seeking brave vocalists

Image by Morgan Roberts

The Danger Ensemble are seeking two female, trans or drag actors of any age for upcoming !Metro Independents surrealist-tragic-cabaret

Loco Maricon Amor

Major commitments for the work fall between June and August.

This is a profit share production. The company is seeking brave actors with singing experience interested in experimental work and devised-collaborative process to join an exciting team of actors Chris Beckey, Caroline Dunphy, Polly Sara, Peta Ward and Thomas Hutchins.

To express interest please email steven@dangerensemble.com with a CV, headshot or photo.

n.b. technical singing training is not needed but being able to sing is essential.

the voice: update

Well, what do you think so far?

There appears to be a few suspicious minds out there, who are discussing over social media channels that perhaps the Blind auditions are not blind at all.

Contestants (among them, Darren Percival, who now hails from Coolum and whose performance you’ll see on next week’s episode) have assured me that the judges know nothing and see nothing until they a) hear the voice and b) turn around and see the singer for the first time. I’m afraid I doubted a couple of Delta’s reactions on Monday night, including this one, when she turned around and recognised Guy Sebastian’s little brother, Chris. But I’m prepared to believe those who were there and can vouch for the integrity of the show. What are your thoughts about the Blind Auditions and who are your favourite artists? Which of the coaches do you think has the winner? Too early to tell?!

We LOVED Karise Eden’s It’s a Man’s World,  La vie en Rose, Matt Hetherington’s Evie, Laura Bunting’s Wuthering Heights and Kelsie Rimmer’s Teenage Dream. Let’s hear it for our musical theatre stars! And we haven’t forgotten that SEAL told Kelsie, “You have the voice to win The Voice”! You can watch the full clips here.

oscar theatre co last minute audition spots

A quick note from Oscar Theatre Co

Yeah. You know them. They brought us [title of show]. They brought us Spring Awakening.

How could you NOT want to secure one of the last audition spots that have suddenly become available and be a part of whatever they do next?!

Due to some last minute changes, there are some spots still left at the Oscar Auditions this Sunday

(April 15th)

Check out details at www.oscartheatre.com and share this with anyone you think may be interested!

Can’t wait – if you’ve submitted you should all have heard times and details by now. If yours has gone missing in cyberspace, email admin@oscartheatre.com

Peace out bitches. Bring it.

Oscar.

songbirds: auditions

CALLING FOR SONGBIRDS TO JOIN THE QPAC CHOIR

 

A contemporary choir offering exciting performance opportunities in 2012, the QPAC Choir is auditioning for new members TOMORROW Monday 19 March from 5.30pm to 6.30pm at QPAC, Cultural Centre, South Bank. If you’re quick, you can still register for an audition.

Rehearsing Monday nights, the QPAC Choir provides access to skill development and public performance across an imaginative repertoire of music. QPAC Choir Chorus Master, Tim Sherlock invites people aged 17 years and over to audition. “Taking part in the QPAC Choir offers a great community experience with other like-minded music lovers, as well as an opportunity to extend singing and performance ability.

 “Membership includes ongoing skill development within weekly rehearsals and participation in public performances at events such as the QPAC’s Out of the Box Festival for Children and the Centre’s annual Spirit of Christmas concert. The choir will also stage a special QPAC choir performance in June this year,” said Mr Sherlock.

Registration is required before auditioning. For further details and to register interest in auditioning please go to http://www.qpac.com.au/choir

For further enquiries please email choir@qpac.com.au

Something magical happens when a group of individuals sing together, making music so much greater than the sum of its parts. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unique experience.

The QPAC Choir performed at QPAC’s Christmas in Concert in 2008 and Spirit of Christmas in 2009, 2010 and 2011 with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Other performances include Queensland Music Festival’s Presidentsland and Best of British with the Queensland Pops Orchestra. Other performances have included Queensland Music Festival’s Presidentsland and Best of British and Celtic Celebration with the Queensland Pops Orchestra.

Members of the QPAC Choir also sang with the Queensland Festival Chorus at the Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore in Mahler’s Symphony No.2 and with the Australian Premiere of the Gothic Symphony (2010). Other performances include a ‘flash mob’ performance in the Queen Street Mall, several Works in Progress events in the Concert Hall and involvement in QPAC’s open days. In January 2012, the QPAC Choir were the choir asked to perform for The Lockyer Valley – Remembers & Reflects community event, to mark the January 2011 flood event.

Auditions are held in a friendly, supportive environment. Music reading skills and/or singing experience is considered an advantage, however members of various abilities do participate and are encouraged to continue their musical learning throughout the year.

