PHX Stages: October 2024

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Auditions for DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS at Zao Theatre announced for November 25

Zao Theatre

Centerstage Church/Zao Theatre, 6338 S. Kings Ranch Rd, Gold Canyon, Arizona 85118

Auditions: Nov 25, 2024

Callback: Nov 26, 2024

Auditions will begin at 4:00 p.m. We will adhere to the audition schedule as closely as possible.

For your audition, you are asked to prepare a song which displays your vocal ability. You must bring your sheet music or music track with you. You may also be asked to do a cold read from the script.

You will need to have your headshot (or current photo) and resume to submit to the director.

You will also need to submit a completed Audition/Conflict form. This can be downloaded from the audition site.

Call backs, if needed, will be held at 6:30pm Nov 26, 2024.

Synopsis

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, based on the popular 1988 MGM film, takes us to the French Riviera for high jinks and hilarity. Sophisticated, suave with a good dash of mischief, this hysterical comedy features a delightfully jazzy score by David Yazbek (The Full Monty) and was nominated for a staggering eleven Tony Awards. Lawrence Jameson makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their money. Freddy Benson more humbly swindles women by waking their compassion with fabricated stories about his grandmother's failing health. After meeting on a train, they attempt to work together, only to find that this small French town isn't big enough for the two of them. They agree on a settlement: the first one to extract $50,000 from a young female target, heiress, Christine Colgate, wins, and the other must leave town. A hilarious battle of cons ensues that will keep audiences laughing, humming and guessing to the end! A musical comedy, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane.

Author

Book by Jeffrey Lane, Music and lyics by David Yazbek

Playing Dates

Mar 7, 2025 - Mar 29, 2025

Company

Zao Theatre

Centerstage Church/Zao Theatre, 6338 S. Kings Ranch Rd, Gold Canyon, Arizona 85118

CLICK HERE for more information and to sign up

The Herberger Theater Center’s 15th annual Festival of the Arts announced for November 16

THE HERBERGER THEATER CENTER PRESENTS THE 15TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS! -- FREE Family-Friendly Event Celebrates the Arts in our Community --

Save the date for the Herberger Theater Center’s 15th annual Festival of the Arts! This free outdoor event will take place on Saturday, November 16, 2024, from 11:00AM to 6:00PM at the Herberger Theater Center located at 222 E. Monroe Street in downtown Phoenix! 

The lineup of performances had been unveiled, with more than 20 diverse groups all local to Arizona including Lilliana de Leon Torsiello and Peter Torsiello, SOUNDS Academy, Furious Styles Crew, Padma School of Odissi Dance, Take Cover Band and more!

The event will also include a vendor marketplace that features over 25 local small businesses such as Jackson Kloog Art, Victorian Folly, Old Soul AZ, Wonderlands Creations and more!

There will also be art demos, live music, hands-on activities for kids, food court, beer and wine garden, and more! Bring the whole family and come celebrate the arts!

The event is sponsored by Billie Jo Herberger and Downtown Phoenix Inc.

For information about the festival, visit https://www.herbergertheater.org/festival-of-the-arts/

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Your first look at LES MISÉRABLES SCHOOL EDITION at Spotlight Youth Theatre

CLICK HERE for more information on this production, which runs through November 10

photos by Audra Little Photography

Cast announced for THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL at Starlight Community Theater

CLICK HERE for more information on this production, which runs November 8-17

GRAND HORIZONS - Stage Left Productions - January 10-February 2, 2025

Directed by Cody Dull

Fifty years into her marriage to Bill, Nancy wants a divorce. While her husband seems unfazed by the decision, her two adult sons are shaken to the core, forced to reexamine everything they thought they knew about their parents’ outwardly happy lives. As the family grapples with their new reality, each must reckon with their own imperfect past and how their love for each other might express itself in new and unlikely forms.

