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March 29, 2024

Steve Wynn looking for a ‘belter’ to fill void left by ‘Showstoppers’ singer

‘Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers’ Press Conference

Denise Truscello / WireImage / DeniseTruscello.net

Vocalists Kerry O’Malley, Lindsay Roginski, Nicole Kaplan, David Burnham, Randal Keith and Andrew Ragone flank Steve Wynn during the press conference for “Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers” in Encore Theater on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014, in Wynn Las Vegas.

‘Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers’ Press Conference

Director Philip William McKinley, Andrea Wynn, Steve Wynn and choreographer Marguerite Derricks attend the press conference for “Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers” in Encore Theater on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014, in Wynn Las Vegas. Launch slideshow »

It’s the type of stage role that never opens.

But it is open now.

Auditions are continuing for a coveted slot in “Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers,” for one of the three principal female singers in the lavishly presented, Broadway-steeped production at Encore Theater in Wynn Las Vegas. The departing cast member is Kerry O’Malley, a remarkable talent who is heading back to L.A. to spend time with her husband, Karl Sonnenberg.

Sonnenberg also is in the entertainment industry; he’s an ex-cop and EMT in Los Angeles County who has become a consultant (and occasional actor) on “Law & Order: SVU” and “The Mentalist,” among other TV and film projects.

O’Malley opted to step away from “Showstoppers,” allowing her original contract with the show to time out. In a Twitter back-and-forth, she said that she simply wanted to return to her L.A. home and husband, having been away for 18 months.

“It’s time for him to come first,” she posted, adding, “I hope they find someone spectacular. It’s a spectacular gig.”

A hotel spokeswoman said, “We are sad to see Kerry go, and we are working to identify someone who has her level of talent.”

O’Malley, a film, TV and Broadway stage vet (“Billy Elliott” and “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” are among her Broadway credits), made it so. She survived a nationwide audition last year that would lead to “nirvana” for the performers, as Wynn said in October. Her full-force renditions of “Everything’s Coming up Roses” and “Cabaret” were the show-stopping numbers sought by Wynn and director Phil McKinley.

The effort to fill out the cast is underway in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, with Wynn joined by choreographer Marguerite Derricks and casting director Louanne Madorma to review the field of performers. I’m hearing that the Las Vegas auditions are drawing the best of the best available vocalists in the city, as the opening is considered a career-making opportunity.

The audition notice, posted about three weeks ago, calls for a female vocalist of “open ethnicity, between 30 and 40 years old, between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-8 inches tall.” Callback dates in Las Vegas are Monday and Tuesday. The start date is not specified, just for September, and those auditioning are told to be ready to unleash “Everything’s Coming up Roses” and “Cabaret,” those songs serving as the first indication that it was O’Malley leaving the cast among the six principals (Lindsay Roginski, Nicole Kaplan, Andrew Ragone, Randal Keith and David Burnham are staying with the show).

The contract offered is one year, with an eight-week “out” notice after six months, full benefits and “one free meal per day in the employee dining room.”

Score! The Wynn EDR is more impressive than many resort restaurants; it even offers a vegan station.

The audition notice also lists a salary of $4,500-$5,500 per week, or $234,000 and $286,000 annually. Not bad. “Showstoppers” is no doubt a spectacular gig, and some lucky belter out there is about to be rewarded, big time.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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