The Little Mermaid

Javier Sanchez is very excited and honored to be the director of the little mermaid for LTGI, Laredo Theatre Guild International. This will be his 13th production with LTGI. He has been in several productions on and off the stage. Javier is a senior at Texas State with a major in technical production and an emphasis in lighting and scenic design. Some of his credits include Significant Other (Break A Leg productions), Men on Boats - Co-Director/technical director (Incarnate Word High School), and The 57th National Mathlete Sum-it (Incarnate Word High School). Javier is very excited to be able to go on this amazing journey with his production team and make some magic.

Is A Proud Member Of The LTGI Community. She Holds A Masters Degree In Theatre Arts At From Regent University And Is, Currently, The Theatre Arts/One-Act Director At United South High School. Her Passion For Theater Started When She Was Cast In LCC’s Production Of High School Musical When She Was 18. Since Then, She Has Also Participated As A Cast Member, Props Mistress, Producer And Costumer In Multiple Shows Within The Laredo Theatre Community. She Thanks God, Her Husband, Family And Kiddos For Always Inspiring And Believing In Her. Que Viva El Arte!

Is The Director Of Choral Studies At The Vidal M. Trevino School Of Communications And Fine Arts In Laredo, Texas. As An Educator, Ms. Hernandez Studied Both Music Education And Vocal Pedagogy At The University Of Texas At San Antonio, Focusing On Vocal Technique. She Holds A Bachelor Of Music Degree From UTSA And A Masters Of Music Education From Boston University. Her Vocal Direction Credits Range From Children’s Shows To Adult Productions, Including “In The Heights” And “The Who’s Tommy,” Both Produced By Laredo Theater Guild International, “The Lion King Jr.” (Produced By Laredo Institute For Theatrical Education), And “Little Shop Of Horrors” (VMT). Her Stage Experience Includes Performances With LTGI, LITE Productions, And Laredo College Opera Workshop, Appearing In Such Roles As Mama Morton (Chicago), Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd), And Mrs. Van Daan (Diary Of Anne Frank). Most Recently, Celia Was Seen On Stage As The Witch In The LTGI Production Of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into The Woods”. In January Of 2019, She Taught A Master Class In Musical Theater For Waldo Gonzalez’s School For The Performing Arts In Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Celia Is Proud To Be A Part Of This Unique And History-Making Work Of Art.

Robert M. Lopez (Musical Director). A native of Kingsville, Texas, Robert M. Lopez holds a
Bachelor of Music degree from Texas A&I University, now Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Mr.
Lopez recently retired after 34 years as a music educator at King HS in Corpus Christi Martin
High School and VMT respectively. The Little Mermaid marks his sixth musical as director of the
orchestra. Other productions include Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, The Who’sTommy
and In the Heights. “I am extremely excited and honored to be part of the LTGI team once again
and we certainly hope you enjoy the show!”

Rolando Vela (Choreographer) is a proud Laredo native, based in Austin, TX. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Multidisciplinary Studies (Theatre, Dance, and Communication) from Texas A&M International University and is very excited to return to his community and work with LTGI once again! Though he’s worn many hats on stage, this production will mark his first time choreographing a full stage musical! His previous work includes: After Juliet (Valentine / Choreographer), Beauty and the Beast (Ensemble), High School Musical (Jack Scott), Mary Poppins (Valentine / Ensemble), Speech & Debate (Director), Austin Latinx New Play Festival: Diving Board (Director). He thanks LTGI for this opportunity as well as his family and partner for their continued support!

Leann Bernal (Assistant Choreographer) 22, has appeared on stage and screen with a plethora
of credits which include: Choreographer’s Assistant to Kai Martinez for ‘Ecanto’ animated
movie (Hollywood Bowl special) , Production Assistant to Taja Riley videos including Bad Bunny
& Daddy Yankee in ‘X Última Vez’, and is also featured on Spotify with professional music
videos. She also taught different techniques of dance at GCDance in San Diego and Zooga Yoga
in Los Ángeles. Leann is excited to be back in Laredo working with LTGI!

Is Proud To Be Working With Laredo Theater Guild International (LTGI) This Winter Season. Jessica’s Acting Debut Was In 2013 At The Edinburgh, Scotland Fringe Festival Where She Played Miguel In Bocon. The Following Year She Made It To The UIL One-Act State Competition With J.W. Nixon’s Twelfth Night Where She Played Olivia. Jessica Has Also Assistant Directed Into The Woods Jr. And Aladdin Jr. For Break A Leg Productions And Laredo Little Theatre. Jessica Previously Starred In LTGI’s House On Mango Street As Esperanza And Later Worked On Blithe Spirit And Into The Woods As The Stage Manager. Jessica Is Excited To Show The Laredo Community This Fun And Exhilarating Show. Lastly, She Would Like To Thank Her Family And Friends For Their Unconditional Love And Support.

