Reach for the Stars: UCF Alumni Showcase

Where are they now? Alumni from UCF’s musical theatre program (and a few special guests!) return to UCF to share their professional journeys and sing some Broadway favorites.

Travel back in time with Theatre UCF as alumni share songs from their time at UCF and from their professional careers. Hosted by Cheryl Hines ’90 (Curb Your Enthusiasm, I Can See Your Voice), the evening features musical theatre superstars who have graced Broadway stages, national tours, regional theatres, cruise ships, theme parks…and the humble old Main Stage theatre on the UCF campus.  

Alumni guests include Sara Catherine Barnes ’08 (Footloose, The Amish Project), Hannah Arielle Beatt ’22 (Shrek The Musical, The Wizard of Oz) Jerusha Cavazos ’13 (The Prom, Between the Lines), Shelley Cooper ’10 (Sweeney Todd, La Divina: The Last Interview of Maria Callas) Quentin Earl Darrington ’16MFA (MJ The Musical, Once on This Island, Ragtime, CATS), Mimi Jimenez ’05 (Rent, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Grease), Evan Alexander Jones ’17 (A Big Day For Baseball, Tuck Everlasting), Michelle Knight ’02 (Disenchanted), Kyle Laing ’17 (On Your Feet, In the Heights, Jersey Boys), Catie Pires-Fernandes ’14 (West Side Story, Finding Nemo the Musical, Beauty + the Beast: Live on Stage), Joshian Morales ’12 (Hoop Dee Doo Revue, The Festival of the Lion King), Kayla Kelsay Morales ’12 (Voices of Liberty, Les Miserables), Jarrett Poore ’17,’20MA (A Year with Frog and Toad, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Karen Yvette Reid ’14 (Festival of the Lion King), Rebecca Southworth ’06, Michael Swickard ’07MFA (Hoop Dee Doo Revue, The Dapper Dans of Main Street), Jenny Totcky ’17 (Shrek The Musical), Yaniv Zarif ’09 (Music Beyond Language) and a unique appearance by UCF’s very own rockin’ Spiderman, Justin M. Sargent ’08. 

Each spring, UCF hosts a large-scale celebration of creativity at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. This year, UCF Celebrates the Arts explores the intersection of arts and technology, and showcases our students, faculty and alumni through dance, concerts, cabaret, lectures and discussions, film, chamber music, family-friendly events, visual arts and more. The festival has events and exhibits for all ages and interests, and with half of the events being free, is an ideal opportunity to try something new. Fantastic possibilities lie ahead at UCF Celebrates the Arts, April 2-15 at Dr. Phillips Center! Learn more at arts.ucf.edu/celebrates.