photos courtesy Copperstar Repertory Company
Saturday, June 13, 2015
promo photos - LES MISÉRABLES - Copperstar Repertory Company
for more information on this production, that runs June 25th to June 27th, click here.
photos courtesy Copperstar Repertory Company
photos courtesy Copperstar Repertory Company
Friday, June 12, 2015
East Valley Children's Theatre announces a Costume Contest before ARYA'S ROCK: A VIDEO GAME ADVENTURE on June 18th
Come dressed as your favorite superhero or video game character and you could win a prize! Contest is open to all ages.
Performances at Mesa Arts Center's Nesbitt Elliott Playhouse at 1 E. Main St. in Mesa
Tickets to the production are $15 for adults, $11 for children ages 17 and under. For tickets CLICK HERE or call 480-644-6500
THE CARPA PLAYS - Teatro Bravo - July 11 & July 18
Ladies and Gentlemen, Niños y los Niñas! Teatro Bravo, Phoenix’s premiere Latino theatre company is proud to present a sneak peek of their must see touring performance of The Carpa Plays, a collection of short bi-lingual plays in the style of Mexican and American Vaudeville but with a Chicano twist.
Preview Performance #1
Saturday July 11th at 7:00pm
Phoenix Center for the Arts
1202 N. 3rd St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Preview Performance #2
Saturday July 18th at 4:00pm ( A free workshop to follow the performance at 6:00pm with the cast. Participants must RSVP for the workshop. Space is limited. All information on the workshop can be found at www.teatrobravo.org)
Theatre Works at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts
8355 W. Peoria Ave
Peoria, AZ 85345
Tickets
General admission is $7 for each show; tickets are available at www.teatrobravo.org or at the box office at Phoenix Center for the Arts (for the July 11th performance) or Theatre Works (for the July 18th performance).
About The Carpa Plays:
Travelling from town to town in search for a place of peace and performance, The Bravo Players are a motley crew of theatre performers just trying to make a living as artists in Arizona. Lead by their egotistical show owner, El Chavo, The Bravo Players are set out to bring to you, the audience, the greatest show in Arizona, one play at a time.
The Carpa Plays is a step into our historical past and honors a style of performance that continues to speak to audiences in Arizona today. Filled with comedy, song and dance, The Carpa Plays are sure to be a treat for audiences of all ages.
The Carpa Plays is a project generously funded by The Arizona Art Tank Grant and is conceived and written by The Carpa Ensemble and directed by Teatro Bravo Artistic Director Ricky Araiza. This project was created in cooperation with Theatre Works of Peoria and The Phoenix Center for the Arts.
www.teatrobravo.org.
Orange Theatre announces Digital Performance Lab free public demonstration on June 25th
This month, Phoenix’s critically acclaimed Orange Theatre will launch a new initiative, the Digital Performance Lab, with the support of the Arizona Commission on the Arts’ Art Tank grant program, which makes strategic investments in the state’s most exciting arts-based ventures.
The Orange Theatre Digital Performance Lab is a residency that brings together digital media designers, developers, and actors to collaborate on the creation of new, interactive technologies for the stage. The goal of the program is to provide the time and space for true experimentation and collaboration among these groups, a rarity in the American theatre.
Orange Theatre will host a free public demonstration on Thursday, June 25 at 7:30pm at the Lyceum Theatre on ASU’s Tempe campus. (The Lyceum Theatre is located at 901 S. Forest Mall, Tempe, Ariz., and nearby public parking is available at the corner of University and Forest Aves.)
In this demonstration, the actors and designers will showcase the capabilities of the technology developed in this year’s Lab: a network of portable, matchbook-sized wireless sensors that have the power to send and receive information; track performers, objects, and set pieces as they move around the stage; and visualize that tracking data in real-time and locate it on a 3D rendering of a theatrical set. This allows instant triggering of complex lighting, sound, and media cues and opens up the possibility for creating truly unique, interactive theatre experiences.
Orange Theatre’s system is especially exciting because it can be implemented for only a few hundred dollars, as opposed to the many thousands that similar systems available on the commercial market cost. The company plans to make the software and hardware developed in the Digital Performance Lab available to other independent performing arts groups for an affordable price.
