The Snow Queen – Laura Lepistö
Gerda – Silja Dos Reis
Kai – Felipe Montoya
The Raven/Hobgoblin– Dmitry Semykin
Lemmy the Ermine – Julien Dulière
The Robber Girl – Mia-Mari Sinkkonen
Pond Hockey MC – Zabato Bebe
The Reindeer – Daria Perminova and Evgenii Belianin
The Twin Wizards – Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko
Snow Queen’s Counsel – Mila Kajas

The Storyteller (voice) – Jonna Järnefelt
The Pond Hockey Narrator (voice) – Jarkko Tamminen

The Snowflake Soldiers

Marigold IceUnity: Annemarie Ervasti, Oona Hakkarainen, Emi Iizuka, Heidi Karhumäki, Melina Karinen, Sani Kerttula, Veera Lindroos, Lotta Mäkelä, Anni Nikkilä, Aino Palosuo, Ella Pitkälä, Fanny Rautavuoma, Veera Rissanen, Vilma Rissanen, Josefina Salmiheimo, Eevi Siiki, Milja Sirén, Oona Tammilehto, Salma Teivaala, Heta Torkkeli, Sanna Tuomisto, Reetta Uusitalo

Snow Queen’s Entourage

Zabato Bebe, Evgenii Belianin, Yasmin Janatuinen, Jere Jääskeläinen, Kiira Kilpiö, Antton Laine, Hjørdis Lee, Godwin Otieno, Daria Perminova, Sini Parkkinen, Aino Päivike, Sofia Ruija, Etel Röhr, Mia-Mari Sinkkonen

The Roses

Yasmin Janatuinen, Jere Jääskeläinen, Kiira Kilpiö, Antton Laine, Godwin Otieno, Sini Parkkinen, Aino Päivike, Sofia Ruija, Etel Röhr, Mia-Mari Sinkkonen, Vuong Tran, Jesse Wijnans

The Robbers

Zabato Bebe, Yasmin Janatuinen, Jere Jääskeläinen, Kiira Kilpiö, Antton Laine, Hjørdis Lee, Godwin Otieno, Sini Parkkinen, Aino Päivike, Sofia Ruija, Etel Röhr, Mia-Mari Sinkkonen, Vuong Tran, Jesse Wijnans

Pond Hockey Players

Niklas Hagman, Jenni Hiirikoski, Pekka Saravo, Jaakko Heinonen, Max Lorentz, Toivo Rannikko, Elsa Sitari

The Villagers

Julien Dulière, Zabato Bebe, Yasmin Janatuinen, Jere Jääskeläinen, Kiira Kilpiö, Antton Laine, Hjørdis Lee, Godwin Otieno, Sini Parkkinen, Aino Päivike, Sofia Ruija, Etel Röhr, Mia-Mari Sinkkonen, Vuong Tran, Jesse Wijnans, Melina Ylitalo

Marigold IceUnity: Annemarie Ervasti, Oona Hakkarainen, Emi Iizuka, Heidi Karhumäki, Melina Karinen, Sani Kerttula, Veera Lindroos, Lotta Mäkelä, Anni Nikkilä, Aino Palosuo, Ella Pitkälä, Fanny Rautavuoma, Veera Rissanen, Vilma Rissanen, Josefina Salmiheimo, Eevi Siiki, Milja Sirén, Oona Tammilehto, Salma Teivaala, Heta Torkkeli, Sanna Tuomisto, Reetta Uusitalo

We reserve the right to changes.

Reija Wäre – Director and Choreographer

Reija Wäre has made a uniquely versatile career for herself in Finland, working as a director-choreographer among many different types of performing arts – from opera to street dance, from television to live stage, and from sports to mass events.

Reija received the Finnish Cultural Fund’s award for cultural deeds in 2020. In the argument, she was called “boundary-crossing person, who makes others move in never-before-seen ways.”

Reija has been part of the production of over 80 dance performances, plays, and musicals for the biggest theaters in Finland, and also worked for many independent and international productions. 

Among her works as director-choreographer was Turku City Theater’s Tom of Finland, which was touted as one of the greatest cultural experiences of 2017 by the biggest newspaper in Finland, Helsingin sanomat.

Reija has also made a name for herself in the music industry, and has produced stadium shows for the likes of Antti Tuisku, Jenni Vartiainen, Robin Packalen, Kaija Koo, and Anna Puu, as well as Cheek’s farewell concerts at the ski jump pit in Lahti.

On television she has been a trailblazer for large-scale productions such as the New Music Competition, for which she was a stage director, one of the concept artists, and the main choreographer. She has also worked as a choreographer for many televised concerts as well as the shows Dance and Masked Singer.

The younger members of the audience may have seen Reija’s work in the two latest Risto Räppääjä movies. She was lured into the world of skating originally by her work with the synchronized skating team Helsinki Rockettes.

Tuomas Kantelinen – Composer and Producer

The score of the Snow Queen was composed by the award-winning Tuomas Kantelinen, who is one of the most internationally famous Finnish movie composers. During his career, Tuomas has composed music for nearly one hundred domestic and international movies. Among his repertoire, you can find powerful dramas, historical epics, animations, thrillers, Hollywood action films, and children’s movies.

Tuomas is also no stranger to the world of classical music. You could say Tuomas’ music speaks to the hearts of a nation, and every household can certainly hear his work daily, as the Channel 3 News comprise of his music.

