Do more Sondheim
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5028
Printed Date: 5/29/25 at 11:29pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Do more Sondheim
Posted By: Rorgg
Subject: Do more Sondheim
Date Posted: 4/07/11 at 10:13am
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I'm really amazed Sondheim doesn't get done more in Community Theatre,
given the buzz it produces. A well-known and respected area CT director
is doing ITW this summer, and not only are people coming out
of the woodwork to audition (myself included) but I've been getting
barraged by friends with requests to help choose and prepare audition
songs for this. And as I was reflecting on this this morning, I was thinking "the last time people around here were so ginned up over a CT show was last year... for Sweeney Todd." I know it's hard music and challenging stuff, but your actors will be excited, and create the buzz for you, and your available talent pool is bound to be deeper. I'd give my left arm to take anything in Assassins and you could go up to the Elbow for Hapgood in Anyone Can Whistle... |
Replies:
Posted By: sguti39
Date Posted: 4/08/11 at 12:12am
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Rorgg...dont know where you live, but out here in Corona California, there are 2 groups doing ITWs, one doing Sweeney, AND auditions for Assassins is on April 18th. Maybe you dont have to give up your left arm, but I can let the director know if you are interested:)
What I have seen is that the actors want to do sondheim, but the theatre going pulic isnt as savvy.
Just let me know what time you'd like to audition
 ------------- S.G. |
Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 4/08/11 at 10:25am
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Heh, I'm from LA originally (San Pedro) but I've been out in the Chicago 'burbs for the last 16 years. It actually draws pretty well, too, from what I've seen (especially Sweeney and ITW, and Assassins is a natural draw). In fact, my girlfriend and I are tossing around the idea of producing Assassins next year. We have a potential 165-seat auditiorium space in Chicago we can get for essentially free, and we think actors would be willing to pay a small production fee to help fund the outlay (it could even potentially be a deposit). The tricky bit would be lining up musicians, though we think we'd have a pianist already lined up. It's handy that she's run a production company before. |
Posted By: sguti39
Date Posted: 4/08/11 at 12:44pm
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You mean the Chicago Burrrrrs:) We usually get our musicians from the local colleges. Last one we did featured the jazz band from San Diego State. Another interesting (and very cheap) option we used one time was a 30 piece orchestra from a local performing arts high school. They were AMAZING and got great reviews. Both came complete with experienced conductors which made it nice.
Either way break a leg and post pictures/video!! ------------- S.G. |
Posted By: dexter74656
Date Posted: 4/09/11 at 4:20pm
| Add me to the list of people doing ITW this summer - although I have to say, overall I'm not a huge fan of Sondheim shows, but I'll make an exception any day for ITW. :) |
Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 4/11/11 at 10:00am
| ITW audition tonight, in fact. Mmmm. |
Posted By: Eric.Brandt
Date Posted: 4/11/11 at 6:03pm
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I'm going to have to second the savvy audience thought. It depends on your market, I think. I'm working in central Wisconsin and R&H is still the word of the day. Our local CT did Sweeney as the season opener in the fall of '08 and took a bath in it. The cast, myself included, was totally jazzed. The audience, not so much. I've been involved in some pretty crappy productions, and I think I recognize them pretty well, and this one wasn't. It just didn't go over. But on the other side of the coin, I'd rather roll the dice on a production that performers are passionate about than try to second guess what an audience will like any day. ------------- Eric Brandt http://TheTheaterCommunity.com - The Theater Community 
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Posted By: Eric.Brandt
Date Posted: 4/11/11 at 6:04pm
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And good luck with your audition, BTW!
------------- Eric Brandt http://TheTheaterCommunity.com - The Theater Community
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Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 4/12/11 at 1:59pm
| The difference of a few miles. I was in a production of Sweeney about 20 minutes south of Lake Geneva, just over the border in Illinois last year, and the audiences LOVED it. |
Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 4/14/11 at 9:45am
| Got cast as Narrator/Mysterious Man. And my awesome, lovely, and talented girlfriend as Stepmother, so we'll be doing this hitch together. :) |
Posted By: sguti39
Date Posted: 4/14/11 at 9:56am
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Congrats to both of you... I have a callback this weekend for Jacks Mother and the Stepmother. Years ago I may have been a witch or Bakers wife candidate, but now I am either the mean nasty to her step daughter mother or frazzled, nagging,"not beautiful" mother :(
Is it that art imitates life or life imitates art?
Oh well, such is life. ------------- S.G. |
Posted By: Eric.Brandt
Date Posted: 4/14/11 at 10:24am
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Congratulations! My wife and I have done a lot of shows together and love it. Way better than one partner sitting at home while the other is off at rehearsals. Have fun with the show! And squti, good luck to you. My wife is really enjoying the depth of the characters that are available for "women of a particular age"! ------------- Eric Brandt http://TheTheaterCommunity.com - The Theater Community
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Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 4/14/11 at 12:36pm
| Yeah, pretty much since we started dating (almost 8 months ago) I've been tied up in professional productions rehearsing 6 nights a week. This is going to be WAY better. |
Posted By: sguti39
Date Posted: 4/14/11 at 4:27pm
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Thanks Eric. I agree with your wife. Before I could NEVER get the comedic part, only the ingenue. But I guess I am funny now.
Good part is my, way more talented than me, teenage daughter has a call back for Little Red. We too have done several shows together and it is an assume experience. I've never performed with my husband, he's into sports. But he was the only man at his business conference that knew the musical theatre references mentioned during a presentation.
Rorgg, some of my best friends met in theatre and ended up marrying. Let us know how it goes. ------------- S.G. |
Posted By: Tammy Breitman
Date Posted: 4/16/11 at 1:18pm
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Did ITW last year with a talented middle school school theater group on Long Island....no cuts or transpositions. It might not have been a "Beauty and the Beast" in the minds of the audience members but those kids are now connected to Sondheim in the most special way, and they learned so much! ------------- Tammy B. |
Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 5/12/11 at 10:51am
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ITW just started, but as a bass, I have to say... really, Stephen? High Ab for everyone? Really? Come now. I've been pushing the upper edges of my range for a while now, so I can make it when the moon is in the 7th house and the barometric pressure is right, but some of the poor altos are just SOL. All the other men are tenors and baritones, but there's even squeaking from some of the baritones. Om the side of good news, I just heard the JC the next county over -- which has a gorgeous large theatre and open auditions -- is doing Sweeney next Summer. Also, my lovely and talented girlfriend and I were both called back for a professional production this winter. What's better than performing together? Getting paid for it. |
Posted By: Eric.Brandt
Date Posted: 5/12/11 at 2:49pm
"JC"?
I do so wish that was a possibility in my little market! Maybe someday.... ------------- Eric Brandt http://TheTheaterCommunity.com - The Theater Community
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Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 5/20/11 at 10:48am
Junior College |
Posted By: Eric.Brandt
Date Posted: 5/22/11 at 3:31pm
Gotcha. Not a feature in the Wisconsin educational system. Thanks! ------------- Eric Brandt http://TheTheaterCommunity.com - The Theater Community
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