Cast Members

Adi Roy

Currently in: Aladdin

Adi Roy is ecstatic to join the Broadway company of Aladdin after opening the North American tour in 2022 and riding the magic carpet through 63 different cities. Previously, you may have seen him as Phoenix in Jagged Little Pill on Broadway. He’d like to send some extra appreciation to his family, agents, teachers, friends and all the amazing people working on this show for their support throughout this process.

Gabriel Ruiz

Currently in: MJ

Broadway debut. New York: Blood and Gifts (Lincoln Center). Chicago: Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Writers’ Theatre, Court Theatre, Northlight Theatre, and more. Film/TV: Christmas Again (Disney), “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago PD” (NBC), “Boss” (Starz). Thanks to the whole MJ family for inviting me to the ride of my life!

Allison Russell

Currently in: Hadestown

Grammy-winning artist Allison Russell is a weaver of stories and tales through the medium of music. Since the release of her first solo album three years ago, the self-taught singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist has redefined what artistry means in the 21st century. From her devastatingly moving celebration of survivors’ joy through Outside Child to the body-shaking, mind-expanding, soulful expression of Black liberation that is The Returner, Russell’s music exceeds all reasonable (and unreasonable) expectations and affirms her place among today’s most vital artists. Various honors include her Grammy win for Best American Roots Performance for the powerful single “Eve Was Black” alongside 7 additional nominations, the Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, the Americana Music Association’s 2023 Spirit of Americana Award & 2022 Album of the Year Award, two International Folk Music Awards, three Canadian Folk Music Awards, and four UK Americana Music Awards. Alongside the Rainbow Coalition Band ⎯ a talented ensemble of Black and POC, queer, and historically marginalized musicians from across the U.S. ⎯ Russell uses the power of music in order to spread her message of the “Beloved Community” and is dedicated to lifting others upwards as her own star climbs higher.

Ida Saki

Currently in: Cabaret

she/her) Broadway: Bob Fosse’s Dancin’. Film and television: In the Heights, Cats, Birds of Paradise, “Ziwe,” “Halston,” “Up Here,” Coldplay’s “Cry, Cry, Cry,” Lola Kirke‘s “Win It.” Off-Broadway: Only Gold, Sleep No More, The Lucky Ones, You’ll Still Call Me by Name. Companies: Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Honors: Presidential Scholar in the Arts, Dance Magazine’s Top 25 to Watch, NFAA YoungArts Winner. Education: Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Dance Industry PAC.

Lea Salonga

Lea Salonga is best known for her Tony Award Winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theater World Awards, Time100 Impact Award from Time Magazine, and the Gold Legend Award from Gold House. Most recently, Lea starred in the West End production of Old Friends, and as Aurora in Here Lies Love on Broadway, which she also produced. Lea was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. Fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend.” She has released 14 albums – including her latest recording, Sounding Joy– and toured all over the globe, performing sold-out concerts in landmark venues. Salonga’s talents extend to the screen, where she can be seen on MAX’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and Sony’s Yellow Rose and heard on Netflix’s Centaurworld and FX’s Little Demon.

Niki Saludez

Currently in: Hell’s Kitchen

NIKI SALUDEZ (Ensemble), from the DMV to NYC, is a dancer, educator, and choreographer with over a decade of experience in his craft. Niki's artistic style is a culmination of years training in hip hop dance, street styles, contemporary dance, and music. His passions for people, movement, and the arts have taken him along the east coast and across the country in a journey to build community and uplift others, both in their craft and in life. Niki has been a part of works by artists including Don Diablo, Katy Perry, and will now be making his Broadway debut in Hell's Kitchen after performing in the show's opening run at The Public Theater. Niki has also trained and featured in works with the companies tedted Performance Group, directed by Teddy Tedholm, and Soul Project Dance Company, directed by Candace Brown. Niki has taught and worked with a diverse group of students of all ages and experience. He has been a faculty member at Broadway Dance Center, Gibney Dance's outreach program Hands are for Holding, and Sitka Fine Arts Camp, sharing spaces where dancers feel safe to explore and challenge limiting mindsets, and to expand on their skills and unique voices as artists.

