Marion Palace Theatre Opens Auditions for A Chorus Line This Weekend
- Chip Gregory
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
MARION, Ohio — Thirty-six years after A Chorus Line played to sold-out crowds at the Marion Palace Theatre, director Clare Cooke is preparing to bring the Broadway landmark back to the downtown stage.
The Palace will hold auditions for A Chorus Line from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 16, on the theatre’s main stage, 276 W. Center Street, Marion, Ohio. Auditions are open to performers ages 16 and older. Cast and character breakdown below.
Performances will be July 10–12, 2026.
The production calls for performers with “triple threat” ability — the musical theatre term for artists who can sing, dance and act. In A Chorus Line, those skills have to work together, with performers moving through choreography, vocals and character work in one seamless performance.
Cooke’s history with the Marion Palace Theatre began in 1976, when she started as a choreographer. Her work later expanded into producing and then directing, making her a creative force behind many large, high-end productions at the Palace for nearly 50 years.
And she has not slowed down.
That history makes her return to A Chorus Line especially meaningful. The musical was the first show Cooke directed at the Palace in 1990. More than three decades later, she is returning to the same Broadway landmark with a new generation of performers and the same ambitious standard that has defined her work.
I sat down with Cooke and assistant director and choreographer Kristi Wink to talk about bringing the show back to the Palace stage, the scale of the production and what they are looking for in auditions. Cooke said she has been in pre-production for weeks and is eager to see the performers who come out.
“This is an ambitious and exacting show, but we know we have the talent here in Marion and beyond to cast it,” Cooke said.
Cooke’s 1990 Palace production played to sold-out crowds. Now, 36 years later, she is preparing to mount the show again with Wink and a full production team. The team has already received interest and phone calls from performers across Central Ohio.
A look back at Marion Palace Theatre musicals brought to life by Clare Cooke and Kristi Wink, from Annie and Happy Days to Beauty and the Beast and The Will Rogers Follies.
A Chorus Line is not a run-of-the-mill musical. Most of its principal performers need to be “triple threats” — performers with strong command of dancing, singing and acting. The production features 17 principal roles, along with smaller roles and ensemble opportunities for performers whose strengths may lean more heavily toward one discipline.
Wink also brings deep Palace history to the production. She grew up performing on the Marion Palace Theatre stage. A triple threat in her own right, she went on to become Miss Ohio and performed on Broadway before returning to Marion to raise her family with her husband.
Wink has also directed, choreographed and served as a producer for Marion’s fringe theatre group, Rogue Theatrics. She has taught performing arts through the Palace youth program and at her Douce Dance Studios.
For A Chorus Line, that background matters. Wink understands the show from the performer’s side and the choreographer’s side. The movement has to be clean. The storytelling has to be honest. The performers have to carry the physical demands of the show while still delivering character, humor, vulnerability and precision.
Wink said the production team is committed to honoring the diversity of the characters and casting those roles appropriately.
Cooke said the musical is built around a Broadway audition, but its emotional force comes from the performers themselves. Based on real stories from working dancers, A Chorus Line has everything audiences want in a show: spectacle, iconic music, bold choreography, heartbreak, romance and the kind of joy that only live theatre can deliver.
The original Broadway production opened in 1975 and became one of the defining musicals of its era. Conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett, with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante, the show won nine Tony Awards and the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
It ran for 6,137 performances on Broadway.
For Wink, the show’s impact is personal. “It was the first Broadway album I ever listened to,” Wink said. “When it premiered, it was our Hamilton — the show everyone knew, talked about and wanted to see.”
Wink said the production will be intensive, but the team is confident Central Ohio has the performers to meet it. Cooke said she is also looking forward to introducing the show to audiences who may only know the title, or may not know it at all.
“A lot of people don’t know the show,” Cooke said. “We’re looking forward to staging it for those who will be surprised when they see it.”
Those auditioning should come dressed for movement. The audition will include a dance call. Performers should also prepare a one-minute solo with sheet music. A pianist will be provided, and recorded accompaniment will not be allowed. Auditioners may also be asked to read from the script.
Rehearsals will be intensive, Wink said, but the team has worked to create a schedule that is manageable for the cast.
“If you are willing to work hard, learn and be part of something amazing, come try out,” Cooke said.
Cast Breakdown
Lead Female Roles
Cassie Ferguson — 30–35
A former featured performer returning to the chorus after years away from the line. Cassie is forced to humble herself and audition alongside younger, less-experienced dancers. A true triple-threat role featuring “The Music and the Mirror.”
Diana Morales — 22–30
A streetwise Latina dancer from the Bronx with toughness, humor and resilience. Diana sings “Nothing,” revealing her charm, vulnerability and determination.
Judy Turner
Funny, gawky, nervous, warm and hopeful. Awkward in life, but not when dancing. Ideally cast with a taller dancer.
Val Clark
Bold, funny, direct and unapologetic. Val is an excellent dancer with a standout personality and performs “Dance 10, Looks 3,” which will be edited in this production as “This & That.”
Bebe Benzenheimer — 18–25
Quiet, vulnerable and kind. Bebe is insecure about her looks and tries to cover it with humor. She sings the middle harmony in “At the Ballet.”
Connie Wong
An experienced, petite dancer with a sharp sense of humor and a mother-hen quality. The role should believably play 4-foot-10.
Kristine Urich — 18–25
Al’s scatter-brained wife, who cannot sing. Awkward, anxious and funny, Kristine “speaks” the song “Sing” but sings in the ensemble numbers.
Maggie Winslow
A warm, dreamer type from California. Maggie is a sweetheart role requiring a strong singer with a mix belt up to E natural for the climax of “At the Ballet.”
Sheila Bryant — 30s
The oldest dancer on the line. Confident, brassy, sophisticated and sharp. Sheila sings the low harmony in “At the Ballet.”
Lead Male Roles
Zach — 40s
The director and choreographer running the audition. Zach is curt and demanding, but ultimately caring and empathetic. This is a non-singing role, though movement ability is needed.
Larry — 25+
Zach’s assistant, who teaches and demonstrates the audition combinations. Larry must be an exceptional dancer and the standard the auditioners are trying to match. The role may also be cast as Lori.
Bobby Mills — 25+
Funny, witty and sharp-tongued. Bobby covers pain with humor and comes from a difficult childhood.
Mark Anthony — 18
Optimistic, naïve, charming and a first-timer. Mark is a strong dancer with an All-American quality.
Mike Costa — 20–25
Aggressive, confident, determined and likable. Mike is a tap dancer who has worked with Zach before and must be able to tap. The role may also be cast as Mikki.
Richie Walters
Enthusiastic, cool, funny and laid back. Richie is a strong dancer and an African-American performer from Missouri.
Al Deluca — 25
Street-tough, macho and newly married to Kristine. Al is protective and needs to be a strong singer, especially as the contrast to Kristine in “Sing.”
Paul San Marco
Introverted, vulnerable and emotionally complex. Paul is from Spanish Harlem and has one of the show’s most powerful monologues.
Don Kerr
Confident, married and sure of himself. Don is into cars, money and women, and has worked with Zach before.
Gregory Gardener — 25
Sharp, witty and smart-aleck. Gregory is an East Side New York performer with a strong personality.
Cut Dancers / Additional Roles
The production will also cast auditioners who are eliminated during the show’s first cut. These performers may appear in larger ensemble numbers, serve as offstage singers and/or work as understudies. These roles will have a limited rehearsal schedule.
Performances of A Chorus Line are scheduled for July 10–12, 2026, on the Marion Palace Theatre main stage.
For more information, visit marionpalace.org or call the Palace Box Office at 740-383-2101.
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