The Original Dickens Carolers and Absolute Noel
Entertaining in Denver, Colorado since 1986.
Also available in New York City and Los Angeles
Meet the Carolers
Julie Payne, with her husband, David is the owner and manager of The Original Dickens Carolers. She is thrilled with the recent expansion of Party Singers.com in New York and the exciting collaboration with Julia Tobey. Since 1985, Julie has worked in Colorado and the region as a writer, director, teacher, speaker, and performer. She has directed and acted at The Arvada Center and she and her husband have seen many of their children’s scripts produced there. In addition, she has worked at The Aurora Fox, and Country Dinner Playhouse, and in numerous commercials and industrial training videos. Entrepreneurial, in her drive, she has also just launched a corporate seminar company called Business Train, providing a unique approach to familiar corporate challenges. Julie feels blessed to be surrounded by so many amazingly talented and genuinely wonderful people both in Colorado and New York.
David Payne
Dutch Miller
Dutch is a Denver-born singer, arranger, teacher and director of music. He produces sound tracks for advertisers. He sings with a popular a cappella group called Cool Shooz; another called Vojo, and plays guitar in a rock band known as Cut to the Chase. He is Music Director and a member of the Original Dickens Carolers; teaches voice; and is a respected church choir director. He was a ten-year member of the Opera Colorado Chorus and recently appeared with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in Bernstein’s Mass. He lives and works in Golden with his wife and two children. Above all, he is committed to the human voice as the most beautiful instrument of all, and harmony as a way of life.
Jeffrey Atherton
Jeffrey’s 30 year acting career in musical theatre has taken him around the world and around the United States. A few of his most memorable experiences include performing PHANTOM for the authors (Murray Yeston & Author Kopit), several tours to Singapore, Kuala Lampur, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea with SOUND OF MUSIC and SOUTH PACIFIC. Currently Jeffrey is performing at Littleton Town Hall Arts Center as Fagin in OLIVER.
Natalie Oliver-Atherton
Performance credits include the role of the Gypsy Acid Queen in two international tours of the Who's Tommy; the roles of Constance in David Merrick's Oh, Kay!; and the privilege of originating the role of Andrea Devereaux in Once on This Island. She has also performed a one-year-plus stint in the Off-Broadway hit, A Brief History of White Music and she can be seen in the feature films: Mississippi Masala (opposite Oscar winner Denzel Washington) and Amazing Grace & Chuck. Regionally, she has had principal roles in Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdalene), Little Shop of Horrors, Intimate Apparel and Porgy and Bess.
As a lead vocalist, Oliver-Atherton has toured internationally with performance in Tokyo, Japan, Geneva, Switzerland; and Offenbach, Germany as well as at Carnegie Hall in New York City and on the French Riviera for the late Prince Rainier of Monaco. She has also performed as the soprano soloist with the CSO (Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert); and the Florida Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and Sinfonia Gulfcoast and as of last year (one snowy weekend) the mezzo-soprano soloist with the CSO performing (Too Hot to Handel).
In addition, she had headlined at the former Stardust Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in the original production "Enter the Night". And a recent highlight in her career was the honor of opening for former poet laureate,
Dr. Maya Angelou at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
Katie Bradford
As a professional actress Katie Bradford has been performing in the Denver Area for over 15 years. She is a member of Actor’s Equity and has performed at such venues as the Arvada Center, Country Dinner Playhouse and the Aurora Fox. In addition, she was a member of the Denver Center Theatre Company the year they won the Tony Award for best regional theatre. For film, commercial and voice over work she is currently represented by Donna Baldwin Talent.She is also the full time elementary and middle school drama teacher for Denver Academy.
Susana Brizuela
Born without rhythm and disowned by her family for her disability, she raised herself on the cold, hard streets banging garbage can lids together, a skill that has served her well as a Pip. She has worked hard to overcome her deficiencies for the sake of her only child, a daughter Cathy. She finds solace in the fact that she had a talent for which Lockheed-Martin employed her as a software engineer. She has also been known to perform (although not on the garbage can lid) with the Empire Lyric Players and the Choir at the Holy Ghost Church. She has, in years past, been known to "put on airs" to be a Felicity for the Carolers as well, although she did miss banging the dingers together (they remind of her earlier days). Today she lives in Centennial with her family, numerous pets, and lid-less garbage cans.