A Native Texan And LTGI Icon Of The Arts, Mary Grace Carroll Is A Recent Retiree From Laredo ISD’s Vidal M. Treviño School Of Communications And Fine Arts. Her 40 Year Cumulative Career Includes Performing In All Musical Genres And Teaching All Ages And Skill Levels Of Pianists. Mary Grace Is A Co-Founder Of Laredo Musical Theater International, A Co-Creator Of The Laredo Cultural District, And A State Board Member Of Texans For The Arts.
She Is A Member Of The Laredo Tuesday Music And Literature Club And The National Music Teachers Association. Mary Grace Has Composed For Theater, Including Incidental Music For “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” “The Tempest,” And “Cyrano De Bergerac.” Her Other Theater “Hats” Include Producer, Orchestral Pianist, Vocal Coach, Costume Construction And Maintenance, And Set Props. Prior Theater Experience Includes Orchestral Pianist And Vocal Coach At The Harbor Playhouse In Corpus Christi And Workshop Pianist At Coconut Grove Playhouse In Coral Gables, FL. An Active Adjudicator And Clinician, Mary Grace Performs Regularly At The Texas Jazz Festival In Corpus Christi And At The San Antonio Ragtime Society’s Bi-Monthly Performance Events. She And Her Husband, Vernon, Currently Reside In Laredo And Are Advocates For Arts Education And Cultural Enrichment, Both Agreeing That Access To Creative Resources For All Laredoans Equals Community Growth And Artistic Prosperity.

Addison Cavazos (Ariel) is in her first LTGI production this summer. She is a United High School graduate and plans to attend TAMIU this coming fall to get her bachelor’s degree in Biology. Growing up watching The Little Mermaid, Addison is incredibly excited to play as her mother’s favorite Disney princess. She is grateful to her mother, father, little brother, and grandparents
for supporting her through everything!

John Maxstadt (Grimsby) is a familiar figure in Laredo theatre, having played many roles in
LTGI, LLT, LITE, LC, and TAMIU productions over the past twenty-eight years, including Tevye in
Fiddler on the Roof (LC), Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (LTGI), Max Bialystock in The
Producers (LC), and Polonius in Hamlet (LTGI). More recently, he played Cinderella’s Father in
Into the Woods (LTGI) and the Learned Judge in Trial By Jury (LC). John is a retired librarian and
serves as parliamentarian on the LTGI board of directors.

Adan H. Villarreal (Flounder) is thrilled to be spending his summer with the cast and crew of The Little Mermaid. This is Adan’s second performance with LTGI, the first being his role as Michael Banks in Mary Poppins. Adan will be a freshman this fall at the Alexander High School Magnet. Aside from theater, Adan enjoys skateboarding, playing basketball, tennis, and XBOX with friends. He’s grateful to LTGI for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing cast. He’s also thankful for his family and voice coach, Ms. Celia Hernandez, who encourages and supports his passion for theater.

This is Raul Ramos's (Scuttle) first production with LTGI. He is a graduate from J.W. Nixon and
Vidal M. Trevino School of Communication and Fine Arts. He is currently attending Texas A&M
International University pursuing a degree in Communications.

Rafael A. Mangual (King Triton) is excited to be back on stage after 3 1/2 years! He has been part of several LTGI productions, including Annie (2011), Mary Poppins (2019), Hamlet (2019), where he played the role of “The Ghost,” and W;t (2020). He is also a member of the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale. When he is not ruling as king “under the sea,” he practices medicine. Originally from Puerto Rico, he has been a proud Laredoan

Jose Villa (Sebastian) is back on stage once again! You may recognize him from some of his work with LTGI as well as Laredo Opera Workshop in shows such as Hairspray, Grease (Doody), Shrek (Pinocchio), Once on This Island Jr. (Papa Ge) and Dog Sees God (Beethoven). He also performed with The Roxy Theater (San Antonio, Texas) in the following: Freaky Friday, Evil Dead (Scotty), and Sweeney Todd (Anthony). His most recent role was Sergei on LTGIs production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Jose is excited beyond his wildest dreams to portray a role that has lived in his heart since his childhood. He hopes to inspire upcoming artist to always follow what their heart desire. He would like to thank his family and friends, mentors and teachers and you for contributing to the local arts and for being a part of the Laredo Theater Guild International.

