The key to a broadly comic spoof is to play it straight from the heart, without obvious irony, and "Dames at Sea" is two hours of unalloyed sunniness.
Rachelle’s first production is pure delight, featuring an excellent cast, inspiring tap dancing and choreography, and a finely tuned musical that is variously laugh-out-loud hilarious, touching and alive with beautifully crafted — and beautifully sung — classic songs.
Valerie Rachelle [and] musical director Jennifer Schloming keep the song-and-dance routines coming at a steady clip - especially the tap numbers - and they're all first rate.
About the Show
Set in the 30s, A naive Ruby arrives in New York with “nothing but tap shoes in her suitcase and a prayer in her heart” and immediately falls into the arms of Dick, a sailor and aspiring songwriter. She lands a role as a chorus girl in a show, only to see her dreams nearly crushed when the theater itself is marked for demolition. But, as the theater saying goes, the show must go on, and it’s up to Dick and his fellow sailors to figure out how. Dames was the first show ever produced at the Cabaret in 1986 and we bring it back to open our 30th season.
A look back at the 10th anniversary production of Dames at Sea in 1996
Jillian Van Niel
Ruby
Lucas Blair
Dick
Lucas Blair (Dick) Is pleased to join the OCT family this season. A California native, Lucas attended a seven year performing arts academy program in Northern California, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, as well as David Green's California Conservatory for the Arts in San Juan Capistrano. Regional credits include; Peter, (CA premiere) BARE: A Pop Opera; Moritz, Spring Awakening; Riff, West Side Story; Mr. Mistoffelees, CATS; Jimmy, Thoroughly Modern Millie; Russian Soloist, Fiddler on the Roof; Neleus/Valentine, Mary Poppins. Other credits include; Memphis, Hairspray (starring Jimmy Ferraro), Oklahoma, Spamalot, Legally Blonde, Cyrano De Bergerac, White Christmas, A Christmas Carol, Guys and Dolls, Brigadoon, Annie Get Your Gun, Singin' In The Rain, The Wizard of Oz, and many more. Visit www.lucasblair.net
Emily Fisher
Joan
Emily A. Fisher is delighted to be up in Ashland doing this wonderful show! Although she is new to the Cabaret, she is no stranger to Joan, who she has played before. Selected credits: Zaneeta in The Music Man, Louise in Carousel, Diwata in Speech & Debate. www.emilyafisher.com
Scott Reardon
Lucky
Scott Reardon hails from the Bay Area and has worked up and down the West Coast at theaters such as: Cabrillo Music Theatre, Utah Festival Opera, Fresno Grande Opera, Musical Theatre West, TheatreWorks of Silicon Valley, PCPA, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Disney Cruise Line, Nickelodeon, and SF’s Beach Blanket Babylon. Scott is a graduate of the University of California Irvine where he received honors in Acting and Musical Theater. This is Scott’s first show at the Oregon Cabaret Theater.
Jessica Blaszak
Mona
Jessica is excited for her 9th show at OCT. Some OCT credits: "Smokey Joe's Cafe", "Tapestry" and the title role in "CindyRella". Regional theatre: Chelsea Playhouse NYC, PCPA Theatrefest, Phoenix Theatre, Actors Theatre of Phoenix, The Great American Melodrama and "Suds" with writer/original music director Steve Gunderson at The Mt. Baker Theatre.
Billy Breed
Captain/Director
Seen most recently as Krad in PCPA's premiere of Christmas is here again, Billy has been seen at theatres all over the country. A selected list: PCPA, Great American Melodrama and Vaudville, Theatre at the Center/Chicago, American Eagle Productions, Circa 21 Playhouse, Actors Guild of Lexington, Alaskan Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre, Lexington Shakespeare Festival, Old School House Theatre, Royal Palm Theatre, The Stephen Foster Story, Lexington Children's Theatre, and the Jenny Wiley Music Theatre.