Cast Hopefuls Drawn to Frenzie, Fosse and 'Cabaret' at Barn Theatre at Winthrop

Another night of auditions is set for Aug. 23 at the Barn Theatre at Winthrop to cast the upcoming fall production of "Cabaret."

The Frenzie - Life Theatre production is under the direction of Michael Mercer, who founded the Greater Brandon community theater company with his wife, Beverly.

That the company is drawing a regional following was evident in the first night of auditions, Aug. 22, also at the Barn.

"I'm a theater major at the University of Tampa and my life's ambition is to be on Broadway," said cast hopeful Mitchell Spencer.

That "Cabaret" is the featured show only drew his enthusiasm for a Frenzie role even more.

"The show is edgy and its underlying theme concerning the rise of the Third Reich makes you come out of the show a changed person," Spencer said. "It makes you laugh at a lot of things and then it makes you realize what you've been laughing at and you can't help but think deeply about [that period in time]."

Spencer notes, for example, a scene in which the emcee sings a seemingly light-hearted song — "If You Could See Her” — about a woman who looks like an ape, but nevertheless catches his eye, as he extols her many virtues. Only in the last stanza, the emcee ends with the words: "If you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn't look Jewish at all."

That The Frenzie - Life Theatre chooses productions that cause the audience to think deeply is a given. "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead," for example, explored the issues of drug use, suicide, eating disorder, violence, rebellion and sexual relations and identity among teenagers.

Also in The Frenzie repertoire are "Doubt: A Parable," "Bat Boy: The Musical," "The Rocky Horror Show" and the

Nineteen roles are up for grabs in the Tony Award-winning musical "Cabaret," based on the book by Joe Masteroff with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.

Tricia Beck, a Plant City High School junior, is hoping to land one of those parts.

“Every time I see this troupe they blow my mind," Beck said. "The choreography, the lighting and they find the best plots. There's a connotation out there that community theater is jsut people who do this after work. They're helping to change that thinking."

Monique Ransome is vying for the role of Sally Bowles.

"This is a dream role for me, playing Sally, or any role in 'Cabaret,' " she said. "I really do love the show. The music from Kander and Ebb, the characters and the dance of [choreographer Bob] Fosse."

Cast hopeful Justin Batten, a community theater and Frenzie veteran, is helping to choreograph the fall production of "Cabaret" with Amber Roberts.

"The music is amazing," said Batten, who last choreographed, with Roberts, the Frenzie production of "The Rocky Horror Show." In that show, there was a range of styles of dance to address; in "Cabaret," Batten said, a certain style is required throughout.

"Fosse is controlled, rigid and quirky," he said. "We have to be able to portray that style throughout the whole show."