If you were just born to sing and dance on stage, then the next Community Players of Concord production is for you.
It’s called Once On This Island. It’s considered “an ensemble show of storytellers,” which means that while there are eight to 10 featured parts, the entire cast is on stage most of the time – singing and dancing.
“Everything is done through singing, music and movement,” said director Bryan Halperin.
And if that’s something you’re interested in being a part of, then you’ll want to go to one of two upcoming auditions. They will be held on Sunday and next Tuesday (Aug. 30) starting at 6 p.m. at the Players’ Studio, 435 Josiah Bartlett Road. The choreographer will begin teaching the dance at 6 p.m. and registration and choreography will be ongoing from 6 to 7 p.m. Auditioners may arrive anytime within that hour, but remember that you must learn the dance so the earlier the better is what we say. Dance audition will begin at 7 p.m. followed by the music portion.
It’s an open audition, so anyone can come, but experience is a something you might like to have. Cast members will be on stage for most of the performance.
“Everyone who makes the cast will have to keep up with amount of singing and dancing we throw at them,” Halperin said.
From the auditions, Halperin hopes to select a cast of at least 12 and up to 28 adults and older teens (14-plus). The productions also calls for one to two girls who appear to be 6-10 years old and one boy who appears to be 6-10 years old.
“Everyone makes the show work,” he said.
The auditions will last between two and 2 hours and people should come with a song they are comfortable singing, along with the music. The Players will provide the accompanist. The audition also includes dancing.
The musical is about a group of people waiting out a storm, who begin telling a story to help a young girl scared by the thunder. It’s basically two stories in one, with an ever-changing back drop.
“The cast is creating the world of the play as it goes,” Halperin said. “This is a different style of musical.”
Rehearsals for Once On This Island will be held Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting Sept. 6, with the performances to take place at the Concord City Auditorium (the Audi), Nov. 18-20.
If you are interested in auditioning but have a conflict, contact Mindy at 369-7632 or Judi at 455-5156.