This year’s Lab collaborators include resident designer-developers Ian Shelansky and Eric Brickley, along with consultant Matthew Ragan. They will be joined by Orange’s acting ensemble of William Crook, Katrina Donaldson, and Carrie Fee, as well as the troupe’s technical director and sound designer, Stephen Christensen.
In January, the ensemble pitched their vision for the Digital Performance Lab to a panel of community and arts leaders at Art Tank West in Peoria. Going up against multiple worthy projects, Orange Theatre won the $10,000 top prize by making the strong argument that Arizona is suffering a drain of young creatives who are drawn to well-known hubs of artistic innovation like New York and Los Angeles. Orange Theatre co-founders Matthew Watkins and Stephen Christensen proposed that the only way to halt this trend is to support innovative projects like the Digital Performance Lab that offer paid opportunities for young artists and technology experts to do exciting work without leaving the state. As one of Arizona’s only experimental, multimedia performing arts ensembles, Orange Theatre is perfectly situated to design and launch this program.
Future plans for the Digital Performance Lab include an education program that teaches best practices for actor-designer collaboration and a digital performance resource library based in Phoenix. Pending additional grant funding in future years, the company hopes to make the residency an annual program.
Sadly, due to the state legislature's recent cuts to their budget, the Arizona Commission on the Arts has been forced to put its Art Tank initiative on indefinite hold, which means that vital seed funding like Orange Theatre received for this innovative program will not be available to other local groups in the near future.
This year’s Digital Performance Lab will take place at ASU’s Lyceum Theatre because Orange Theatre’s warehouse performance space in downtown Phoenix is still under renovation to add air conditioning to the facility. The company will present their next show at their own space this October. More information about the ensemble and its work can be found at orangetheatre.org.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
cast announcement - MAGDALENA'S CROSSING - The Bridge Initiative
We are thrilled to announce the cast of Magdalena's Crossing, for this a staged reading of this topical and explosive new play by Carolyn Nur Wistrand.
Cast: Osiris Cuen, William Gardner, Dolores Mendoza, Erica Ocegueda, Timothy Pittman, Jennifer Salazar, Marissa Salazar, Michael Thompson
Shifting between Juárez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas, this play depicts ill-fated encounters between a Mexican girl, an American soldier, and her estranged husband which erupt into violence. This is the tale of women who are victims of the present-day immigration crisis.
Director: Joya Scott
Suggested Donation: $5
Sunday, June 21at 7:30pm
Mesa Encore Theatre
318 E Brown Rd #101, Mesa AZ, Mesa, Arizona 85201
For the rest of our programming, check out our website:
bridgeinit.weebly.com
review -DOUBT - Mesa Encore Theatre
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| Shari Watts and Anne-Lise Koyabe photo: Pam Pershing |
"John Patrick Shanley's 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning play Doubt has...superb characters with crackerjack dialogue and...every element necessary to deliver a hit drama, especially if your cast is up to the challenges of the script, which is just about perfect. Mesa Encore Theatre's production succeeds on all counts....This cautionary tale about the impact of gossip...shows two sides to a story set in 1964 at a parochial school in the Bronx..When head principal Sister Aloysius learns from novice Sister James that the charismatic Father Flynn has had private meetings and conversations with a young student named Donald Miller, she is convinced that he is molesting Donald. Yet Flynn claims he has done nothing wrong and is only protecting the boy, as Miller is the sole African-American student at the school and is isolated due to his race...Shanley's script will most likely have you not only changing your mind