Nashville-Area Auditions Coming Up

Directors and producers throughout Middle Tennessee are seeking actors for upcoming productions of Legally Blonde, the Musical (at Columbia's Center for the Arts) and The Little Mermaid (directed by Brittany Blaire Anderson for Circle Players) and Metro Parks and the Music City Theatre Collective team up for a series of special classes, including an audition workshop, for this spring, and producer Ken Bernstein presents a workshop to enable you to "Tell Your Story" at Bongo After Hours Theatre. We've gathered the details together here to make your planning easier. So now you have no excuse: go follow your dream!

Metro Parks' Theatre Program will host several classes and workshops for interested students ages 9 to 17 this spring, leading up to this summer's co-production with Music City Theatre Collective of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! at the Centennial Park band shell.

• Workshop Wednesdays: The Audition Series Preparatory workshops for our summer musical! For those interested in auditioning for our summer musical production of Oklahoma!, or auditioning for anything really, you'll want to come to all four of our auditioning workshops. Each one is designed to prepare students for an audition in acting, singing and dance. The final workshop is a mock audition process where you'll do all three! This is a great way to practice auditioning (and to get your nerves out) before you audition for real. Auditions for Oklahoma! are April 3 and 4; for more information, contact rachel.hamilton@nashville.gov.

• Musical Theater Intensive Workshops Get geared up for our summer musical auditions on April 3 & 4, or just hone your craft with our musical theater intensive workshops, for ages 9-17, on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the Centennial Performing Arts Studios. Register for one or all of them! Get your groove on:
• ?March 16: DANCE Intensive Workshop Taught by Music City Theatre Collective partner Curtis Reed, our Dance Intensive Workshop will gear you up for learning choreography combinations quickly in an audition setting. The basics of Dance Technique will help as long as easy memorization tools you can use so that you feel prepared during a dance audition. Oddly enough, Choreographers aren't always looking for who can do the dance perfect, but who can "sell" the dance and make it interesting to watch!
• February 17: ACTING Intensive Workshop Taught by Music City Theatre Collective partner Martha Wilkinson, our Acting Intensive Workshop will help you prepare a one-minute monologue for auditioning. The guidance and individual feedback will help give you the confidence and skills you can use so that you feel prepared during an audition.
• March 2: VOICE Intensive Workshop Taught by Music City Theatre Collective partner Jenny Norris Light, our Voice Intensive Workshop is designed to perfect the 16-32 bar audition cut. Learn how to utilize your voice in new ways to best show your full vocal capabilities within the cut, explore stylistic techniques to communicate emotional intent and, most importantly, sell it to get the part!

Cost for the classes is $15 per student, per class.

March 15 and 19

Verge Theater Company seeks actors for principal and understudy roles in the regional premiere of Skinless by Johnna Adams, directed by David Ian Lee.

Roles are available for six female principal performers and six understudy performers; local university students will be given first consideration for understudy positions. Actors of all races and ethnicities are strongly encouraged to audition.

Rehearsals: April 18-May 12, daytime and evenings depending on actor availability.

Performances and possible extensions: May 13, 14, 15, 19 (US), 20, 21, 23, 26, and 29 (US).

Compensation: Principle cast: $150, understudies $50

Auditions & Submission Information Auditions will be held by appointment on March 15 at the University Theater on Lipscomb University campus from 6 to 10 pm.m and March 19 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Belmont University's Black Box Theater and will consist of readings from the text.

Callbacks will be held on March 20th from 6:30-10:00 at Belmont University's Black Box Theater.

To be considered please e-mail your headshot and resume to nettiemaeusa@yahoo.com. Provide your availability and any conflicts for the evenings of March 15th, 19th, and 20th and indicate the role(s) for which you wish to be considered.

Breakdown and Production Info: In Johnna Adams' gothic-thriller Skinless, legends of skinless people who roam the woods of rural Georgia may prove more fact than fiction. Emmi Falco is a PhD candidate obsessed with forgotten pulp-horror writer Zinnia Wells, whose belief in the Skinless hid secrets even more haunting. Set both in the halls of present-day academia and on the Wells' remote farm more than a half-century in the past, Skinless winds an intelligent, wrought, and wicked tale that is equal-parts Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and Sam Shepard's Buried Child.

EMMI FALCO - 30s - a PhD candidate. Brilliant, articulate, and idealistic. Emmi has lionized Professor Diaz; she seeks her mentor's respect while also fighting to come into her own as a researcher and a scholar.

SYLVIA DIAZ - 50s - Emmi's professor. Confident, strong, and battle-hardened. Sylvia views the role of the academic akin to that of the combatant in an arena. Archytype: Cherry Jones in "Transparent" or Allison Janney in "The West Wing."

ZINNIA WELLS - 30s - a writer. Lyric, yearning and bruised. Zinnia often runs into the woods, desperate to find the hidden Skinless. Her short stories serve as respite from a terrible secret; she reads several passages from her novel during the course of the play, and the actor cast in the role will have a capacity for poetic and heightened language.

