CHICAGO-ROXIE HART The Phoenix Theatre Company

It isn't often that you can say you were there when "a star was born." Yet that's just what is happening right now at the Phoenix Theatre. Cook is so absolutely perfect in the part. She gives Roxie the right balance of warmth, vulnerability, and charm set against the shrewd knowledge of what she needs to do to get her way. I've seen previous actresses portray Roxie as a simpleton, yet Cook's decision to portray her as cunning, and even all-knowing, brings the role to life and makes Roxie a vibrant character with multiple layers. She also gives a clear spontaneity to her line readings that makes the comic ones zing and her touching moments sincere, and even downright heartbreaking when she realizes she actually may be found guilty. Cook's delivery of her many songs is vibrant, with perfect, powerful, and soaring vocals combined with non-stop, thrilling dance moves. Cook makes you root for her Roxie, even though you know she is guilty of murder, and that alone says a lot. Cook is a stellar triple threat.

-Gil Benbrook, Talkin’ Broadway

For her part, Kate E. Cook wasn't just a near flawless Roxie Hart. With a silky Marilyn Monroe feel, her breathy, chesty vocals and the power to belt, coupled with impeccably natural, red-hot dancing were only part of her endless allure. The magnetic pull that Cook's Hart attracted reached deeper, beneath the polished veneer. Cook allowed moments of purity to bleed through. Phoenix Theatre's Roxie dared to be scared, to expose her juvenile disappointments and selfish fears. And we felt each stab of that searing, guilty fright with her.

-Jennifer Haaland, The Examiner

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS-Audrey The Phoenix Theatre Company

Seymour and Audrey are a perfect match, each walking their own awkwardness, both seeking a way out of Skid Row, pending that revelatory moment when they discover their true connection. And, when they do, Golub and Cook bring the house down with a passionate and intense rendition of Suddenly, Seymour.

-Herbert Paine, Broadway World

Cook’s performance of "Somewhere That's Green" is stunning and one of the best versions of the song I've heard; she provides deep meaning in each lyric and makes you realize how Audrey learns more about herself and her hopes as she sings the song.

-Gil Benbrook, Talkin’ Broadway

DAMES AT SEA -Joan Hale Centre Theatre

Joan, the chorus girl who takes Ruby under her wing, is played by Kate E. Cook. Cook embodies the wise-cracking comic part of Joan effortlessly. With superb tap skills, a large stage presence and a matter of fact delivery of her lines, Cook really couldn't be better.

-Gil Benbrook, Talkin’ Broadway