more than once during the show, but also discussing and debating it on your ride home as well....Mesa Encore Theatre has found an exceptionally gifted cast to play the four parts in the play, led by Shari Watts as Sister Aloysius...shows us how Aloysius' firm, steadfast beliefs are possibly behind not only her stilted view of the world but also her unrelenting determination to take Flynn down, even if she has no actual proof of her accusations. But what if she is right? Watts perfectly shows us how Aloysius is trying to protect the children while also making us realize that perhaps she is really just trying to protect her own beliefs in the Catholic religion. This is the fourth show I've seen Watts in over the past 18 months and she never fails to portray the realism behind the character. Her Aloysius is perfect....Marshall Glass' charisma, good looks and measured, easy delivery of Flynn's lines allows us, at first, to side with him. ..Glass' ability to win us over, numerous times throughout the play, works perfectly in how Shanley has crafted his play as a battle, with the audience constantly switching from side to side. Like Watts, Glass is delivering an excellent performance....In the smaller role of Sister James, Jamie Hendricks has the appropriate mousy disposition of the young nun, who is just trying to do what's right for her students...As Mrs. Muller, Anne-Lise Koyabe is delivering a heartbreaking take on this troubled mother....Kent Burnham has directed a production that will have you pondering the ideas of truth and consequences. He has a solid understanding of the material and elicits not only excellent performances from his cast but also an overall winning production. ..."What do you do when you are not sure?" is a question that Flynn poses in his first sermon in the play. It is something we can all take as a lesson when considering a subject that isn't cut and dried, with an answer that is beyond the shadow of a doubt. Mesa Encore Theatre's Doubt smolders, and Shanley's philosophical battle of the wills is not to be missed." -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
LES MISÉRABLES - Copperstar Repertory Company - June 25 - 27
Cast includes:
Aaron Ballard as "Jean Val Jean" (Jeff Montgomery on June 25 at 2:00pm)
Andrew McKee as "Javert"
Ashlee C. Dutson as "Fantine"
Shanti Okawa as "Eponine"
Ralynne Riggs as "Cosette"
Austin Larsen as "Marius"
Stephen Wertz and Mary-Jo Okawa as "The Thenardiers" (Tina Reynolds on June 25th at 2:00pm)
Glenn Bennett as "The Bishop"
Stephen Ricks as "Enjolras"
Alex Crossland as "Grantiere"
Jackson Clark as "Gavroche"
"Little Cossette" will be played by Lizzy Ricks (June 25 and 27 at 7:30pm) and Ava Willis (June 26 at 7:30pm and June 25 at 2:00pm)
JUNE 25, 26, & 27 AT 7:30PM, JUNE 27 AT 2PM at Higley Center for the Performing Arts - 4132 E. Pecos Rd., Gilbert, AZ 85295
TICKETS: $18 - 35 (plus $4 per ticket fee)
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg
Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer
Original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel
Additional Material by James Fenton
Based on the novel by Victor Hugo
Broadway’s legendary musical, this epic story recounts the struggle against adversity in 19th century France. Imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread, petty thief Jean Valjean is released from his 19-year term and not only becomes and honest man, but the mayor of a prosperous town and a loving adoptive father - violating his parole in the process. The relentless Inspector Javert, who makes a decent life for Valjean impossible, consequently pursues him. Only years later, after Valjean proves his mettle during a bloody student uprising and saves the life of a young man hopelessly in love with Valjean’s adopted daughter, does the ex-convict finally feel fully redeemed.
Originally adapted from Victor Hugo’s timeless novel, LES MISÉRABLES is the grand and inspirational story that has touched the hearts of millions. For, within LES MISÉRABLES lies the universal truth “To love another person is to see the face of God” and this message is sure to have a lasting impact on the cast, crew, audiences alike.