CLICK HERE for more information, and to purchase tickets

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Cast announced for THIS IS OUR YOUTH at Entertainers' Theatre Collective

CLICK HERE for more information on this production, which runs November 8-16

Monday, October 28, 2024

Auditions for IS THERE LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL? at Ghostlight Theatre announced for November 17

Open Call for Auditions:

Is There Life After High School?

When: Sunday, November 17 from 10am-12pm.

Please use this link to sign up for a specific time.

The show will run on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Feb. 6-16. Rehearsals will start in mid-December.

What: Prepare to present 32 bars of a song that best shows off your vocal range, plus one monologue of your choice from the show (see sides provided on auditions page). A blue-tooth speaker will be provided.

Please bring a completed audition form with you, along with a headshot and resume, if you have one. Copies of the audition form will be available to fill out the day of auditions if you do not have access to a printer.

Where: Ghostlight Theatre, 13541 West Camino Del Sol, Sun City West, AZ 85375.

If you have any questions or would like to send a video submission (initial auditions only), please email productionmanager@ghostlightaz.com.

Director: Richard Vines

"Is There Life After High School?" is written by Jeffrey Kindley, with music and lyrics by Craig Carnelia. Loosely based on the non-fiction book by Ralph Keyes, the show is a crowd-pleasing “memory musical,” with various characters remembering the joy, the laughter, and the pain of what it was like to go through high school. Through a series of vignettes, monologues, and songs, characters reflect on the triumphs, regrets, and insecurities of their teenage years. It offers a poignant and relatable look at how high school memories shape who we become.

Character Descriptions

There are nine actors in the cast: four (4) women and five (5) men, any ethnicity. They are between the ages of 27-47, which is to say, 10 to 30 years beyond high school. Each of the actors portrays many different characters in the course of the play. They speak to the audience throughout, except where otherwise specified in the script.

CLICK HERE for more information and to sign up for an audition time

Review Highlights: DIAL M FOR MURDER - Arizona Theatre Company

Awesta Zarif, Peter Howard & Lucy Lavely
photo by Tim Fuller

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through November 3

"Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation of Dial M for Murder adds some contemporary changes to Frederick Knott's classic 1952 thriller. Hatcher has premiered two of his plays at Arizona Theatre Company, so it's fitting that one of his most recent plays is making its Arizona premiere at the company. With a talented cast and impressive creative aspects, it's a taut and fun production with many moments of suspense, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. However, the direction and plotting, which features several unnecessary prolonged pauses, occasionally threatens to derail the pacing." - Gil Benbrook, TalkinBroadway.com (click here to read the complete review)

"Arizona Theatre Company has brought tremendous resources to its season opening production of Frederick Knott’s 1952 stage and television thriller “Dial M for Murder.” An impressive acting ensemble essay the five roles with distinction. An elaborate set creates an appropriate London living room where the action occurs and wonderful period costumes further enhance the lush visual look. But Jeffrey Hatcher’s new adaptation which attempts to bring the play to a contemporary sensibility sputter and fails to disguise the play’s creaky, old fashioned, senseless, and needlessly convoluted plot. The inane story and easily predictable characters are so far from any reality that updating the piece can’t make it relevant. Hatcher keeps the play as a period piece but tries, without success, to bring meaning to the piece for current audiences." -Chris Curcio, Curtain Up Phoenix (click here to read the complete review)

"Hatcher's new take on DIAL M FOR MURDER brings fresh energy to Frederick Knott’s classic thriller, giving it a bit of a facelift for modern audiences. The play thrives on a tightrope walk between suspense and dark humor, and when done right, it’s pretty gripping. To that end, this creative collaboration has evoked a mood and atmosphere that heightens the tensions of the play…most of the time. However, if you’re a fan of fast-paced and tightly wound productions, you might find that this one slows down now and then and loses a bit of its edge when, in a campy homage to early filmdom, pregnant and reflective pauses last just a few seconds too long....The modern touches, solid performances by the cast, and smart dialogue bring it into the present while still keeping that classic vibe. It’s a great mix of old and new, and it’s clear why this play has staying power." - Herbert Paine, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)

BROCKWAY is coming, this Saturday, November 2

bROCKway is coming!!

