Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) will hold auditions for two productions from its upcoming 50th Anniversary Season, Oklahoma! and The Wiz.
OKLAHOMA! AUDITIONS
TUTS’ production of Oklahoma! will be directed by Dallas Theater Center’s Artistic Director, Kevin Moriarty. The production, which is an artistic collaboration with Houston Ballet, will be choreographed by Stanton Welch AM, Artistic Director of Houston Ballet. Broadway conductor Kimberly Grigsby will be conducting the show. Joining them on the production are Andrew Harper as Sound Designer, Jason Lyons as Lighting Designer, and Karen Perry as Costume Designer.
Houston auditions will be held for Oklahoma! on May 31 at The Alley Theatre located at
615 Texas Avenue and on June 4 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in the Administration Building located at
800 Bagby Street. Auditions in Los Angeles will be held on May 14 and 15 at The Actor’s Equity LA Audition Center, and auditions in New York will be held June 18 through 22.
The first collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein’s, Oklahoma! remains, in many ways, their most innovative, having set the standards and established the rules of musical theatre still being followed today. Set just after the turn of the century, the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the colorful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story.
Rehearsals begin in Houston on August 21. Previews will be September 11 and 12. Opening Night is September 13, and the show closes on September 23.
HOUSTON AUDITIONS
Alley Theatre and the Hobby Center
May 31: Principal Call: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (lunch from 1 to 2 p.m.), The Alley Theatre located at
615 Texas Avenue
June 4: Local Chorus Call: Singers - 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Male Dancers - 3 p.m.; Female Dancers - 4 p.m., the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Administration Building,
800 Bagby Street.
LOS ANGELES AUDITIONS
The Equity Audition Center in
North Hollywood,
5636 Tujunga Ave.
May 14: Equity Principal Call, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (lunch from 1 to 2 p.m.)
May 15: Equity Chorus Call 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (lunch from 1 to 2 p.m.): Singers - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Male Dancers - 2 p.m.; Female Dancers - 3 p.m.
NEW YORK CITY AUDITIONS
June 18 to 22: By appointment only. New York auditions are by appointment only. The New York auditions will be overseen by Stewart/Whitley, and anyone interested in auditioning in New York should submit a headshot and resume to
theatreunderthestarsauditions@gmail.com.
Currently Seeking:
Aunt Eller - Female, late 40’s/50’s. Runs a farm in the Oklahoma Territory. She is tough, resourceful, earthy and strong. A single woman with a flinty sense of humor and big heart. Strong actor who sings and moves well. Voice: Mezzo (G3 to F5)
Curly - Male, 20’s-30’s. Young, strapping cowman. Charming, flirty and sexy, but hasn’t yet been ready to commit. Engages in witty sparring with Laurey. He’s got a strong sense of ethics and decency. Strong baritone. Voice: Baritone (C3 to F#4)
Laurey - Female, early to late 20’s. Attractive, strong, quick witted farm-owner in the Oklahoma territory. Skilled, no-nonsense farmer. Romantic but sexually inexperienced, she’s grappling with complicated desires that she doesn’t yet fully understand. Ready to embrace life. Legit Soprano (C4 to A5)
Will Parker - Male, late 20’s, mid 30’s. Cowman in the Oklahoma Territory. A terrific horseman but not an intellectual thinker. He is madly in love with Ado Annie, though unskilled with women. Strong comic actor. Very strong dancer. Voice: Baritone/Tenor (D3 to F4)
Ado Annie - Female, early 20’s to mid 30’s. Funny, good-natured, energetic, and a bit wild. Enjoys her sexuality. A bit naïve – or perhaps it’s just an act? Either way, she’s good hearted and great fun. Strong comic actor. Strong mover/dancer. Voice: Mezzo/belt (C4 to F5)
Jud - Male, late 20’s to early 40’s. Skilled farmhand. Quiet, brooding and solitary. Emotionally imbalanced, volatile and dangerous. Struggles with his desires and relating to others. Strong actor. Strong bass/baritone. Voice: Baritone (D2 to D?4)
Ali Hakim - Male, 30’s to 40’s. A peddler from Persia (present day Iran). Romantic, but not interested in settling down. Smart and quick witted. Strong comic actor. Voice: Baritone (D2 to F#4)
Carnes - Male, late 40’s to late 50’s. Ado Annie’s father. A tough, pragmatic farmer. Protective of his daughter and good with a shotgun. Strong singer/good mover. Voice: Tenor (F3 to F4)
Cord Elam - Male, late 30’s to 50’s. Cowman. Federal Marshall. Tough. A leader in the community. Principled. Strong singer and mover. Voice: Baritone (G?2 to A4)
Male Ensemble - Males, strong dancer/singers: Slim, Fred, and additional male ensemble members. (low bass, baritones, tenors)
Female Ensemble - Females, strong dancer/singers: Vivien, Kate, Virginia, Ellen, and additional female ensemble members. (altos and sopranos)
This production will be cast with actors of all races and ethnicities in leading roles and in the ensemble. Artists of color are strongly encouraged to audition.