Alex Lopez (Ursula) is thrilled to return to the LTGI stage after appearing as Jack in last summer’s Into The Woods. An alum of the The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, he made his Off-Broadway debut at the illustrious Theatre Row on 42nd St. In Laredo, Alex has
performed with LTGI, LITE Productions,Opera Workshop and Laredo Little theatre in over 25 shows. Alex would like to dedicate this show to his parents who unconditionally loved a 4-year-old Alex who paraded in his sister’s flamenco skirts pretending to be Ursula. Without their love and support he would not be able to be the Sea witch you see today! Thank you for letting me be part of your world.

Ana Lu Ramirez (Jetsam) has a Master of Arts from TAMIU in Organizational Communication.
She currently works at Laredo College as a Communication/Speech instructor. Her last
production with LTGI was Yerma (2019). She has acted in Hairspray and Shrek (Vernon Carroll),
The Nerd (Dr. Gilberto Martinez), Lo Siento Mi Amor (Emilio Gutierrez+), The Graduate (Oscar O.
Peña), and Dog Sees God (Bill Hauserman). In 2014 she co-directed Rumors with Dr. Martinez,
and in 2015 she interned with LTGI as an assistant producer in Bless Me Ultima. She has been
part of LTGI’s board ever since. She is thrilled to return to the big stage.

Francisco Vera (Leeward, Ensemble) has enjoyed doing theater work in Laredo for the last six years by portraying various ensemble and supporting roles. He has also been recently seen performing as part of the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale. He is beyond thankful for the opportunity to take the stage once again, and fulfill his childhood fantasy of being part of Ariel’s world.

Javier Lopez (Windward, Ensemble) is a 2023 graduate from United South High School. He’s been in two acting productions while in school, Luchadora and On the Wings of a Mariposa. And now this will be his first musical production with Laredo theater and he’s excited to be a part of it.

This is Isabella Farias (Aquata, Ensemble)’s first production with LTGI, but she is no stranger to
the stage. She has been involved with theatre since she was a child. She was the Vice President
of United High Schools Theatre Society and has been in productions such as Things I Know To
Be True, Wit, Rabbit Hole and All My Sons. She will be attending the University of Texas at San
Antonio in the fall under the University of Texas CAP program. Isabella thanks her family and
friends for always supporting her.

eila Leigh Graham (Andrina, Ensemble) is a proud Class of 2023 graduate from United High
School where she was blessed to be the class president. She was also able to represent Laredo
as Princess Pocahontas for WBCA this year. She is very excited to be attending Sam Houston
State University this fall. Leila has loved being in cast for LTGI’s Shrek, Beauty and the Beast, and
now The Little Mermaid. She would like to thank her family and friends for their endless
support.

Heather Benavides (Atina, Ensemble) is delighted to be a part of The Little Mermaid. Her previous performances include Cinderella’s Mother/Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods, The Second Lady in The Magic Flute, and other various ensemble characters. She currently works at TAMIU in the Advancement Department. Heather would like to thank her husband, Danny, and son, Gabriel, for all their support and encouragement. She would also like to thank her parents for instilling in her a love of music, performing, and a passion for singing.

Carisa L. Romo (Adella, Ensemble) is thrilled to be making her debut on the LTGI stage. She is an incoming 8th grader at St. Augustine Middle School. She studies flamenco at Erika Haynes School of Dance and has been there since she was two years old. She has participated in three other plays at Laredo Little Theater, including Mulan Jr, Mary Poppins Jr, and Frozen Jr. She would like to thank her family for their endless love and support.

Cynthia Jade Gutierrez (Allana, Ensemble) has always had a love of music and performing. While working at the Laredo Animal Protective Society, she went back to school and graduated with an Associate Degree in Vocal Performance. She has been seen in 11 musical productions with the Laredo College Opera Musical Theatre. Previous productions include The Magic Flute,
Cannibal! The Musical, Il Impressario, and Trial By Jury. This marks her first production with LTGI and she is excited to be a part of it. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her artistic endeavors.

Vanessa R. Rodriguez (Arista, Ensemble) is excited to debut in her first LTGI production. Previous productions include Jesus Christ Superstar, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Mamma Mia! (Laredo Little Theater), and Rent-a-Yenta (LC Opera Workshop). Vanessa teaches in Laredo ISD, enjoys strumming on her ukulele, and is grateful to have had the opportunity to dip her toes in musical theater.