Caesar Samayoa

Caesar Samayoa most recently starred as Dr. Emilio Amigo in How to Dance in Ohio on Broadway. Original Broadway Companies include Come from Away (Kevin J./Ali), Sister Act (Pablo), The Pee Wee Herman Show, Hot Feet. Off-Broadway/Regional: Evita (Perón - A.R.T./STC), Los Otros (Carlos - A.R.T./New York), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Don Armado - The Delacorte Theater), Bernstein’s Mass (Carnegie Hall), Seared (Harry - Capital Rep). Other: Yale Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, Tectonic Theater Project, Seattle Rep. Film/TV: Come from Away (Apple TV+), “FBI” (CBS), “Ray Donovan” (Showtime), “The Blacklist” (NBC). Awards: 2022 HOLA José Ferrer Tespis Award, 2024 Harold Prince Award (Third St Gala).

Jimmy Samgula

Jimmy Smagula will next be seen in Warner Brothers’ highly anticipated sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux directed by Todd Phillips, and the independent features Nonnas directed by Stephen Chbosky and Almost Popular directed by Nayip Ramos. He just finished production on the animated feature Animal Friends, directed by Peter Atencio and recurred on both Showtime’s Black Monday and MAX’s Doom Patrol. Aside from Spamalot, other Kennedy Center productions include The Music Man (Jacey Squires) with Norm Lewis, Jessie Mueller, and Rosie O'Donnell and Guys and Dolls (Harry the Horse) opposite Rachel Dratch. He is remembered for his role of ‘Sal Iacuzzo’ on The Sopranos and depicted publisher John Woodburn in Danny Strong’s Rebel in the Rye opposite Nicholas Hoult. He also held supporting roles in Michael Bay’s The Island, John Chu’s Step Up 3 and The Producers movie musical. Other television credits include: FX’s Cake; FX’s Oh Jerome No, opposite Emmy Award nominee Mamoudou Athie, directed and written by Alex Karpovsky; Brooklyn Nine-Nine, opposite Andy Sandberg; Better Things alongside Pamela Adlon; Comedy Central's Corporate; Grey’s Anatomy, Bones, Parks and Rec, Community and many more. Jimmy made his Broadway debut at age 24 in the original Broadway cast of The Full Monty, and went on to star on Broadway in Man of La Mancha, The Phantom of the Opera, To Be Or Not To Be (Manhattan Theatre Club), Damn Yankees (with Sean Hayes and Jane Krakowski), The Little Mermaid and Billy Elliott. He is repped by Lasher Group and Nicolosi & Co.

Clifton Samuels

Broadway/Tours: Mrs. Doubtfire, Amazing Grace (OBC) Follies, A Chorus Line. Off-Broadway: Beast in the Jungle (Vineyard-Dir: Susan Stroman). TV/Film: “Feud: Capote….” (opposite Demi Moore); “The Blacklist”; “Younger”; “Boardwalk Empire”; Worth (Netflix); the Coen Bros’ Hail, Caesar!; The Unborn. Love to my fam. For Liza.

Jennifer Sanchez

Elf marks Jennifer’s ninth show on Broadway and it’s the best Christmas gift she could ask for. She’d like to thank director Phil McKinley and MD Nate Patten for being earth angels from Wisconsin to Romania. Dedicated to the woman who embodies the true meaning of Christmas, Mariah Carey.

Stark Sands

is a two-time Tony Award® nominee for his performances in Kinky Boots and Journey’s End. Other Broadway credits include & Juliet, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Green Day’s American Idiot. Other theater credits include Swept Away (Berkeley Rep), Twelfth Night (Public Theater–Delacorte), and The Tempest (CSC). He starred in the acclaimed HBO miniseries Generation Kill as well as Fox’s Minority Report. Some of Stark’s other notable film and television appearances include Steven Spielberg’s The Post, the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers, and the HBO series Six Feet Under and Nip/Tuck. He has won a Grammy Award, a Theatre World Award, and an AEA Bayfield Award.

Anthony Santos

Currently in: Buena Vista Social Club

Born in New York City, Anthony Santos began his training in dance, acting, and singing at Rosie’s Theatre Kids under the direction of Lori Klinger, where he studied from 2005 to 2013. During this time, he also trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 2009 to 2013. His summer intensives included Joffrey Ballet, Jacob’s Pillow, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet, all on full merit scholarships. Anthony graduated with a BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the direction of Susan Jaffe. He joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2017, dancing under the direction of Virginia Johnson until 2022. While with the company, he also performed as a guest artist with New York City Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Following his time at Dance Theatre of Harlem, Anthony toured with the company of Hamilton: The Musical from 2022 to 2023. Most recently, he joined the touring company of Wicked from 2023 to 2024. He performed as a backup dancer for Jennifer Hudson in the Macy’s 2024 Thanksgiving Day Parade, under the choreography of Ebony Williams