Open Bar • Heavy Hors D ’Oeuvres • Great Performances

Saturday, June 6, 2026

Festivities begin at 6:30pm
Show begins at 8:00pm
at MUSIC THEATRE OF CONNECTICUT
509 Westport Avenue (Route 1) in Norwalk
(Click here for directions)

VIP Tickets: $250/each (includes cocktail hour & front row seats to the show)
Standard Tickets: $125/each (includes cocktail hour & the show)
Show Only Tickets: $75/each (includes the show only) MUST USE CODE “SHOWONLY” on a Standard Ticket at checkout.

All proceeds benefit Music Theatre of CT’s programming.

About

Get ready for this season’s most exciting night! The MTC Voice is back with an evening full of great hors d'ouevres, an open bar, and unforgettable performances by some of the area’s most beloved amateur celebrities. Rally behind your favorite contestant by joining their fan club and becoming a sponsor and then make your voice heard by voting at the event! Help crown the crowd favorite and enjoy a night of fabulous fun and local talent.

Philip Callen

Phil has headlined gala events for social service agencies, schools, and theatres. He has an extensive background in fundraising and special events in the nonprofit world, and a strong commitment to connect the mission of critical non-profits to their audiences and supporters, helping them achieve fundraising success.
As an actor, Philip has appeared on stages across the country, and for 20 straight years, has starred as George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at the historic Saint Paul Hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Philip lives in Norwalk with his wife Laurie, and their two children, Alice and Abraham. philcallen.com

Contestant: Sandra Benee

Coach: Jodi Stevens

About thirty years ago I went to a small space on a Westport side street to see my grandson in a musical at the Music Theatre of Connecticut. His younger brother followed a few years later taking classes and performing at MTC.
At that time I could never imagine that all these many years later, Grandma Sandy, would take an acting class from the very same teachers that my now grown grandsons had all those years ago.
The studio is no longer hidden on a back street.

Now Music Theatre Of Connecticut has grown and has acquired a wonderful building in Norwalk where it is a major theater and dramatic arts school, with a great community outreach to local school kids in the state. Fabulous productions, with excellent, professional casts bring Broadway plays, musicals and cabarets to this MainStage.

I am happy to be able to continue doing what I love, the dramatic arts, singing, performing and attending class.
I was a late life bloomer starting to sing and perform in the 1990s.
There were adult ballet classes in Stamford given by Balanchine dancers at The Stamford City Ballet. I got out my ballet slippers.
Carol Sumner, who ran the studio, sent me to be a supernumerary in several operas done jointly with Metropolitan Opera stars and The Connecticut Opera Company, A supernumerary does not sing. I had a dance in Medea in which I was a fury who danced across the stage, played a drunk lady of the night in La Boheme and was a countess in Rigeletto, (SP?). (you might call this the start of a passion.): (circa !990)
Voice lessons in Manhattan led to finding an accompanist, led to the world of cabaret, and Don't Tell Mama, among other small clubs in N. Y. C.
To sum up, I am eternally grateful to have found this passion in my life.
I am grateful to have this distinguished institution in Norwalk where I can continue to take class,and to grow at my age, (just a number).

Oh yes! I acquired a French name along the way, Benee, at the suggestion of my then voice teacher, John Mace.
Pronounced Benay -can't find the accent ague(?) on my computer.

Contestant: Will Doughty

Coach: Elissa DeMaria

Will is a drag entertainer, host, and beauty professional known for blending glamour, humor, and community impact. With over 14 years of experience in the beauty industry, Will has built a reputation as both a performer and educator, bringing artistry and authenticity to every stage he steps onto.

Beyond drag, Will is a professional hair and makeup artist, wig designer, and instructor at the Norwalk Conservatory, where he teaches the next generation of performers the craft of wigs and makeup. As the creator of the annual "Will's Beauties" fundraiser, he has helped raise over $75,000 for Triangle Community Center over the past 2 years.