THE WIZ AUDITIONS
Houston auditions for The Wiz will be held on June 5 and 6 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in the Administration Building. Auditions in Los Angeles will be held on May 16 and 17 at Actor’s Equity LA Audition Center, and auditions in New York will be held June 21 and 22.
The Wiz will be directed by Robert O’Hara and choreographed by Byron Easley. Joining them on the production will be Darryl Ivey as Music Director, Alex Jainchill as Lighting Designer, Andrew Harper as Sound Designer, Dede Ayite as Costume Designer, Aaron Rhyne as Projection Designer, and Jason Sherwood as Set Designer.
A hip re-telling of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz tells the story of thirteen-year-old Dorothy, who lives with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and her dog, Toto. After a cyclone hits her house, Dorothy is transported to the magical land of Oz where she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion who help her on her journey to defeat the wicked Evillene, and find her way home.
Rehearsals begin in Houston on October 2. Previews will be October 23 and 24. Opening Night is October 25, and the show closes on November 4.
HOUSTON AUDITIONS
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Administration Building,
800 Bagby St.
June 5: Local Principal Call: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (lunch from 1 to 2 p.m.)
June 6: Local Chorus Call: Singers - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Male Dancers - 3 p.m.; Female Dancers - 4 p.m. (lunch from 2 to 3 p.m.)
LOS ANGELES AUDITIONS
The Equity Audition Center in
North Hollywood,
5636 Tujunga Ave.
May 16: Equity Principal Call: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (lunch from 1 to 2 p.m.)
May 17: Equity Chorus Call: Singers - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dancers - 3 to 6 p.m.
NEW YORK CITY AUDITIONS
June 21 and 22: By appointment only. New York auditions are by appointment only. The New York auditions will be overseen by Stewart/Whitley, and anyone interested in auditioning in New York should submit a headshot and resume to
theatreunderthestarsauditions@gmail.com.
For more information about the auditions, please visit
TUTS.com/auditions.
Currently Seeking:
DOROTHY [Female, African American, 16]. A young woman who has a smile for every one and very protective of her friends. A dreamer. Fantastic voice.
AUNT EM/GLINDA/EVILENE [Female, African American, 30’s-40’s] Loving, caring but a bit harsh at the same time. Hard worker. The Epitome of empowerment. A vocal powerhouse. As well as evil incarnate. Can’t stand people or bad news.
THE WIZ/UNCLE HENRY/MESSENGER [Male, African American, 30’s-40’s] Dutiful and honest. / Outrageous and natural born comic; also a complete trickster. Charming and dangerous.
ADDAPERLE/KALIDAH QUEEN 30’s-50’s. A complete mess of a person. Rattled and often confused.
SCARECROW [Male or Female, African American, 20s-30s] Fantastic dancer. Missing a brain but proves to be highly intelligent. Natural born comic.
TINMAN [Male, African American, 20s-30s] Initially stiff and robotic, but once oiled up he’s rather charming. Missing a heart but incredibly caring.
LION [Male or Female, African American, 20s-30s]. A coward. And a bully. Completely selfish and yet loyal when it counts. Missing their own sense of self.
ENSEMBLE [Male and Female, African American, 20s-50s] Transformative performers. Excellent dancers and singers. Play all of the surrounding characters from the Munchins to Crows to Ozians to Winkies.
THEATRE UNDER THE STARS (“TUTS”) - (Dan Knechtges, Artistic Director; Hillary J Hart, Executive Director) - was founded by Frank M. Young in 1968 and is Houston’s leading musical theatre company for performance, arts education and professional theatrical training; ranging from the classics to new work development. As a 501c3 performing arts organization, TUTS is dedicated to breaking down barriers to access by focusing on inclusivity, education, and community engagement through a commitment to artistic excellence, programs in the community, technique-based curriculum at the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre, and explorative, creative life-skills at The River Performing and Visual Arts Center. For more information, visit
www.tuts.com.
Oklahoma! is made possible thanks to the generous support of our production sponsor, ConocoPhillips.
Theatre Under The Stars is grateful for our 50th Anniversary Season Sponsors: United Airlines, Phoenicia Specialty Foods, and the Four Seasons Hotel Houston. TUTS is supported in part by the City of Houston through the Theater District.
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