What: QPAC Choir Auditions

Date: Monday 19 March

Time: 5.30pm to 6.30pm

Place: Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)

Corner of Grey St and Melbourne St South Bank, Brisbane

Register: www.qpachoir.com.au/choir or email choir@qpac.com.au

For full details of the audition process and requirements please go to www.qpac.choir.com.au

 

If you missed the so-called “choir wars” you can catch up here.

 

QPAC Choir. The Spirit of Christmas.

 

We got Annie! But do you have Annie’s dog?

 

Poppy's puppy, Biscuit, knows he is just not suitable this time.

OPEN AUDITIONS will be held at the Cultural Centre Forecourt South Bank this Sunday 12 February for talented dogs to play Annie’s beloved pup ‘Sandy’ in the Brisbane season of Annie.

To be eligible for selection applicants need to be well-trained, medium sized, sandy/light red coloured dogs aged between 12 months to 5 years.

The producers for Annie the Musical are hoping to find confident, outgoing dogs that are great with children and are not noise sensitive, all of which are essential to perform in front of packed houses on a nightly basis.

Owners must be prepared to hand over their dog to the show’s highly qualified trainer for the duration of the Brisbane season, from the 27th Feb at the earliest, dependent on training level. Only dogs who are well trained prior to auditioning with the ability to learn quickly, need apply.

 

Example of Little Orphan Annie daily by David Lettick, February 9, 1974.  Copyright New York News, Inc. Image courtesy of comicstripfan.com

Based on the Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie” the musical Annie burst into popularity in 1977 when it opened on Broadway. After running there for nearly six years, it has played in over 22 countries worldwide including the UK, Argentina, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Australia. Annie became a smash-hit movie in 1982 starring Aileen Quinn, Albert Finney and Carol Burnett that is adored worldwide and a fixture of popular culture references.

 

Annie is full of toe-tapping hits such as It’s the Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile, NYC, Maybe and everyone’s favourite song - Tomorrow. These wonderful songs have become staples of musical theatre repertoires worldwide and now, 34 years on, it remains one of the most loved and universally appealing musicals of all time.

‘Sandy’ auditions are open on Sunday 12 February 2012, with registration forms available for owners to fill in on arrival from 12 noon to 4pm.

Enquiries should be directed to productions@gordonfrost.com.au.

Requirements for Dogs Auditioning:

         Dogs must be de-sexed, vaccinated, medium sized, (approx 20 kilos and 75 cm high).

Medium to long haired and a sandy colour, for example, golden retriever or any other sandy or light red coloured pure breed or a Labradoodle or mixed breed.

         To give your dog every chance to impress it is important not to feed him or her on Friday night or Sat morning.

And to bring their favourite food, and toy to the audition as well as a water container.

          Please bring proof of vaccination and a photo of your dog for us to keep should the dog be shortlisted.

         Dogs must be confident, outgoing, great with children and other dogs and not noise sensitive.

         Dogs must be over 12 months and under 5 years old.

          Dogs must be well trained prior to auditioning with the ability to learn quickly.

      Owners must be prepared to hand over the dog to the highly qualified trainer for the duration of the Brisbane season (from at the earliest 27th Feb, dependent on training levels, to 13th May) for a nominal fee per week.

SANDY AUDITION DETAILS:  

Cultural Forecourt, South Bank (Riverside of QPAC)

Sunday 12th February

12 Noon to 4pm

Registration forms will be available for owners to fill in on arrival

To book tickets to Annie at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre go to www.qpac.com.au or phone 136 246.

 

Introductory Directors’ Workshop

After a massive week hosting Todd Schroeder’s Master Classes in Brisbane (Theatre and Dance) and on the Sunshine Coast (Studio 2), on Sunday at Lind Lane Theatre, Sam ran a low-key Introductory Directors’ Workshop. The workshop was well attended and at just $10 per adult it must have been the bargain of the year! These are some notes from the day (and they are certainly not exhaustive but are clear indicators of Sam’s particular style and his approach to directing). As Director, Actor and President of the Sunshine Coast Theatre Alliance, Sam plans to offer another Introductory Directors’ Workshop and one or more advanced directing courses in 2012 so keep an eye out for details about registration.

Sam acknowledges that his approach to directing is his own.

 

A Great Director encourages

 

• open minds
• like minds
• an ensemble approach
• risk-taking
• an ability to play well with others
• fun
• respect
• an attitude of working hard without making it hard work
• working towards a “win”

 

Auditions

 

• look for the ensemble – a school of fish who can swim together
• look for people you can work with… play with
• make it fun
• open up the sandbox
• open up
• let go
• what could it be?
• trust – not only the cast who the director can trust but the cast who can trust the director
• take a simple level of direction eg “everybody up on stage, thanks” … “why?”
• get to know them
• watch and listen
• if a 70 year old doesn’t turn up who do you cast. don’t cast anybody. don’t do the play. (GREAT reaction – silence – something new?)