www.copperstarrep.org
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
reviews - ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES - Nearly Naked Theatre
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| Drew Swaine Photo: Laura Durant |
"Arguably the most impressive new American play of the past twenty five years, Tony Kushner's two part-opus Angels in America won armfuls of awards, including two Tonys for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Kushner's play focuses on the AIDS epidemic...and is full of nuanced and layered, yet seriously flawed characters who allow us to see both the hope and hypocrisy that exists in the world...that requires a small cast able to each pull off multiple parts with assured devotion along with firm, clear direction to let the piece soar, and Damon Dering's Nearly Naked Theatre has taken on that task and succeeded... Dering has managed to achieve an intimate and moving production of this masterpiece....Dealing with stress, strain and the realities of life, and set across a wide range of topics that touch upon religion and politics, Kushner has crafted an interconnected story of two couples in turmoil, the Mormon husband and wife Joe and Harper and the gay couple Louis and Prior. With the subtitle of "A Gay Fantasia on National Themes," the play shows the impact of HIV as well as the hypocrisy of the conservative Republicans during the AIDS crisis, via a fictionalized version of the real life, closeted, and ultra-Republican lawyer Roy Cohn, a Joseph McCarthy protégé who ends up contracting HIV and having some connection to the two couples. While it is a long play, it is never boring, and Kushner's characters are fully fleshed out and realistic with plenty of warts, yet they also exhibit many traits that allow us to root for them. Kushner's dialogue crackles and he knows how to write great scenes...that explode with passion and fireworks....Dering has a clear sense in his direction, managing to get solid portrayals from the entire cast. He also has a firm grasp on how the exceptional, mystical moments of the play build out of the ordinary. ...Drew Swaine embodies Prior, the protagonist of the piece, with a strong sense of pride, commitment, and conviction, but also exhibits a soulful vulnerability underneath.Vickie Hall perfectly captures the absolute mess of a woman that Harper is but with a clear portrayal on how fragile she is as well. Mike Largent has a good grasp on Louis..yet he could portray a touch more of the emotional mess that Louis should be and the guilt he feels for leaving Prior. We see the longing he has...but don't quite get the pain he should feel as well. Thomas Hicks is quiet and subdued, which works well for the confused and questioning Joe...As Cohn, Pat Russel isn't quite as biting, malicious, and terrifying as Ron Liebman and F. Murray Abraham, who played the part on Broadway, or even Al Pacino, who appeared in the HBO version. Instead he comes across more as a slimy, quiet, manipulating individual who has sudden outbursts of rage. But it manages to work, for the most part...KatiBelle Collins is superb in several smaller parts, some of which are male roles...Brandi Bigley also plays several parts, all with skill...As Belize,...Raheem De'Angelo infuses the character...with an all knowing power...The small Hormel Theatre stage...allows a heightened sense of intimacy in how Dering stages most of the action just a few feet from the front row of the audience...though the staging of the Angel's arrival is a bit of a letdown and doesn't quite have the impact it should....It's impossible to do justice in a few paragraphs to this play's significance and how it brought the AIDS crisis to the forefront of the arts world, even more so than plays like The Normal Heart did before. It also continued the importance of plays centered on gay characters. If you've seen the play before, you will find much to like and admire in Nearly Naked Theatre's production. If you've never seen this show before, you owe it to yourself to experience it, and Dering is presenting a solid production of Kushner's opus. Also, when I first saw Angels on Broadway back in 1993, Kushner was still writing Part II so we had to wait almost six months before the second part opened to find out how the intricate and mesmerizing story ends. Fortunately for theatregoers in Phoenix, you only have to wait a few days." -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
"Tony Kushner’s two-part “Angels in America” opened in 1991 at the height of the AIDS crisis. It chronicled what HIV did to the then closeted American gay community and how the initial years of the medical calamity devastated homosexuals...isn’t as fresh or vibrant as it once was in describing a situation changed dramatically by medical advances. The once edgy play is now a historical glimpse into society’s initial handling of the disease and the subculture....To do the play justice, it must be performed by a superb acting ensemble who make audiences care about the characters and the discoveries each makes about their life. That’s not the case with the laggardly directed and poorly acted Nearly Naked Theatre production based on the first part’s opening this past weekend....It is impossible for audiences to get into the situations these characters find themselves in or to relate to the diverse situations the play outlines....Director Damon Dering lets the massive work drag through its complex view without giving it any spark. Most significantly, he doesn’t make individual characters stand out to keep audiences interested. Some of the problem rests with the actors who are not up to the demands of these characters. Only Pat Russel’s wacky Roy M. Cohn, a closested gay who is forced to come out, delivers a believable character. Especially weak are Thomas Hicks’ Joe Pitt, a seemingly normal husband who tries to bury gay feelings and Vickie Hall who plays his mousy wife, Harper....The unit set restricts action with cramped playing areas that must serve multiple locales. Nearly Naked Theatre tackled a huge challenge with “Angels in America” and fails with the play’s first part." -Chris Curcio, KBAQ (click here to read the complete review)