Contestant: Stuart Garrelick

Coach: Elissa DeMaria

Stuart has resided in Norwalk, CT with his wife and two sons since 1967. He practiced orthodontics in Westport for over 50 years. He likes skiing and golf and was active in the Jewish community serving as president of the Norwalk Jewish Center and Vice-President of Congregation Beth El. Since losing his wife in 2011 and retiring in 2016 he has taken courses in life coaching, short story writing, how to be a standup comedian and acting and he published his first novel, Charlie's World- 1980, in 2025, with a second due soon. He has three grandsons and he is enjoying retirement with his partner, Mary Oster.

Contestant: Dan Guller

Coach: Kevin Connors

Dan Guller is a Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe watching father and husband. He teaches improv comedy classes through Yes And Company, which he founded in 2017. Dan currently serves as Vice-President on the Board of Directors of MTC. He is also President of Darien Pride, a local LGBTQ+ advocacy non-profit which held its annual Pride by the Pond celebration earlier today. So, if he nods off during his song tonight, it's best not to wake him. 

Contestant: Alli Rubin & Carri Vickrey

Coach: Jim Schilling

By day, she’s a radiologist saving lives one mammogram at a time. By night, she’s a mom to three: part chauffeur, part schedule juggler, and professional crier at every curtain call.
Her daughter Olivia (14) has been performing here long enough to bring the whole family along for the ride- they couldn’t be more proud! Her sons Ashton (10) and Jax (5) are still deciding if theater is cool, but the front row seats have been very persuasive.
Her husband, Mike Seemann, fights fires for a living and somehow also ended up building sets here, because the man clearly doesn’t know how to relax. Together, they are a household that runs on equal parts adrenaline and applause. (And yes, she kept her maiden name. She’s a doctor, just not Dr. Seemann.)
She’s thrilled to support The Voice, and the magic MTC creates, and grateful to be part of something this special!

Carri is delighted to be making her MTC Voice debut, having been an enthusiastic audience member for many years. Her father was an artist, her mother was an activist, and she's a little bit of both. Thanks to their interest in theater, Carri was introduced to Broadway at a young age and she's been hooked ever since. Carri first discovered her inner ham as a winged monkey in The Wizard of Oz, followed by a stint as Oliver's Artful Dodger and then a string of grand dames. She learned to sing imitating Barara Streisand, Julie Andrews and Phyllis Diller. After college Carri headed to Manhattan and joined the world of corporate law and cattle calls.
Days were spent watching lawyers throw tantrums, evenings were devoted to attending classes in psychology and art therapy and weekends were spent hanging out at the piano bars in Greenwich Village. You might have spotted her as an elf at Macy's Santaland, been interrogated by her as a telemarketer, or witnessed her being stalked by a homicidal dummy (don't ask. Marriage and motherhood brought Carri back to the suburbs, where she spent two decades in elementary education, the ultimate adventure in improv. These days she can be found writing educational jingles, creating shadow boxes, promoting the joys of sound healing, listening to audio books, meandering through art galleries, singing, dancing, kayaking and searching for transformational experiences. Love and thanks to Wyley (my miracle boy), family, friends and incomparable teachers for all their support.

Contestant: Carlie Russell & Emerson

Coach: Elissa DeMaria

My name is Carlie Russell. I met Jim Schilling through my work and am unbelievably excited to participate in this event! I am a physical therapist assistant and have been working in the field for 5 years now. I specialize in treating chronic pain as well as athletic injuries. MTC is a wonderful company that brings the arts to a community in which it lacks. I was a professional dancer in my late teens and early twenties and am grateful for this opportunity to return to the stage! My musical theater experience has been limited since my childhood in terms of performance. However, I have always loved to sing and adore all musicals that I have the pleasure to watch and experience!

Emerson is a CT native and a long-time lover of music theater. She performed in plays and musicals from first grade to senior year of higher school. Emerson ended up studying exercise science for her undergraduate degree, and just received her M.S. in exercise science from Southern Connecticut State university. Though Emerson has found a love for science, she is grateful for the opportunity to rekindle her relationship with the arts.