Spotlight Rena Strobe and OUTSpoken’s Political Party with REP. MARCUS RICCELLI

The QueerCentric

Rena Strober (Rita) made her Broadway debut in Les Miserables (Cosette) and went on to perform in numerous show in NY and across the country. She toured with Topol & Harvey Fierstein in Fiddler on the Roof playing their eldest daughter Tzeitel. Rena also stared opposite Betty Buckley & Peter Scolari in the Off-Broadway comedy White’s Lies. Rena also performed her 1-woman show Spaghetti & Matzo Balls to sold out audiences Off-Broadway. After an illustrious stage career in NY, Rena moved to Los Angeles where she has worked on both the stage & screen. She is a recurring guest star on Disney’s Liv & Maddie, she plays Emily Knowland on Shameless for Showtime and has lent her voice to the Big Bang Theory. On stage she starred opposite French Stewart in Stoneface: The Rise & Fall of Buster Keaton and worked with Jason Alexander on When You’re in Love the Whole World is Jewish. Rena made her movie debut in Waiting in the Wings and couldn’t be happier to have brought Rita to life. Rena also lends her voice to DisneyXD’s Penn Zero, Mattel’s Ever After High and over a dozen video games for Nintendo, and other gaming platforms. When she’s not singing or voicing a 5 year old for a cartoon, Rena teaches voice at the Academy of Music for the blind where she works with blind children ages 4-18 years old. www.renastrober.com
Strippers from Waiting In The Wings – with film stamp

Synopsis:
Waiting In The Wings: The Musical is a feature film where two entertainers, destined for the big time, are mismatched in a casting office from two very different online contests. Tony, a stripper from New York, is cast in an Off-Broadway musical and needs to trade in his tear-away trunks for tap shoes and tights. Anthony, a naive musical theatre enthusiast from Montana, needs to decide if he can strip all the way down just to stay in town. Hilarity ensues as they realize that “to make it” they’re gonna have to learn some new tricks. Shirley Jones, Sally Struthers, and Lee Meriwether round out this heartwarming homage to Broadway with some delightful cameos.

Waiting in the Wings Trailer:

Making of “Waiting in the Wings”

Awards
BEST FEATURE FILM – Central Florida Film Festival (CENFLO)
BEST FEATURE FILM – QFlix Philadelphia
BEST FEATURE FILM (Audience Choice – First Place) – Rhode Island International Film Festival
BEST MUSICAL – Manhattan Film Festival
BEST MUSICAL – Garden State Film Festival (Atlantic City)
FESTIVAL FAVORITE – B’more Q Fest (Baltimore)
FESTIVAL FAVORITE (Audience Choice) – Cinema Diverse: Palm Springs LGBT Film Festival
BEST FIRST TIME FEATURE (Audience Choice) – Film Out: San Diego
BEST CALIFORNIA FEATURE – California Film Awards
BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURE FILM – Pasadena International Film Festival
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (Audience Choice) – Film Out: San Diego
CELEBRATION OF COURAGE AWARD – Out Here Now: Kansas City LGBT Film Festival

WEBSITE LINK: http://www.witwthemusical.com/

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REP. MARCUS RICCELLI

Floor pic 2015Marcus was born and raised in Spokane, graduating from Mead High School (’96) and Gonzaga University (’00). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. In 2007, he received a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Washington.

After graduating from UW, Marcus served as U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell’s Eastern Washington Director, from 2007 to 2010. He served as Senior Policy Advisor to Washington State Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown from 2010 to 2012. As a state representative, Marcus serves as Vice Chair to the Health Care & Wellness Committee. He also serves on the Capital Budget and Transportation committees, andwas elected by his colleagues to leadership role of Deputy Whip. He is an appointed member of the Community Economic Revitalization Board and the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee. Outside his duties with the legislature, Marcus recently served as the Operations Manager for the Northeast Community Center. He is also an adjunct professor at Eastern Washington University’s College of Health Science and Public Health

Marcus is active in Spokane’s downtown Rotary 21, and he is deeply committed to fostering opportunities for young people in Spokane. He has served as a Big Brother with Big Brothers and Sisters of Spokane, and he is actively involved with the Spokane YMCA Youth Legislature Delegation. He serves on the Spokane advisory board for Daybreak Youth Services, and has served as a City Plan Commissioner.

Marcus believes strongly in building relationships and working across the aisle. He was the 2013 organizer of bi-partisan legislative basketball and co-founder of the bi-partisan under-forty legislative caucus. He lives in Spokane with his wife, Amanda, and their two young children.

Community Involvement:

Chair, Children’s Health One Table
Appointee, Community Economic Revitalization Board
Appointee, Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee
Spokane Advisory Board Member, Daybreak Youth Services
Co-Director, Spokane Central YMCA Youth & Government Youth Legislature Program
Rotarian, Spokane Rotary Club 21
Member, Financial Education Public-Private Partnership
Member, Spokane Public Schools Public Affairs Advisory Council
Member, Eastern Washington Long Term Care Ombudsman Program Advisory Council
Committee Member, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs Denny Alumni Council

Awards and Honors:

2013 Washington State Housing Finance Association Proud Partner Award
2013 WACOPS House Democrats Legislator of the Year
2013 Associate Students of Washington State University Champion of Higher Education Award
2013 Chase Youth Foundation Champion of Youth Award for Government
2013 Washington Student Association Legislator of the Year
2013 Washington State Young Democrats Half Lifetime Achievement Award
2012 Washington State Democrats Warren G. Magnuson Award for Rising Star of the Year
2008 Washington State Presidential Elector casting an electoral vote for the Honorable Barack Obama
2007 Nominated for The Robert H. Pealy Prize for a Degree Project of Outstanding Merit, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington

Official website
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