Rusalka Biographies

Jill Anna Ponasik - Director
This is Jill Anna’s 16th season as Artistic Director of Milwaukee Opera Theatre where she continues to revel in opportunities to connect artists and audiences through opera. This year, her creative projects include The Moors with Renaissance Theatreworks, A Cinderella school tour and Viva la Mamma with The Florentine Opera, Alcina, Rusalka, and Camille’s Rainbow with Milwaukee Opera Theatre, and a miniature opera about 3D bioprinting for Froedtert Hospital. In addition to the above, Jill Anna keeps herself occupied running MOT’s three free educational programs: Script & Score, The Supreme Creativity Studio, and Voice Lab.
Jason Powell - Adaptor and the Moon
Jason Powell is over the moon to be working with Danceworks again, with whom he’s collaborated in the past on such projects as The Quest, Plugged In, and his favorite, Temptation’s Snare. He’s also thrilled as always to work with Milwaukee Opera Theatre, with whom he’s collaborated many, many times on such shows as The Mikado, Doc Danger, and his favorite, Fortuna the Time-Bender. Jason is a writer, actor, singer, composer, lyricist and instrumentalist. His original opera, Fortuna the Time-Bender, will have its Southeastern United States premiere this fall at Nashville Opera. He hopes you enjoy Rusalka!
Christal Wagner - Choreographer
Christal Wagner (she/they) is a Milwaukee-based artist, choreographer, filmmaker and educator with over 15 years of experience. She is a Co-Artistic Director of Danceworks Performance MKE and adjunct faculty at UWM’s Dance Department. Christal has choreographed over 20 musicals in Milwaukee and created works for Danceworks Inc., Milwaukee Opera Theatre, and Milwaukee Ballet II. She has performed with Your Mother Dances, Gina Laurenzi Dance Project, Skylight Music Theatre, and Dawn Springer Dance Projects. With 14 years as a company member of DPMKE, Christal’s work spans modern and jazz and strives to uplift her artistic community through dance. 
Ruben Piirainen - Music Director and Pianist
Music Direction: A Gift of the Magi, Daddy Long Legs (Third Avenue PlayWorks); Preludes, Rusalka, The Mikado (Milwaukee Opera Theatre); The Magic Flute, Carmen (Brew City Opera); Sweeney Todd, (Marquette University); Rusalka (Opera for the Young); Pianist: Three Decembers, Trial by Jury (Florentine Opera); Song from the Uproar, Guns N Rosenkavalier (Milwaukee Opera Theatre); The Sound of Music, Adding Machine, HMS Pinafore, Così fan
tutte (Skylight Music Theatre); Other Performances: National Opera Center (New York), Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet, Present Music, Theatre Gigante, Kenosha Symphony Orchestra, Festival City Symphony, Toledo Opera, Toledo Rep; Faculty: Wisconsin Conservatory of Music (piano); Education: Bowling Green State University (MM), Lawrence University Conservatory of Music (BM).​
Erin Brooker-Miller - Harpist
Erin Brooker-Miller is an award winning Classical and Irish harpist with a passion for orchestral and chamber playing. Principal Harpist of the Des Moines Symphony, Erin has also performed with the Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras, Boise Philharmonic, Nashville Opera, and others. She is the harpist of the flute, harp, and viola trio, Juniper Trio. An equally accomplished arts administrator, Erin is the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Music Festival. She holds harp performance degrees from Indiana University and the University of Illinois, as well as an MBA from Marquette University.
Colin Gawronski - Lighting Designer
Colin Gawronski is a lighting designer and theatrical technician native to Milwaukee who has worked extensively with Danceworks, Inc, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Sunstone Studios and Black Arts MKE/Brozeville. Additional credits include Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Gina Laurenzi Dance Project, and In Tandem Theatre. Colin has also worked with the Sacramento Music Circus, Theatre Lila, Third Avenue Playworks and Forward Theater. Favorite productions include: BOUNDLESS, STEW, THREE OTHER SISTERS, DUTCHMAN, BLACK NATIVITY, /maskəˈrād/, SECRETS FROM THE WIDE SKY, DADDY LONG LEGS, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, SERENDIPITY, BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA, LAMPS FOR MY FAMILY, and VAGABONDARE. Give Love Always.
