Thank you to our alumni performers!

Allison Hamer '18

Allison is thrilled to return to the Playhouse Square stage! A proud member of the Class of 2018 and a SOFA graduate, she earned a degree in marketing from Kent State University and has since built an incredibly rewarding career in the events industry. Allison looks forward to celebrating the magic of theater and sharing this unforgettable evening with all of you. Let the show begin!

Michael Sertich '01

Michael is honored to once again share his musical talents with the Lake Ridge Academy community, a place that has shaped both his personal and family life. Now a parent of Anthony (third grade) and Kate (first grade), and alongside his wife, Julia ‘01, a fellow graduate, Michael has remained connected to the school and its community. During his time at Lake Ridge Academy, he received a strong foundation in music and performing arts under the guidance of Katherine Plank, Maureen Johnson, and Marilyn Crooker. While pursuing a career in business, his passion for performing arts continued, studying voice in college and performing in community musical theater productions as well as amateur and professional choirs.

Kashmere Shafik '24

Kashmere's LRA credits include Mamma Mia! (Sophie), Ken Ludwig’s Gods of Comedy (Thalia), The Theory of Relativity (Mira/Jenny), Elf (Deb), The Drowsy Chaperone (Kitty), and Over the River and Through the Woods (Sound Operator). Beck Center credits include Mockingbird (Briana), Trials of Robin Hood (Villager), and James and the Giant Peach (Ensemble). She was All State in Theatre in 2023 and 2024 in the casts of the All-Ohio Theatre Productions of Head Over Heels (Mopsa) and Moon Over Buffalo (Rosalind). Kashmere also earned a Superior rating for Solo Musical Theatre at the 2024 International Thespian Festival for her performance of "Everybody Loves Louis," from Sunday in the Park with George. She is currently in her first year at Case Western Reserve University studying Theater, Music, and Psychology.

Donald Butchko '01

Donald Butchko is perhaps best known for his performance as the dragon in Lake Ridge Academy’s acclaimed 1992 lower school production of The Paper Bag Princess. He currently sings with the North Coast Men’s Chorus. Catch their holiday show, It Isn’t Christmas Until… on December 14th and 15th at the Maltz Performing Arts Center.

Heidi Crooker Nathanielsz '92

Heidi Crooker Nathanielsz, Class of 1992, is honored (and petrified) to perform at the 2024 Gala. On stage, she has performed with some community theaters over the past few years. Off stage her career has been in teaching, non-profits, arts marketing, and now, entrepreneurship. She is the Executive Director of Entrepreneurs' Organization Albany, a chapter of a global membership organization for entrepreneurs, in addition to founding two small businesses. Heidi received her BA in English and Theater from Tufts University, and her M. Ed. in teaching and public school reform from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She lives in Albany, NY, has two boys, ages 20 and 18, and is the daughter of long-time LRA music teacher, Marilyn Crooker.