NOVEMBER 15, 2022 (CHICAGO) – The complete cast and music creative team for the Chicago premiere of Austin Lamewona’s “The Underground” In Concert has been announced. “The Underground” In Concert will perform in the Venus Cabaret Theater at Mercury Theater Chicago Sunday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the show are $20 per patron and are on sale to the general public now at undergroundplaywithmusic.com.

The Underground is a two-part play with music, with book, lyrics, and poetry by Austin Lamewona, music by Brooke Vespoli, and additional compositions by Maya Stockman. Directed by Lamewona and music direction led by Chicago artist and cast member Jamie Redwood, The Underground follows a group of musicians who desperately attempt to revive their dying artform. They collaborate with a group of poets and open a school for music. But when they are unable to recruit anyone to join, they learn that there are much more powerful forces actively working against them.

The cast includes Jasmine Robertson as Tandrin, Jamie Redwood as Jewel, Austin Lamewona as Ty, Ruchir Kazanchi as Hayden, Connar Brown as Lavina, Sam Martin as Davis, Madeline Logan as Lyra, Dustin Drew as Richie, Hershey Suri as Verona, and Rian Sondag as Narrator. 

The music team includes Jamie Redwood (Music Director), Maya Stockman (Composer), Sam Adams (Guitarist), and Nate Sun (Pianist).

The Underground will take the stage in the Venus Cabaret Theater at Mercury Theater Chicago (3745 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613). For more information about Mercury Theater Chicago, venue parking, and public transportation options, please visit mercurytheaterchicago.com. 

For more information about “The Underground” In Concert, please visit undergroundplaywithmusic.com.

Follow The Underground:

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CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM BIOS

LINK TO CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM HEADSHOTS

Austin Lamewona (Playwright, Director, Ty) is a multi-faceted playwright, lyricist, and poet based in Chicago. He enjoys finding creative ways to self produce original shows. Recent projects include The Octets Ohio Tour, a five-city touring production of the original musical Octets, and founding an independent theatre company called New Wave at Miami University. Other writing credits include Next, a three-act play published with Off The Wall Plays, and A Night with the Dream Keeper, which won the 2016 Against the Grain International Student Playwriting Competition, in addition to a five-show run at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.

Brooke Vespoli (Composer) is an indie singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Nashville, Tennessee. Her original music spans across neo-psychedelic, folk rock, and alternative pop influences that features eccentric songwriting and beautifully-haunting vocals under the project “book NOT brooke,” available to stream on all major music platforms. Growing up, she played in Baldwin Wallace University’s youth orchestras and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, with experience performing alongside legendary artists and bands including Graham Nash, Ben Folds, Twenty One Pilots, Weezer, and Bootsy Collins. She went on to participate in theatre and show choir throughout high school, later attending Miami University for college to join the orchestra and serve as music director for Miami Misfitz A Cappella. More recently, Vespoli spent some time with the Kaboom Collective Studio Orchestra as a cellist, performing on an album with Mike Garson, and played on the Melissa Etheridge Cruise in November 2021. 

Maya Stockman (Composer) is an elementary music teacher in Cherry Hill, NJ by day, but has recently stepped in as one of our composers for this iteration of The Underground. In other experiences, Maya has served as musical director for The Octets Ohio Tour with Austin Lamewona, and has conducted, sung, and taught for choirs in various places such as Cincinnati, OH, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Hungary. Stockman also teaches private piano and voice lessons to students in her local area. She is so humbled and excited to be working on another project with such inspiring artists!

Jasmine Robertson (Tandrin) is a Chicago actor and singer who is thrilled to be a part of such a fun and original project. Chicago theatre credits include: “Water Riot in Beta” staged concert, Failure: A Love Story (Oil Lamp Theater), Notes & Letters (Underscore Theatre), Ruined (Invictus Theatre), and Shipwrecked (Oil Lamp Theater). She thanks Austin for the opportunity, and thanks everyone in the cast for being so fun to make music with. It’s truly been like a story come to life – cheers for new works!

