MARYSVILLE – Marysville’s Dolores Rogers has been called, “The Woman of 100 Voices.”

Rogers, a professional voice-over virtuoso who can talk like the animals, boys, girls and great-great-grandmothers, has her voicing so down pat that she can send her hens dashing for the coop when she crows like a rooster.

In the early 2000s, her voice was used for well-known video games. Rogers is best-known as the voice of Bowser Jr. in many of the Mario and Super Mario games from Nintendo. She’s also behind the voice of beloved characters in the Backyard sports games series by Humongous Entertainment, most notably Vinnie the Gooch in baseball.

Rogers is now the voice of Billy Blue Hair, a quirky blue-haired kid who serves as guide and educator, along with his dog Doogie, in a series of children’s educational videos. Billy answers questions like “Why do giraffes have long necks?”, “Where do rainbows come from?” and “What causes hiccups?”

“The videos explain to kids why life is the way it is,” Rogers said about the programs developed by Seattle-based Kayo Media.

Rogers specializes in audiobooks, business, cartoons, documentaries, jingles, movie trailers, radio and video games. It’s the commercial and entertainment voice-over work that has kept her most busy.

“Voice over work is a pretty competitive field to go into,” Rogers said.

Radio has always had a special place in her heart.

She auditioned for Seattle Radio Theatre more than a decade ago, using the skills she honed in a similar company in San Francisco. Now she is vice president of the Seattle group after it became a nonprofit.

Rogers is appearing Dec. 20 in a Northwest take on the 1947 classic holiday film, “Fa-La-La HA HA! It Happened on Fifth Avenue,” a topsy‐turvy farce about a charming hobo who shows a wealthy family the true riches of the season.

Rogers caught the acting bug when she was a child in Los Gatos, Calif. At 8, she told her parents she wanted to be an actor. The petite, thoughtful Rogers began writing and directing plays for school when she was in the fifth grade.

She got her bachelor’s degree in Creative Arts/Theatre from San Jose State University. She was named Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mary Warren in The Crucible.

Rogers’ “big break” came when she auditioned for “Bless Me Father” for Western Public Radio at Fort Mason in San Francisco. She landed the lead role at age 16.

She landed the voice for Vinnie the Gooch at the same time she was performing in theater. She made a voiceover demo – a recorded voice is an actor’s calling card – and with her new headshot, secured an agent and the work started to pour in from theater, independent film, television and voice work.

In 1990, instead of moving to Los Angeles 300 miles away, she headed north to Seattle.

Rogers created many voices after playing parts such as Florence Unger in the female version of The Odd Couple at Edge of the World Theatre in Edmonds. She had the character’s squeaks and pouts down to a tee. She counts this performance in her top three, along with Lizzie in The Rainmaker and Lord Talbot in Henry VI Part I.

Among her television credits, Rogers appeared on CBS’ The Fugitive, and played the Mercer Island woman on KING 5 TV’s “The (206)” featuring Pat and Chris Cashman. She was also an announcer for KCTS.

Rogers always has a lot of irons in the fire.

She wrote and shot, “radio-head,” playing a homeless woman in a Castle in the Air Productions short film. She is preparing to film a new short called “Typhoid Mary,” and she is joining forces with Playwright Media for their Mia and Bubbles product, which will enable families to create their own stories.

Today, her voice-over client list includes Nintendo, Warner Brothers, AION, Humongous Entertainment, Nordstrom, Haggen, Car Toys, The Museum of History and Industry, Seattle Radio Theatre and Kayo Media. She has performed with Evergreen Radio Live, Northwest Public Radio and Western Public Radio on KSER, KIRO, KING, KPTK, KPLU and KUOW.

“Voice-over work has been very good to me,” she said. “And I didn’t have to move to LA.”

Tuesday’s play

The one-night only comedy opens at 7:30 p.m. in the Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N. The play is headlined by KING 5 Evening Magazine’s Jim Dever; TV’s Almost Live alums Pat Cashman, Tracey Conway and Steve Wilson; and Ciscoe Morris, TV gardening expert.

For ticket information contact the ECA Box Office at 425‐275‐9505 or online at www.edmondscenterforthearts.org/.

Everett-based radio station 90.7 KSER plans to rebroadcast the show on Dec. 24 and Christmas Day, the way it might have been heard 60 years ago.

Also, you can hear Roger’s voice work on her website at www.doloresrogers.com.