Andrew Caldwell
Andrew has been with the Original Dickens Carolers for four fantastic seasons! When he is not spreading Christmas cheer, Andrew performs with many local theaters, including Town Hall Arts Center (Joseph inJoseph...Dreamcoat, Sister Mary Leo in Nunsense A-MEN, Laurie in Little Women), Central City Opera (Brundibar inBrundibar), Aurora Fox (Snail in A Year with Frog and Toad), PHAMALy (Bobby Strong inUrintown), and Evergreen Players (Snail in A Year with Frog and Toad). Andrew also is a student at Metro State College, pursuing a degree and licensure for Elementary Education.
Claudia Carson has the distinct pleasure of being the last "original" Original Dickens Caroler. She started 21 years ago and brought along some "dingers" to add a little rhythm. Little did she know that it would come to this. Thanks to David and Julie Payne, a group of 4 street performers became a successful seasonal business with 40 carolers! When Claudia is not caroling she is the Production Manager for Denver Center Attractions at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. She has been a professional actress, director, and choreographer throughout Denver with too many credits to mention, and too embarrassed to list them.
Leslie Chapman
Leslie is excited to be singing with the Original Dickens Carolers! She just finished a successful run of ENCHANTED APRIL, in which she was honored to play the role of Rose Arnott. She was also lucky enough to play Jackie in HAY FEVER and Linda Lodge in MOVE OVER, MRS.MARKHAM, also at Miner’s Alley Playhouse. She earned her Master's Degree in Musical Theatre from the Boston Conservatory, where she wrote, directed, and starred in the original musical NOTORIOUS VICTORIA. At the Backstage theatre, she was Pippin in THE HOBBIT, Matt Damon in MATT AND BEN and Sister Mary Amnesia in NUNSENSE (in which she also served as Musical Director). At the Lake Dillon Theatre, she played DeeDee in WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE (MD) and Little Sally in URINETOWN. In Denver she performed at the Arvada Center in MOTHER WHIMSEY and UNDER THE BEANSTALK, and at Town Hall as Mary Kenney in DO PATENT LEATHER SHOES REALLY REFLECT UP?. Other of her favorite roles include Leuzia in BELLE AND THE BEAST at the Nomad Theatre and as Jan in GREASE at Country Dinner Playhouse.
Todd Felts
Becca Fletcher is enjoying her fifth year with the Original Dickens Carolers. She has performed around the Denver area with Performance Now Theater Company, Main Street Players and the Town Hall Arts Center. Favorite roles have included The Mute in The Fantasticks (THAC), Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (PNTC), and Maggie Jones in 42nd Street (MSP). She is currently Director of Administration for The Productivity Pro(R), Inc and is pursing a bachelors degree in Web Development. Becca lives in Littleton with her husband and two children.
Drew Frady
Drew is returning for his fifth year with the Original Dickens Carolers and could not think of a more fun way to spend the holiday season! A professional actor with nearly twenty yeras of theatre experience you may have most recently seen him as Pap Finn in Big River and Babet in Les Miserables, both at the Arvada Center. He also was blessed with the opportunity to understudy and perform the role of Jean Valjean. Other local roles include HiPockets Duncan in Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story, Renaud in La Cage aux Folles and Senator Wingwoah in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. NEWSical, the Musical and OFFice Broadway at the Denver Civic Theatre. You may also recognize him as the guy in the tutu from the Colorado Ballet commercials. A graduate of the University of Michigan Musical Theatre program, Drew has performed all over America- from Palm Beach, CA to Bridgeport, CT. New York credits: Francis in Forever Plaid (more than 1,000 performances), Forbidden Broadway, Bosun in Return to the Forbidden Planet, Tiger Brown in The Three Penny Opera, and Frank Schultz in Showboat. Happy Holidays everybody! Proud member of AEA.