Saira Frank - Rusalka
Soprano Saira Frank’s versatile career spans opera, stage, and recital, with performances at Milwaukee Opera Theater, Madison Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Painted Sky Opera, and Elgin Opera. She has been a featured soloist with the Grant Park Symphony & Chorus, the Florentine Opera, and Opera San Luis Obispo. Operatic highlights include Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), the Governess (The Turn of the Screw), Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), and title roles in Tosca, The Merry Widow, and Alcina. A core soprano of the Grant Park Chorus, she has performed over 60 masterworks at Pritzker Pavilion. Passionate about arts education, Saira is General Director of Opera for the Young, where she champions outreach and new works. She holds degrees in voice and French from Northwestern University and a Master of Music in opera from UW-Madison.
Tim Rebers - The Prince
Tim Rebers is a performer, music director, composer, arranger, conductor, and teacher throughout the greater Milwaukee area. He has performed with many local companies, including MOT, Skylight Music Theatre, First Stage, Brew City Opera, Florentine Opera, and Acacia Theatre. He has also performed multiple recitals with the Colla Voce Concert series (collavoceconcerts.com). Tim is also the Artistic Director of Brew City Opera (brewcityopera.com) where he recently performed Papageno in The Magic Flute in his new English translation. He’s also the creator of the vocal trio Tenors MKE. 
Colleen Brooks - Ježibaba
Colleen Brooks, mezzo-soprano and voice instructor at UW-M, happily calls Milwaukee home. She performs regularly with Milwaukee Opera Theatre and Florentine Opera and was an apprentice artist with Florentine Opera in its 2008-09 season. Roles performed include Dora Marx (The Snow Dragon), Wagner’s Mezzos (The Skylight Ring), Isabelle Eberhardt (Song from the Uproar), Queen Chandra Devi (The Silent Prince), Garcias (Don Quichotte), Azucena, Rosina, Donna Elvira, Ježibaba, Hansel, Third Lady and Kate Pinkerton. She was a Wisconsin District Winner in the Metropolitan Opera Competition (2009) and a resident artist in San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program (2010).
David Guzmán - Vodník
Puerto Rican bass-baritone David Guzmán has made a name for himself as a frequent performer across the stages of Wisconsin. Based in Milwaukee, he has performed with The Florentine Opera, Madison Opera, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Some of his roles include Leporello (DON GIOVANNI), Bartolo/Antonio (LE NOZZE DI FIGARO), Vodník (RUSALKA), Truffaldin (ARIADNE AUF NAXOS), Pistola (FALSTAFF), the Fifth Jew (SALOME), and Sarastro (DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE). David holds a Master of Music Degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Furthermore, David is also an avid language learner and teaches from his private studio. www.davidguzmanbass.com
Tabetha Steege - First Nymph
Tabetha Steege is a graduate from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (2022) As a talented and versatile soprano with a wide-ranging repertoire she has been able to perform in countless productions. Most recently, Tabetha performed in Brew City’s production of Cosi Fan Tutte where she played the role of Fiordiligi. Her operatic experience also encompasses notable roles like The Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro and Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica. This season, Tabetha is excited to be performing as Papagena in Brew City Opera's production of Magic Flute, as well as taking on the role of Nymph 1 in Milwaukee Opera Theatre's production of Rusalka.
Erin Sura - Second Nymph
Mezzo Soprano Erin Sura has recently performed the roles of Madam Garcia (Notes on Viardot) and Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors) with Opera on Site; Fricka (Das Reingold) and Second Norn (Gotterdamerung) with TUNDI productions; Ruth (Pirates of Penzance), and Mad Margaret (Ruddigore) with Madison Savoyards; Tisbe (Cenerentola) with Opera Vermont; and Mrs. Fairfax (Jane Eyre) with Lake County Playhouse, among others. Other notable roles include the title role in Carmen with Brew City Opera; Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) with Master Singers of Milwaukee; Jo March (Little Women) with Nightingale Opera; and Second Lady (Die Zauberflote) with Milwaukee Opera Theatre and Lawrence Opera Theatre.
