Amanda’s Bio:
Amanda is originally from Hillside, IL, but grew up all over the southwest suburbs. From as early as she can remember, she was raised surrounded by classic rock and musical theatre, and often performed entire albums from her bedroom! Through middle and high school she performed in choir, had leading roles in musicals and plays, then continued on to College of DuPage to study music and voice. There she met her future husband Justin (our Björn!) and the two of them went on to pursue collegiate studies at Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts. Amanda earned a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice, a Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration, and she's remained at her alma mater working by day as the Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management within the CCPA Office of Enrollment - recruiting and helping applicants and students from all over the world.
After settling permanently in Chicago, Amanda spent two summers performing in Cape Cod with the summerstock College Light Opera Company. She's since performed and worked with many of Chicago's professional musical theatre companies, some of which include Porchlight Music Theatre, Music Theater Works, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers Theatre, and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. She won a Jeff Award as Sara in Murder Ballad (Bailiwick Chicago), was Jeff-nominated for her turn as Tonya Harding in Tonya and Nancy: The Rock Opera (Underscore Theatre), earned a BroadwayWorldChicago Award for Mother in Ragtime (Big Noise Theatre), and works for feminism-in-musical-theatre as a founding company member of Firebrand Theatre. In fact, her extensive career within musical theatre led to her joining Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute in 2013!
Since then, it's been the honor of her lifetime to entertain crowds of all ages and backgrounds as your resident Agnetha, and to lean into that connection made through music. Seeing the joy that this music brings people, watching them sing and dance with sparkling abandon, knowing that the band is a small part of making someone's day better - that's what it's all about! And to be doing so with timeless tunes from the world's greatest pop band? It's magic. After all, Amanda's favorite thing to say is, "ABBA just makes people happy!" She's endlessly thankful to be performing every day alongside her husband, and on stage with such a stellar group of musicians, humans, and true friends. "So I say: Thank you for the music!"
Justin’s Bio:
Justin grew up in Woodridge, IL with a family that loved music and cultivated that love in him from the very beginning. Early musical memories involve singing to Elton John's soundtrack to The Lion King in the car every chance he had, and performing his solo in Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" for the junior high talent show! While he began singing at a very young age, Justin started playing guitar at 12 years old, and his first teacher was his mom. This was followed by his dad and then his uncles, too, all of whom played guitar!
Justin sang all throughout high school and then went on to formally study music at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL where he met his wife (our Agnetha!) in the choir room in 2006! After graduating junior college, he transferred into the Chicago College of Performing Arts where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice.
In addition to the honor of performing with his awesome bandmates, Justin has performed extensively in Chicago's musical theater scene with companies such as Griffin Theatre Company, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, and Music Theater Works. During that time he won a Jeff Award for his performance as Fabrizio in The Light in the Piazza and was named a Hot New Face of Chicago Theater by the Chicago Tribune in 2015. He has also worked in Chicago's classical music scene singing with several churches and performing with Chicago Opera Vanguard, where he had the opportunity to premiere a new work, The Suitcase - An Opera, in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2011.
Having joined in 2019, it is an incredible joy for him to be performing with Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute - especially alongside his wife and the other wonderful humans and musicians that he has the privilege of calling his bandmates. Justin is grateful for the chance to make audiences happy and put out positive energy into the world, all while paying tribute to the greatest pop band of all time - ABBA!
Davide’s Bio:
Originally from Switzerland, Davide joined his first band when he was 13. A few years later he started studying music and after completing a four year apprenticeship in optometry he moved to Boston where he met his wife and graduated from Berklee College of Music with degrees in composition, arranging and bass performance.
He eventually landed in Chicago in the spring of 2003 where he started playing in jazz ensembles and supporting several singer/songwriters. At the same time he discovered the local tribute scene which in the end led him to join Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute in 2007 (then ABBA Salute) as bass player and sound engineer.
