The SpongeBob Musical

SpongeBob –

Roni Shelley Perez (Spongebob) is excited to be back at the Rose but as a sea sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea! Roni Shelley was recently seen as Mal in the Rose's production of Disney's The Descendants: The Musical. Favorite credits include: Soonja Ma (u/s Goeun Kim) in New York City's Off-Broadway production of Comfort Women: A New Musical at Playwrights Horizons and Veronica Sawyer in the regional premiere of Heathers: the Musical at the Blue Barn! Roni Shelley graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is represented by Take 3 Talent agency.

Sandy –

Candace Gould is an Omaha based Private Vocal Coach, Actress, and Performer. Over the past almost 10 years she has devoted most of her time teaching students of all ages how to find their voice, through classes and private voice lessons, and serving in the Music Ministry at a local church. Even though she’s been very busy with her career in music she has never lost her love for theater. She made her debut in this past spring’s musical production of Giraffes’s Can’t Dance’. She is excited to be a part of bringing some of our children’s favorite characters to life right in front of their eyes.

Patrick –

Joshua Orsi graduated from Doane University with a BA in Theatre. A current resident of Omaha, Joshua enjoys doing comedic improv at The Backline Theatre. He has two fluffy boys who are the love of his life (besides his girlfriend) and is always up for showing pics!

Disney's Descendants (Jafar/Beast, Rose Theater)
Gumbo the Musical (Ponytail, Lied Center for Performing Arts)
Red (Ken Apollon Art Space)
Forbidden Frontier (Digger, Cedar Point Amusement Park)
Twelfth Night (Valentine/Priest, North Dakota Shakespeare)
Romeo & Juliet (Friar Lawrence, Samuel-Lancaster Productions)
A Christmas Carol (Dancing Beggar, Omaha Community Playhouse)
Spamalot (Ensemble, Omaha Community Playhouse)

Squidward –

Trey Mendlik (He/Him/His) is thrilled to be back at the Rose Theater! He recently wrapped his first swing experience doing Rock of Ages at Paramount Theatre in Chicago. His independent film, Good Enough: The Musical, is currently being screened at film festivals around the world. This time last year, you may have seen him in the music review show titled Misunderstood: Heroes & Villains or Disney’s Descendants, where he played the role of Ben. Before the pandemic, Trey was on the national tour of A Christmas Carol. His favorite theatre credit is Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors at Post Playhouse. Huge thanks to his family and friends for their constant support, especially his loving grandmother, who bought him his first pair of tap shoes. He looks forward to having her in the front row of every performance.
Insta: @trey.mendlik

Plankton – 

Jaden Hollinger - Also known as Jay Nedaj is a social media sensation accumulating millions of followers across all social media platforms. He’s been featured in the New York Times magazine. He’s most known for showcasing his talent on YouTube where he plays multiple characters with different wigs and hair styles. He spends most of the time producing his own short films, series and skits.

Karen/Ensemble –

Anna Jordan is an actor, educator, and director from Omaha, Nebraska, holding her Bachelor of Arts in theatre performance and directing from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has worked as an actor, educator, or director at The Rose Theater, The BLUEBARN, Nebraska Shakespeare, Brigit St. Brigit, Omaha Performing Arts, Nebraska Theatre Caravan, Great Plains Theatre Commons, RESPECT, the Omaha Fringe Festival and the UNO School of the Arts. Most recently, Anna appeared as Desdemona in Othello with Nebraska Shakespeare, Emily in Heroes of the Fourth Turning and Nimmee in The Woodsman at the BLUEBARN, and participated in the SITI Company Virtual Summer Workshop at Skidmore College, where she trained in Suzuki and Viewpoints under Anne Bogart and the SITI Company ensemble. Anna was the recipient of Amplify Arts' 2021 Drew Billings Artist Support Grant, and through their support, launched The Founder's Project—a mentorship program for theatre artists.

Mayor/Ensemble –

I’ve been a resident of Omaha for 1 year. This is my first show on the Rose stage as a performer. I’m very excited to be back out on the stage after working on the tech side for the last year. I was the technical apprentice for The Rose for the 21-22 season.

Krabs/Ensemble –

Karl Houser is grateful to have fallen victim to carcinisation, one of nature's many attempts to evolve a crab. Karl produces a podcast, River Heights Radio, with his partner Hope. He would like to thank his band, The Tone Downs, for giving him so much time to pursue other interests. An alumni of both the local Backline Comedy Theater and Chicago's IO theater, Karl is a teacher and coach of the improvisational arts, as well as having founded the Nebraska Improvised Shakespeare Enterprise. Karl aspires to be an instigator, rabble rouser, and leader in his community. Special thanks his family, Hope and Robert Busby. Karl can be hired for parties, if you would like him to attend your party.
All Rose Theater productions:
Monkey (Giraffes Can't Dance)
Santa Claus (Elf)
Blue Dragon (Dragons Love Tacos)
Dad (Moody Judy)
Maurice (Madagascar)

Mrs. Puff/Perch Perkins/Ensemble –

Hannah is making her Rose Theater debut As Mrs. Puff and couldn't be happier to be a new addition to the Rose Family. She graduated UNO with a Bachelors in Vocal Performance and has been performing in Omaha Theaters for 5 years now. Past credits include: Little Red in Into the Woods and Logainne Schwarzy in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Papilion La Vista's Community Theater, 4 opera productions and Woman 1 in Songs for a New World at UNO, Lucy in A Christmas Carol and Nicola in Kinky Boots at Omaha Community Playhouse, and a featured performer in Sunset to Starlight at the Bluebarn. When Hannah is not performing she works as a vocal coach at two studios in Omaha. She is so grateful to the cast and crew for a wonderful new experience and to the Rose for putting on such a thrilling production.

Music Director –

Jerry Brabec, tenor, is an Ordained Deacon on the clergy staff at Omaha Saint Paul United Methodist Church where he serves as Minister of Worship. His responsibilities include the overseeing of liturgical preparation for the congregation of 350. He also serves as choral director for Temple Israel’s Kol Rina. Awarded the Master of Music degree from the University of Nebraska, he studied choral conducting with Dr. Cina Crisara and Dr. Z. Randall Stroope. As a chorister of the acclaimed Robert Shaw Festival Chorus at Carnegie Hall, he sang for five years under the baton of the late Robert Shaw, was twice selected one of six participants in the Alice Parker Melodius Accord Fellowship Program and frequently continues his conducting studies with Ms. Parker during January in New York. At The Rose Theater for Performing Arts the past thirteen seasons, “Sponge Bob: The Musical” marks his 50th show as a resident music director/vocal coach. He also serves as music director for the nationally acclaimed Rose Brigade, one of the award winning offerings of the “Broadway at the Rose” program. Formerly, Jerry taught at the high school level for Council Bluffs Community Schools, served as associate artistic director of the Omaha Clarion Chorale, and as artistic director for the Kanesville Chorus and Renaissance Faire of the Midlands.