Kentwood Players to host auditions for musical “Into the Woods”

CCN

Kentwood Players will host open auditions for the Tony Award winning musical “Into the Woods” with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, on Saturday, September 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sunday, September 14 from 6-10 p.m.

Callbacks will take place on Monday, September 15 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Auditions and performances take place at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue, Westchester, CA 90045.

Performance dates are November 14-December 20 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., with two possible Thursday night performances on December 11 and 18. This is a non-equity, non-paid production directed by Shawn K. Summerer with musical direction by Catherine Rahm, produced by Lori Marple-Pereslete and Tony Pereslete by special arrangement with Music Theatre International.

Join Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Rapunzel, Jack the Giant Slayer, and many other famous storybook characters as they each venture into the foreboding woods in search of magical items, love, money, or simply a purpose in life. This classic mash-up of Grimm’s fairy tales teaches all of us the true consequences of what it means to “get your wish.”

Those auditioning should arrive early to sign-in. Everyone is asked to please bring a current headshot and resume with you as well as your calendar. A tentative rehearsal schedule will be posted at auditions and you will be asked to note any conflicts. All auditioners must prepare 32 bars of a Sondheim song (does not need to be from this show) and will also read short scenes from the script. An accompanist and script sides will be provided. The director requests that you be familiar with the play and its characters. Please email the production staff at intothewoods@ kentwoodplayers. org with any questions about the auditions.

The cast of characters includes: baker – (30s) A poor, childless baker; depends greatly on his wife, but doesn’t realize it and wants nothing more than a child (tenor); baker’s wife – (30s) the put-upon wife of the baker, works very hard but never gets credit and wants nothing more than a child (mezzo-soprano); witch – (40s-50s) A vengeful and petty woman, she curses the baker’s family because his father picked some vegetables from her garden; She tires of being evil and wishes to be more like the people she torments (belting soprano); Cinderella – (20s) the kind-hearted and shy day-dreamer the wishes for a better life away from the chores and ridicule she gets from her step-mother and stepsisters (soprano); Jack – (20s to play teens) is a dim-witted boy who wishes for wealth and goes into the woods to sell a cow and becomes a man in the process (youthful tenor); Little Red Ridinghood – (20s to play teens) an innocent young girl with a penchants for sweets goes to visit her granny and becomes a strong woman in the process (youthful alto); Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf & Rapunzel’s Prince – (30s) Brothers, both dashingly handsome and full of themselves with one falling for Cinderella, the other for Rapunzel, at least for the moment, as Cinderella’s Prince will double as the Wolf that pesters Little Red Ridinghood (baritones); Narrator/Mysterious Man – (50s) is to be played by the same actor since the Narrator guides everyone through the story, while the Mysterious Man helps the Baker on his journey (baritone).

The remainder of the cast includes: Rapunzel – (20s) A love-sick girl wishing for nothing more than human interaction, because she’s been kept in a tower by the Witch her whole life without knowing she is secretly the baker’s sister (soprano); Milky-White – is to be played by a person in a cow suit for a non-speaking, nonsinging, but very physical role that requires a strong sense of sarcasm as she reacts to the events taking place around her; and if a woman, will likely double as Snow White or Sleeping Beauty in the second act; Jack’s Mother – (50s) is s single mother and a realist that fears her son is an idiot (mezzosoprano); Cinderella’s Mother/ Granny/Giant – (40s-50s) Three roles to be played by the same actress who will be Cinderella’s Mother as a spirit that lives in a tree, granny who is nearly eaten by the wolf and the giant speaks with a rumbling voice from offstage (soprano); Cinderella’s Step-Mother – (40s-50s) The gold-digging new wife of Cinderella’s father (soprano); Florinda & Lucinda – (20s) is Cinderella’s evil step-sisters (altos); Cinderella’s Father – (40s-50s) is the drunk, spineless father of Cinderella (non-singing); Steward – (30s-40s) is the pompous aide to the royal family (nonsinging); and Snow White & Sleeping Beauty – (20s) will be non-speaking roles and the actress will double as either Milky-White, “birds”, and/or stage crew.

For more information about Kentwood Players including our current productions or upcoming auditions, and our Kentwood Kids Children’s Theatre classes and productions, please visit the Kentwood Players website at www.kentwoodplayers.org. You can also find Kentwood Players information on Facebook and Twitter.

To meet the “Into the Woods” production team and learn more about Kentwood Players and what goes on at the Westchester Playhouse, the public is invited to attend the general membership meetings, which are free and held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Westchester Playhouse, located two blocks west of the San Diego Freeway and two blocks north of Manchester Boulevard at 8301 Hindry Ave. in Westchester.