Over the past 20 years he has worked on several musical theater productions as bass player, light designer and sound engineer. He is now in charge of this project, so good luck everyone!
Cheryl’s Bio:
Cheryl was born and raised in Stilwell, KS, a small suburb south of Kansas City and, as the lyric says, she “began to sing long before she talked.” Encouraged by her musical mother, Cheryl started singing in church with her first solo performance at the age of 3. Even though she was dissuaded from performing her first choice (Let’s Get Physical by Olivia Newton-John), singing her second favorite song (Jesus Loves Me) solidified her love of performing.
Cheryl quickly expanded from singing in church to musical theater. Fortunate to be living in a community rich with local opportunities, she performed in her first musical at the age of 10 and started taking voice and dance lessons. Between the ages of 10 and 18, she appeared in over 25 musicals and continued to pursue her performance education in college. She graduated from Missouri State in 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater.
After college, Cheryl spent several years performing in small regional theaters across the Midwest before landing in Chicago. While continuing to pursue a career in the theater, a friend (and familiar Swiss bass player) informed her that his Pink Floyd tribute act was seeking female background singers. Eager for any opportunity to expand her experience and inspired by her mother, who had been a member of a gospel band many years before, Cheryl jumped at the chance. She became a member of Think Floyd USA in 2004, where she met her drummer husband (another familiar face to DQ fans) Keith Daproza, honed her skills of “screaming on pitch,” and never looked back.
Cheryl started subbing for Dancing Queen when they were still known as ABBA Salute back in 2012 and officially joined the band as the resident “Frida” in 2018. She also appears from time to time rocking out with Ginger (70s-80s rock covers). She is so ecstatic to be a part of Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute and share the joy of the music of ABBA along with some of her closest friends. “Thanks for all your generous love, and thanks for all the fun!”
Keith’s Bio:
Keith Daproza was born in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Streamwood, IL, where he took private lessons with Larry Colletti and played percussion from elementary through high school. At the age of 15, he joined an original metal band named ARS MAGNA, based out of Wood Dale, IL and his career began at the Rusty Nail in Chicago. He’d go on to play a few more shows with the band before they broke up after the bandleader was arrested and jailed.
After high school, Keith did a 4 year US Army enlistment as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. He departed the Army and went back home to work for his father. His father encouraged him to get back into drumming and Keith joined a cover band named Igneous Biscuit. The band played bars, clubs, boats, casinos, and festivals in the Chicago Region area for about a decade.
In 2004 Keith and friends founded Think Floyd USA and by 2005 he’d quit working a regular job altogether. 2006 -07 was a scary couple of years, but after doing a “drop-in” on sight at School Of Rock Chicago, he was asked to interview and was hired in August of 2007. In 2008 he proposed to Cheryl Jennison (best decision ever). Living in Rogers Park (2006 - 2010) Keith would remarkably find his place hanging out & playing at the Heartland Cafe and Red Line Tap. There, he was introduced to a local songwriter and artist named Micki Croisant and music maven Barrett Tasky - with Davide Pezzini, bass, the group wrote, recorded, and played live as “Good Name Band”. Keith also did some recording for the post-punk band “Roundeye” with Brettly Kawaguchi, and at the same time, he’d collaborated with Barrett Tasky, Cheryl Jennison Daproza, Jon Rogers, and Andrew Doney for "Barrett’s Hidden Agenda". He’d also collaborated and recorded for three years with, Andy Levenberg, Anthony Rubino, Barrett Tasky, and Calvin Ramsayer, a mass of song demos lovingly called the "Hot Soup" sessions.
Through the years Keith had built a good reputation playing and teaching drums and his history of being a good friend and bandmate is legendary. In 2015 he was asked by Davide if he'd like to take the gig with ABBA Salute and Piano Man. How could he say no? Davide was the constant and sharing a stage with his own wife and another fabulous couple like Amanda and Justin was one of the best decisions he's ever made. Keith is proud to play with Amanda, Cheryl, Justin, Davide, (Kono and York) as Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute. And in his own words: “We are a band that is celebrated by a magnificent league of loyal people. A band that is founded in the kinship of brothers and sisters, led with the best of our hearts and minds, and branded with love and respect."
