Program Description
Event Details
Broadway is in the house! Enjoy an evening of musical theatre with Chicago artist performing gender-bending songs, solos, duets, and group numbers. Come and listen to your favorite classical Broadway songs to new works!
Performers Biographies
Eric Jose Mendoza is a Mexican-American tenor. He finished his studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an emphasis on pedagogy and performance. He actively teaches at the High School level and music directs for a company called "Infinity Arts Academy." He has been a recipient of full scholarships to summer programs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Barcelona, and Italy during the "Classical Singers Competition". Mr. Mendoza has performed with the Chicago Symphony Chorus under the direction of Maestro Ricardo Muti. He has given a lecture and masterclass at the "Berklee College of Music" about the evolution of Mexican Music and has brought this concert to places in Europe such as Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Poland, and the Czech Republic. In Chicago, he can be found giving recitals and concerts in venues such as the Chicago cultural center, the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, and “La casa cultural Latina.” His previous operatic and musical theatre experiences include Sorcerer in Aztec Human Sacrifice, Riley/Hortensio in Kiss me Kate, Chino in West Side Story, Snout in Midsummer Night's Dream, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Alfred in Die Fledermaus in Monostatos from Die Zauberflöte. To know more about Eric Jose Mendoza follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @TenorEJMendoza
Lisa Buhelos is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana where she received her master’s in vocal performance and literature. This year, Buhelos joined Fargo-Moorhead Opera as a City Gate Young Artist. There, she performed Musetta in La bohème and Trish in Everything Comes to a Head. This summer, she returned to Opera Saratoga to portray Woman 3 in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder as well as covered Phoebe. She also performed in their Stars of Tomorrow, Garden of Delights, and Broadway Cabaret concerts. She has previously been a Festival Artist at Opera Saratoga, where she portrayed Quiteria in Don Quixote at Camacho’s Wedding, covered the role of Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, and was featured in the Knight at the Opera and Quixotic Opera concerts. With Lyric Theatre at Illinois, she has also been seen in their productions of The Adventures of Little Sharp-Ears as Sharp-Ears and Ordinary Days as Deb. Other performances include Fun Home (Allison/Middle Allison Cover), Crazy For You (Margie/Polly Cover), La bohème (Ensemble), Pirates of
Penzance (Ensemble), and the workshop of Take Flight (Brenda).
Paige Meegan was born in Chicago and has lived in Rogers Park her whole life. She started performing in grade school and eventually joined a theater company, Infinity Arts Academy. Throughout her six years there, she performed in musicals, plays, student-devised work, and more. Some of her notable roles have been Gary Coleman (Avenue Q), Miss Honey (Matilda), Peter (Peter and the Starcatcher), Joanne (Rent), Rosalind and Celia (As You Like It), and Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd). She has also written several short plays that have been performed at her high school, Lane Tech. This fall, she will attend NYU for drama in the Playwrights Horizons theater studio. In her free time, she enjoys painting, reading, and roller skating!
Jonah Sarno was born and raised in Andersonville, Chicago. He discovered his passion for theatre performance when he was seven. He started out participating in shows at school and theatre camps around the city. A couple of years after that, he joined Infinity Arts Academy where he performed and studied theater, film, and music for eight years. Some of his notable roles during that time include Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd), Angel and Roger (Rent), Macduff (Macbeth), The Black Stache (Peter and the Starcatcher), and Princeton (Avenue Q). Jonah also has a passion for jazz piano. He has composed and recorded his own solo piano album as well. This fall, Jonah will be Attending NYU Tisch as a Drama major in the Atlantic Acting School. In his spare time, he enjoys collecting vinyl, photography, and composing music!
Liam O’Farrell is a baritone based in Chicago. He has been in theatre for almost his entire life and has been a part of numerous productions with Infinity Arts Academy including, but not limited to, Macbeth in Macbeth, Anthony in Sweeney Todd, Horton in Seussical, Roger and Angel in Rent, and many more. In addition to theatre, Liam is also an award-winning filmmaker. He co-wrote, directed, and edited the film ‘Bicycle,’ which won the Mountain Lion Award for Best Long Narrative and Best Original Screenplay at the Golden Lion Awards Student Film Festival.
He will be attending Adelphi University starting in the fall of 2023 majoring in History. If you have any personal questions, please contact his mother.
Delaney Sterling (she/her) is a Chicago-based actor and singer. She has been seen in productions of Tick, Tick...Boom! (Susan), Kiss Me, Kate (Hattie), and Polly Peachum (Molly, World Premiere), among others. Ms. Sterling is an alum of the University of Illinois School of Music, and currently studies voice with Brianna Borger. She also studies improv comedy at The Annoyance.
Sara Sodke is a Chicago-born and raised soprano. She attended Saint Ignatius High School and is thrilled to attend Michigan State University in the fall. She has studied at Infinity Arts Academy for many years and has been in numerous productions there such as Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett), The Scottish Play (Witch 2), Rent (Maureen), Matilda the Musical (Mrs. Wormwood), Seussical The Musical (Gertrude Mcfuzz), and Tuck Everlasting (Mae Tuck). She is also an award-winning filmmaker who co-acted, co-directed, and was the director of photography for the film “Hell Or High Water”. You can find her on Instagram at @sara.sodke