Christina Jackson (second from left) portrays Brigitta Von Trapp in The Sound of Music at Victoria Theater in Dayton. (Joan Marcus photo)

Last August, the Jackson family of Loveland decided to spend a week vacationing in New York, which is how 12-year-old Christina came to be touring this year as Brigitta Von Trapp in Troika Entertainment's non-Equity production of The Sound of Music.

Talk about "just one of those things." A neighbor put the Jacksons in touch with a friend in New York who could suggest shows. She found some tickets through another friend. When the Jacksons invited her to lunch as a thank you, "we were about halfway through and she said, "Can we talk business?" says Christina's mom, Lori.

Turns out the friend-of-a-friend is a casting agent and invited Christina to audition the next day for the role that had come open. Lori just happened to have packed some head shots and resumes. "Because you never know what might happen," she says.

Christina had to bow out of Tom Sawyer with Children's Theatre and A Christmas Carol at Playhouse, but Lori Jackson reports it's been great, "although the one-nighters are a little taxing," she says with a laugh.

They're now in Eugene, Ore., will spend Thanksgiving in Phoenix and Christmas in Biloxi, Miss.

The tour is booked through mid-May. The closest it will get to Cincinnati is Dayton's Victoria Theatre March 16-28. (Call the box office at 888-228-3630 or visit online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.)

More casting news

CCM 2003 grad Melissa Bohon was with the touring Oklahoma! for exactly one week before she got the call that will put her on Broadway in the revival of Fiddler on the Roof beginning in January.

You can find 2001 CCM drama grad (and East Walnut Hills native) Justin Schultz off-Broadway at prestigious New York Theatre Workshop in The Beard of Avon. (If the title's familiar it's because Amy Freed's pointed comedy played Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival two seasons back.)

Casting opportunity

Know Theatre Tribe holds open auditions for two teenage actors for its upcoming My Children! My Africa!, directed by Michael Burnham and opening Jan. 29.

The two available roles: Isobel is a 17-year old white South African girl, athletic, intelligent and well spoken. Thami is a 16-year-old black South African boy, intelligent and conflicted.

For particulars, call 300-5669 or e-mail keltic_daze@yahoo.com or info@knowtheatre.com. Stipends are available for all roles. Rehearsals begin in December.

Jackie Demaline