(Click here to view a collection of photos taken by Keith during shows for an on-stage and behind-the-scenes perspective! We lovingly call this gallery the Keith Cam.)
Justin Kono’s Bio:
Justin Kono is a percussionist, pianist, conductor, and orchestrator of uncommon range. Originally from Darien, Illinois, Justin has run the gamut of being a freelance musician in the Chicagoland area. After studying classical percussion and conducting at DePaul and Northwestern Universities, he started transitioning into leadership and music direction roles in and out of the theater scene. He frequently works with Porchlight Music Theatre and has music directed Spring Awakening, their traveling show, Broadway In Your Backyard, and has played drums for Sophisticated Ladies, Chicago Sings Broadway Rock and Roll, Billy Elliot, the ICONS Gala 2022, and Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi. Other regional credits include All Shook Up, Freaky Friday (Williams Street Rep), Legends of the 50s and 60s, Mamma Mia (Music Theater Works), and Kiss Me Kate (The Marriott Theater). Justin will be music directing Zorro with Music Theater Works in August 2022 along with Jekyll and Hyde for the Chicagoland Theater Fund in September 2022. Justin has also music directed and accompanied at The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. When not in the theater, Justin serves as the Instrumental Music Director at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Downers Grove. He also plays drums in Piano Man: A Tribute to Elton John and Billy Joel. Many thanks to everyone in the band for trusting and supporting him as a pianist and sub drummer for the group!
Micky’s Bio:
Micky is originally from Kansas City, MO, where he first met Cheryl in a production of Hello, Dolly! when they were in high school in the late 1900s. Ten years before that he started playing piano, which means it has been a very, very long time. Even though he's lived in Chicago since 2001, he will still speak very passionately to you about the Royals and Kansas City BBQ whether you ask about it or not. If you need visual aids, he's also got a BBQ PowerPoint all ready to go and possibly some emergency bottles of sauce in his car, just in case.
After a BFA in Musical Theatre from Drake University (where he also learned to play the harp because why not?), Micky received his Masters in Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago. Over the past 20 years, he's worked extensively as a music director in Chicago theatre and various bands, performing all over the country. He won an After Dark Award in 2006 for his music direction of Happy End, produced by Brown Couch Theatre Company, which he co-founded and operated for five years.
These days, Micky has far too many jobs (VP of Innovation for a tech startup; adjunct instructor at Columbia College Chicago; adjunct instructor at College of DuPage; frequent performer at Davenport's Piano Bar & Cabaret; principal harpist for Bluewater Kings Band in both Chicago (and Michigan, for some reason?); music director for several local cabaret acts; and who knows, probably some other stuff by the time you read this) plus a dog and two cats and several iPad games that demand his constant attention. But even with all those things going on, Micky has the most fun with his friends in Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute and is excited to bring you even more glitter this summer.
Virginia’s Bio:
Virginia grew up in the small town of Lima, OH. One of her first memories is watching the musical Oliver! with her Grandpa and singing along to “Oom-Pah-Pah” at the top of her toddler lungs! Her obsession with music, theater, and film hasn’t stopped since. She’s so grateful that her family has always supported her in the arts and are her biggest fans whether they were attending one of her childhood living room puppet musicals or tuning into the episode you can finally see her whole face on Chicago P.D.
Virginia graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in Manhattan and very much considers the Upper West Side her home away from home. She also has a degree in Business Management from The Ohio State University and uses that as a Senior Account Executive whenever she isn’t performing.
