Bets Malone (center) in Rocky Horror Picture Show, 2016

I’m asking veteran actors to name five dream roles and say why. The answers not only reveal aspirations, they may put an idea in the minds of artistic directors and producers — even choices that seem outside the box.

Bets Malone

Craig Noel Award winner Bets Malone

“Wow, this is more difficult than I thought. I’ve been ridiculously fortunate to check quite a few items off my original bucket list, but as the world evolves, so I and so does my list.”

• — Dot in Sunday in the Park with George, by Stephen Sondheim. “It’s first and foremost. I have dreamed of this since I first saw the show. I wore out my cassette. I wore out my VHS, and I wear out my family talking about how much I want to play her. I think of all Sondheim’s pieces it speaks to the heart, passion, and blind devotion of the true artist, and examines the sacrifices that come with dedication. At the same time, I love that it examines the damage that can occur without a proper balance between the art and our lives.”

As Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Moonlight Stage Productions, 2012

• — Mame Dennis. “Either in the Jerry Herman musical Mame or in the play Auntie Mame, by Lawrence and Lee. I’ve always been drawn in by this fantastic, eccentric character, her wild, zany spirit, and especially her love affair with an amazing child. Being a child actress myself, and growing up around the most diverse and tolerant humans on the planet, I feel like I’ve had a great number of Auntie Mames in my life — and have a lot to pull from. I’ve also had the privilege of working with some crazy-talented children and appreciate how they can inspire you to be better than you thought you could be.”

As Diana in Next to Normal, San Diego Musical Theatre, 2014

• — Edith/Little Edie in Grey Gardens, by Frankel, Korie, and Wright. “I saw the 1975 documentary a few years before the musical was written and have been fascinated by these two women and how they ended up where they did. I’d love to explore the dynamic of the mother/daughter relationship and how dysfunctional it grew. And I’m a big fan of Doug Wright (the author) and how he can tap into the human condition so honestly.”

• — “This one’s sort of a cheat. One of my bucket-list items is to work my way through all the roles in Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. I played Petra a few years ago and I just adore this piece of theater. Now I want to be Charlotte Malcolm, Desiree Armfeldt, and finally Madame Armfeldt. Sondheim’s amazing. He writes women of all ages and captures their complexities so beautifully. I want to walk in the shoes of everyone he creates — is that asking too much?”

• — Helen in Fun Home, by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel. “I had the honor of seeing my great friend Beth Malone play the lead in her Tony-nominated performance on Broadway. It’s a beautiful, if disturbing piece about the complicated relationships in a family when secrets and deception are at its core. Judy Kuhn played Helen, and I found her breathtaking. The long-suffering wife who finally hits her breaking point is something I’d love to take a crack at!”
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