Get ready for an unforgettable night!

Join us for bROCKway, an original concert experience brought to you by Mark 4man and Brock Pro Entertainment.

What to Expect: Brockway fuses iconic Broadway showtunes with an electrifying rock style. Enjoy thrilling performances of songs from beloved musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar, Jekyll and Hyde, Rocky Horror, The Little Mermaid, Chess, and more!

When: 11.2.24

Where: Desert Stages Theatre

Tickets: Available at https://desertstagestheatre.csstix.com/tickets.php?type=interactive-chart&step=1&c=4765&e=973&d=5834

This is not just a concert; it’s a celebration! We’ll be live recording the event, so come be part of the magic. Plus, enjoy light bites and wine while you soak in the high-energy performances.

Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind experience! Grab your tickets now and join us for an evening of amazing vocals and unforgettable music.

See you there!

Auditions for HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION at Spotlight Youth Theatre announced for November 10 & 11

Hadestown Teen Edition

Parental Guidance is suggested for Hadestown Teen Edition for adult themes and simulated violence.

Discover the magic of Hadestown Teen Edition, a captivating adaptation of the award-winning musical. Follow the epic journey of Orpheus and Eurydice, reimagined with youthful energy and passion. With mesmerizing music and a gripping story, this production is perfect for audiences of all ages. Performed on the main Spotlight Youth Theatre stage from January 17 to February 2, 2025.

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell

Audition dates:

Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 6:00 PM

Monday, November 11, 2024, at 6:00 PM

Callbacks: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 5:30 PM

Requirements:

Ages: 13–19

Complete the online audition form.

Please come prepared to sing 32 bars (about 60 to 90 seconds) of a NON-MUSICAL THEATER song (folk, rock, jazz, gospel, etc.)

Absolutely NO a cappella–sheet music, instrument, or accompaniment track only.

We welcome performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and body types.

We are seeking actors with unique, vibrant singing skills.

Actors of diverse cultural and racial backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Certain roles will also require strong instrumental abilities. Accompanying yourself with a musical instrument is encouraged.

We are also looking for physically strong dancers to portray the “Workers” in the show.

Mandatory parent meeting and first rehearsal on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 11:30 AM.

Headshot or photo and resume required.

Video auditions:

Complete the online audition form.

Email jack@sytaz.org by 9 PM on Saturday, November 9, 2024.

Include your name with the audition video linked or attached to the email.

In-person callbacks are mandatory.

CLICK HERE for more information and the link for the audition form

RAGTIME - Arizona Musical Theatre Orchestra - November 16, 2024

Arizona Musical Theatre Orchestra (AZMTO) is proud to present a one-night-only symphonic performance of the Tony Award-winning musical RAGTIME on Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 PM at All Saints Lutheran Church, 15649 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ.

About the show:

RAGTIME is set at the turn of the 20th century and follows the intersecting lives of three families—African-American, immigrant Jewish, and wealthy suburban. With its themes of race, immigration, and the American Dream, RAGTIME remains deeply relevant today. Featuring a score by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, this production will highlight AZMTO's cast of talented vocalists performing alongside a full symphonic orchestra in our signature Showcase format.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024

• Time: 7:00 PM

• Location: All Saints Lutheran Church, 15649 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ

• Tickets: https://secure.givelively.org/event/satellite-collective-inc/arizona-musical-theatre-orchestra/azmto-showcase-ragtime

About AZMTO:

AZMTO is America’s first community-based orchestra and chorus dedicated to musical theatre. The ensemble brings the Broadway Cast Recording to life in concert, offering audiences a unique and immersive way to experience these theatrical stories. From emerging artists to seasoned professionals, every event features a brand-new cast of performers from around the state, celebrating the diverse and inclusive nature of Arizona’s performing arts scene.