After graduating college, she accepted roles in four national tours for Chamber Theater based out of Boston and has been lucky enough to perform in 41 states across the U.S. She’s also been a featured extra in shows like Shameless, Empire, Chicago P.D., and can frequently be found acting out dramatic deaths as victims in Chicago's The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show. But Virginia’s first love has always been music so along with performing in many musicals throughout the greater Chicago area she sings for multiple bands.
Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute is one of 3 bands she currently performs with in the Midwest. Subbing for both leading ladies has been a highlight of her Chicago experience and the beautiful ABBA audiences are her favorite part of every show!
Elya’s Bio:
Elya Bottiger grew up in Kansas City, MO but spent her childhood bouncing around various places, always anchored by her love for music. As a kid, she couldn't get enough of the "ABBA Gold" album, which was on constant rotation in her household. Fast forward to her stint in Wisconsin, where Elya performed in over 100 shows of "Mamma Mia" and unearthed a deep affection for ABBA's lesser-known tracks.
Her adventure in the performing arts kicked off at the tender age of seven with her first musical. Elya later refined her craft at Columbia College Chicago, graduating with a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance. Her career has taken her to stages across the nation, lighting up Chicago’s theatre scene with memorable performances at Theo Ubique, Porchlight Music Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Open Door Repertory Theatre, and Three Cat Productions.
Elya's infectious enthusiasm for singing led her to join the dazzling ABBA tribute band, Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute. Sharing the stage with a phenomenal group of musicians and friends, she delights in spreading the joy and magic of ABBA's timeless music to audiences of all ages. There’s nothing quite like watching the crowd light up and dance along!
Offstage, Elya has a wanderlust spirit, with cherished travel memories from Southeast Asia to the Caribbean. Fun fact: Elya makes candles and if Elya were a scented candle, she'd be “Old Curiosity Shop,” exuding the delightful aromas of buttercream frosting, antiques, and neroli.
Grateful for every opportunity to perform and connect through the universal language of ABBA, Elya is excited to keep this joyous journey rocking.
Tiffany’s Bio:
Born and raised in Joliet IL, Tiffany Theana Taylor got bit by the performance bug quite early, starting out in dance classes at 3 years old. Her biggest musical influences as a child were The Cheetah Girls, Michael Jackson, Nelly Furtado, and anything that played on 93.9 Lite FM, the station her mom played in the car throughout her entire childhood. She discovered her passion for musical theatre through her high school drama club, but didn’t actually learn how to sing until she was 16 years old. She later went on to obtain her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Coming from a family full of medical professionals, she is the first in her family to professionally pursue a creative endeavor, which is an honor and a feat.
Outside of performing, Tiffany enjoys sushi, kbbq, very long walks, pilates, fine fragrances, solo travel, spending quality time with her friends, and taking really great care of her skin. She takes pride in her half-filipino heritage and is working on getting her dual-citizenship from the Philippines this year.
Tiffany has performed across the Midwest on various stages such as the Paramount Theatre, Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, Mercury Theatre, and now, with the incredible Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute! She is thrilled and elated to be singing from such an incredible musical catalogue with a group who she has seen perform many times since she first moved to Chicago almost 10 years ago. It’s an honor to share the stage with these artists. Thank you for the music!
Band’s Bio:
Established in 2004, Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute is celebrating its 20th year of bringing the joy of ABBA to audiences in Chicagoland and across the U.S.! If you've ever been in our audience, you have probably heard our Agnetha say, "ABBA just makes people happy." The fact of the (musical) matter is: It TRULY does! And the honor of performing ABBA's music, spreading good vibes to all the super troupers we meet, goes back to our group’s origin. The band's founding women, Nicky von Kondrat (our original Agnetha) and Julie Brock (our original Frida), through their combined love of performing together and the inherent magic of ABBA's songs, established the band's strong foundation and connection with audiences from the very beginning - and it remains the cultural bedrock of our group today.