"Tony Kushner's "Angels in America" is... crazy great theater. And crazy hard to pull off onstage.The intimacy of the piece makes it possible for a small, budget-conscious company like Phoenix's Nearly Naked Theatre to do it justice. But ...director Damon Dering...doesn't quite rise to the occasion...The top issue is the acting, unfortunately. Many of the cast members are inexperienced and don't rise above the level of basic readings of their (multiple) characters. The most persuasive is Drew Swaine as Prior Walter...Also compelling are Pat Russel as Roy Cohn, a ruthless right-wing lawyer, and KatiBelle Collins...Each of these delivers moments of intense emotion and surprising humor. But it's not enough to overcome the generic, overly whiny renditions of their fellow leads...Dering's direction is equally clumsy. The set consists of a series of cramped platforms, which make for static staging and laborious entrances that often take place (noisily) in the dark while the previous scene is still running. And the play's many surreal moments come and go without visual or emotional surprise...." -Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic (click here to read the complete review)
Paradise Valley Community College's 2015 - 2016 Season
Paradise
Valley Community College
Theatre Season
2015-2016
by Moses
Goldberg
directed by Craig Kosnik
Our first show on the
Mainstage is an exciting classic that will thrill all age groups. The
Outlaw Robin Hood is an action-filled play about law and order in Medieval
England with some of our favorite characters. In this version of the well-known
tale of Robin Hood heroic deeds are seen anew in Robin bedeviled with a
dilemma: obey the law and see people suffer the worst evils of the feudal
system or break the law and see injury and death to his people. Show Dates: October 9, 10, 16, 17 at 7:30pm
and 11 & 18 at 2:00pm
Advanced
Directing Student Shows
Each
Fall semester in our Studio Theatre we have opportunities for our students to
direct One Act plays or Full length plays if they are directing a second
time. There is always a wonderful
variety and even some original works written by the directors. Titles and their specific performance dates
will be announced sometime in October. Show
dates: Nov. 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 at 7:30pm and 15 & 22 at 2:00pm.
The
Secret in the Wings
by Mary Zimmerman
directed by Andrea
Robertson
Murder, incest, betrayal,
infanticide, cannibalism and happy ever after?
Our spring semester begins with The Secret in the Wings in our Studio
Theatre. The show adapts a group of lesser-known fairy
tales to create a theatrical work that sets their dark mystery against
Zimmerman’s signature wit and humor. The framing story concerns a child and the
frightening babysitter with whom her parents leave her. As the babysitter reads
from a book, the characters in each of the tales materialize, all interwoven in
to a larger tale that will surprise you with its ending. Show
Dates: February 26, 27, March 4, 5 at
7:30pm and February 28 & March 6 at 2:00pm.
The
Odd Couple (Female Version)
by
Neil Simon
directed by Gary Zaro
Unger and Madison are at it
again in our Spring Mainstage Production! Florence Unger and Olive Madison,
that is, in Neil Simon's hilarious contemporary comic classic: the female
version of The Odd Couple. The gender may have changed, but the hilarity
remains the same. Show Dates: April 15,
16, 22, 23 at 7:30pm and 17 & 24 at 2:00pm.
by Jeffery Lane and David Yazbek
directed
by Andrea Robertson
Based on the popular 1988 MGM film, our
summer musical takes us to the French Riviera for high jinks and hilarity.
Lawrence Jameson makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their
money. Freddy Benson swindles women by waking their compassion 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!
Show Dates: June 17, 18, 24, 25 at 7:30pm and 19, 26 at 2:00pm.
For more information and to order tickets (once they become available) click here.
For more information and to order tickets (once they become available) click here.
Fountain Hills Theater is looking for actors who have played or can play Buddy Holly
Is there anyone out there who has played Buddy Holly? We are exploring future show possibilities and would like to hear from you if you have played Buddy Holly in the past or could play him.
Please contact FHT Managing Artistic Director Peter Hill at peter@fhtaz.org
audition notice - JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT - Valley Youth Theatre - June 15
Auditions are Monday, June 15 at 4 p.m.
Callbacks are Tuesday, June 16 & Wednesday, June 17 at 4 p.m.
