Thomas Hochla
The Lord Chancellor

Thomas Hochla (Lord Chancellor) is a baritone excited to return to Iolanthe with Young Vic after 10 years and in a new role! With a background in ballet and classical music, Thomas has over a decade of local performance, teaching, and accompaniment experience at venues such as the Lyric Opera House, Baltimore Theatre Project, Maryland Hall, Towson University, and the Baltimore School for the Arts, to name a few.

Thomas is also on the faculty of Gilman School as the Middle School Director of Music, teaching General Music, conducting two choruses, and serving as Music Director of the Upper School Musical. In the spring of 2027, the Gilman Choir program and vocal music faculty will tour Berlin, Prague, and Vienna. Favorite roles include Dick McGann (Street Scene), Major General (Pirates of Penzance), Matt/the Boy (The Fantasticks), and Edmund (Mansfield Park-US Premiere). Thomas holds a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College and a Master of Music from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

Spencer Adamson
Earl of Mountararat

Spencer Adamson joins Young Vic for his fourth consecutive summer. Audiences will remember him as Wilfred Shadbolt in Yeoman of the Guard, Despard Murgatroyd in Ruddigore, and his role debut as Giuseppe in The Gondoliers. His recent performances include leading and comprimario roles in local and national opera houses as well as many other classical music venues.

Highlights include small roles in Washington National Opera’s production of The (re)volution of Steve Jobs and La Bohème at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and his role debut of Prince Charles in the world premiere of the original musical, Queen of the People’s Hearts in Istanbul, Turkey. His recent oratorio engagements include Pilatus in St John Passion with Annapolis Chorale, bass soloist in Schubert’s Mass in G with the East Berlin Singers in New Cumberland, PA, and bass soloist in Telemann’s Magnificat in C with the Harford Choral Society. He is often engaged as a chorister with Washington National Opera and Washington Concert Opera.

He continues his ministry in various churches in the DMV area, serving as soloist, cantor, and choral member. Mr. Adamson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College with graduate work at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Daniel Casasanto
Earl Tolloller

Daniel Casasanto (Tolloller) is a tenor who spent much of his youth on Gilman's stage, where he led the Drama Club and the Traveling Men during the school year and sang in Young Vic's chorus in the summer. After graduating from Gilman in 1988, he received degrees in Voice from Oberlin Conservatory (BA '93) and Peabody Conservatory (GPD '96).

He has received awards from the National Association of Teachers in Singing, the Mario Lanza Foundation, and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. Daniel has performed in concert, opera, and musical theater in the US, UK, Italy, and France before, somewhat accidentally, getting a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience (MIT '05). Casasanto works full-time as an Associate Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Cornell University, but he lives in Baltimore so that his four kids can attend the tri-schools in Roland Park. He now teaches Voice at Gilman part-time and is delighted to be returning to Young Vic after a brief 38-year hiatus.

Jim Williams
Private Willis, of the Grenadier Guards

Jim Williams (Private Willis) is a bass-baritone who has built a dynamic career rooted in clarity, connection, and craft from the Kennedy Center to theaters in Italy. A graduate of Oakwood University (B.M., Vocal Performance and Pedagogy), he performed as a member of the Grammy-nominated Aeolians alongside artists such as Kathleen Battle, Take 6, and Richard Smallwood.

Williams launched his professional career in the Baltimore–Washington region, making his Washington, D.C. debut as Sarastro in The Magic Flute with The IN Series, followed by Figaro in Figaro in Four Quartets. His time with the Washington National Opera chorus (including Faust, Tosca, Otello, Così fan tutte, and Carmen) deepened his mainstage experience. His repertoire reflects stylistic range, spanning opera and musical theatre, with roles from Mozart to Guys and Dolls and Gilbert and Sullivan. Additional credits include work with Maryland Lyric Opera and international study in Tuscany.

Recent seasons have marked a clear artistic ascent. With Washington National Opera, he received his first solo contract covering the role of the Lion in The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me and later appeared as the Assistant Prime Minister in Francesca Zambello’s production of Fidelio, performing alongside Denyce Graves. Additional staged roles include Warden George Benton in Dead Man Walking, Ned in Treemonisha, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, and the Sergeant of Police in the 2022 production of Pirates of Penzance with Young Victorian Theatre Company.

