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Singers & Dancers needed for The Rose Of Persia at The Lyric Theatre of San Jose

Date Posted: 06/27/08
Organization: The Lyric Theatre
City: San Jose

Description:

Hi all,

The Lyric Theatre of San Jose is currently seeking singers and dancers for their next full-stage production, The Rose of Persia, with music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and book by Captain Basil Hood. I hope you’ll all come out and join the fun for this very rare opportunity to perform a very rarely performed gem.

So rare, in fact, that I’m not aware of any fully-staged performances of Rose west of New York City.

It’s rare, but is it good? It's hilarious. Imagine a Gilbert & Sullivan style operetta set in the Arabian Nights. Now add a book full of groaner puns and about a thousand-and-one references to other G&S shows.

Hassan: This is a drug called "Bhang." Have you heard of it?

Yussuf: I have; it is worse than opium.

Hassan: It is better than opium. In times of severe mental worry it gives dreams much more delightful and extravagant.

Yussuf: I never heard of a single man who was happier for eating Bhang.

Hassan: My dear sir, that's just it. I am not a single man.

Musically, it’s classic Sullivan, but it’s a Sullivan you’ve probably never heard before. This was his last completed opera, and in 1899 music was changing and Sir Arthur was changing with it. You can hear strains of the new Edwardian style in the music, the style that was eventually to become modern Broadway. There are also some wonderful dance moments, with music you’d never think Sullivan wrote -- Borodin or Khachaturian maybe, but not Sullivan (in 1899, Borodin’s famous In the Steppes of Central Asia was not yet 10 years old and Khachaturian – of Sabre Dance fame - hadn’t even been born yet!).

The show has a huge cast so there is fun for all. Many chorus members will become named parts and get a few lines and/or solos. We also have a need for dancers – the more the merrier!

So come one and all and join the fun. Below are all the details:

LYRIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR

The Rose of Persia

or, The Story-Teller and the Slave

Libretto by Basil Hood

Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan

A Lyric Theatre Mainstage Production

Fully staged with orchestra

Performances at the Montgomery Theater in Downtown San Jose:

Sat, October 4, 2008, 8 pm

Sun, October 5, 2008, 2 pm

Thu, October 9, 2008, 8 pm

Fri, October 10, 2008, 8 pm

Sat, October 11, 2008, 8 pm

Sun, October 12, 2008, 2 pm

What happens when the music of Arthur Sullivan meets the stories of The Arabian Nights? “Harem Scarem, full of fun!” Meet mad Hassan, a wealthy eccentric, content with his 25 wives and the band of beggars and phonies he nightly banquets at his mansion. Enter a scheming priest intent on disposing of Hassan and taking his fortune. Add four slave girls who have escaped from the Sultan’s harem (one of them hiding a royal secret), an itinerant story-teller, and four whirling dervishes who are not quite what they seem. The result is a wild night of intrigue, hilarity, sparkling music, singing and dancing. Called by the London Times “really funny and original,” The Rose of Persia was Sullivan’s last completed show.

First produced at the Savoy Theatre, London on November 29,1899. Lyric Theatre produced this show as part of our Discovery Series in November 2003.

ALL AUDITIONS BY APPOINTMENT

AUDITION TIMES:

Monday, June 30 & Tuesday, July 1

7:00 pm − 10:00 pm

St. Luke Lutheran Church

1025 The Dalles Ave., Sunnyvale

-or-

Sunday, July 6

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Lyric Theatre Rehearsal Facility

430 Martin Ave., Santa Clara

Note the nonstandard location for our first two audition dates.

Directions to St. Luke Lutheran Church are available online at

http://www.st-luke-church.org/content.php?action=directions.

Callbacks and rehearsals will be held at the Lyric Theatre

Rehearsal Facility. Further information about Lyric Theatre and directions to our facility are available on our website: www.lyrictheatre.org.

Prepare a piece in English to demonstrate your vocal range and skill. An accompanist will be provided; unaccompanied auditions are not allowed. We will listen to at least one verse, perhaps more. You may be asked to read at the audition.

Please fill out our online form at http://www.lyrictheatre.org/support/auditions.php (preferred

method) or call 408-986-9090 and leave a message to schedule an appointment. Please allow 48 hours for a response.

If you are unable to audition on any of these dates, please tell us (on the form or in your phone message), and we will endeavor to make alternative arrangements.

All roles are open. No pay.

Callbacks will be held Saturday, July 12 starting at 1:00 pm.

Rehearsals will begin July 28.

Stage Director: Barbara Murray

Music Director: Greg Anderson

Producer: Steve Austin

Roles:

Women

Rose-in-Bloom, coloratura soprano. The Sultana. Young & beautiful, but shut up in the royal palace she yearns to experience life outside. When in trouble she counts on her girls to figure a way out.

Scent-of-Lilies, soprano. A royal slave. Gloomy and paranoid, and in love with the Royal Executioner.

Heart’s-Desire, soprano/mezzo. The principal female romantic lead (paired up with Yussuf). A royal slave. Cheerful and optimistic, a little reckless.

Honey-of-Life, soprano. A royal slave. Always hungry, comically flirtatious, wants the Grand Vizier. Good dancer.

Dancing Sunbeam, contralto. Mid-40s battle axe. Hassan’s first (and presumably oldest) wife, she encourages Abdallah to eliminate Hassan so that she can use his fortune to enter high society.

Blush-of-Morning, soprano. Hassan’s 25th (and presumably youngest) wife. Happy, innocent, sweet.

Men

The Sultan Mahmoud of Persia, lyric baritone. Middle aged or older, regal, imperious, but with a tricky side and a basic respect for fairness. This part was originally played by Sir Henry Lytton, the famous D’Oyly Carte baritone who played the roles of both The Mikado and Ko-Ko after George Grossmith left the company.

Hassan, comic baritone. Also middle-aged. He has 26 wives and intends to divorce #26 (because 25 is his limit). He’s a rich eccentric, who dabbles in hallucinogenics when his wives nag too much. He needs to dance a bit, but not necessarily well, and needs good comic timing and delivery.

Yussuf, tenor. The romantic lead. A story-teller (essentially, he’s Nanki-Poo without the royal pedigree). He falls in love with Heart’s Desire, one of the Sultan’s slaves. Honest and honorable.

Abdallah, baritone. Identified as a “Priest.” Religious leader and poet. He’s a sneak, and the play’s only truly nasty character. He plots to get Hassan killed and steal his fortune away from his wives.

The Grand Vizier, baritone. The Sultan’s right-hand man. Could be almost any age. He’s in love with Honey-of-Life, another slave girl, and he’s jealous.

The Physician-in-Chief, tenor/high baritone. Another of the Sultan’s functionaries.

The Royal Executioner, bass. The Sultan’s hatchet man. He’s being chased by the slave girl Scent-of-Lilies (which is funny because she’s the gloomy one) but he says he’s not the marrying kind. He doesn’t mind beheading people though.

Chorus & Dancers:

Hassan’s wives, mendicants, guards, royal slave girls and palace officials: A full chorus of men and women in all ranges. A few speaking lines are available for some named chorus members.

A few non-singing dancers are also needed. Please note in your audition request that you are interested in being a dancer.

If you would like to participate in the production staff or crew, please let us know by phone or email. Lyric Theatre is a nonprofit community theater organization. Cast members will be expected to contribute time to the mounting of the production (sets, costumes, etc.) in addition to rehearsal and performance time.

Contact Info

Name: Greg Anderson
Email: greg@planetbeagle.com
Website: http://www.lyrictheatre.org/support/auditions.php

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