MARIGOLD WELLS - 40s - Zinnia's sister, manages their small farm. Stoic, pragmatic, and grounded. Marigold serves as the "matriarch" of the family, caring not only for her sisters but also for their aged mother. Marigold has survived through a combination of the enforced optimism of Betty Draper and the determination of Rosie the Riveter.

CHYRSSIE WELLS - 20s - another sister, mostly mute. She can talk, but mostly uses gestures and expressions to communicate. Soulful and observant. Though Chyrssie rarely speaks, she is ferociously present; she wrestles with a secret that left her traumatized at a young age.

BLUEBELL WELLS - 18, the youngest sister - Wistful, wide-eyed, and without irony or guile. Bluebell is poised and eager to discover a world beyond her family farm; she is a child on the edge of adulthood and awareness. She worships Zinnia and adores hearing her sister's stories.

Notes: Actors asked to read for the Wells sisters are encouraged to attempt a North Georgia (Southern Appalachian) dialect.

March 19

Dickson's Renaissance Players are happy to announce auditions for our Young Entertainers on Stage (for actors 6-18) production of Disney's Mulan Jr. on March 19, between 9 a.m. and noon at The Renaissance Center at Freed-Hardeman University's Dickson campus.

About Auditions: Please come with a prepared audition song between 16 and 32 measures. You can use a CD or sheet music (an accompanist will be provided). Wear comfortable shoes and clothing as you may also be asked to dance. It will not be necessary to stay the whole time.

Questions? If you have any questions or cannot attend the audition but would still like to be considered for a role, contact info@renplayers.com

Production dates: June 3, 4 and 5 and June 10, 11 and 12.

Character Descriptions:

• THE ANCESTORS: All Ancestors may be cast as either male or female.
• FA ZHOU: Mulan's father
• FA LI: Mulan's mother.
• GRANDMOTHER FA: Mulan's Grandmother
• MULAN
• MUSHU
• SHANG
• CHI FU
• YAO, LING And QIAN-PO - "the Guys"
• SHAN-YU: The leader of the Huns.
• ENSEMBLE: This is a very heavy Ensemble show as performers are needed as FATHERS, MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, SONS, DRESSMAKERS, HAIRDRESSERS, GROOMERS, YOUNG HSAIO, OLDER YI, YOUNG YI, MATCHMAKER, MAGYAR, SUBAR-TU, CHEN, LIU and the CHEONGSAM SALESPERSON.

March 20 and 21

Lakewood Theatre Company hosts auditions for 12th of Whatever written by Michael Rex and directed by James Bealor from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 20 and 21, at Lakewood Theatre Company, 2211 Old Hickory Boulevard in Old Hickory.

About the Show: Set in an American high school at prom season, transfer student, Victor, must prove that he is not a spy the only way he knows how - he becomes Chelsea and sets about to help class president, Octavia win the "man" of her dreams.

About Auditions: Cold readings of excerpts from the script.Head shots or resumes not required but appreciated

Character Descriptions: Six girls and six boys of high school age, along with three adults - two women and one man

Production dates: May 6-22.

March 20 and 21

Columbia's Center for the Arts will hold auditions for Legally Blonde, The Musical in Risley Theater in Columbia on Sunday, March 20 and Monday, March 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. each evening.

About Auditions: Please prepare a 16-20 bar Broadway-style song. Be prepared to do a cold reading from the script. Dress comfortably.

Production Dates for the production are June 17,18,19,24,25.

Rehearsals are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. (although not all cast will be needed for all three days a week until two weeks before production). The production team is looking for a cast who can "look" the ages of the following characters, and will accept auditioners 16 and up.

Character Descriptions:

• Elle Woods (Soprano-Belter) 21-23. Blonde hair not a necessity, but a plus. Strong belter (to D).
• Emmett Forrest (Tenor to A) 21-26. The ideal auditioner will combine commanding presence and comic timing.
• Paulette (Soprano-Belter) 30-45. Must have impeccable comic timing; a pronounced New England accent is a plus. We are also seeking proficiency in physical comedy and several different styles of dance.
• Brooke Wyndam (Alto - Rock) 25-30. Looking for a borderline-intimidating presence. Good cardiovascular strength/endurance are a plus; she belts while conducting a workout.
• Warner Huntington III (Tenor to A) 21-23. Plastic charm hints at "Cinderella's prince" from Into the Woods.
• Professor Callahan (Lyric baritone) 40-50. Looking for a Billy Flynn (Chicago) type.
• Vivienne Kensington (Soprano-Belter) 21-25.
• Enid Hoopes (Mezzo-Soprano- Belter) 21-35. Must be clearly overbearing.
• Kyle (No specified voice part; bass/baritone speaking voice preferred). 30-40. Looking for a tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, highly masculine individual with a matching speaking voice. Must demonstrate ability to learn Irish folk dance.
• Elle's Mom/Dad (Mezzo/Tenor) 40-60
• Elle's Delta Nu sisters (varied voices) 21-24.
• Adam Schultz (Lyric baritone) 25-30.
• Santik Padamanan (Tenor/lyric baritone) 25-35.
• Carlos/Nikos (Tenors) 25-35.
• Ensemble (Sorority girls, law students, university officials, Judge, Baliff, spring beer bash guys, and others). All voice parts, read 22-50. Looking for strong dancers, singers, and character actors to play several cameo roles. Over-the-top physicality and personality are a must.

