Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's Sets Auditions For LA’S NEXT GREAT STAGE STAR

Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's has set Saturday December 10 and Sunday, December 11 as audition dates for the 6th anniversary of LA's Next Great Stage Star™, it was announced today by producers Michael Sterling and Tony Monsour of Michael Sterling & Associates (www.msapr.net). Beginning Monday, December 5, potential contestants may call Michael Sterling & Associates at 818 623-7300, Ext. 2 to request an audition appointment. Auditions are by appointment only and will be held between the hours of 9:00 am and 12:00 pm both days.

The annual competition, which began in 2007, will be presented at Sterling’s Upstairs at Vitello’s located in Studio City, California’s trendy Tujunga Village as a series of six consecutive, early afternoon, Sunday matinees January 8 through February 12, 2012.

LA’s Next Great Stage Star™ is geared to discovering fresh, young talent for the theatre stage. Twenty (20) contestants will compete for the 2012 title. This year’s competition will once again be judged by an elite panel of LA theatre industry professionals.

2012 Stage Star Judges include:

Michael Donovan (Michael Donovan Casting for Theatre/TV/Film/Commercials); Daniel Solis (Disney Entertainment Casting); Musical Theatre Producer/Directors/Choreographers Dan Mojica (Disney’s Beauty and The Beast National and International Tours); Co-Artistic Director Robert Marra (Sweet Charity; Chess and Oklahoma (Musical Theatre of Los Angeles); Calvin Remsberg (Vocal Coach and Director: Broadway Rocks Anaheim; Sweeny Todd/Musical Theatre West/Long Beach, CA); Producer David Elzer (The Marvelous Wonderettes, Life Could be a Dream); Steven Glaudini Artistic Producer/Director (Musical Theatre West/Long Beach, CA); John LeLonde, Artistic Director (Candlelight Pavilion/Claremont CA);

TJ Dawson, Artistic Director (3D Theatricals/Fullerton, CA); Co-Artistic Director Richard Israel (West Coast Theatre Ensemble/Los Angeles); Artistic Director/Producer Tim Dietlein (Glendale Centre Theatre in Glendale, CA); Equity Department Theatre Agents: Jodie Bowman (Kazarian, Spencer, Ruskin & Associates); Steven Dry (Schiowitz/Connor/Ankrum/Wolf); and Dave Secor (Daniel Hoff Agency)… and more.

Contestants will compete at each competition with no eliminations until the Finale on February 12. The Finale will determine the selection of 1 winner and 4 finalists.

LA’s Next Great Stage Star™ 2012 will receive a $1000 cash prize, a lucrative, paid headlining engagement at Sterling’s Upstairs at Vitello’s during 2012 and other prizes. The remaining four finalists will also receive cash prizes and paid headlining debuts at the famed supper club.

Additionally, the winner and top 4 finalists will audition for Julia Flores of Julia Flores Casting (Rigby/McCoy Productions at the La Mirada Performing Arts Center in La Mirada, CA); and Glenn Casale, Artistic Director for California Music Theatre’s Sacramento Music Circus in Sacramento, CA.

All 20 contestants will also audition during the competition for Artistic Director Lewis Wilkenfeld of Cabrillo Music Theatre housed at the Fred Kavli Theatre in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks, CA.
STERLING’S UPSTAIRS at Vitello’s and LA’s Next Great Stage Star™ is produced by Michael Sterling of Michael Sterling & Associates (MSA - www.msapr.net), the Studio City-based entertainment public relations company. Since 1980, Sterling has represented such stellar clients as Elizabeth Taylor, Lance Armstrong, Scott Hamilton, David Copperfield, Joan Collins, Alan Thicke, Carol Lawrence, David Brenner, Andy Gibb, and Robert Goulet. Aside from his celebrity clientele, Mr. Sterling has represented various National Theatre and arena tours, Los Angeles theatre productions, Emmy Award-winning television specials, celebrity books, albums and CD’s. Sterling is also a critically-acclaimed director of musical theatre in Los Angeles, and has produced various theatrical events and productions throughout southern California. Since September, 2009, Mr. Sterling has served as Los Angeles correspondent co-producier and host of television packages on select Los Angeles theatre for BroadwayWorld.com TV. Sterling also co-hosts and co-produce the highly successful, weekly Monday afternoon radio series State of the Arts on LATalkRAdio.com Network with Ovation nominated actor Paul Stroili. Since its May 31, 2010 debut, State of the Arts has featured such in-studio guests as Carol Channing, Richard Chamberlain, Andrea McArdle, Mike Farrell, Anne Archer, Jim Parrack, Florence Henderson, George Chakiris, Carol Lawrence, Richard Chamberlain, Sally Struthers, Tab Hunter, John Lloyd Young, Donna McKechnie, Vicki Lewis, and many others.

Tony Monsour of Michael Sterling & Associates serves as Associate Talent Producer for both LA’s Next Great Stage Star and Sterling’s Upstairs at Vitello’s. Having been with MSA for 11 years, he is also a trained actor and singer with an

impressive resume in television, film and musical theatre including co-starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Musical Direction for LA’s Next Great Stage Star™ 2012 will once again be provided by James Lent. Mr. Lent holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Piano Performance from Yale University, and has appeared in concert with symphony orchestras throughout the world. Noted dancer and musical theatre choreographer Tania Possick (Musical Theatre of Los Angeles) returns for her second year as choreographer for the competition.

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