We were more fortunate in our round of local auditions for Cabaret than expected. You don’t always think about it – but finding triple threats (actors who can sing and dance as well as they act) in PDX can be a real challenge. But we were tickled by the results.

Joel Ferrell (our choreographer from West Side Story) had flown in from Ft. Worth to audition the dancers, and taught the combination on the mainstage, while Rose Riordan (casting director), Rick Lewis (musical director) and I sat at a table upstage with the stage lights glaring in our eyes. Kind of like in those old fashioned movies about musicals (think Funny Girl).

I had been hoping that Michele Mariana might prove a good fit for Frau Schneider (the role originated by Lotte Lenya, the famous German actress) – and she knocked us out. Michele is a wonderful Jazz singer and actress, and you may remember her from our productions of A New Brain, A Christmas Carol and The Seagull. Her love interest (Herr Schultz) will be played by Richard Mathews – an incredibly seasoned actor with great warmth, who last appeared as Polonius opposite Scott Coopwood’s Hamlet.

Amy Palomino (Anybodys from West Side Story) made a voluptuous and dangerous Kit Kat Girl, and newcomer John David Woods just knocked us out with his dancing, spirit and impromptu back flip.