Bruce Dow played leading roles in Oliver!, South Pacific, Into The Woods, and Guys & Dolls. Now, he embarks on the role of a lifetime - the MC in Kander and Ebb's Cabaret

Born in Seattle, Washington, and raised in Vancouver, Bruce Dow knew from an early age that performing was going to be a major component of his life. Asked what his inspiration for becoming an actor as a child, he calmy, and somewhat sheepishly, replied "Batman".

He grew up knowing that becoming an actor was something he wanted to do, and attended the University of British Columbia and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts. While in school, he found another area of the theatre that he was drawn to – directing. He went back to school and received his Masters Degree in Directing, once again from the University of British Columbia.

After graduation he auditioned for Les Miserables, and was cast as a swing. That show launched his professional theatre career, which has taken him from Broadway to Toronto to Stratford, where he now makes his home.

His Broadway credits include Anything Goes, The Music Man, and Jane Eyre. During his time in New York he worked with some heavyweight directors – John Caird, Susan Stroman, Robert Longbottom, and Scott Schwartz. He played Pirelli in the Toronto revival of Sweeney Todd directed by Morris Panych, which led to his first Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination, for Outstanding Performance in A Supporting Role.

In the early 1990s Dow began work at the Stratford Festival of Canada (known now as the Stratford Shakespeare Festival) and his work there has put him on the map, both with audiences and with critics alike. His first major role there was in The Mikado, playing the role of Nanki-Poo. Nothing could have prepared him though for the acclaim he received playing the role of Sancho Panza in Man Of La Mancha, opposite Juan Chioran. He received numerous accolades from theatre critics, and audiences began to fall in love with him.

His strong work continued at the Festival with roles in Oliver!, and Patience, and in 2005 he was able to perform as the Baker in Peter Hinton's production of Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods. He mentioned that his role in Into The Woods was a "dream come true" for him, and had seemed out of reach for him prior to working at the Festival. He once again received critical and audience acclaim for the role, and many noted that his work was simply "getting better and better".

One of the amazing things about Bruce is his versatility. He is not only an accomplished musical theatre actor, but he has performed roles in Julius Caesar, As You Like It, The Merchant Of Venice, and most recently as one half of the infamous twins in The Comedy Of Errors.

He has also worked as a composer and lyricist, and one of his pieces, entitled Wilde Tales, will receive a full production in Pittsburgh in 2008. The show comprises of two one-act musicals, The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant.

The task at hand for Dow though is the leading role in Cabaret, the role of the Emcee at the Festival. The role has been played by the likes of Joel Grey, Alan Cumming and Jonathan Pryce, and so he has some large shoes to fill. Guiding him in this production is director Amanda Dehnert, who is a resident director at the Trinity Repetory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. He began rehearsals several weeks ago, but it has been far from easy. The role calls for extensive dance, and the vocal challenges of the role are well known. Dow says though, "so far, so good". He has approached the role by sourcing out the original material the show is based on, Christopher Isherwood's The Berlin Stories, and by exploring the role in the rehearsal process. Rick Fox, who is musical directing the show, has written some new arrangements and orchestrations for the show, and Dow is excited to be working with him and Dehnart. As he sang in Into The Woods, he is "excited and scared".

There is no reason for him to be scared - Dow has emerged as the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's musical leading man, and for good reason. I for one can't wait to see his take on the Emcee, and to have him sing those faithful few words "Wilkommen, Bievenue, Welcome" at the top of the show.

To keep himself going outside of rehearsals, Dow has begun a video diary, sharing his experiences during the rehearsal process with his fans on his website. You can see the videos by clicking here.

Cabaret begins performances on May 13th at the Avon Theatre, with the opening night May 29th. The show runs until October 25th. For ticket and show information, click on the Stratford Shakespeare Festival Website.