Author Archives: Rick Thorne

KEN SANDBERG

New York, NY / North Carolina


Ken is an actor/musician who plays guitar, drums, bass guitar, and saxophone at a professional level, and also piano and a handful of other stringed instruments to an intermediate level. He has played the role of Jerry Allison and understudied (and performed as) Buddy, but would also be delighted to be considered for any other roles including the company swing actor/musician. Productions include the Tuacahn Center for the Arts (Ivins, UT), Florida Studio Theatre (Sarasota, FL), and Music Theatre of Connecticut (Norwalk, CT) all in 2022.  

ARMANDO GUTIERREZ

New York, NY


A multi-instrumentalist - drums, piano, and guitar - Armando has played the role of Cricket Jerry Allison in productions of Buddy at John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, Long Island, NY (2019), Forestburgh Playhouse, Forestburgh, NY (2019), and the Palace Theater in the Wisconsin Dells (2017). In 2021-22 he played the roles of both Ritchie Valens and Tommy (4th Cricket) in the Florida Studio Theatre production of the show in Sarasota, and at Florida Rep in Fort Myers. 

PLAZA THEATRE COMPANY, Cleburne, Texas

Three seriously rocking weekends at Plaza Theatre helped bring respite from the pandemic in early 2022. Productions of the show are always special in Buddy's home state, and this fabulous production connected big-time with audiences in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

SARAH GODWIN

New York, NY


Sarah is a Southern-born singer, songwriter, and actress living in New York. She has performed in numerous productions of Buddy, playing Vi Petty/Hayrider/Snowbird and keys, most recently in the 2020-21 U.S. tour, and at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis (2019).

KEATON ECKHOFF

New York, NY


Keaton is an actor-singer-dancer-musician, originally from Cincinnati and based in New York City, who is honored to have portrayed the iconic role of Buddy in the 2020-21 National Tour of the show.


JENNIFER BARNABA

USA


Jennifer appeared in the 6th Street Playhouse production of Buddy in Santa Rosa, California (dir. DJ Salisbury), in early 2020, playing the roles of Mary Lou Sokoloff, Shirley, Peggy Sue, jingle singer, Clear Lake back-up vocals, and Keys 2. “I absolutely love doing this show and would love to do it again!” she says.  

TRINITY SWAN

Phoenix, AZ


Playing the violin and piano to a high standard, Trinity has so far appeared in four productions of Buddy; two as Vi Petty/Shirley/Jingle Singer/Snowbird (Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, FL, and Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, PA) and two as Hayrider Fiddler/Shirley/Jingle Singer/Snowbird/Vi Understudy (Jersey Shore Entertainment, NJ, and Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, PA).  

JAMES P. DALEY

Chicago, IL


James is a bassist/actor from Chicago, who performed the role of Joe B. Mauldin in the 2019 production of Buddy at Beef & Boards Dinner Theater in Indianapolis. Both Upright and Electric Bass are his main instruments.

MATT HEALEY

New York, NY


Matt, 20, is an EMC performer based out of NYC, who attended Wagner College, graduating in 2018 with a B.A. in Theatre Performance. He played the role of Jerry Allison (drums) at Highlands Playhouse (Highlands, NC) in their record-breaking production of Buddy in June 2019. Matt also plays electric bass, guitar, piano, and saxophone all to a performance-ready standard.