#charissa bertels

Not a day goes by that I don’t give thanks for all my blessings. I’m grateful to have a job I love with my husband, to travel the country with my family, and for my dear mom who travels with us to take care of our kids while their mommy and daddy play pretend on stage every night! Living the dream.

– Deedee Magno Hall (Cathy, Others; U/S Elizabeth, Kate)

I’m thankful that my husband can come on tour with me! Yay for tele-commuting!

– Charissa Bertels (Swing; U/S Kate, Anne)

I am thankful for the family and friends who have known and loved me unconditionally over the years. They make me who I am today.

– Marc delaCruz (David)

I am thankful to be able to do what I love for a living. I’m thankful for turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and wine! There’s nothing better than sharing an epic day of feasting with loved ones.

– Xavier Cano (A Soldier, Others; U/S David)

I’m thankful for all the challenges in my life and the incredible support I have throughout them all. It continues to encourage me to keep growing!

– Alicia Taylor Tomasko (A Flight Attendant And Others)

I am thankful for my family. I moved away at 18 from my home in the Midwest to attend college, and then after in graduated, I moved right away to NYC to pursue my dream of being on Broadway. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the end of the luxury of seeing my family all the time. I lived in NYC for years without seeing a single relative more than twice a year, and even though I was making strides in my career and achieving goals, at times it felt really lonely. I am lucky and thankful that all I had to do was pick up the phone, and I could get a pep talk and understanding from my mom, dad, or sisters. That being said, along the way, people came into my life who became my family. These are the families I gained from working in this business and meeting like-minded, supportive, and open-hearted people. A cast and company celebrates holidays together, creates together, grieves together. The theatre community is so special and I am thankful everyday to have been welcomed into it. As tough as I think I am sometimes, I never could have gotten through without support. It takes a village, and I love that village with all my heart.

– Janine DiVita (Anne; U/S Elizabeth)

I am so thankful for Faith. Without my family’s and friend’s faith in me, my faith in myself, or, most importantly, my faith in God, there is no way I would’ve had the confidence to pursue my passion for musical theatre. If faith had not fueled my chase for my dreams, then I wouldn’t be getting my LIFE every night performing with the fantastic cast and crew of IF/THEN! I couldn’t be more grateful.