Rehearsals may begin as early as June 22
Show runs August 14 thru 30 at the Herberger Theater Center
222 E Monroe St, Phoenix, 85004
The Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in a variety of musical styles.
For more info: http://vyt.com/on-stage/auditions
audition notice - EAST VALLEY'S GOT TALENT - The Palms Theatre - June 13 & June 20
Do you have a talent you'd like to show off AND win $1000 in the process? All performers ages 8 and up are encouraged to attend what ever your talent may be (song, dance, circus acts etc). Performers can audition as a group or as individuals.
Important Info:
Auditions will be held at The Palms Theatre in the rehearsal hall. Auditioners will have 3 minutes to perform, no appointment necessary. No equipment will be provided to you, please bring your own (boom box/instruments etc.).
Prizes: Third Place $250, Second Place $500 and First Place $1000!
Important Dates:
Auditions- June 13th and June 20th from 12-6pm registration from11-5pm
Semifinals- June 27 and Aug 1 (performers will only attend one)
Finals- Aug 29
Monday, June 8, 2015
WEEK AT A GLANCE: June 8 to June 14
Click on any show title to get more information on that production
And Click Here for a complete day by day calendar of what shows are playing.
CONCERTS/ LIMITED RUN:
UNDER THE BED
Paradise Valley Community College
June 11 to June 14, 2015
The Bridge Initiative Events:
SNIPPETS (selections from ten plays and musicals)
June 8, 2015
DAIRYLAND
June 13, 2015
CLOSING:
HONK, JR
Spotlight Youth Theatre
May 29th to June 14th, 2015
DOUBT
Mesa Encore Theatre
June 5 - 14, 2015
ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS
Phoenix Theatre
May 20 to June 14, 2015
LI'L ABNER
Starlight Community Theater
June 5 - 14, 2015
OPENING:
INTO THE WOODS
Valley Youth Theatre
June 12 - 28, 2015
STILL PLAYING:
ANGELS IN AMERICA
Nearly Naked Theatre
June 6 - 20, 2015
WILLY WONKA, JR.
Desert Stages Theatre
May 22 - June 21, 2015
DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID
Arizona Broadway Theatre
May 22 - June 21, 2015
BOEING, BOEING
Don Bluth Front Row Theatre
May 19 - July 3, 2015
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Hale Centre Theatre
May 21 - July 3, 2015
RUMORS
Desert Stages Theatre
June 5 - July 26, 2015
And Click Here for a complete day by day calendar of what shows are playing.
CONCERTS/ LIMITED RUN:
UNDER THE BED
Paradise Valley Community College
June 11 to June 14, 2015
SNIPPETS (selections from ten plays and musicals)
June 8, 2015
DAIRYLAND
June 13, 2015
CLOSING:
HONK, JR
Spotlight Youth Theatre
May 29th to June 14th, 2015DOUBT
Mesa Encore Theatre
June 5 - 14, 2015
Phoenix Theatre
May 20 to June 14, 2015
LI'L ABNER
Starlight Community Theater
June 5 - 14, 2015
OPENING:
INTO THE WOODS
Valley Youth Theatre
June 12 - 28, 2015
STILL PLAYING:
Nearly Naked Theatre
June 6 - 20, 2015
WILLY WONKA, JR.
Desert Stages Theatre
May 22 - June 21, 2015
DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID
Arizona Broadway Theatre
May 22 - June 21, 2015
BOEING, BOEING
Don Bluth Front Row TheatreMay 19 - July 3, 2015
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Hale Centre Theatre
May 21 - July 3, 2015
RUMORS
Desert Stages Theatre
June 5 - July 26, 2015
audition notice - Brelby Theatre's Improv Group "Results May Vary" - July 18
Dress for movement, as we will be playing some basic improv games as a group. Experience is not required but encouraged.
We're looking for reliable team members, and are expecting a 6 month commitment to participate. Auditioners must be 18 years and older.
No sign-up required, just show up between 10am and noon.
Auditions will take place at the Brelby Theatre Company 6835 N 58th Ave, Glendale, Arizona 85301
Need to refresh your skills? Click here for Brelby's list of Improv classes
Childsplay Flex Tickets
Childsplay has a great season of plays planned for 2015/2016 and their Flex Tickets are the best way to experience them, but prices go up on July 1st, so order now to get the best rates.
