Monthly Archives: February 2017

February 15, 2017 · 5:02 am

Auditions Announced for RAGTIME at Dayton Playhouse

DPH_logoMonday & Tuesday, March 13 & 14 from 7-10pm at Dayton Playhouse – 1301 E Siebenthaler Ave, Dayton, Ohio 45414.

Direction by Matthew Smith
Production Stage Manager Dawn Roth Smith
Producer Tina McPhearson
Musical Direction by Ron Kindell
Choreography by Nabachwa Ssensalo-Harris
Guest Choreography by Michael Shepherd
Assistant Director Dodie Lockwood
Scenic Design by Chris Red Newman
Costume Design by Theresa Kahle
Lighting Design by John Falkenbach
Sound Design by Bob Kovach
Properties by Heather Campbell Martin

RAGTIME will play Friday & Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm from May 5 to 21, 2017 at the Dayton Playhouse

Audition Requirements:

  • Prepare 1 minute of a contemporary musical theatre song for the primary audition, and bring a second selection as a backup. PLEASE DO NOT SING A SONG FROM THE SHOW.
  • Bring sheet music in your key; an accompanist will be provided. A CD with an accompaniment-only track is also acceptable, provided it is edited and cued correctly. No a cappella auditions.
  • Please also wear or bring comfortable dance attire, as all auditioners will be required to learn a short dance/movement combination
  • There will also be cold reading from the script.
  • All those auditioning are encouraged to provide a résumé of their onstage experience to auditions.
  • Please bring a list of all potential conflicts including travel, etc. Any conflicts with the schedule must be discussed with the Producer and agreed to by the Director before casting can be confirmed.
  • Open call auditions. No appointment necessary. There is NO PAY.

DANCERS are encouraged to audition as well. There are a limited number of parts available for non-singing dancers. Those interested in the DANCE CALL only should come prepared to dance at 8pm either night. ALL STYLES.

Character Breakdown with Ranges:

FROM MTI WEBSITE – Age descriptions mostly irrelevant

Booker T. Washington
the dominant figure in the Black community of the United States at the turn of the century
Gender: male
Age: 45 to 55
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: C4

Ensemble
To play Citizens of New Rochelle and Harlem, Coalhouse supporters, reporters, and various other supporting roles

Coalhouse
a proud, sophisticated man who fights to live within his social boundaries and then rebels against them when even that is not good enough
Gender: male
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: B5
Vocal range bottom: G3

Emma Goldman
the Russian born radical anarchist in early 1900’s New York City
Gender: female
Age: 30 to 40
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: E3

Evelyn Nesbit
the beautiful vaudeville performer, famous for the murder of her high profile lover by her rich husband
Gender: female
Age: 18 to 25
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: B3

Father
Rich. Conservative. Staunch in his ways but not intentionally unkind.
Gender: male
Age: 30 to 45
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: A3

Grandfather
mother’s conservative father. A retired professor. Irritated by everything.
Gender: male
Age: 50 to 65

Henry Ford
an American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company
Gender: male
Age: 35 to 45
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: D4

Houdini
the famous magician who immigrated to America and made a name for himself largely as an escape artist
Gender: male
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: C4

J.P. Morgan
the rich, famous financier
Gender: male
Age: 60 to 65

Little Boy
Mother and Father’s son. He is open-hearted and curious with inexplicable clairvoyance. Never passes judgement on others.
Gender: male
Age: 8 to 12
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: E4

Little Girl
Tateh’s daughter, a young Latvian girl in a new home
Gender: female
Age: 7 to 10
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: C4

Mother
A strong, kind woman who defies social norms to do the things she feels are right
Gender: female
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3

Sarah
A washwoman who is adopted into Mother’s home when Mother finds Sarah’s baby in the garden
Gender: female
Age: 18 to 25
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: G3

Sarah’s Friend
A friend of Sarah’s who attends her funeral
Gender: female
Age: 18 to 25
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: D3

Tateh
A haggard, Latvian immigrant who dreams the “American Dream” for himself and his daughter
Gender: male
Age: 30 to 40
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: A3

Willie Conklin
A racist volunteer fireman who destroys Coalhouse’s car
Gender: male
Age: 25 to 40
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: D4

Younger Brother
Mother’s younger brother who has his heart broken by Evelyn Nesbit and joins Coalhouse in his protests towards discrimination. He is a young man in search of something.
Gender: male
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: B3

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February 14, 2017 · 9:04 pm

Broadway Cast Member Teresa De Zarn Visits THE SECRET GARDEN Cast at Beechmont Players

bpi_the-secret-garden-promo

Aubrey Wilson as Mrs. Medlock, Rebecca Mactaggart as Mary Lennox & Isaac Owens as the Fakir.

The cast of Beechmont Players soon-to-open Cincinnati production of the musical THE SECRET GARDEN got a special glimpse into the show’s beginnings when original Broadway cast member Teresa De Zarn spoke to them before rehearsal last Friday night.

Teresa was with the show much of the way, from backer’s auditions to the Broadway run.  Originally cast as Rose, the young orphan Mary’s dead mother, a family emergency took her away briefly, but she was invited back before the show opened on Broadway to take an ensemble role and understudy both Rose and Rose’s sister Lily.  On opening night, Rose was unable to perform, so Teresa was able to premiere her original role for the show’s first night on Broadway at the St. James Theater.  That cast included Daisy Eagan as Mary Lennox, along with Mandy Patinkin, Rebecca Luker, Robert Westenberg and John Cameron Mitchell.

