Longwood Players Holds LEND ME A TENOR Auditions 8/23-25

There's still time to sign up for auditions for Ken Ludwig's hilarious comedy Lend Me a Tenor.

The year is 1934 and it's the biggest night in the history of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. Saunders, its harried General Manager, is determined to put Cleveland on the cultural map with his production of Otello, starring the world famous tenor Tito Morelli, Il Stupendo. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and full-on hijinks ensue as the farce spins out of control. With two men running around in the same costume, two scantily clad women in lingerie fawning over them, and a madcap show-in-reverse to close the production, this truly is a play like none other.

The show is directed by Will Luera, artistic director of ImprovBoston, and will be performed at the Cambridge YMCA Theatre in Central Square. There are roles for 4 men and 4 women. Two of the male roles require some opera singing.

Audition Information
General Auditions:

Tue Aug 23, 7-10pm
Wed Aug 24, 7-10pm
Thu Aug 25, 7-10pm

Callbacks:

Mon, Aug 29 6:30-10:30pm

Auditions will be held at the Cambridge YMCA Theatre, 820 Mass. Ave., Central Square.

How to prepare for auditions:

Sign up for a one-hour audition slot using this form. If you wish to reserve a slot by phone, contact Vilas Sridharan at 617-877-3868.

Please fill out this audition form and bring it with you to the audition.
Please bring a headshot and resume to the initial audition, if available.
All auditionees should prepare a 2-3 minuted comedic monologue. Those auditioning for Max, Tito, and the Bellhop please have an operatic-type song prepared that you can sing acapella. Both the monologue and song should not take longer than 5 minutes.

At callbacks, you will be asked to read scenes from the show and/or perform some improvisation.

If you do not receive an email confirming your audition slot within 3 days, you need to cancel or change your audition slot, or to request more information, please contact Vilas Sridharan at vilas@longwoodplayers.org or 617-877-3868 as soon as possible.

 

Cast of characters

Note: Several of the characters are supposed to be believable Operatic singers. The actors need to be able to sing loudly and carry a tune; a trained singing voice is not required. Please note that actors should be able to portray a character in the age range given, but do not necessarily need to be in the age range themselves.

Max (Late 20s - mid 30s): He is the assistant to Saunders, who is the General Manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. Max is a hard-working and honest guy. Your typical "guy next door" who is in love with Maggie and who finds himself a victim of circumstance. Loveable guy next door. Must be able to sing.

Maggie (Late 20s - mid 30s): Max's girlfriend & Saunders' daughter. Maggie is smart, pretty & practical, but is looking for something life-changing before she spends the rest of her life with Max.

Saunders (40s - 60s): General Manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company and Maggie's father. Saunders is an over-bearing authority figure with a short fuse.

Tito Merelli (40s - 60s): A world-famous tenor known to his fans as "Il Stupendo." . Tito is larger than life and can be imposing at times. He is the type of individual that likes to make his presence known immediately. Actor needs to be able to speak and sing opera with an Italian accent.

Maria (30s - 40s): Tito's wife. She is proud, excitable, and emotional. A perfect compliment to Tito's larger than life persona. Actor should be able to speak with an Italian accent.

Bellhop (20s): The bellhop is opportunistic and determined to audition for Tito. Comedic timing, physical comedy is a plus. Should be able to carry a vocal line of opera.

Diana (30s - 40s): The Cleveland Grand Opera's lead soprano. She is beautiful, sexy and forceful. If she wants something, nothing will stand in the way of her will and determination.

Julia (40s - 60s): An eccentric individual, she is the Chairperson of the Opera Guild who is passionate about opera. The type of individual that would be able to talk about opera for hours.

Synopsis

This night in September of 1934 is the biggest in the history of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company world famous tenor Tito Morelli is to perform Otello, his greatest role, at the gala season opener. Saunders, the harried General Manager, hopes this will put Cleveland on the cultural map. Morelli is nowhere to be found; when he finally arrives drunk, it is too late for any rehearsal. Through a hilarious series of mishaps, 'Il Stupendo' is given a double dose of tranquilizers which mix with the booze he has consumed and he passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he is dead. What to do? Saunders coaxes Max into Morelli's costume, intending to fool the audience with this fake 'Il Stupendo', blackface and all. Nervous amateur Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli revives and dresses for his second act. With two Otellos now in costume and two women en dishabille, each thinking she is with 'Il Stupendo', the farce spins out of control onstage and off.

Rehearsal Information

Lend Me a Tenor will rehearse according to the following tentative schedule:

• Rehearsals will begin on Monday, September 12.
• Rehearsals are held Sundays from 2:30pm-5:30pm, and Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 7pm-10pm
• Tech Week begins on Saturday, November 5, 2011. Please be available all nights and weekends from then through opening.

Depending on your role, you may not be required to be present at every rehearsal. The schedule will be planned with care to ensure that you are only called when needed for that particular night's scene work. Please be sure to list all conflicts on audition forms. Most rehearsals will be in Davis Square; occasional rehearsals may be in Central Square.

Production Staff

We are currently looking to fill the following production staff positions for Lend Me a Tenor. If you are interested in one of these positions, please send an email stating your interest along with a theater resume to the Producer, Vilas Sridharan, at vilas@longwoodplayers.org. Please note that experience is helpful but not necessary, and we welcome first-time designers and staff.

Open positions:

Technical Director

Master Carpenter

Stage Crew
Sound Board Operator
Wardrobe Manager / Head Dresser

 

 

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.