Click here for more information
Click here for more information
audition notice - HEAVEN CAN WAIT - Hale Centre Theatre - June 27
A Comedy Fantasy by Harry Segall
Performance Dates: September 14, 2015 - November 17, 2015
Before departing for the Afterlife, Joe Pendleton discovers that, despite being in limbo, he is not scheduled to die for another 60 years! Unfortuitous for Joe, his manager has already cremated his body. Suddenly Joe finds himself in the body of the rich and pompous Jonathan Farnsworth. In his new body, he trains as a prize fighter and falls for the beautiful Bette Logan. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, the real Farnsworth demands his body back and Joe's spirit is forced into a new body without any memory of his previous life as Jonathan - including Bette!
AUDITION INSTRUCTIONS:
Hale Theatre is developing a new audition software application called Greenroom Connect. Please click this link to register and set up your profile on our system. After your registration, click either “Audition Board” or “Role Search” located near the top of the page. The audition board will show you all available shows holding auditions. The role search will allow you to filter available roles in order to find a character well suited for you. Due to time constraints you will only be able to schedule one audition slot per show. If you would like to be considered for more than one character you will have the opportunity to specify so when you arrive at your audition. Or you can call our box office and speak to Jessica or Britney if you have any questions. Our box office phone number is 480-497-1181. Thank you!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
audition notice - SOMETHING'S AFOOT - Hale Centre Theatre - June 23
Music Director: Lincoln Wright
Book, Lyrics and Music by James McDonald, David Vos, and Robert Gerlach
Additional Music by Ed Linderman
Performance Dates: August 28, 2015 - October 10, 2015
A zany murder mystery musical that takes a satirical poke at the works of Agatha Christie and especially her detective novel And Then There Were None (aka Ten Little Indians). When ten people are stranded in an isolated English country house during a raging thunderstorm, one by one they're picked off by cleverly fiendish devices. As the bodies pile up in the library, the survivors frantically race to uncover the identity and motivation of the cunning culprit.
AUDITION INSTRUCTIONS:
Hale Theatre is developing a new audition software application called Greenroom Connect. Please click this link to register and set up your profile on our system. After your registration, click either “Audition Board” or “Role Search” located near the top of the page. The audition board will show you all available shows holding auditions. The role search will allow you to filter available roles in order to find a character well suited for you. Due to time constraints you will only be able to schedule one audition slot per show. If you would like to be considered for more than one character you will have the opportunity to specify so when you arrive at your audition. Or you can call our box office and speak to Jessica or Britney if you have any questions. Our box office phone number is 480-497-1181. Thank you!
Ticket Discount for DOUBT at Mesa Encore Theatre
Regular priced $15 tickets are now just $10 when you use the word DOUBT in the coupon code field.
Click here to order your tickets
Saturday, June 6, 2015
The Bridge Initiative's WORKSHOP - Auditions and Career Possibilities - June 13
WORKSHOP - Auditions and Career Possibilities
A special event that should be a valuable discussion and networking opportunity for artists across all disciplines.
Saturday, June 13 at 10:00am
Mesa Encore Theatre
318 E Brown Rd #101, Mesa AZ, Mesa, Arizona 85201
NYC-based director Stefanie Sertich will lead a panel of local artists for this workshop YOU requested! We will begin with a discussion of cross-disciplinary work and opportunities. Then we will have breakout sessions where participants can 1) delve deeper into that topic, or, 2) offer a conversation about self-producing and generating our own work, or, 3) participate in a mock audition. We are soliciting actors to participate in these auditions so if you're interested, please email us at bridgeinit@gmail.com and we'll put you on the list. (We're looking for up to ten participants... bring picture and resume and either a monologue or be prepared to read sides.)
Please note: we welcome men as well as women to participate.
