From Butler to a Broadway show tour, Sarah Bishop, formerly of Center Township, is part of the main ensemble cast in “Cabaret,” which will be in Pittsburgh in early February.

This is the first show for the 23-year-old Bishop, who said, “I’m fresh out of school coming into this project. I lucked out.”

Bishop, who graduated from Butler High School, said she’s glad she went to public school rather than a performing arts school.

“I learned how to grow up a little bit and make that decision (to pursue performing) later on,” she said.

When Bishop decided to participate in the Butler Summer Dramatics’ performance of “Peter Pan,” her interest in musical theater developed.

Bishop was involved in at least nine school musicals, according to Dale VanLaningham, the musical director and social studies teacher at Butler High.

Bishop’s success came as no surprise to him. He said she had always been an enthusiastic and driven individual.

“She was also very dedicated, and she has a lot of promise,” VanLaningham said. “Her and performing, it’s like the perfect match.”

For VanLaningham, part of Bishop’s talent was that she was so versatile, able to sing, dance and play instruments, as well as handling both comedic and dramatic roles with ease.

While in school, Bishop played the trumpet, was president of the thespian club and participated in as many school musicals as she could, saying “anything (she) could fit in” was added.

“(High school) was very much a juggling act,” Bishop said. “My younger life was very much about forward thinking.”

Bishop attended Cincinnati College’s Conservatory of Music and then moved to New York following her graduation in April 2015.

Bishop got an agent, who helps her land individual appointments with casting directors, rather than having to be overlooked during open casting calls, she said.

“It became a lot easier once I had an agent,” said Bishop, who was working three jobs before her role in “Cabaret.”

Not only is New York more expensive, but it’s a whole different environment than Bishop was used to in Butler. She had to work harder than ever but make sure to maintain a positive outlook.

“Be encouraged, know that it’s possible,” Bishop said, stressing theater is a business where nobody can be sure what will happen next.

As for Bishop’s role in “Cabaret,” she plays Helga, the youngest girl who performs at the Kit Kat Klub, which Bishop described as a “seedy club” set during the Nazis rise to power in 1930s Berlin.

Helga’s character is new to the club, which Bishop can relate to as one of the youngest in the show’s cast.

“I’m learning as I go,” she said.

The cabaret girls are responsible for offering social commentary on the time period, she said.

With a darker setting, the musical has plenty of adult content, but Bishop has had fun exploring the different emotions that come with heavier content.

“It’s fun for us,” she said. “Yes, it has a dark tone, but it’s fun for us because you’re being someone you’re not. It’s just playful for us.”

Most shows have an upbeat mood and require the actors to be smiling at all times, but the darker emotions in “Cabaret” are easier for the actors. They don’t have to force the smiles, she said.

Producing a smile can be a particular challenge when the cast does eight shows every week, according to Bishop.

That’s the biggest challenge Bishop expects to handle since she will have to learn to deal with the new stress on her body, especially since there is difficult choreography in the show, she said.

The transition to the performing lifestyle is difficult, and Bishop said she has to learn how to monitor how her body is handling the physical demands.

In addition to singing and dancing, Bishop will play the trumpet and piano in the show, she said.

Now that performing is her full-time job, Bishop said she doesn’t always know what comes next.

“The best part is the anticipation of adventure, seeing what’s next,” she said.

Bishop will be in Rhode Island this week before the show moves to Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center Feb. 2 through 7.