Cristina Perez Edmunds is an accomplished and award-winning recording artist and entertainer with over 18 years of professional experience in the industry. Since 2009, she has enjoyed performing locally as a jazz vocalist in various upscale theaters, hotels, and bars with her own band, as well as many other well-known acts. She has been an entertainer at BB’s Stage Door Canteen since 2011 and is excited to bring Samba in Technicolor to life at the theater she considers home. Cristina cherishes her time learning Portuguese, training in samba, working with a dialect coach, and becoming immersed in the world of Carmen Miranda over the past two-and-a-half years. She is eternally grateful to the extraordinary team members who have lent their time and talents bringing this show to life and would like to thank The National WWII Museum, especially Erica Jensen, who believed in her vision and accepted the challenge of producing this in-house show with one of the most diverse casts the Stage Door Canteen has have ever had. Cristina thanks her family and friends, both near and far for their support. She most especially thanks her husband, Chris, and their children, Oscar and Arabella, who have supported her obsession with all things Carmen Miranda for the past few years and made room in their lives to support her dream.

Meliah Henry Clutter is excited to be returning to BB’s Stage Door Canteen. Previous works at the Canteen include My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra and The Victory Belles Christmas Show as choreographer. Meliah was last seen on world tour with shows I Love Being Here with You and Dancin’ Fool. She was also a cast member of One Man’s Dream: The Magic Lives On at Tokyo Disneyland. Other credits include: Ballet RED (LA), Axiom Contemporary Company (LA), Joffrey Ballet (LA), Chard Gonzalez Dance Theatre (NOLA), and Brice Mouset Dance Company (NYC). Meliah wishes to thank her amazing husband, Cory, for his continued support and love. 

Kelsey Fontenot is a Louisiana-based dancer of Panamanian heritage whose work draws from samba, hip hop, and Latin social dance. She has been dancing with Cidade do Sol Samba Dance Krewe and On Your Toes Dance Company since 2023. This marks her first performance at The National WWII Museum, and she is excited to be part of Carmen Miranda: Samba in Technicolor.

Aline De Souza-Myers (Dancer) is a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She holds a degree in physical education from the Universidade Castelo Branco and is a graduate from Escola Estadual de Danças Maria Olenewa of the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro. She has performed and toured with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus as a dancer and an aerialist. De Souza-Myers has danced and choreographed for Komenka Ethnic Music and Dance Ensemble, performing nationally and internationally. She joined the New Orleans Ballet Association faculty in 2007, serves as the director for NORD/NOBA Center for Dance’s The Nutcracker Suite and Spring Concert productions, and is the founding and lead instructor for the Senior Dance Fitness Program. De Souza-Myers completed the prestigious School of American Ballet's National Visiting Fellows Program in 2019-20.

Keyara Milliner is incredibly grateful to play a small part in bringing the story of Carmen Miranda to The National WWII Museum and thrilled to be returning to BB’s Stage Door Canteen. Outside of performing at the Museum regularly as a Victory Belle, Keyara's previous Canteen credits include Bing and the Belles, Louisiana Christmas Day, and Dames at Sea. When she is not performing as a Victory Belle, she is actively pursuing a career in television, film, and New Orleans theater. Previous credits include: Mayfair Witches (AMC), NCIS: New Orleans (CBS) Sydney to the Max (Disney) Frankenstein, Men on Boats (TheNOLAProject), and The Wolves (Southern Rep). Keyara would like to thank Cristina for making this beautiful show a reality and Coach Dee for her patience and generosity teaching this classically trained dancer to samba.

Courtney Andersen is a born-and-raised New Orleanian. She studied dance under NORD/NOBA and attended NOCCA. She became one of the original Victory Belles in 2010 and is honored to have been an ambassador of the Museum, performing for thousands of active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and civilians before retiring in 2025. Here at BB’s Stage Door Canteen, Courtney has portrayed figures like Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, and Betty Hutton, and has been seen in On the Air, My Way: Tribute to Frank Sinatra, The Andrews Brothers, Lady Legends, and Bing and the Belles. She has also taken the spotlight at Walt Disney World, Carnival Cruise Lines, and as a cover band singer in an array of musical genres. Courtney is currently a solo guest artist on Viking Cruise Lines and lead vocalist for Back Beat Band. Her performance is dedicated to Sienna.

Deidra Alexander is the executive and artistic director of On Your Toes Dance Company and the executive creative director of Cidade do Sol. A certified dance-in-education instructor, Deidra’s career has been shaped by a profound dedication to the art of dance and an expansive journey encompassing teaching, choreography, and performance. She also serves as the dance director of the Sensational Scarlettes at West Jefferson High School. As a former principal dancer at Griot’s in Wichita, Kansas, and a professor of dance at the Wiley University of Renaissance Dance Ensemble, Deidra has performed with various mainstream artists and dance organizations, including a standout performance for Brasil Day at the Jazz Museum of New Orleans. Above all, Deidra cherishes her role as a mother to her daughter, Leah, finding joy and inspiration in balancing her artistic passions with her family life. 

Dr. Geovane Santos is an Afro-Brazilian guitarist, composer, producer, music scholar, cultural consultant, and educator from Belo Horizonte, based in New Orleans since 2015. His work spans performance, composition, and scholarship, exploring race, transculturation, and cultural narratives in music. A recipient of the 2017 Louis Armstrong Foundation Jazz Composer Award and named “Best Brazilian Jazz Guitarist” by OffBeat Magazine in 2019, he is the creator of New Orleans Brasil Day and The Griot Series. Santos holds a master’s degree in jazz studies from the University of New Orleans and a doctorate in Latin American studies from Tulane University, with a research focus in the intersection of 1960s Brazilian popular music and jazz diplomacy.

Peter Gustafson  plays the trombone in world-renowned musical projects, including Geovane Santos's Orkestra Maria Fumaça, the Panorama Brass Band, the New Orleans High Society, the Kumasi Afrobeat Ochestra, and Conjunto Tierra Linda, in addition to composing, recording, and performing music under his own name. In 2025, he released an album of original music entitled falling together featuring Geovane Santos, Nick Benoit, and Fernando Lima. He also directs the jazz band at the New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School.

Brad Broomfield is an educator and musician from New Orleans with a special interest in drums and percussion.

Nick Benoit has been performing regularly around New Orleans since 2009 as a live and session musician in a variety of styles, specializing in bass guitar and upright bass. In addition to playing regularly with Geovane Santos, he’s also performed with a wide array of artists, including Delfeayo Marsalis, Sasha Masakowski, Cliff Hines, Jesse McBride and the Next Generation, Mario Abney, Glenn David Andrews, Dr. Brice Miller, Yusa, Victor Campbell, Patrice Fisher and Arpa, and Mahmoud Chouki.

Alejandro Canales is a Texas-born saxophonist who grew up near Denver, building a versatile international career in jazz and contemporary music. He has toured worldwide with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, performing in production shows and backing artists across Motown, R&B, classical, and rock styles while doubling on flute and clarinet. Canales has performed with the Reno Jazz Orchestra, Soul Brass Band, the Treme Brass Band, and Trombone Shorty, and released his debut album, Bluish Hue, as a bandleader. An active performer and educator, he continues to appear with projects spanning jazz, Latin, funk, and modern improvisation.

Fernando Lima is a local musician who regularly plays with Geovane Santos. He is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Carmen Miranda: Samba in Technicolor at The National WWII Museum.