March 31-April 3

April 2

Auditions for Rock of Ages at the Arts Center of Cannon County will be held on Saturday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., by appointment only. Directed by Brittany Goodwin, with music direction by Tiffany Sweeley

Performance dates: August 12-27

Roles are available for all ethnicities, ages 16+. Students under the age of 18 must have signed permission from a parent or guardian. All roles are available. Rock of Ages is rated PG-13 due to some adult content. All those auditioning should be familiar with the show and the music.

About Auditions: To audition, prepare 16-24 bars of a ROCK or POP song from the show or in the style of the show. Absolutely no musical theatre! Each performer auditioning must bring piano sheet music in the correct key, an accompanist will be provided. No tracks or a capella will be accepted. We are looking for raw, rocking voices- show us your range and personality.

To schedule an appointment: email Brittany Goodwin at brittany@artscenterofcc.com. (Please do not post on the group requesting an appointment!) A five-minute audition slot will be assigned; if you need a specific time please advise. Walk-ups will only be seen if time allows. Appointments are strongly encouraged. If you are unable to attend auditions, please submit a headshot and resume to brittany@artscenterofcc.com. You may be asked to submit an audition video. Local callbacks will likely be required.

Rehearsal Schedule will be created based around the availability of those cast. Rehearsal times may include daytime, evening, and weekend rehearsals.

Auditions will be held at the Arts Center of Cannon County 1424 John Bragg Highway, Woodbury, TN 37127.

ROLES AVAILABLE:

• DREW DILLENBECK: A young (16-20's), handsome wanna-be rocker. He has great comedic timing and is a strong rock tenor (up to a high D). Think Steve Perry. Any ethnicity.
• SHERRIE CHRISTIAN: A young (16-20's), pretty Caucasian girl who has left her Midwestern family to pursue stardom in Los Angeles. She is innocent, naïve with great comedic timing. She has a strong (and HIGH!) rock voice and is a great dancer. Think Pat Benatar. Any ethnicity
• LONNY BARNETT: (25-35) A middle-aged guy with very strong comedic timing and a commanding but comically strong rock voice. Our narrator, he has a slightly unflattering appearance but doesn't see it. Any ethnicity.
• HERTZ KLINEMANN: (30s-60) An update German business man who is looking to take over Sunset Strip. He is our villain, German accent required. Caucasian.
• FRANZ KLINEMANN: He is a young (16-30's) foppish German who is pressured by his father to work for his business. He is shy with a good voice and strong comedic timing. German accent required. Caucasian.
• DENNIS DUPREE: An older (40-50's) guy who runs the famous "Rock of Ages" club on the Sunset Strip. He is caught between a rock and a hard place when German business men pressure him to sell his club. He is possibly heavyset with very strong comedic timing. Any ethnicity.
• STACEE JAXX: (18-40) A Rock Star. He is very sexy and fit, at the top of his game, and just left his very successful metal rock band to venture out on his own. He has very strong comedic timing and a strong rock voice. Think Brett Michaels. Any ethnicity.
• REGINA: She is a granola girl (16-30's) who has strong comedic timing. She is a hilarious, tree-hugging fighter who will stop at nothing to protect the Sunset Strip. May double as a dancer at the gentlemans club. Any ethnicity.
• JUSTICE CHARLIER: Justice is an older (30s-50) commanding African-American woman who runs the gentlemans club where Sherrie ends up when the going gets rough. Strong vocals and belt.
• ENSEMBLE: 4-6 Male & Females (18-40) of any ethnicity with strong vocals, comedic timing, and dance ability. Will double in a large variety of roles, lots of solo opportunities and lines.
• BACK UP SINGERS: 2-3 Male & Female singers (18-40) of any ethnicity that will be on stage singing backup with the band throughout most of the show. No dancing required, but strong voices with wide ranges and the ability to harmonize is a must.

April 4

Circle Players will hold auditions for Disney's The Little Mermaid at its rehearsal facility at Madison Square Shopping Center in Madison.

THIS IS THE FULL BROADWAY VERSION AND WILL CAST ADULTS AND OLDER TEENS (16+). All roles available; Medium-size cast 20-25 actors; Eleven main roles; Large ensemble with solos and lines. All ethnicities and genders encouraged to audition. 2 roles for children (7-15).

Stage and Music Direction: Brittany Blaire Andersen; assistant music direction is by Kelsi Fulton, with choreography by Bakari King

Audition times are April 4-6 (Monday-Wednesday), at these times: 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.; 7:30 to 8:15 p.m.; and 8:30 to 9:15 pm

Questions? Go to www.circleplayers.net.

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