Sunday, May 29, 2016

There's still time to join us for Mary Poppins!

Thanks for the great turn-out at auditions for Mary Poppins last week! Lucky for you, there's still a chance to join the production! The show is open to adults and children of all ages--we're especially looking to fill out our chorus numbers with more male voices and would love to add some younger boys to the kid-friendly songs (since we have quite a few elementary age girls already!) Message the director through our Facebook page or e-mail us here to throw your hat in the ring by May 31st. We're so excited for this production and will make the cast list official by the end of next week! Click the Mary Poppins link on this page for more details about rehearsal scheduling. Performances are July 28, 29, 30th at 7:00pm at the St. James High School Little Theater.


Sunday, May 22, 2016

Step in Time

One of the other show-stopping numbers from Mary Poppins, "Step in Time," is such contagious fun and I can't wait to bring the rooftops of London to St. James! We're calling on all area singing and dancing chimney sweeps to help us stage this fantastic scene. Again, we will attempt a more simplified version of this choreography and use some other creative staging to get the effect, but if you think I won't put my years of tap dance lessons and flag twirling to use, then you've got another thing coming! See you at auditions this Monday and Tuesday at 7:00pm in the Little Theater! -- Katie

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

One of the wonderful numbers in Mary Poppins to look forward to as we head into auditions tomorrow and Tuesday! "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" is familiar and new all at the same time in the musical theater rendition. While the song itself is still the one you know and love from the movie, we'll be kicking it up a notch on the stage as you'll see in the clip below. Am I going to require you to keep up with that fast-paced sign language choreography? No worries--I'll make some adjustments so you're a little less intimidated. But you will DEFINITELY be able to win the spelling bee by the time performances roll around! --Katie

Friday, May 20, 2016

We're Looking for You!

We're quickly counting down to Mary Poppins auditions this Monday and Tuesday evening! Here's a refresher: we're seeking adults for the roles of Mary, Bert, and Mr. and Mrs. Banks, as well as their children, 11-year-old Jane and 9-year-old Michael. In addition, there are over a dozen supporting roles and fun cameos, ranging from the house staff to the homeless bird lady. Check out the link on this page for detailed character descriptions. Prefer to be part of the ensemble? Awesome! We have seven or eight chorus numbers--kite flyers, park strollers, bankers, and chimney sweeps are but a few of the ways you can be part of our production--you can commit to just one number or help us fill out the whole set! There are even a handful of non-singing cameos for those who insist they can't carry a tune!

Auditions will be held at the St. James High School Little Theater Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24 at 7:00pm. Check back over the next couple of days to see some of the fantastic ensemble numbers for yourself! Spread the word--we'll see you there!

Read about auditions in this week's Plaindealer!

http://www.stjamesnews.com/news/20160519/auditions-upcoming-for-summer-community-theater-productions

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Auditions Are Upon Us!

Do you have kiddos who want to participate in summer theater?? They've got some options this year, so read on for details!

If your child is currently in 4th through 8th grade, they can audition tomorrow or Friday afternoon to be part of "Little Red Robin Hood" directed by Chenoa DePoppe! This funny, fractured fairy tale has a number of great parts written especially for this age group. Practices will take place during the day throughout June and we'll do our best to work around your child's busy summer rec schedule. Auditions will be held in the St. James High School Little Theater from 3:30-5:30 this Thursday and Friday and performances will be held during Railroad Days weekend on Friday, June 24th at 7:00pm and Saturday, June 25th at 10:00am!

We're also recruiting some kids for the adult musical production of Mary Poppins directed by Katie Wojtalewicz! There are two major parts for children: 11-year-old daughter Jane and 9-year-old son Michael. These roles are perfect for dedicated kids who can commit a lot of time and energy to memorizing lines and learning their music. They are on stage a lot in this production and are a couple of the most important actors in the show!

We are also opening up Mary Poppins for children of ANY age in an effort to encourage families to participate together. If kids can't convince the grown-ups in their life to join them, that's okay--we just want to clarify a couple of things about this production wink emoticon First, rehearsals will be held in the evening hours between 7:00 and 9:00 or 10:00, so it's up to you to decide whether your kids have the stamina. Second, Jane and Michael are the only parts in the show written specifically for kids, so other children who participate will be part of the chorus in a few of our kid-friendly musical numbers like "Let's Go Fly a Kite." Auditions for Mary Poppins will be held in the Little Theater next week on Monday, May 23rd and Tuesday, May 24th at 7:00pm (or e-mail us here if you need to schedule an alternate time). Performances will be July 28, 29, and 30 at 7:00pm.

Don't hesitate to check in with us with any questions. We can't wait to have you join us this summer and hope to see you at the Little Theater this week and next!