Former Miss America takes to the stage in Des Moines

Miss America 1998 will be in central Iowa next week, performing as the leading lady in a musical which a recent reviewer says is “dark, raunchy and racy.”Kate Shindle plays Sally Bowles in “Cabaret,” the story of an English woman’s romance with an American writer, set in 1930s Germany. Shindle doesn’t mind being associated with a show billed as being for “mature audiences.” The 22-year-old New Jersey native and former Miss Illinois says “to be able to play a character like this is not the same as going off and posing for Playboy.” Though “Cabaret” has been around for decades, Shindle says modern audiences can learn much from the tale.This version of “Cabaret” is being directed by Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar last year for his directorial debut of the film “American Beauty.” Shindle says Sally Bowles is a challenging character, though she’s been playing it for two months already on this North American tour.The show runs October 3rd through 8th at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines.