Some cast members starring in a musical coming to Columbus might have spotty talent, but they are perfect for the job.

“The 101 Dalmatians Musical” will debut in Columbus at the Palace Theatre March 2 through 7.

The show includes 15 live Dalmatians that act alongside other human performers. Five of the dogs were selected from Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue in Columbus. Second Chances shelters abandoned Dalmatians and makes them available for adoption.

Some dogs in the show have onstage experience, but those from Columbus were selected after an auditioning process.

“Each dog was carefully evaluated by a trainer to make sure he or she had the ‘it’ factor,” Second Chances Director Jenny Brock said.

Dogs that were outgoing and comfortable around people were chosen over those that were timid.

After the dogs were selected, Joel Slaven worked to get them into good physical shape. Slaven is a longtime dog trainer who travels throughout the country with the musical. Over the course of six months, he trained the dogs at his Florida ranch to prepare them for the show.

Some dogs had great temperaments and personalities, but were either too skinny or too fat, Slaven said. Four tested positive for heartworms.

At the same time the dogs were being nursed back to health, Slaven got to know their individual personalities, learning which dogs liked to play fetch and which liked to play tug-of-war. He used this assessment to determine roles for the dogs.

One dog performs onstage before the musical actually begins. Others simply run from one point to another. During the finale the dogs come onstage one by one and transform the stage from dark and dreary to bright and festive the way only a group of dogs can.

When the dogs are not going through the rigor of preparing and performing for a live musical, they get to enjoy the benefits of the job. They ride in the “Rolling Doggie Palace,” a large bus sponsored by Purina.

“It’s basically a rock star bus stripped out and converted into compartments for the dogs to travel,” Slaven said.

A truck and trailer carry food, beds, bottled water and 10-by-10 foot playpens. When the bus arrives in a city, the dogs are walked and put in their playpens. Depending on the weather, the dogs sleep on the bus, in the theater or in a nearby building.

After the musical tour is over, the five Columbus dogs will return to Second Chances. They will then be available for adoption. Some of the other dogs will work for other shows or will be adopted by human cast members.

The musical intends to educate as well as entertain. The playbill explains the process of adopting a pet, which Slaven said is a positive thing, but also a major responsibility.

“A lot of times when somebody sees a movie or play and there’s an animal in it, it’s so striking to them that they just want to run out and get one,” he said. He instead advises families to consider the task of owning a pet before adopting it.

“This is not a toy that the kids play with and when they’re done they put it in the closet,” he said.

Tickets for “The 101 Dalmatians Musical” are available at the Ohio Theatre Box Office or over the phone. Prices range from $22 to $70.