“It was an exciting process,” Teresa told the cast.  “During the backers’ auditions, the songs were changing constantly as the writers firmed up the show.  I was there from the beginning, and got to be part of our five-minute excerpt at the 1991 Tony Awards (introduced and narrated by Julie Andrews!), when the show won for Outstanding Musical.”

Teresa started her Broadway career in CATS (playing Sillabub and Grizabella) and was in THE THREE-PENNY OPERA (with Sting) before doing THE SECRET GARDEN.  She later played Gueniviere in the national tour of CAMELOT and Christine in the international tour of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.  She returned to Cincinnati, and today runs the theater program at McNicholas High School, where her theater career took root as a freshman in 1972.

THE SECRET GARDEN began as an enchanting classic of children’s literature, and has become a brilliant, innovative musical. Orphaned in India, 11 year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her reclusive, uncle and his invalid son. The estate’s many wonders include a secret garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and spirits from Mary’s past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing a compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

The show is currently preparing for a Spring, 2017 regional tour before coming back as a Broadway revival. But you can see it now–Beechmont Players’ production opens Friday, February 17th and runs through February 25th.  Information is available at www.BeechmontPlayers.org.

Director Joey Schnell says “I love this show, but it’s only rarely performed.”  He and Teresa agree that “It’s a powerful show,”  and Teresa adds, “if you’re a romantic you need to see it.”

Beechmont Players is one of Cincinnati’s oldest community theatre groups, having opened its doors in 1959 to provide quality community entertainment to the Anderson area.  Beechmont Players is the Arts Organization in Residence at the Anderson Center. The gorgeous, state-of-the-art Anderson Center Theater provides a breathtaking showcase for Beechmont Players’ award-winning productions.

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February 14, 2017 · 7:46 pm

Jerry Herman’s MACK AND MABEL Makes CCM Mainstage Debut

ccm_mack-and-mabel-promo2CCM proudly presents MACK AND MABEL on Thursday, March 2 through Sunday, March 5 in Corbett Auditorium. Aubrey Berg directs with choreography by Patti James and musical direction by CCM graduate student Evan Roider.

The performance is rare treat for Cincinnati audiences; MACK AND MABEL has not been produced in the Queen City for over a decade, and it has never been presented as a CCM Mainstage production. With a memorable score by Broadway master Jerry Herman (Hello, Dolly!; Mame; La Cage aux Folles), MACK AND MABEL received eight Tony Award nominations after its original premiere in 1975.

“At CCM, we have the great advantage of performing these classic musicals with full orchestra,” says Evan Roider, music director of the show and a CCM graduate student in orchestral conducting. “This is a great opportunity to see and hear a rarely-performed Jerry Herman musical with all the stops pulled out!”

MACK AND MABEL is a star-crossed, bittersweet love story that explores both the lighter and the darker side of the Golden Age of Comedy. It focuses on the tumultuous relationship between legendary director Mack Sennett and his greatest star, Mabel Normand.

Mack, an aging director whose silent films become obsolete in the age of “talkies,” tells the story in a series of flashbacks. He recalls his first encounter with Mabel, a feisty barista who Mack turns into a silent film star. However, following a torrid affair with Mack, Mabel leaves to act in dramas for a rival director.

Mack and Mabel struggle to find their places in the changing film industry, and both experience their own triumphs and failures along the way.

Praised by the New York Times as “a musical in the old and true tradition,” Mack and Mabel’s musical style is reminiscent of the silent film era in which it is set.

“The score highlights Herman’s tremendous talent for melody — brassy two-steps, voluptuous ballads and a tap number that rivals those of the early 20th century,” Roider says. “Audiences can expect an old fashioned score that will have them humming as they leave the theater.”
____

MACK AND MABEL
Based on an idea by Leonard Spigelglass
Book by Michael Stewart
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman

Performance Times
8 p.m. Thursday, March 2
8 p.m. Friday, March 3
8 p.m. Saturday, March 4
2 p.m. Sunday, March 5

Location
Corbett Auditorium, College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Mack and Mabel are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
____

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Mack and Mabel is presented by a special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

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February 14, 2017 · 7:43 pm

Cast Announced SMALL ENGINE REPAIR at Clifton Performance Theatre

cp_logoClifton Players and Untethered Theater present SMALL ENGINE REPAIR by John Pollono.

Directed by Jared Doren, the cast includes Nathan Neorr, Charlie Roetting, Carter Bratton and Rupert Spraul.

Performances are:

  • 3/30: 8pm
  • 3/31: 8pm
  • 4/1: 8pm
  • 4/2: 2pm
  • 4/3: 8pm
  • 4/6: 8pm
  • 4/7: 8pm
  • 4/8: 8pm
  • 4/9: 2 pm
  • 4/13: 8pm
  • 4/14: 8pm
  • 4/15: 2pm & 8pm

For more information visit http://cliftonperformancetheatre.com/

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February 14, 2017 · 7:41 pm

Story Tellers Needed for trueFAILURE at trueTHEATRE

TRUE_logoTrue Theatre’s next show, trueFAILURE, is Monday, April 24. They are seeking FIVE stories about personal failures to include in the evening. Will one of them be yours?

True Theatre is Cincinnati’s longest running true, personal storytelling event, now in its 7th year. Each show features 5 storytellers from all walks of life, telling their stories based on the theme of the evening. Each storyteller chosen will receive coaching from True Theatre’s storytelling team (scheduled based on everyone’s mutual convenience).

The first opportunity to audition for a slot in our show is this coming Sunday, 2/19. For details, write us at stories<AT>truetheatre<DOT>com. To learn more about us, visit http://www.truetheatre.com.

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