Meet the Staff

On the stage, Karla is a Southern California musical theater professional whose Regional credits include:  Cinderella (Madame/Performance Riverside), Sound of Music (Mother Abbess/Taylor Center), Grumpy Old Men (Unis/McCoyRigby), White Christmas (Martha Watson/SDMT and 5 Star), The Producers (Hold Me Touch Me/Moonlight), Catch Me If You Can (Carol Strong/Moonlight), Music Man (Mrs. Squires/Moonlight); Fiddler on the Roof, (Yente/Norris), Damn Yankees (Doris/3DT), Young Frankenstein (Frau Blucher/Center Stage), Mary Poppins (Miss Andrew/Performance Riverside), Ragtime (Emma Goldman/Performance Riverside), Sister Act (Mary Lazarus/5 Star & Performance Riverside),  Hairspray (Female Authority Figure/MTW), Church Basement Ladies (Vivian/Sierra Rep), Annie (Miss Hannigan/Chance Theatre). Her actor’s website is:  karlajfranko.com

Off the stage, Karla is Founder/Artistic Director of Standing Room Only Productions Inc., a youth performing arts training program in the High Desert (srohighdesert.com), where she has directed/produced 20+ musicals and 15 Summer Performing Arts Camps.  She also serves as Artistic Director of the newly renovated Cultural Arts Center of the High Desert in Victorville (highdesertarts.org), has been a Victor Valley College faculty member in dual disciplines (Kinesiology/Dance and Religious Studies) for over 25 years, and is the Founder/Manager of Retro Canary Club, alongside her favorite band singer/daughter. (retrocanaryclub.com)

Chelsea grew up in Apple Valley with a love of musical theater instilled from a very young age. She became a professional actor at the age of 12, and since then, has participated in workshops for new musicals, recorded on cast albums, performed with a premier West Coast a cappella group all over Southern California, been a leading character in a YouTube Animatics series, and performed professional regional theater across the U.S. In 2022, Chelsea began performing throughout SoCal with her 10-piece little big band, Retro Canary Club, as the lead singer. (@retrocanaryclub)

In 2016, Chelsea was a part of the world premiere cast of FROZEN: Live at the Hyperion, as Elsa, at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim. She is also the official face of Elsa for the Disneyland Resort and was seen in multiple national commercials. Throughout 2017-2018, Chelsea was the Standby for Elphaba on the Broadway National Tour of WICKED, where she played in 15 cities across America and Canada. Outside her theater career, Chelsea is also an award-winning cabaret artist, headlining many cabaret and supper clubs in Los Angeles and across the U.S. Follow Chelsea Emma on Social Media:  @thechelseaemma