Director
Celeste Beley
Celeste Beley is the proud director of Hopewell Viking Musicals for 19 years. Production include Cinderella (Enchanted Edition), Godspell, Big Fish (Cancelled due to COVID-19), Mamma Mia!, Legally Blonde, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Catch Me If You Can, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Anything Goes, Clue the Musical, Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, Singin' in the Rain, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, On the Town, The Pajama Game, Once Upon a Mattress, The Wiz, Footloose, and Copacabana. Celeste is a proud graduate of Penn State University, where she received her degree in Arts Management. While at Penn State, she worked for the Penn State Center for the Performing Arts. She began her directing career at Ambridge Area Junior High School and has also worked at Ambridge Area High School and Comtra Theatre. Celeste is an instructor at the Geneva College Musical Theatre Camp. When not working on Viking Musicals, she is a marketing manager for Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Choreographer
Annette Doria
Annette Doria is proud to be an alumnus of Hopewell Area School District. She has not only performed in Viking Musicals, but has now been a choreographer for over 10 years. Her previous shows include Cinderella (Enchanted Edition), Godspell, Big Fish, Mamma Mia!, Legally Blonde, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Catch Me If You Can, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Anything Goes, Clue the Musical, Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, Singin' in the Rain, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, On the Town, The Pajama Game, and Once Upon a Mattress. Annette is a graduate of Point Park University with degrees in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. Annette received her Master's Degree in Special Education from Robert Morris University. She is currently a kindergarten teacher at Margaret Ross Elementary.
Music Director
Chad Toporski
Chad Toporski started with Hopewell Viking Musicals as a pit musician, playing French horn for Guys and Dolls. The next year, Chad was hired as an assistant vocal director for Beauty and the Beast. Since then, he has served as both Vocal Director and Orchestra Conductor for Cinderella (Enchanted Edition), Godspell, Big Fish, Mamma Mia!, Legally Blonde, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Catch Me If You Can, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Clue the Musical, and Anything Goes. Chad received his B.S. in Music Education from IUP and recently obtained his Masters in School Administration from California University of Pennsylvania. He is currently the Hopewell Jr. High choral and general music teacher, as well as the Drama Club sponsor and Producer for the Jr. High Musicals where he has produced Suessical Jr, Matilda Jr, Mary Poppins Jr., Elf Jr., The Little Mermaid Jr., James and the Giant Peach Jr., The Wizard of Oz (Young Performers Edition), and Annie Jr. He currently serves as President of PMEA District 5 and President of the Board for the West Hills Symphonic Band, where he also plays French horn.
Vocal Director
Lindsey Commesso
Lindsey Commesso has been the vocal director for Cinderella (Enchanted Edition), Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, Singin' in the Rain, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and On the Town. She is also a vocal director for Geneva College Musical Theatre Camp and teaches privately. Lindsey has a bachelor's degree in music education from Geneva College and is currently teaching preschool.
Stage Manager
Amanda Swan
A Hopewell alumnus, Amanda has stage managed for productions of Cinderella (Enchanted Edition), Godspell and Big Fish. While a student, she performed in productions of Joseph..., On the Town, The Pajama Game, and Once Upon a Mattress. She is still performing! Recent credits include: The Producers and Joseph... at the Strand Theater. Amanda has degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Management from Robert Morris University. She is a Project Manager at The Conair Group in Cranberry Township.
Assistant Choreographer
Hannah Barkman
A 2018 Hopewell graduate, Hannah has assisted with choreography for Cinderella (Enchanted Edition), Mamma Mia! and Big Fish. Hannah performed as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde where she earned a Henry Mancini Nomination for Best Female Actress. While in high school, Hannah utilized her 13 years of dance experience as student choreographer for Legally Blonde, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Catch Me If You Can, The Little Mermaid Jr and James and the Giant Peach Jr. Hannah has a BFA in Biomedical Art from Cleveland Institute of Art.
Assistant Director
Adam Speers
Adam is a Hopewell Alumni, having previously performed as the Beast in Beauty & the Beast and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. He has assisted with Viking Musical productions of Cinderella (Enchanted Edition) and Big Fish. Off the Hopewell stage, Adam has performed as Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees and Radames in Aida with Paragon Studios, where he is currently rehearsing Matilda as Rodolpho, Laurie in Little Women and Peter Pan in Peter Pan at Geneva College, and Pinkalicious and The Music Man at Stage 62.
Scenic Artist
Austin Almendarez
Austin serves as Artistic Director for Hopewell Jr. High Musicals including productions of Suessical Jr, Matilda Jr, Mary Poppins Jr and Elf Jr. He has helped with scenic design and painting for high school productions of Cinderella (Enchanted Edition), Big Fish, Mamma Mia! and Legally Blonde. Austin is an alumnus of Quigley Catholic High School and holds a degree in Art Education from Mercyhurst University. He is a substitute teacher for the Hopewell Area School District and Religious Ed Teacher for Mary Queen of Scots Parish.