Jim was also featured as a soloist in Washington Concert Opera’s outdoor outreach series and appeared in the American debut of Three Mary’s at Georgetown University (Marzoug). He served as bass soloist in two performances of Messiah with the Southern Delaware Chorale and Southern Delaware Orchestra, under the direction of Joseph Shortall.

In early 2026, he made his debut with Opera Montana as Booker T. Washington in Ragtime, a sold-out run directed by Francesca Zambello. He also returned to Washington National Opera to help open its 70th-anniversary season with Treemonisha by Scott Joplin, directed by Denyce Graves, in which he appeared as Luddud in a sold-out run. In May 2026, he served as bass soloist for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Cantate in Washington, D.C., and made his stage and role debut with Washington Concert Opera as the Voice of Neptune in Mozart’s Idomeneo.

In November, he will perform Mozart’s Requiem as bass soloist in two performances with conductor Jed Gaylin in New Jersey.

Beyond the stage, Williams has appeared as bass soloist in major concert works including Messiah, Fauré’s Requiem, Brahms’ Requiem, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, in addition to other symphonic and choral works featuring bass-baritone solos. Previous community engagement includes performances honoring Anne Wiggins Brown, outreach in healthcare settings, and current service as a local area committee member with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA).

Steven Warnock
Strephon, an Arcadian Shepherd

Steven Warnock (Strephon) is a classically trained baritone working in a broad range of styles. He performs regularly in operas and musicals, engages with his community through music forward administration and volunteering, and collaborates frequently with composers and creatives to bring new works to life. Notable highlights include Dick Johnson and acting chorus in Mason Bates’ The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay at the Metropolitan Opera, Tracey Bacon in Mason Bates’ The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay with IU Opera and Ballet Theater & The Metropolitan Opera, baritone soloist in Vaughan Williams’ 5 Mystical Songs, Dr. Pangloss/Martin in Bernstein’s Candide (IUOBT), the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with Cedar Rapids Opera, and Captain Corcoran in Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore. In 2023, Warnock was a young artist with the Bach Institute at Emmanuel Music, Cedar Rapids Opera, and Finger Lakes Opera. www.stevenmwarnock.com/

Rebecca Sacks
Queen of the Fairies

Rebecca Sacks (Queen of the Fairies) is a mezzo-soprano who is thrilled to return to Young Vic for her third season! She possesses a voice described as “powerful” and “extraordinary” (Operawire) and has recently been heard as Baba in Delaware Valley Opera Company’s production of The Medium, in her role debut as La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica with Art City Opera, and in her role and company debuts as Mrs. Anderssen with St. Pete Opera’s production of A Little Night Music. Other roles include Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), Fricka (Das Rheingold), Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos), Queen Alkmene (Die Liebe der Danae), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), and Grimgerde (Die Walküre).

A champion of new music, Ms. Sacks created the role of Elizabeth Barrett-Browning in Patricia Wallinga’s The Sisters with Liberty City Arts and joined City Lyric Opera for the New York premiere of Amy Beth Kirsten’s Savior in 2025. She has also premiered works with the Oregon Composers’ Forum, the Tai Hei Ensemble, and the composition departments at the University of Oregon and Stanford University.

She holds degrees from Stanford University, Oregon Health and Science University, and the University of Georgia and has received awards from the American Prize in Opera, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Orpheus Competition, Opera Connecticut, and NATSAA. Rebecca currently resides in Philadelphia with her partner and her beloved cat.

Hannah Wardell
Iolanthe, a Fairy, Strephon’s Mother

Hannah Wardell (Iolanthe) is an emerging mezzo-soprano known throughout the greater Baltimore area for her distinctive timbre and enchanting stage presence. Recent reviews have praised her “chocolatey rich mid-low register,” “luxurious low notes,” and “delicious, rich, velvety voice,” noting both the vocal beauty and dramatic insight she brings to her performances (Opera Today). Her recent appearances have been recognized as standout moments by Opera Today, particularly her portrayal of Polina in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, where critics highlighted her rendition of “Polina’s Romance” for its expressive depth.