 

Pre-Casting

 

• there is no wrong way to get the right cast for your play
• no open pre-casting eg Mark Darin in Influence
• a director has the choice. it’s the director’s call.

 

Creative Team

 

• cast your creative team wisely eg Erotique
• confer with the writer, composer etc and make the same decision – are they people (is it a play) you want to work with?
• in a musical, of course the MD must be involved in decision-making but the director has the final say.
• Communicate clearly and early with your creative team
• respect for the people you’re working with and set the boundaries
• set clear ground rules
• get the vibe right and make a sacrifice if necessary eg La Ronde

 

Planning

 

Schedule

 

• Plan from opening night backwards (like an ECG, draw a graph of the shape of the rehearsal period)
• feel the heartbeat. know where it is and how quickly it beats.
• safer show comes from good breathing time
• break for the night before opening night
• planning will inform the energy of the piece (the highs and lows)
• schedule the conversations and the first time you deal with tricky things eg nakedness in La Ronde, Erotique…

 

it’s not the ensemble and you but rather, you are  a part of the ensemble

 

respect

 

give your cast and creative team a level of freedom with which you’re comfortable. and then make sure they’re doing everything the way you want it.

 

Vision:

• read scripts
• see theatre
• own style, own process
• start somewhere.
• visualisation (tell the story in your head) “painting an idea”
• communicate your vision

 

Re-invigorate rehearsals by doing (or asking for) the unexpected

 

Every director has a different interpretation. let the seeds sow themselves.

 

if you run out of steam don’t force it. it’s not gonna happen.

 

“I will one day direct Pinter” is different to “I will one day direct Pinter’s Betrayal”

 

Find the idea, seed the idea and find a way to make it work.

 

Don’t act and direct in the same play

 

The measure of a good play?

• is it engaging?
• are the characters believable?
• whose opinion matters?
• artistically satisfying that sells tickets

 

Simon Denver says get them laughing before the curtain goes up.

 

organic process between audience and performer

 

How do you get feedback?

 

Sometimes conflict is necessary.

 

Sometimes it’s better to let it go. stop rousing and let them go for a coffee.

 

respect.

 

find a different way of communicating

 

people respond differently to different approaches. read people and work out what works. directing is largely about reading people and managing people.

 

performers are vulnerable so set high standards at rehearsal. eg quiet in the space

 

don’t keep people at rehearsal if you’re not using them. eg call them for the hour for which they are required. respect.

 

ABOUT SAM COWARD

 

As a producer, director or performer, Sam Coward has worked for the past fifteen years in the business. On both stage and screen, Sam has experienced all facets of stage production and has worked in more than a dozen Queensland venues.

In 1999 Sam produced a modern interpretation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, Jesus Christ Superstar, in a Warehouse in Warana, which at the time broke all records for attendance at a Sunshine Coast production.

Shout! The Legend of the Wild One in 2008, clearly marked Sam as a director with the potential to produce exciting creative works. In close collaboration with The Events Centre, Caloundra, Sam re-cast, re-structured and re-directed this successful major musical production in just 8 weeks. In 2010, Sam co-produced and directed his original take on Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde and re-developed it further, as Erotique, for inclusion in the Sydney Fringe Festival. Sam is about to venture into the third creative development phase for Erotique, in preparation for its 2012 season. In 2011 Sam directed David Williamson’s Influence and conceptualised an original play So? Where Is It? written by Simon Denver, which has been seen this year at the Sunshine Coast Drama Festival and at the Queensland Short + Sweet Festival, where it won the overall Short + Sweet Award for Best Play. So? Where Is It? will be seen next in Sydney in 2012.

Sam is the President of the Sunshine Coast Theatre Alliance, which is “Raising Standards” and Co-Director of XS Entertainment, which aims to establish a functional network of Sunshine Coast artists and produce original theatrical productions in unconventional spaces, utilising new media and local resources.

 

BOOK NOW for The Sunshine Coast Theatre Alliance’s 2012 SEASON LAUNCH SOIREE

 All theatre lovers are encouraged to come along and enjoy this social evening celebrating local theatre, rubbing shoulders with local thespians and the likes of our special guest, playwright and Senior Australian of the Year 2012, DAVID WILLIAMSON. Enjoy a complimentary drink on arrival, and delicious canapes throughout the evening.