Kathy Kautz
This is Kathy’s tenth fabulous season with ODC. Kathy is a busy Denver- based actor/ singer/dancer and choreographer. She is a member of Actor’s Equity and has performed at Arvada Center, Aurora Fox, Town Hall Arts Center and Backstage Theater. Favorite acting roles include Helene in SWEET CHARITY, Artie in ELEEMOSONARY, Lucy Schmeeler in ON THE TOWN, Channing/Merman/Streisand in FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, and herself in SASS, her one-woman show. She has choreographed musicals at Arvada Center, Aurora Fox, Mizel Center, and Town Hall Arts Center, where her choreography for DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST received a 2008 Marlowe Award for best choreography. She also choreographed THAC’s currently-running production of OLIVER! (hurry…it closes Dec. 27…) For nine years a Kathy has been the choreographer for Montview’s Musique and Masque, an intergenerational theater company whose players range from 5-65 years. Favorite M&M shows include HELLO, DOLLY!, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, and HONK!, which she also directed. Prior to moving to Denver, Kathy was a professional actor in Chicago and a featured singer/dancer on Carnival Cruise Lines. She is a graduate of The Capital University Conservatory of Music with a degree in vocal performance and did her graduate work in acting at DePaul University. She lives with her amazingly supportive husband, Dennis, their two beautiful children, and Dewey the wonder-Beagle.
Hannah Marie Hines
Hannah Marie Hines is thrilled to be returning for her fourth year as a Dickens Caroler! She is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado's School of Performing and Visual Arts with a BFA in Theatre Performance. Most recently, she played "Nina" in Chekhov's The Seagull at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder. Other favorite roles include "Corie" in Barefoot in the Park and "Hero" in Much Ado About Nothing. This upcoming January she will be playing "Sylvia" in Sylvia at Town Hall Arts Center in Littleton. She cannot wait to spread holiday cheer this Christmas Season with the Carolers
Robert Hubbard
Brian Merz-Hutchinson
Greg Johnson
Jeff King
Jeff has been performing for most of his adult life, both as a solo artist and in two of Denver’s most popular a cappella groups, The Diners and Cool Shooz, a group he joined in 1996. As a member of these groups he has opened for the likes of Ray Charles, Marvin Hamlisch, Pete Fountain, Kevin Pollack, The Persuasions, Firefall and The Bobs, and sung for thousands of music lovers nationwide at festivals, concerts, nightclubs, and competitions. The Diners and Cool Shooz have made numerous appearances on radio and TV, and sung the U.S. and Canadian national anthems at Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rockies, and Colorado Avalanche games as well as many other professional and amateur sporting events. Cool Shooz released its own CD in 2002.
As a solo artist and with his other band Cut to the Chase, Jeff performs in clubs, churches, retirement centers, and at festivals, corporate and private events. In 1993 he released “Boogie Woogie Boogeyman”, a recording of children’s music, and in 1998 released an all-original CD entitled “This One Life”. He is also Executive Director of the Colorado Arts Center, Inc., an effort to create a world-class center for a wide range of arts disciplines in the Denver area.
Margie Lamb-Duff started her Denver career under the direction of Bill McHale at The Country Dinner Playhouse where she appeared in over 25 musical productions. Other Colorado venues include; Boulder's Dinner Theater (Will Rogers Follies), The Aurora Fox (Taffetas, Mobey Dick the Musical), Townhall Arts Center (The Full Monty, Bat Boy the Musical, Sylvia) and The Arvada Center (Joseph, Shenandoah). She studied voice at Loretto Heights College under the direction of Jan Sullivan and Bob Downard. Acting coaches include Lee Gallup, Terry Dodd and Rick Bernstein.
Matt LaFontaine has been a caroler for six years now and spends the 11 months off-season wishing December would come quick! Matt resides in Denver now after spending the past three years touring and living in NYC. He recently returned from the Canadian Tour of "Forever Plaid" where he played Jinx and is currently playing Wally Fergusson in BDT's holiday production of "The 1940's Radio Hour." Favorite roles include Mary Sunshine (Chicago), Emcee (Cabaret), Victor/Adrian (Smokey Joe's Cafe), Matt (The Fantasticks), George M. Cohan (George M!), Pseudolus (A Funny Thing Happened... Forum) and Sister Mary Hubert (Nunsense A-Men!) Matt is also excited for the upcoming regional premiere of Moby Dick! The Musical at the Aurora Fox where he is playing Mapple.
