Sad Songs For Sad People
Chase Juster, voice
Collaborators
Madison Edge, voice
Ella Bergfeld, voice
Melissa Cardamone, accompanist
Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 1 p.m.
H.F. Johnson Recital Hall
Kenosha, WI
program
A Miracle Would Happen
Jason Robert Brown (b. 1970) from The Last Five Years
Chase Juster, voice with Melissa Cardamone
I've Been Tom Kitt (b. 1974) from Next to Normal
Perfect
Alanis Morissette (b. 1974) from Jagged Little Pill
American Express
Jim Barne (b. 1987) from Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) with Ella Bergfeld
Forest for the Trees
James Valcq (b. 1963) from The Spitfire Grill
I Don't Care Much
John Kander (b. 1927) from Cabaret
Per Te
Sunset Boulevard
Josh Groban (b. 1981)
Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 1948) from Sunset Boulevard
The Bridges of Madison County
Robert Kincaid: Chase Juster
Francesca Johnson: Madison Edge
Temporarily Lost What Do You Call a Man Like That? Wondering Look At Me
The World Inside A Frame Falling Into You Who We Are and Who We Want to Be Before and After You
A Million Miles
It All Fades Away Always Better
acknowledgements
Jason Robert Brown (b. 1970)
Chase would like to thank Matthew for teaching him to love music and Dr. Burk for making him into a musician. This recital is given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the B.A. in Musical Theatre. Chase Juster is a student of Professor Matthew Hougland and Dr. Rita Gentile.
Chase Juster is a senior Music Theatre Major and Choral Literature and Conducting Minor. Carthage Credits: LEGALLY BLONDE (ENS/Emmett US/Callahan US), CARRIE (Billy Nolan), XANADU (Terpsicore), HEAD OVER HEELS (Pythio), LIFE IS A DREAM (Segismundo), and NINE (Guido Contini) for which he received a KCACTF Irene Ryan nomination. Other Credits Include: BAND GEEKS (Jake), and THE SPITFIRE GRILL (Joe Sutter). Outside of theater Chase is a member of Carthage’s flagship ensemble the Carthage Choir as well as the Lincoln Chamber Singers, in addition to working as the Music Theatre Department faculty fellow. Chase hopes you enjoy his recital after 4 years of doing musical theatre on a whim.
Madison Edge (Medge) is a senior music education major with a vocal emphasis. At Carthage, she enjoys singing with the Carthage Choir and Lincoln Chamber Singers. She's absolutely loved working on this character study with Chase. And she is so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this project!
Ella Bergfeld is a senior double-majoring in Political Science and Music Theatre. Carthage Credits: Brooke Wyndham in LEGALLY BLONDE, Norma and Dance Captain in CARRIE THE MUSICAL, Carla in NINE THE MUSICAL, Kira in XANADU, Priest/Soul Girl/Ensemble and Dance Captain in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Ella is the choreographer, intimacy coordinator, editor, cheerleader, and awesome girlfriend in this recital!
Melissa Kelly Cardamone has been an accompanist and vocal coach at Carthage College since 2010. She is also a classically trained soprano, having earned vocal performance degrees from The Eastman School of Music and Lawrence University. She started accompanying at age 10 for choirs, musicals, operas, voice and instrumental lessons, chamber music, and recitals. Mrs. Cardamone has accompanied for musical theatre technique classes and played for their end of term showcases. She also plays for the Carthage Choir and Vox Ignis under the direction of Dr. Maggie Burk. Melissa coaches individual students on recital and audition repertoire, and plays for student recitals and juries. Along with her duties at Carthage, Melissa is a rehearsal pianist for the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. She has accompanied for the Kenosha Opera Festival, voice labs and concerts for Milwaukee Opera Theatre, for outreach concerts with the Florentine Opera, and for the Choral Arts Society in Racine, WI. She played in the pit orchestra for UW Parkside’s Company, and vocal directed and played in the pit for the Lakeside Players’ production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Mrs. Cardamone has also played piano in the Racine Concert Band, as well as serving as a vocal soloist. A lover of both opera and musical theater, some favorite singing roles include Mimì (La Bohème), Marianne (The New Moon), Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors), Laurie (The Tender Land), Sarah Brown (Guys ’n’ Dolls), Johanna (Sweeney Todd), Susanna (Marriage of Figaro), and Elizabeth (world premiere of Fortuna the Timebender vs. the Schoolgirls of Doom). She has sung leading roles with The Riverside Opera, The Bronx Opera, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Music by the Lake, Festival Arts of Antioch, Opera for the Young, the Lakeside Players, The Kenosha Pops, The Racine Concert Band, The Belle Ensemble, and PM&L Theatre. Melissa has also sung with the Florentine Opera Chorus, in the chorus for Tales of Hoffmann at Skylight Music Theatre, and made her debut with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre in Masterclass. When not onstage, Mrs.Cardamone plays piano and cantors at St. Mary’s Church in Kenosha. She lives with her husband, Joe, who is an amateur musician himself, her two kids, and her dog, Finn.
upcoming events
Student Recital: John Cargille
Sunday, October 26 • 1 p.m.
H.F. Johnson Retical Hall
Lakeside Band Festival
Saturday, November 1 • 7 p.m.
A. F. Siebert Chapel
Student Recital: Annaliese Ruhs
Saturday, November 1 • 1 p.m.
H. F. Johnson Recital Hall
Student Recital: Madison Edge
Saturday, November 1 • 4 p.m.
H. F. Johnson Recital Hall
Student Recital: Andre'a Santoyo
Saturday, November 1 • 7:30 p.m.
H. F. Johnson Recital Hall
Student Recital: Emma Richardson Sunday, November 2 • p.m.
H. F. Johnson Recital Hall
Arts at Carthage acknowledges that the land on which our building stands is part of the traditional Potawatomi, Sioux, Peoria, Kickapoo, and Miami peoples past, present, and future. These homelands reside along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes. We honor with gratitude the land itself, and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. Many Indigenous peoples thrive in this place—alive and strong, and this calls us to commit to continuing to learn how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit as well.