Each theatre group will have approx 5 minutes to perform/present snippets of their 2012 productions to the Media and theatre lovers.

The evening will be hosted by Channel Sevens Rosanna Natoli.

Tickets: $35 EARLY BIRD TICKET PRICE:  $30 per person.

MUST BOOK BEFORE 30th DECEMBER!

When: Saturday 11th February 2012

Where:  On the deck, at the Buderim Tavern.

Dress: to Impress! (a prize for the most impressive)

Bookings (07) 5449 9343 or online 

 

 

todd schroeder: one night only

 

THE SUNSHINE COAST THEATRE ALLIANCE

AND XS ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT

FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

TODD SCHROEDER

 

Dale Pengelly

AND THE AUDITIONING AND WORKING IN TODAY’S MUSICAL THEATRE MASTER CLASS PARTICIPANTS

Listen to songs from the new album at toddschroeder.net

 

 “His shows are master classes in the art of performance”

Cabaret West

 

Nambour Civic Centre Theatre 

Tuesday December 13^th

 

Tickets available at the door. Doors open 7:00pm for 7:30pm

 

Tickets: $10 concession, BYTE & Sunshine Coast Theatre Alliance members

($15 non-members)

 

Contact XS Entertainment for more details

xsentertainme@gmail.com or 0411 015 918

xs entertainment gets a shout out

awww, we love a little bit of love so we’re sharing it!

David Breen, actor, saw our re-post on XS Entertainment on Facebook, of an audition notice for one of the plays included in this year’s Short + Sweet Festival, auditioned for the director and landed the role! Here’s his note to us:

Sending a massive shout of thanks to the crew at XS Entertainment. After following up on a post on this page the other day and a successful audition this afternoon I will now be performing at the Short + Sweet Play Festival on the Gold Coast next month. Great work guys, your advice, articles and notices for people in the industry really are invaluable and your work does not go unnoticed! I’ll be recommending everyone here! Thanks again guys and keep up the great work!

Thanks, David and congrats on your “scruffy” role! We can’t wait to see your work during Short + Sweet on the Gold Coast! Have fun preparing for the biggest little play festival in the world!

 

To Pay or Not to Pay?

A student of mine (and her mum) had an interesting experience on the weekend, which I thought was worth sharing. You may have had a similar experience. Or managed to side step one just like it…

She registered for a casting on the Gold Coast and wasn’t sure about the specifics of the job but I knew of the company and the venue had a deposit on the rooms etc, (well, you can never be too sure) so she and her mum decided to head down for the girl to be seen.

She experienced a pretty normal casting process, felt great about it, was successful in securing a callback and felt even more excited about the whole thing. She was to return the next day to read for them. She was given some wonderful, typical feedback – the kind you need to hear on the day to make up your mind about going back the next day for a callback – still, pretty normal proceedings. However, the next morning, I received a phone call from the student and her mum, who was hesitant to head back to the Gold Coast (remember, we are based on the Sunshine Coast so sometimes that is going to impact a decision more so here than for somebody already there, in the region. I’m sure if they lived on the Gold Coast, it may have an easier decision to make).

Mum had called the agency to confirm the callback details and during the conversation she was asked to make sure she brought her credit card with her so that her daughter would not miss out on the opportunities presented by this particular casting call. Wait. What? You are paying to attend the next round of casting? Apparently so. Not only that but the next round would be in DISNEYLAND! In front of THE INDUSTRY’S TOP CASTING DIRECTORS! Oh. Groovy. And my student and your daughter will miss out on this opportunity if you don’t pay for the trip? I see.

 

 

How unusual.

Apparently, this is a legitimate way into the industry.

Sure, it’s all about who you know (we all know that) but why are we not told the names of these TOP CASTING DIRECTORS? And why is the trip not an all-expenses paid trip for those with such obvious talent? This smacks of an easy money-maker for the company and the same approach taken by the agencies who charge you to take you on! That’s right. If you’re paying somebody to keep you on their books you’re in the same boat. Investigate that, won’t you?

I’m a sceptic at the best of times so you can guess what my advice was. Sure, do it if you want to pay for an experience that may or may not get you what it is you’re hoping for. What is it you’re hoping for? You need to know what it is you’re hoping to achieve. If it’s instant fame via a lead role in a feature film that somebody you read for at Disneyland will offer to you or a presenting role on Disney Channel for the length of a nice, neat contract, I’d say change your tactics and go do another hundred auditions…do them in LA by all means but keep working because very few get lucky without working hard. Then, to stay lucky, those lucky few had better start working hard.