It takes an initial wild, loving spark of an idea to start a band, and it must be a unique spark to specifically begin an ABBA tribute band…right?!? This all began back in 2003, when Nicky was working as a leasing agent for a real estate company. During an apartment showing, Nicky's client told her that he had been a USPS worker for 25 years but was giving it all up for a music career! He then said...he wanted to start an ABBA tribute band. The spark! Nicky shared her own love of music making, and a deal was struck – he would play piano for her jazz singing if she would be in the band. Thanks to Nicky being the adventurous, fun-loving soul that she is, she accepted!
Doing anything brand new is not easy, especially when you're figuring it out as you go, but it always helps to have a fierce companion. At the time, Nicky was working at the beloved Chicago neighborhood biker bar Twisted Spoke for a rad boss named Julie. Julie would always sing at work but was not a fan of the spotlight (having previously sung in a punk band in St. Louis, Julie had such horrible stage fright that she eventually got out of music.) But…Nicky and Julie had been looking for ways to spend valuable and enjoyable time together, so when this ABBA band idea presented itself, they couldn’t let the opportunity pass. Nicky found her co-star in her co-worker, Julie, who thankfully also has an adventurous soul, and the two embarked on a new musical adventure together - completely unaware, of course, where it would lead. Nicky and Julie had no other goals other than to be doing something that "just made them happy.”
In the beginning, honestly, no one really knew exactly what they were doing. The talent and drive were there, but experience of working professionally from scratch wasn’t there to sustain it, and the beginnings were very slow moving. After a few months of initial work, they had luckily found some great instrumental musicians to fill out the band, but still after a year of trying to throw this together, the group was about 25% prepared to play live performances. When Nicky became pregnant with her second daughter, the band took a break and the momentum started to fizzle out!
During this time, Nicky and Julie had answered an Illinois Entertainer ad for backup singers needed in an Elton John/Billy Joel act called Piano Man, led by Mike Sigman. When Nicky and Julie told Mike about their paused ABBA project, already being a huge ABBA fan, he offered to team up with them and restart the venture. With Mike’s experience combined with our awesome founding ladies, ABBA Salute was reignited! Of the original personnel, the pianist had left, the drummer left to work with Blue Man Group, the guitarist left to join Poi Dog Pondering, and the bassist, Davide Pezzini, had also left – but, he rejoined in 2007. So, Davide, our current bassist and tour/production manager, has actually been in the band for 17 years plus the very early beginning!
Partnered together, with everyone’s skills combined, and through years of hard work and dedication, ABBA Salute grew year to year playing hundreds of shows all over Chicagoland and beyond. And in that time, they developed a loyal following of fans everywhere they played. In addition to these four founders, there’s been a long list of incredible musicians and performers who have been a part of the band’s lasting legacy including Larry Lieberum (2nd keys), Max Hellermann (guitar), Jeffrey Snyder (sax), Mike Piane (drums), Jim Albrecht (drums), Brett Sleeman (drums), Tom Flynn (bass), and Jordan Leen (Frida).
In 2017, the band officially changed names from ABBA Salute to Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute. Through all these changes leading to today, that original heartbeat of the band has remained the same: “ABBA just makes people happy.” Nicky and Julie embarked on this project out of wanting to do something fun together that they truly enjoyed. That joy was then amplified through their electric connection with the amazing ABBA Salute audiences, spreading the good vibes of ABBA everywhere they went, turning attendees into true fans (sometimes their meet and greets would be as long as the show itself)! Our current roster and band family are proud and honored to continue spreading this happiness everywhere we can to every Chiquitita, Super Trouper, Fernando, and Dancing Queen! As the band continues to soar to new heights, we remain in debt and deep gratitude to our founding ladies for beginning this musical adventure together.
Nicky and Julie are no longer performing with the band but are of course continuing to be rock stars! Julie’s musical career stopped after Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute, when she moved out to the East Coast to pursue another passion (she is excelling at it, of course), and Nicky is involved with several music projects that you should check out:
Sloe Gin Fizz (Jazz duo)
We can’t wait to see you at an upcoming show! Vi ses!