Put on your ruby slippers and follow the yellow brick road to the Rend Lake College Theatre in January to audition for the Spring 2017 Musical “The Wizard of Oz.” Auditions will be held January 17-19 with opening dates set for April 6-9.
Actors over the age of 16 are invited to audition at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17. Those between the ages of 7 and 15 can audition at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18. Singing and non-singing roles are available in both age groups.
Musical Director Sara Alstat, RLC Music Professor, said actors should dress professionally and prepare one minute, or 32 bars, of a song that best shows personality and vocal ability, but should not be from the show “The Wizard of Oz.” For specifics about auditions, see the attached PDF.
“We’ll be hosting open call auditions, so no appointments are necessary, but all actors should arrive no later than 6 p.m.” explained Alstat. “Also, please bring comfortable dance attire, as all who audition will be required to learn a short dance combination.”
Callbacks are scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19 in the RLC Theatre where potential actors will be required to do a cold reading and perform portions of songs from “The Wizard of Oz.” There may also be an additional dance callback.
After the cast announcement, rehearsals will begin at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25 in the RLC Theatre and will be held at the same time and location Mondays through Thursdays, with some exceptions.
“The Wizard of Oz” is the classic tale by L. Frank Baum about Dorothy, the Kansas farm girl, who travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home. RLC will perform the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation; a version very similar to the dialog and structure of the MGM classic film.
Performances will include “Over the Rainbow,” “Munchkinland,” “If I Only Had a Brain,” “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” and many other songs. Music and lyrics have been adapted by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg.
“The Wizard of Oz” will open on the RLC stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13, with additional show times at 7 p.m. Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8. A 2 p.m. showing is also scheduled for Sunday, April 9. Tickets will cost $12 and will be available for purchase on March 20. Contact the RLC Box Office for additional information at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1467.