At such a young age (and a lot of my students are young and because they are on the Sunshine Coast they feel they must go do anything that is offered somewhere else) there are other ways to secure a foot in the door. If this amazing performer is happy to keep auditioning, to keep turning up and being seen, she will work. She will get the work without having to pay for the guided scenic tour along the way. She needs great representation (without having to pay for it) and she needs to develop her savvy critical reading (and by reading I mean reading of the situation) and thinking (thinking, “what will this do for me?”) skills as well as a whole lot of resilience because these “opportunities” are going to keep presenting themselves and she is going to keep wanting to get that foot in the door.

Do any of you really think paying your way in is the way to go???

MENTAL: casting update

Well, to address a number of enquiries in one post, the online casting process for P.J. Hogan’s new comedy, Mental, closed on May 31st. The roles were cast yesterday. If you missed out and you’ve asked us how you (or your daughter) can still get a look in, here’s our response.

Firstly, next time, meet the deadline! The casting directors are busy, busy people and they have deadlines too. If you were too busy or forgot or got distracted or didn’t hear about the opportunity in time to submit then maybe this job (and this industry) isn’t for you (or your daughter). Seriously. I’m talking about treating the opportunities seriously.

Secondly, were you what they had in mind? Sometimes you won’t be and there’s actually very little you can do about that. But there are ways to increase your chances of competing for a role. Do you have a resume, headshot and showreel prepared? If not and you want to be applying in the future for jobs like these, maybe now is the time to get organised. Talk to people, get online, do the research and find out who does the best work. Personally, I like to find out who is being used by who is getting the jobs. It can take a long time to earn respect in the industry. Clearly, the professionals whose names appear on everybody’s material have established themselves, for good reason, as the best in the biz.

There is some debate over whether or not an online casting system is worthwhile. These sites often charge a monthly or an annual fee for hosting your profile. Apparently, casting agents everywhere will see your profile and you get to see casting notices that would otherwise remain hidden from view. I’m skeptical of the promises made by some of these sites. Having said that, I’m a little inconsistent in my own approach and haven’t yet trialled properly one or the other (or the other, or the other)… If you are using something other than the original (AT2 Casting or eCaster) and it’s working for you, let us know.

Back to our example, Mental; the details were posted in many places and this is just the very succinct information posted by Ruby Lennon on if.com.au 

The casting is being conducted by local company Christine King Casting, which has negotiated free temporary ActorCast memberships for Australian girls to upload their video auditions. The Sydney-based casting house has previously used ActorCast (which is attached to US casting portal Cast It) on major productions such as The Pacific and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The production is searching for five young actresses (aged between 12 and 17) to play the roles of Coral, Michelle, Leanne, Kayleen and Jane, who get “a spoonful of sugar” from their new nanny, Toni Collette, in Mental. Universal Pictures has the UK, Australian and New Zealand rights to the film – a comedy loosely based on Hogan’s own life.

So if I saw this, as a parent or as an ambitious young thing and I’d missed the deadline for online submissions, I would have picked up on the fact that Christine King Casting is local (ie Australian). And probably accessible. Perhaps even really friendly and approachable (who am I to assume otherwise?) When I go to their website, I find this message:

Actors can submit a photo and resume or a link to an online showreel by sending them to:    admin@christinekingcasting.com

So, if I were wanting to submit anyway, because I believe I might be perfect for an upcoming role in something, somewhere, with somebody else (you never know), my 2 minutes of online research will have probably paid off (truly, you never know when somebody will find your file and call you for something. Georgia Stitt, Broadway composer, lyricist and audition accompanist is famous for borrowing the resumes of performers who might have been overlooked by the casting directors she’s playing for and offering them work with her or one of her contacts instead). If I were feeling really determined and confident, I might even call the casting director.

This is exactly what one dad did.

He spoke to Christine King – who was lovely – about what steps to take next. Unfortunately, this time, his daughter missed out on the chance to compete for one of the roles, however; by taking action and calling, he received accurate information from the casting director herself and could probably send his daughter’s headshot and a link to her showreel now, for future consideration.

When one goes about such things in a polite, respectful manner, one is almost always going to get a positive response. We’ve all heard that the industry is about who you know. And that’s true…to a certain extent. Additionally, if you believe in yourself and you want badly enough, a career in the performing arts, keep attending your classes, get your repertoire, headshots and showreel together, get a great agent, have them help you establish an online presence, go to the castings, work hard and follow up with the people you meet along the way.

Most people will be helpful. Most people will want you to succeed (casting directors especially, after all; their work is almost done once they have found someone who is suitable for each role). Learn who to trust and trust yourself. You can get the roles you want, provided you are not only suitable for the role but well prepared and willing to go the distance.

Image by Kurt Sneddon Blueprint Studios