PANELISTS: (subject to change)
Alaina Beauloye
Brian Foley
Barbara Walker McBain
Randy Messersmith
Stefanie Sertich
Jennifer Setlow
Janis Ash Webb
(And after the panel, grab some lunch and stick around for our play reading, DAIRYLAND by Heidi Armbruster, at 2:30)
For the rest of our programming, check out our website:
bridgeinit.weebly.com
review - OLIVER! in concert - Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Phoenix Theatre
"Phoenix Theatre and Phoenix Symphony Orchestra recently came together for another musical theatre collaboration. This time the selection was Oliver! and hearing Lionel Bart's score, with so many well-known songs, played by the huge, skilled orchestra and sung by a gifted cast, was simply glorious....The combination of Phoenix Theatre's Artistic Director Michael Barnard's skilled direction and (Tito) Muñoz's crisp conducting resulted in a touching production of this classic musical and was a perfect way to close out Muñoz's inaugural season with the Symphony....The concert included the majority of the Tony winning score, with the exclusion of just one minor song, and the wonderful performances of D. Scott Withers and Yolanda London. Withers was Fagin and London portrayed Nancy... hearing London's glorious and powerful voice wrapped around the music and lyrics of "As Long As He Needs Me," "I'd Do Anything," and "It's a Fine Life," along with her firm connection to the lyrics, was a joy. The combination of London's strong portrayal and the rich, nuanced and well thought out performance of Withers more than made up for some of the shortcomings of the evening. As Oliver, Vincent Jacovo was appropriately sweet and naive and able to hit some lovely notes in his solo "Where is Love?" Asher Angel as Dodger was also charming, displaying plenty of realistic street smarts along with a nice singing voice....(Chris) Eriksen was effective at getting the menace of Bill Sykes across. (David) Simmons' rich, deep voice was simply lovely, especially during "Boy For Sale" and he also got a chance to show his comic abilities as the bumbling Dr. Grimwig. (Toby) Yatso and (Kate E.) Cook provided some nice humorous bits, with Yatso's long legs put to good use in a highly choreographed "That's Your Funeral." But Yatso also added a lovely emotional touch of caring and tenderness as Brownlowe. Cook, Johanna Carlisle and several ensemble members provided extremely lovely solos during the "Who Will Buy?" sequence. The hardworking ensemble played multiple parts with ease and the dozen children in the cast delivered some gorgeous harmonies as well as meaningful and well directed performances.While most concert performances of big musicals with large casts like Oliver! aren't fortunate enough to have fully fleshed out production values and huge ensembles, this wasn't exactly the case with this concert presentation. The use of dozens of period costumes was effective in portraying the numerous characters in the musical as were a few small set elements to evoke Fagin's lair, the orphanage, and the homes of Brownlowe and the Sowerberrys...Barnard's choreography for the many ensemble numbers was quite elaborate and added a rousing and varied amount of dance steps delivered expertly by the cast. ...Even with the shortcomings of the abbreviated plot and some of the staging, Barnard's direction of the talented cast and Muñoz's expert conducting of the orchestra led to a winning and touching production of this musical. The score of Oliver! has so many well-known and well-loved songs that hearing them delivered by an exceptional cast, headed by Withers and London, and played by such a grand, masterful orchestra, more than made up for any of the very few drawbacks of the night...." -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
Don Bluth Front Row Theatre Fund Drive events
The Don Bluth Front Row Theatre has several fund raising events happening right now -
Our 2016 Season annual fund drive just started - Projected shows for 2016 include LES MISERABLES, THE LITTLE MERMAID, CAMELOT and THE KING AND I.
CLICK here to support the 2016 Season fund drive
Also,
On June 13th, a benefit performance from InTranced Hypnosis will also support the theatre. Click here for more information on this one night only special event.
Our Second Annual Benefit "Some Enchanted Evening" is planned for August 28th and 29th - click here for more information.
Please support the theater - and remember, any little bit helps!
Don Bluth Front Row Theater is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so ALL donations are TAX-DEDUCTABLE.
Friday, June 5, 2015
help wanted - Carpenter needed immediately for Hale Centre Theatre's TARZAN
from our friends at Hale Centre Theatre:
Hale Theatre is looking for an experienced carpenter for overhire work for our upcoming production of Tarzan.
Minimum two years of experience
Needed immediately
Please submit your resume to: davedietlein@mac.com.
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