During their freshman year of high school, two Ryle High School students took the stage together for the first time in their performance of “My Fair Lady.” 

Flash Forward to January 2024, they were cast together again in their college performance of “Anything Goes.” 

Two long-time friends, James Lindeman and Cody Combs, will take the stage on Nov. 15 in roles they have never done together before. During this time of preparation, they reflected on their relationship as friends throughout theater. 

Having played multiple roles together, one of their more challenging roles as good friends was Judas and Jesus in the show “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The opposing roles go back and forth throughout the show with high tension songs and ballads. 

“We have had an ongoing streak of playing opposite each other and I am really excited to work with him as close as we have. Before, we spent a whole show wailing at each other and now we get to be little goofs,” said Lindeman. 

Knowing each other has helped the two actors experience the industry in not only a light-hearted way, but in a constructive essence as well. 

“James is awesome to work with. It is really fun off the stage when we’re in a similar realm of amount of work we have to do for a show. It’s nice to be able to fall back on him because James is really smart and always knows what he is talking about,” said Combs. 

Combs and Lindeman will be playing Billy and Moonface Martin in “Anything Goes.” 

“Anything Goes” follows Reno Sweeney, a nightclub singer, sailing from New York City to England. Reno has to help her close friend, Billy, win over his love because she is currently engaged. Reno, Billy and the other characters and sailors dance high-energy tap numbers to get through the drama aboard the S.S. American. 

The two characters are known for their duet, “Be Like the Bluebird,” in which Moonface Martin cheers Billy up with a silly song while Billy is in jail. 

Lindeman and Combs are similar in their relationship. 

“Billy is a risk taker and fun, and Moonface is off the rails and is a horrible influence. We get each other into a lot of trouble just like the characters,” said Combs.

Getting to share the excitement is something the two still genuinely feel surprised about to this day, even after multiple roles together. 

Similarly, Lindeman reminisced on his time with another cast mate, Marlo D’Ascenzo.

Lindeman and D’Ascenzo grew up doing musical theater together and are looking forward to taking the stage together yet again. As D’Ascenzo was homeschooled, she did not have a high school theater program to lean on. She went into theater through The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati and met Lindeman there.

Lindeman and D’Ascenzo did shows such as “Footloose” and “Clue” together. In “Anything Goes,” the two will play secret romantic lovers, and they have never gotten to do this before. 

“It’s definitely a lot of fun when you already know this person that you are interacting with and you get to have fun together, crafting these new characters, while dancing together,” said D’Ascenzo. 

The three castmates are eager to begin full cast rehearsals for the show and work together yet again. 

“Anything Goes” will hit the stage Nov. 15 and run until Nov. 23. Tickets are available at nku.edu/tickets.