TWYLA WILSON*
(Rebecca)
Originally from British Columbia Canada, Twyla is ecstatic to be a part of this beautiful story! Regional credits include: I Do! I Do! (Agnes) at The Arvada Center in Denver, Mamma Mia! (Ali, Sophie u/s) at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Villain’s Tonight and Believe aboard the Disney Dream (Yzma, Aurora, Belle). Other stage credits: The Scarlet Pimpernel (Marguerite), 1820 The Musical-Staged Reading (Emma Smith), Beauty and the Beast (Belle), and Mary Poppins (Mary). She has appeared on Disney + in High School Musical the Musical Series, as well as numerous commercial campaigns. Twyla graduated from BYU with a BFA in Music Dance Theatre and is currently a Master Film Acting Student with Bob Krakower. Though she adores her profession, her favorite role in this life is mama to her two amazing children and wife to husband Johnny. Thank you Mom & Dad xx. “Leave everything you do, every place you go, everything you touch a little better for your having been there.”—Julie Andrews.
ETHAN KELSO
(Benjamin)
Ethan comes to The Principle Wife fresh off his run in Bright Star (Jimmy Ray) for Lehi Arts Council. Other credits include Big Fish (Will Bloom) at Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts and Joseph…Dreamcoat (Joseph), LesMisérables (Marius), and Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour) at Jaks Theatre Company. He attended The Hartt School of the Arts and Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts and has studied jazz and modern dance. Ethan won the 2019 Jimmy Award for Best Actor. He enjoys basketball, pickleball and walks with his wife. “The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it.” (Isaiah 60:22, ESV)
JOHN DONOVAN WILSON*
(Erastus)
John previously appeared on stage in Austen’s Pride (George Wickham) at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, My Fair Lady (Freddy Eynsford-Hill) at Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach, Florida, South Pacific (Lt. Cable) at Lancaster Opera House in Lancaster, NY, Mamma Mia (u/s Sky) at Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock, Arkansas, Bonnie & Clyde (Buck Barrow) at Utah Repertory Theatre, The Scarlet Pimpernel (Percy Blakeney) at Carriage House Theatre in Cardston, Alberta, and Beauty and the Beast (Beast) at Brigham Young University. He has appeared in the films Dark Highway, Inappropriate Behavior, and I’ll Meet You There, as well as the television series Knights of the Cross and numerous commercials. John graduated from BYU with a BFA in Music Dance Theatre. He enjoys rock climbing, horseback riding, weightlifting, being a father to two adorable children and sharing the stage with his wife Twyla Wilson. “I’m so grateful to the creative team for the opportunity to be a part of this production. It’s an honor to be on stage with my wife again!”
ERIN WILSON*
(Sarah)
Erin is an accomplished Broadway/TV/Film actor, voice specialist, acting coach, Utah Valley University Theatre faculty and owner of Erin Wilson Studio. She has performed on Broadway in Wicked (Shen Shen, the Midwife and u/s Madame Morrible), as well as in the 1st and 2nd National Tours. Other stage credits include Sister Act (Mary-Martin of Tours) in the 1st National Tour, The Prom (Mrs. Greene) at Pioneer Theatre, Sister
Act (Mary Patrick) at North Carolina Theatre, Into the Woods (the Witch), Grease (Cha Cha) and Annie Get Your Gun (Dolly Tate). Erin has appeared in Public Morals on TNT, directed by Edward Burns; Tales of the City on Netflix, with Laura Linney; Holiday for Heroes on Hallmark Channel; and The Last OG on TBS. She studied Musical Theater at BYU and continues to work on her craft with some of the very best in NYC and LA, as well as run her personal online studio to students worldwide. She is most obsessed with her role as Auntie Erin to her nieces and nephews. In her spare time, she loves to craft, do interior design, try new restaurants and travel to faraway places. “You know what the happiest animal in the world is? It’s a goldfish. It’s got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish.”—Ted Lasso
MATTIE GRACE
(Elsa)
Everything is a song to Mattie Grace. The soundtrack in her head plays out in rhythms and riffs no matter where she is and can harmonize with anybody, anywhere in any song. She is a vocal coach, music therapist, scratch track artist, composer and leads her own girl band, Ladylike. Mattie was chosen as a spotlight for Idina Menzel’s master class on singing and had the chance to present her original song, “This Feeling.” Most recently she sang vocals on an original song at a diplomatic symposium with Fernando Garibay, Grammy-winning music producer for Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston and others. Her original song “What’s Inside of You” was highlighted for the Royal Court float in the world-famous Rose Parade. She has previously performed in Legally Blonde in Calabasas, CA, while simultaneously co-directing the nationally acclaimed acapella group “Unstrumental.” Mattie is bilingual in Spanish from serving as a missionary in the Dominican Republic and spent time in Thailand doing humanitarian outreach for a battered women’s shelter. Her dress and style are distinctive and if you don’t see her in a crowd first, you will definitely hear her beautiful voice or experience her clever personality.
CHRISTOPHER HIGBEE
(Bishop McGuire)
Christopher is an actor, writer, director, producer and entrepreneur. He is known to Utah audiences for most recently playing Ron in James Conlee’s Star of Wonder, Chess (Walter Anderson) at Pioneer Theatre Company, Camelot (Arthur), and Les Misérables (Jean Valjean), The Secret Garden
(Archibald Craven), Ragtime (Tateh) at Hale Centre Theatre in Orem and West Valley. Chris has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, is currently a producer of the Broadway-bound Troy, and was a producer on Broadway’s &Juliet, currently playing to capacity audiences on Broadway, and Anastasia, The Musical, which is now touring the United States. His company SwifTest played a significant role in reopening Broadway last fall where they provide COVID testing and compliance services to over half the productions on Broadway as well as other arts and entertainment venues in NYC and around the country. Regional credits include the world premiere of The Trail of
Dreams (Robert Pearce), Sunday in
the Park with George (George Seurat) and Into the Woods (Jack) among others. Chris is a graduate of the Music Dance Theater program at Brigham Young University. He also holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Pepperdine University.
JULIE WEBB BURGESS
(Vilate McGuire)
Julie’s most notable stage roles include Bright Star (Mama Murphy), Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife), Footloose (Vi Moore), Souvenir (Florence Foster Jenkins), and The Spitfire Grill (Shelby Thorpe). She has also participated in The Reclaimers Podcast (Helena) and in the short film Open House (Linda Poole) by Chinfat Productions. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from BYU and enjoys spending time with her grandkids, hiking, traveling, weightlifting, and learning new musical instruments. “I’m so grateful for my husband, who recognizes I already have wings and encourages me to fly.”
YAHOSH BONNER
(New Bishop, Congressman)
Previous stage credits for Yahosh include To Kill a Mockingbird and The Heart of Robin Hood at Hale Centre Theatre West Valley. He played the title character in the film His Name is Green Flake, co-hosts the BYUtv show Family Rules and is a member of the singing group The Bonner Family. Yahosh holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies degree from the University of Northern Colorado and Master of Professional Communication degree from Southern Utah University. He likes hanging with his best friends—wife Vanessa and four children Malachi, Samaiah, Nehemiah and Kuregiy. “Jesus is my light.” “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.”
TANNER JAMES
(Doc Kimball, Congressman, u/s Erastus)
Tanner James is a Provo native and is excited to return to the Covey stage. He was a finalist on NBC’s “The Voice”, and has performed over the past decade on stages in Los Angeles, Nashville, Portugal, Norway, Beijing, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. He currently works as a studio vocalist, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer with placements in film, television, and Netflix. Follow him @heytannerjames to stay updated on his upcoming music releases across all major platforms.