Regina Ramos is an incoming freshman at J.W. Nixon and Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts where she will specialize in Theater. This is her first production with LTGI. She participated in the Lamar Middle School’s One Act Play and was selected for the TMEA All-Region Choir.

This is Lucy Batey (Ensemble)’s first ever production in LTGI. She is very glad to finally be a part of an LTGI production after years of watching them being built from the bottom up. Lucy would like to thank her mom, Karol Batey, and her family for always pushing her to do the most she can and for always believing in her. She also thanks the production team for this fantastic experience and looks forward to doing more.

Natalie Neigh (Ensemble) is excited to make her stage debut with the Laredo Theater Guild. She will be an 8th grader in the fall at Trautmann Middle School. In her free time, Natalie actively participates in capoeira, karate, rock climbing and art classes. She would
like to thank her family for their support and encouragement. She hopes to continue her
passion for the stage for years to come.

Analee Sanchez (Ensemble) is currently a student at Dr. Dennis D. Cantu Early College High School. After high school, she intends to begin her dreams of being in the medical field. She has been actively involved with theater inside and outside of school. She has been in the MB Lamar One Act Play twice with Ms. Stephanie Solis Schnyder. This is her second production with LTGI and her first time dancing on stage! She loves singing and dancing. She began dancing in Diana Rendon’s Dance Academy when she was three years old. Analee wants to thank her family and friends for their support, and she is very excited to be under the sea!

Aurora M. Chapa (Ensemble) is delighted to debut in her first LTGI show. She was a part of several junior musicals with LLT, like Mary Poppins Jr. Her love for performing arts has traveled from playing in the orchestra in high school to competing in the TAMIU dance team for three seasons. Aurora is also a recent alumna from TAMIU, where she earned her BS in Biology and is following a pre-med track. She would like to thank her mom, boyfriend, family, and friends for
the support they have given her over the summer as well as LTGI for the opportunity.

Maya Lopez (Ensemble) is so ecstatic to be a part of LTGI’s production of The Little Mermaid.
She thanks her family for their support. She is grateful for all of the friends she has made
throughout the process of being in this show.

Alejandoa Pena Altamirano is 28 years old. She is a nurse that loves skating. This will be her first time as a skater working with the Laredo Theatre Guild International. Ale has been enjoying and loving the experience.

Diana E. Guzman (Ensemble, Skater) started roller skating as a hobby during the summer of 2020 and is a founding member of Laredo 8 Skate. When she is not roller skating, her daytime job is in the logistics field.

Aida Ramirez (Ensemble, Skater) is a co-founder of the Laredo8skate skating group. She has been featured in promotional videos for the Outlet Shoppes at Laredo. She is excited to be a part of the Little Mermaid production and to share with the audience her passion for roller skating. She is an avid fitness enthusiast and enjoys roller skating outdoors. She is a graduate
of the University of North Texas and is employed as an Emergency Room Laboratory Technician. She is content with helping others and being of service to the community.

Marco Antonio Vela Jr. (Ensemble) is a sophomore at Texas A & M international University. Marco has been acting for a decade in multiple shows with many companies, such as Fiddler on the Roof, 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, Mulan, Macbeth, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Bless Me Ultima, and The Lion King. Marco enjoys other hobbies such as sports and trading stocks.

Rogelio Santiago Montoya (Ensemble) is very excited to be part of The Little Mermaid being his first production with LTGI. He has recently worked in Bastien and Bastienne and Trial By Jury with the Opera Workshop of Laredo College. Rogelio has just finished his studies at LC and is ready to transfer to TAMIU to pursue his BM in Music Education. Rogelio thanks his family, professors and friends for always supporting his dreams, and he is very grateful for the opportunity to have been part of such an amazing team and incredible experience.

This is Kevin Pineda (Pilot, Ensemble)’s first time working with LTGI. He has performed with
both LLT and LC and has appeared in: Aladdin Jr. (LLT), Charlie Brown Christmas as Charlie
Brown (LLT), Magic Flute (LC), Mulan Jr. as Captain Shang (LLT), High School Musical as Ryan
Evans (LC) and most recently Mamma Mia as Sky (LLT). Kevin is excited to be a part of this cast
and wants to thank his fiancé for all the support she has shown him throughout this production!

Alby Garza (Ensemble) is very excited to return back into the musical theater world in his 2nd
show with LTGI. He is a VMT Alumnus. Alby would like the audience to know that he will be
opening his own dance studio this year (LEGENDS Dance Studio). He’s excited to work with the
cast and thanks LTGI for this magical experience.