Melissa McCarl is best known as the director and author of Painted Bread, a piece about the tumultuous life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo which was named Best Play of 2003 by the Denver Post. She directs and choreographs through out the area, most recently including The King and I at Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center, South Pacific at the Mizel Arts Center, and the critically acclaimed Pure Piaf at the Denver Civic Theatre, which she developed and directed featuring Alex Ryer as the French chanteuse Edith Piaf. This fall she will develop a new piece for Ms. Ryer and popular Denver diva Lannie Garrett around the life of Peggy Lee, which audiences can look for at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret around Valentine’s Day of 2008. Melissa was commissioned to write a play about Gertrude Stein for the Mizel Center titled Poignant Irritations which was awarded Best New Play by the Denver Post and Westword. She is also the recipient of the Steven Dietz Playwriting Award. As an actress she was named “Best Actress in a Musical” for her work in Ruthless! at the Theatre on Broadway.
Debbie McGinley
This is Debbie's 8th year with The Original Dickens Carolers. She spends her days recruiting for a payroll/hr outsourcing company called Paychex. Anyone want a job? In her free time she enjoys doing theatre around town, fixing up her house and spending time with her new husband Andrew. Thanks for letting us bring you some holiday cheer!
Anthony Miller
Jim Miller
DaNia Mortimer is a graduate of Colorado Christian University where she earned her Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance and Bachelors of Arts in Music. She is excited to actually be using her degree and is proud to be in her 14th season as a Caroler! She has been seen around town in various productions at The Arvada Center, Country Dinner Playhouse, and Littleton Town Hall. When not singing, DaNia is currently a stay at home mommy to 3 year old Marlowe and dedicates everything to her mother, Mary June, whom she misses very much!
Paul Page
Paul has happily been a “Guv’nor” with the Original Dickens Carolers for eight seasons. Following his graduation from Kent State University, Paul pursued his career in New York City for ten years, appearing in summer stock and Off Broadway as well as in TV and movie roles. Since relocating from NYC in the late 1980s, he has appeared in over 60 productions along the Front Range, numerous commercials and in several feature films. Paul is the recipient of a Denver Drama Critics Circle Award, several Westword “Best of” citations and a Garland Award for Outstanding Performance from Backstage West. Find out more at www.paulpage.biz
Ken Paul
Michelle Paul has worked as a musical theatre performer in the Denver area for the past 22 years. Most recent/favorite roles include: Sister Mary Amnesia, NUNSENSE; Peggy, THE TAFFETAS, A TAFFETA CHRISTMAS; Lucy, NARNIA; Agnes, I DO! I DO!; Nancy, OLIVER! Michelle also specializes in teaching and performing in Children's Theatre.
Julia Perrotta
Julia Perrotta is a recent graduate from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Musical Theatre. This is her 4th year caroling and she loves every minute of it! Julia is currently in a production of "Singing in the Rain" at Boulder Dinner Theatre.
Scott Rathbun
A native Coloradoan hailing from Littleton, Scott has been working professionally as a performer since 2000. He spent two summers at a stock theatre in Saxton's River, Vermont as an actor, singer, and director. In Colorado, Scott has worked at the Arvada Center, the Nonesuch Theater, the Carousel Dinner Theater, the Union Colony Dinner Theater, the Pinnacle Dinner Theatre, Performance Now Theater Company, and many others. He is the current executive treasurer of the Colorado Theatre Guild. Scott has been a member of the Original Dickens Carolers family since 2005. www.scottrathbun.com
Rachel Rengers
Jody Rodney
Randy St. Pierre
A member of Actor’s Equity Association, Randy is a veteran of Colorado theatre. Country Dinner Playhouse credits include Tommy in Brigadoon, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Barrett in Titanic and Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose, for which he won a Denver Post Ovation award . He has also performed at the Arvada Center as Father in the musical Violet, receiving a Denver Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor in a musical. DCTC credits include, A Christmas Carol and Almost Heaven: Songs And Stories Of John Denver. Favorite roles include, Tony: West Side Story, Billy: Carousel, Erik: Phantom, and Che in Evita. He has performed regionally at the Ascot Theatre, Heritage Square Music Hall, Wayside Inn Dinner Theatre, Town Hall Arts Center, and the Crystal Palace in Aspen. He and his wife Susan live in Centennial with their two boys Tyler and Connor.