The score of the Snow Queen is beautiful, heart-wrenchingly melodic, full of powerful emotions and large group shots – and of course not without its humor!

Mikki Kunttu – Visualist and Lighting designer

The show’s visualist and lighting designer is Mikki Kunttu, who has showcased his works in the biggest of arenas and as part of some of the biggest productions. Among other things, Mikki has worked as a lighting designer for Cirque du Soleil in Montreal.

Mikki’s fingerprints are all over television, art, and music productions. He has worked as a lighting, screen, and st designer for many large-scale productions and tv galas, such as the National Opera, Danish Royal Ballet, Boston Ballet, Tero Saarinen Company, the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, and the Eurovision song contests in 2007, 2013, and 2016.

Mikki has worked as a visualist for many concerts and tours. He is also a sought-after lecturer in the biggest events of his field.

Melissa A. Thompson – Scriptwriting

The Scriptwriter & Concept Designer of The Snow Queen is Canadian writer Melissa A. Thompson. Writer and interdisciplinary arts specialist Melissa first joined Cirque du Soleil as a Fine Arts Consultant and went on to found the Creative Intelligence team, an in-house think tank focused on identifying emerging cultural trends, people of interest and resonant new directions for the organization. She also held the position of Concept Designer/ Creative Lead at Cirque du Soleil where she developed a broad range of projects including installation-based exhibits, experiences and live theater concepts over her 15-year career with the company.

Her work has also been recognized through several collaborations with the Musée des Beaux Arts de Montreal where she has held the role of Creative Director of their annual ball (2018–2020) and has collaborated on a wide range of exhibits, installations and performances. Melissa holds a BFA in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts & Creative Writing from Concordia University and a MA in Visual Arts from Goldsmith’s College, University of London.

Erika Turunen – Costume Design

Erika Turunen has designed costumes for modern dance, ballet, opera, and theater since 1990. She is a costume designer for the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.

Some of her latest works include Tampere Opera’s Carmen (2020), Finnish National Opera’s Das Rheingold (2019), Savonlinna Opera Festival’s The Abduction from the Seraglio (2017) and The Queen of Spades (2018), as well as Compania Kaari Martin’s dance performances in Anna Karenina (2018) and Tero Saarinen Company’s Third Practice (2019). Erika has received high praises for her costume design for modern dance.

Erika has worked with, among others, the choreographers Tero Saarinen, Kenneth Greve, Javier Torres, Jorma Elo, Susanna Leinonen, Kaari Martin, Jorma Uotinen, Jeroen Verbruggen, and Kenneth Kvarnström. Her unique style has also made her a sought-after partner for many international collaborations. She has designed costumes for the Nederlands Danse Theater, The Danish Royal Ballet, Korean National Dance Company, and Czeck National Theatre Ballet.

Minna Pilvinen – Makeup Design

Minna Pilvinen graduated as a hair stylist from the vocational institute in Rauma in 1996, and as a special hair stylist from the vocational institute in Turku in 1998. Minna graduated as a special makeup designer from the vocational institute in Turku in 1999, as a teacher from Helia polytechnic university in 2003, and as a beauty specialist from the polytechnic university in Turku in 2008.

Minna has worked for theater and television for over 20 years. Starting in 2014, she has worked as a permanent makeup artist for the Turku City Theatre, and she has worked as a freelance makeup artist for the Turku Castle Theatre since 2000. Her recent works include Turku City Theatre’s The Hobbit (2021), Amelie (2019), Hamlet (2019), The Lord of the Rings (2018), and Tom of Finland (2017). She also did makeup design for the Turku Castle Theatre’s revue MS Domino (2021), and for the Turku Music Festival’s opera Eerik XIV (2011), which was the culmination of Turku’s year as the cultural capital.

Some of Minna’s latest works for television and the big screen can be seen in the movies Sieniretki (2021) and Power of Love (2021),and the television series Kentän laidalla (2020). Minna’s hobbies include art, and she held her first art show in the summer of 2020.

Anu Oksanen – Synchronized Skating Choreography

Marigold IceUnity’s coach Anu Oksanen has led her synchronized skating team to five World Championship gold medals, and 15 National Championship gold medals. She was also responsible for guiding the junior team Musketeers to two World Championship gold medals and 11 National Championship gold medals. Anu is also the head coach for the Helsingin Luistelijat skating organization’s synchronized skating team.

Anu has a Bachelor’s Degree in sports science. She has been coaching Helsingin Luistelijat since 1993. Coaches of Finland has selected her the female team sports coach of the year three times in 2002, 2004, and 2006.

Anu received Finland’s Golden Cross award for sports and culture in 2019. The award is given to people in sports and culture for their lifetime achievements. During the same year, the city of Helsinki awarded Any with the Golden Helsinki medal. This is the highest honor the city can grant. She was also anointed among the one hundred legendary sportspeople of Helsinki.

TAMPERE HALL & KANTELINEN COMPANY

Tampere Hall Ltd operates the biggest congress and concert centre of the Nordic countries, organizes events through Events Tampere to all kinds of client needs as well as functions as the largest promoter of performing arts throughout Finland. With its strong international networks, Tampere Hall produces more than 300 own productions annually, for example the works of the Tampere Opera, arena-sized concerts and international ballet and orchestra visits.

Kantelinen Company is a production company for performing arts. The company is owned by composer Tuomas Kantelinen, who internationally collaborates with Decca. In the production of The Snow Queen, Kantelinen Company is in charge of the artistic production and the composition.