Brennan Martinez - Third Nymph
Brennan Martinez - she/her (Third Wood Nymph) has performed nationally on both musical theatre and opera stages. Recent role credits include Lily Craven in The Secret Garden (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre), Hansel in Hansel and Gretel (Chautauqua Opera Company), Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Brew City Opera), Marian Paroo in The Music Man in Concert and Mother in Ragtime (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre). She trained at Oklahoma City University and the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute at UNCSA. Brennan is a member of AGMA and represented by Big Mouth Talent. Thank you for coming under the sea with us! www.brennanmartinez.com
Ashley Ray Garcia - Foreign Princess and Dancer
​Ashley Ray Garcia (she/her) is a dancer and choreographer from Michigan. She received her BFA in Dance-Performance and Choreography from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Through her love of traveling, she has had the opportunity to perform in France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. Garcia has shown work at Central de La Danse (Paris, France), Get It Out There MKE (Wisconsin), Collage Dance Festival, and RAD Fest (Michigan). In April 2024, she directed and choreographed her own evening-legth performance, For The Wolves. She is currently a company member of Wild Space Dance Company and Danceworks Performance Company while choreographing independently. Garcia enjoys choreographing, performing, and improvisation and looks forward to gaining knowledge through both exploring and experience. She also is a published author of her poetry book, Forget-Me-Not.
Greta Jenkins - Dancer
Greta Jenkins is a dance artist, choreographer, personal trainer and business owner. She received her BFA in dance performance from Ball State University. Greta is also a company artist and rehearsal director with THREE POINT PROJECT. She’s performed with THREE POINT PROJECT artists in MashUp Contemporary Dance Company’s International Women’s Day Dance Festival as well as Geometry Dance Company’s season show WALK ON, both performances in Los Angeles. Greta is also the owner and founder of her personal training business Lifted by Greta where she aims to create a space where every person can embrace their pursuit of improved movement, strength, and confidence in their body’s unique quality of life. This is Greta’s third season with Danceworks Performance MKE.
Jessica Lueck - Dancer
Jessica Lueck has been a professional contemporary dancer with Danceworks Performance Company since August 2022, after achieving a BFA In Dance Performance and Choreography. Through her studies in college and beyond, she has created several different works including Aenigma(2021), Forced Rhythms(2023), Restless Nights(2024) and Einarr(2024). She works collaboratively through her company work with Danceworks Performance company, as well as works as a freelance artist in Wildspace company, where movement is generated typically in a site-specific location. Most recently, Jessica has been a part of an up and coming company, Fable Dance Company, who will be creating their first concert in May 2025. 
Cuauhtli Ramirez Castro - Dancer
Cuauhtli Ramirez Castro (he/they) is a Mexican performing artist and dancer. They studied Performing Arts at the University of Guanajuato having a multidisciplinary approach, combining contemporary dance and acting techniques in his training. They have performed at the International Cervantino Festival (2016), as well as the Guanajuato International Film Festival (2015). They graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a BFA in Contemporary Dance Performance and Choreography (2021). During their time in Milwaukee, they have performed and collaborated in works by Maria Gillespie, Emma Draves, Bernard Brown, Li Chiao Ping, Joe Goode, Mair Culbreth, Amanda Lee, Cedar Becher, etc. In 2023 They were one of eight artists selected to co-create work for Dance for Diversity, an screen dance project by Elizabeth Roskopf with the intention of uplifting the voices of bipoc artists. They currently dance with Danceworks Performance MKE and Wild Space Dance Company.
Elisabeth Roskopf - Dancer
Born in South Korea and raised in Appleton, Elisabeth Roskopf 이지영 is a
dancer, performer, choreographer, educator, pianist, and mother to her daughter, Alina. She is a company member of Danceworks Performance MKE, Li Chiao-Ping Dance, the Gina Laurenzi Dance Project, and Wild Space Dance Company. She co-produced and performed in “Provenance: A Letter to My Daughter”, an award-winning screendance work created with director/choreographer Li Chiao-Ping and cinematographer/editor Christal Wagner. Elisabeth is also the Founder and Creative Director of Dance For Diversity. She is currently earning her Master of Fine Arts in Dance at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and her research explores how transracial Asian American adoptees express their stories of identity and personal experiences through the realm of contemporary dance performance.
Zoe Glise - Dancer
Zoe Mei Glise is a choreographer and movement-based artist located in Milwaukee, WI. She is a company member with Danceworks Performance Company, Wild Space Dance Company, and Gina Laurenzi Dance Project. Previously, Zoe danced with Madison Contemporary Dance, and was Nova Linea Contemporary Dance’s first company apprentice. Zoe received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance and Choreography at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2022. She has presented her own work throughout Wisconsin, Montana, and Paris, France. Most recently, Zoe presented her evening length debut, “Uncommon Ground”, at Adventure Rock Milwaukee to blend her two passions—dance and rock climbing.