Jamie Redwood (Jewel) is a Chicago-based performer who focuses on bringing radical kindness to the rehearsal room. Regional credits include: Ghosts of Chernobyl (Theater Above the Law), Midsummer Madness 10 (Shakespeare's Motley Crew), and Notes & Letters (Underscore Theatre). When she’s not acting, Jamie spends her time working as a piano and voice instructor, offering private and group classes to people of all ages. Hope you enjoy the show!

Ruchir Kazanchi (Hayden) is an awarded actor, songwriter, and musician, originally from Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from Northwestern University in 2021 with concentrations in Theatre, Musical Theatre, Creating the Musical, and Screen Acting. He has collaborated in various capacities with several new works organizations, including New Musicals Inc., the American Music Theatre Project, and the Agnes Nixon Playwriting Festival. His original musical, A Bridge To The Moon, received a third place prize in New Musicals Inc.’s 2021 Search for New Musicals competition. Theatre credits: Fiddler On The Roof (Lyric Opera of Chicago); The Elaborate Entrance Of Chad Deity (TheatreSquared); Mr. Dickens Hat (Northlight Theatre); Legally Blonde (Paramount Theatre); Kiss (Haven Chicago). Film/TV credits: Insight (Pilot, Abc); The Becomers (Zach Clark). Music direction credits: Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Sound Of Music, Jersey Boys (Maine State Music Theatre); Broadway Can You Hear Me? (Davenport's Piano Bar). He is proudly represented by Paonessa Talent. 

Connar Brown (Lavina) is thrilled to be a part of The Underground. Some recent favorite credits include Grimm (Theatre Above the Law), The Pillowman, Spongebob the Musical (Surging Films & Theatrics), and Oh Hi, Johnny!: The Room-sical Parody (Chicago Musical Theatre Festival). Connar is also a producer of She | Them Productions. When she's not performing, she can be found annihilating an entire bag of sour candy. 

Sam Martin (Davis) is a graduate of CCPA Roosevelt University where he received his BFA in Musical Theater. Recent Chicago credits include Dracula (Glass Apple Theatre), Notes & Letters (Underscore Theatre), Anything Goes (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Citadel Theatre). On top of acting, Sam is a multi-instrumental songwriter and a big nerd with a passion for Dungeons & Dragons, video games, and anime.

Madeline Logan (Lyra) is a graduate of Taylor University with a BFA in Musical Theatre. She made the big move to Chicago in January of 2022 and since then, has appeared as Mina Murray-Harker in Orson Welles's Dracula at the Glass Apple Theatre, and understudied the role of Abby in Oil Lamp Theater’s Now and Then. Before moving, she starred in the recently released Contested Plains film as Rebecca Jane German with Lone Chimney Films. Her past credits from Taylor Theatre include Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (Mollie) and Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses (Myrrha, Iris, et. al.).

Dustin Drew (Richie) was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. He went to St. Rita of Cascia High School where he discovered his love of acting and singing, and helped establish the school's improv club. He attended Central Michigan University and began performing standup comedy and has performed throughout the Chicago city since. When he's not on stage, he enjoys climbing mountains and watering plants.

Hershey Suri (Verona) is a Sikh American actress from Los Angeles, CA who recently located to Chicago and loves it! When she isn’t working with David Fiorello Studios and the Beautiful City Project, she is a Civil Rights Paralegal at Loevy & Loevy. Some other recent credits include Sky in Mamma Mia, Jo March in Little Women, and Fastrada in Pippin. She would like to thank Jamie and Austin for being such wonderful artists and people to work with on this project as well as all of you for coming to witness the beauty which is The Underground. 

Rian Sondag (Narrator) is a Chicago-based comedian and storyteller with a focus on improvisation, sketch, and musical comedy. She recently completed The Second City’s Conservatory Program and is looking forward to performing with ComedySportz in 2023. She has loved being a part of The Underground since the beginning and thanks Austin for being such a positive light and inspiration. Enjoy the show!

Sam Adams (Guitarist) is proud to be making his Chicago debut with The Underground! Last year, he released his debut record, Essentialism, on all major streaming platforms under his full name, Samuel Foster Adams. He’d like to thank his incredible friends and family who have allowed him to pursue his passions for over a decade.

Nate Sun (Pianist) is a musician based in Chicago.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Michael Smith

michael@twoelevenmgmt.com