The Musical and danced in Rigoletto at the Rome Opera. Her roles include Jennyanydots in Cats, Graziella in West Side Story at the Eutin Festival, Linda McKenna in Rocky, cover Bess in The Impossible Man, and Street Singer in Mass.

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Amber graduated from the Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts in 2024 with two bachelor's degrees—one in dance and one in dance education. She made her musical debut in the ensemble of Mamma Mia! The Musical in the Netherlands. She then traveled to Belgium to join the ensemble of Tien Om Te Zien—De Musical by producer Studio 100. In addition to musicals, she also danced at the Dutch music festival Holland Zingt Hazes.

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Born in Italy, Alessandro discovered his passion for dance at the age of eight and took lessons at the Centro Danzaricerca in Milan. After graduating from the Aloysius Dance Academy in 2011, he began his career as a dancer at Disneyland Paris and on AIDA Cruises before performing with the J.A.S. Art Ballet Company in Italy and at Lincoln Center in New York. In 2015, he turned to musical theater and appeared as Swing/Assistant Dance Captain in Cats at the Théâtre Mogador in Paris. This was followed by a tour of Italy with the musical Grease (2017/2018) before he moved to Germany. There, he was engaged as Cross Swing/Dance Captain in the Stage Entertainment production Anastasia at the Palladium Theater Stuttgart in 2018/2019. He then toured Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with An American in Paris, We Will Rock You, and Ghost. In 2024, Alessandro made his debut at the Bad Hersfeld Festival as Mark in A Chorus Line, where he also appeared on stage again in 2025. He also took on roles in La Cage aux Folles at the Staatstheater Kassel and the Staatstheater Nürnberg. From 2022 to 2025, he was part of the cast of Robin Hood and performed in Fulda, Hameln, Munich, Zurich, Frankfurt, and Berlin.

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25-year-old Sam Rondeel graduated from the Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts in 2025. He studied musical theater at the Dutch university. Pretty Woman – The Musical is his first professional production since graduating.

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Tjesse Bleijenberg was born in the Netherlands. He completed his training in performing arts at the renowned Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts in Amsterdam. After graduating, he joined the ensemble of Mamma Mia! The Musical in Utrecht, where he also took on the cover role of Pepper. He then moved to Germany, where he appeared as Alfred Dancer in the musical Tanz der Vampire. In the summer of 2022, Tjesse was part of the original cast of the German production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical in Cologne. In the summer of 2024, he was part of the ensemble of Mary Poppins – The Musical at the Thunerseespielen in Switzerland. In the fall of 2024, he was also part of the original cast of the Dutch production of Moulin Rouge! De Musical in Utrecht as a swing.

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Aniek Mommers was born in the Netherlands in 1995. In 2013, she began her preliminary studies at the Fontys Academy of the Arts, graduating in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in musical theater. During her studies, she played the roles of Rosemary Pilkington in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Alice Beineke in The Addams Family. In 2017/2018, she was part of the Dutch tour of the thriller musical Shock. She then joined the TUI Cruises ensemble as a singer on MeinSchiff 5 in 2019. And in 2021, she was one of the singers on the Dutch TV show I Can See You Voice. At the end of 2022, Aniek made her German debut in Die Eiskönigin, the music show on ice, where she played the role of Queen Elsa. After that, in the summer of 2024, she was part of the ensemble of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Eutin Festival, and in 2024/2025 she played the role of Peppa Pig in the German tour of Peppa Pig Live! On Adventure.

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Molly was born in Worcester, England, and completed her training in musical theater at the London Studio Centre. After graduating, she began her professional stage career in Germany and impressed with a variety of engagements: In Saturday Night Fever, she distinguished herself as assistant dance captain, stepped in as on-stage swing, and gave a rousing performance as a Hispanic dancer. In the musical Dirty Dancing, she took on the role of Vivian and was also the understudy for Penny. In Mamma Mia! The Musical, she demonstrated her flexibility as a swing and understudy for Lisa, and in the production Aladdin, she was a swing with additional understudy responsibilities for roles such as Attendant and Fortune Teller. Finally, she once again demonstrated her versatility in Tanz der Vampire, where she played as a swing and stood in as a cover for the striking Red Boots.

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Katharina Meissner was born in Austria and grew up in a family that loved dance and music. She began regular training at a club in her hometown as a child and, from the age of 15, took ballet, jazz, and hip hop lessons in Vienna. She successfully participated in several national and international competitions, such as World of Dance in Berlin and the European Dance Masters in Italy and Poreč, where she won several national and European championship titles. The highlight of her youth was her participation in the ICU World Championships in Orlando, Florida, in 2016 and 2017. After graduating from high school, she transferred to Stage School Hamburg, where she appeared on stage in numerous First Stage Theater productions while still a student. These included The Big Christmas Show (2021), The Big Anniversary Gala (2023), and Sister Act – The Musical. After graduating with honors, she first joined the AIDA cruise ship and most recently was engaged as a Kit Kat Girl and Dance Captain at the Capitol Mannheim.

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