Hannah’s operatic credits include Mercédès (Carmen), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Plaintiff’s Counsel (Trial by Jury), The Duchess of Plaza-Toro (The Gondoliers), Kate (The Pirates of Penzance), Teresa (La Sonnambula), Romeo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), The Princess (Русалка), Polina (The Queen of Spades), Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), The Third Lady (The Magic Flute), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Iolanthe (Iolanthe), and The Sorceress (Dido and Aeneas).

In addition to opera, Hannah is an avid interpreter of art song and an advocate for Russian repertoire. She is the recipient of the Rubinstein Award from the Triumph International Russian Competition (Philadelphia).

Hannah received her undergraduate degree from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV, and completed her master’s degree at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Hannah also received her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, and, aside from performing, she practices in the General Litigation department at Pessin Katz Law, P.A., in Towson, Maryland.

Cassidy Dixon
Celia, Fairy

Cassidy Dixon (Celia) is a soprano and a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music with a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Pedagogy, and a graduate of the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. Recently, she made her role debut as Adina in Elixir of Love where she was praised for her “powerful vocal range and volume” by the Black River Journal.

Most recently, Ms. Dixon made role debuts as Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance with Light Opera of New Jersey, and Norina in Don Pasquale with Opera Magnifico. Other favorite roles include Zorah in Ruddigore, Fiametta in The Gondoliers, Edith in The Pirates of Penzance, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Musetta in La Boheme, as well as Elizabeth Bennet in the stage-premiere of Pride and Prejudice at Peabody Conservatory. Ms. Dixon has won many prizes and awards, including with the Friday Morning Music Club, the Sylvia Green Vocal Competition, Saltworks Opera, NATS, and the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

Ms. Dixon has also performed a variety of concert works with many regional orchestras, including the Annapolis Chamber Orchestra and Chorale, the Trinity Chamber Orchestra, and the Amadeus Orchestra. She is so excited to return to Young Vic as Celia in Iolanthe this summer!

Ann Folger
Lelia, Fairy (and Iolanthe Cover)

Ann Fogler (Leila), an accomplished mezzo-soprano based in Washington, D.C., is praised for her “flexible, very warm, and crystalline” instrument. Recent appearances include Frauenliebe und Leben at the Make Music Upper Perk Festival, Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio as alto and mezzo-soprano soloist at St. Patrick’s Church (Washington, D.C.), Elgar’s Sea Pictures with the Dickinson College Orchestra, and Phoebe in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeoman of the Guard with the Young Victorian Theatre Company. Additional performances include Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra and the double role of the Squirrel and the Teacup in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges with Bel Cantanti Opera.

Ms. Fogler’s career includes her participation as a young artist in the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation program at Central City Opera, where she performed the role of the Announcer in Gallantry. The following year, she was a featured soloist in Encore: A Musical Revue. For her performances, she was given the Central City Opera Williams Award and the Studio Artist Award.

Fogler made her MassOpera debut as Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, a role praised as “delightfully eccentric.” Her credits also include Lepido in Silla with The Cambridge Chamber Ensemble and Global Hope in Keepers of the Light with the Nahant Music Festival. Ms. Fogler performed as a soloist with the American Institute of Musical Studies’ Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria, delivering selections as Octavian from Der Rosenkavalier and Dorabella from Così fan tutte. She was recognized with an Encouragement Award at the Meistersinger Competition and was a grant recipient of the Anna Sosenko Trust Fund.

Ms. Fogler earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Dickinson College and the Master of Music in Voice Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, studying under Marilyn Bulli. She now continues her studies with Rosa Lamoreaux.

Dorienne Hoven
Fleta, Fairy (and Celia Cover)

Dorienne Hoven is thrilled to spend her fourth summer with Young Vic as Fleta. Most recently, she played Spirit of the East in The Tempest with Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and Jean in Brigadoon with LiveArts Maryland. She studied vocal performance at St. Olaf College and sings in multiple ensembles around Maryland. In her spare time, she loves to trail run, take her cats to the park with her fiancé, and read a good book. She’d like to thank her parents for teaching her to tell stories and her fiancé, Kirk, for always supporting her.