The Pirates of Penzance
Open auditions in September for its next musical, Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.
Director Roger Zawacki and vocal/orchestra director Kathy Tahiri are seeking talented singing actors and actresses to play five male roles, five female roles, and up to 30 additional male/female chorus members. The classic comic opera will be performed in a “staged concert” production the first three weekends in November at the Woodstock Opera House. Betsy Stemple and Char Ulanowski are co-producing the show.
Auditioners will be seen on Sun., Sept. 11 and Tues., Sept. 13 from 7 – 9:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 1300 Kishwaukee Valley Rd., Woodstock. No appointment is needed. No parts have been pre-cast. Callbacks will be at the same time and location on Thurs., Sept. 15.
Auditions will consist of both singing and a cold reading from the Pirates script. Auditioners should be prepared to sing 16 bars of a song from Pirates or another Gilbert and Sullivan song. An accompanist will be provided. Women auditioning for Mabel should prepare “Poor Wandering One,” including cadenzas. Men auditioning for Frederick should prepare “Oh Is There Not One Maiden Breast.” If auditioners prepare a piece from a work other than Pirates, they must provide a copy of the sheet music for the accompanist.
Rehearsals will begin on Sun., Sept. 18. The typical schedule will run Sunday afternoons and Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. For any additional questions, potential auditioners should contact co-producer Char Ulanowski by phone (815-338-5256) or co-producer Betsy Stemple by EMAIL or phone (815-560-2293).
A complete list of characters, vocal ranges, and stage ages follows:
Frederick (tenor, 21)
Pirate King (bass-baritone, middle age)
Major General Stanley (comic baritone, “geezerly”)
Samuel (baritone, middle age)
Sergeant (bass, middle age)
Men’s three-part chorus (various stage ages), Pirates and Police Officers
Mabel (soprano, 17)
Ruth (contralto, 47)
Edith (mezzo-soprano, late teens/early 20s)
Kate (mezzo-soprano, late teens/early 20s)
Isabel (no specific solo, late teens/early 20s)
Women’s two-part chorus (various stage ages, teens and 20s), General Stanley’s daughters.
For advice on auditioning from several Artistic Directors, read Auditioning Advice