Julianne Perkins - Rusalka Cover
​Julianne(she/they) is a Wisconsin native. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Denver and was recently seen in Brew City Opera’s abridged Magic Flute as Pamina and with Milwaukee Opera Theatre’s Night of the Living Opera as Barbara. Other recent collaborations include performances with Lamont Opera Theatre, Opera Colorado, Boulder Opera Company, Vienna Summer Music Festival, Collaborative Piano Institute, Dandelion Opera Institute, and Varna International Music Institute. She has also sung with Opera Fort Collins. She was recently a finalist in the Patricia Crump Vocal Competition. Upcoming performances include singing the lead in Camille’s Rainbow. She currently studies with international opera singer Jennifer Rowley. Julianne is also a cohost of a Riverwest Radio show called Quantum Music: Dissecting the Modern Musician.
Anthony Androncyzk - The Prince Cover
Anthony is a graduate of UW Milwaukee (2024) with a BFA in Versatile Voice. He is excited and grateful to MOT for including him in their production of Rusalka. Anthony is a current member of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus’ Paid Core, the Milwaukee Chamber Choir, and regularly sings with Aperi Animam. At the PSOA he studied vocal technique in multiple styles, most commonly classical, musical theatre, funk, blues, jazz, and Motown. He has performed in productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Joseph, Benjamin Britten’s Curlew River as Madwoman, and Die Fledermaus as Alfred.

Haley Gabriel - Ježibaba Cover
Haley Gabriel is a mezzo-soprano who studied at Cleveland State University from 2017 to 2019, where she received her Masters of Music. She moved to Milwaukee from Chicago in late 2024. She continues to perform in Chicago and is excited to perform more in Milwaukee! She excels at including historical context in her performances, and adding more depth of character to smaller, less explored roles.Haley also enjoys working with modern composers. During her time in Cleveland, she was able to work with Sxip Shirey, performing in “The Gauntlet,” and another improvised piece inside of the Cleveland Art Museum.
Edward Lupella - Vodník Cover
Eddie is excited to return to working with MOT for a fourth time, most recently with Ruddigore as a Bridesmaid, and was also seen (or just heard) in Carmina Burana (offstage chorus) and Tales of Hoffmann (Crespel, chorus). He also sings with local choral groups, such as Chant Claire. Special thanks to Jill Anna for the opportunity and extra special thanks to David Guzman for coaching.

Meggie Moyer - First Nymph Cover
​Milwaukee native Meggie Moyer is an advocate for the arts as both a performer and scholar. Favorite roles include the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Cunegonde in Candide, and Galatea in Acis and Galatea. She recently covered Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Brew City Opera and is an active recitalist in the Milwaukee area. Ms. Moyer is interested in how opera can engage in advocacy for social change and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in English at UWM. She previously earned her master of music degree in vocal performance from the University of Northern Colorado.
Danielle Gedemer - Second Nymph Cover
​Danielle Gedemer, soprano, is thrilled to join the cast of Rusalka! Since graduating from UW-Milwaukee with a BFA in Vocal Performance, she has enjoyed becoming MOT’s Company Manager, working with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in their Connections program, writing a libretto for the Florentine Opera Company’s children's show, Cinderella, singing at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and annually composing songs with her mother for West Bend Parks and Rec Department's summer theatre show.
Emily Bergeron - Third Nymph Cover 
Mezzo-soprano Emily Bergeron is a recent graduate of UWM, where she received her MM in Vocal Performance. She has recently debuted as the alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah and Beethoven’s 9th. Some of Emily’s most memorable opera roles include Carmen in Carmen, La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica, The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. Emily had the pleasure of performing Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder with the UWM Symphony Orchestra as a winner of the UWM Aria and Concerto Competition in 2024. She has also worked with Milwaukee Opera Theatre under the direction of Jill Anna Ponasik in Impossible Operas, and is currently enjoying performing with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus.
Luke Hahn - Moon Cover
Service-focused baritone Luke Hahn is delighted to join the MOT family this February. Credits include Don Lockwood (Singin’ in the Rain, Concordia University Wisconsin Theatre) and Gideon (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, CUWT). A joy-filled music educator, he teaches with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and directs the Children’s Choir at Luther Memorial Chapel in Shorewood. This goes to his family, who will simply not stop supporting him as an artist. B.A. in Music, CUW. Facebook: @lukehahnmusic. Titus 3:4-7