WEST SIDE STORY - Musical Theatre West
MUSICAL THEATRE WEST ANNOUNCES
OPEN AUDITIONS FOR WEST SIDE STORY DECEMBER 6-8
EQUITY AND NON-EQUITY ROLES AVAILABLE
Musical Theatre West (MTW), Southern California’s premiere musical theatre company, will hold open auditions for equity and non-equity roles for its upcoming production of West Side Story December 6- 8, 2015. Roles are available for actors, singers, and dancers (age 18 and older) of all ethnicities. Auditions will be held at MTW, 4350 E. 7th St. in Long Beach.
The first round of equity principal and chorus auditions will take place on Sunday, December 6. Equity principal auditions will be 11:00 am - 5:00 pm. Female union and non-union dancer/singer auditions begin at 5:30 pm. Male union and non-union dancer/singer auditions begin at 8:30 pm. Paperwork and registration must be completed and submitted 15 minutes prior to the audition.
Non-union principal auditions take place Monday, December 7 from 5:00 pm - 6:00pm (paperwork must be completed no later than 5:45 pm). Call backs will take place Tuesday, December 8. Rehearsals begin January 18, with performances runningFebruary 12- 28 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.
Performers will be asked to audition with a song in the style of the show or a piece from West Side Story. An accompanist will be provided (each performer should bring their own sheet music in their own key). For more information on specific roles and audition requirements, go to
www.musical.org/MusicalTheatreWest/auditions.html.
Joe Langworth, a seasoned director of Broadway professionals including Laura Osnes and Paulo Szot, returns after earning critical acclaim for last season’s MTW production of South Pacific. Hector Guerrero, whose credits include Off-Broadway and national tours, serves a Choreographer. The production is under the musical direction of David Lamoureux (MTW’s Sunset Boulevard and A Chorus Line) and Paul Garman is the Executive Producer.
From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story remains a musical masterpiece. Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins collaborated to create the tour-de-force musical, a 20th century retelling ofRomeo and Juliet. New York, circa 1950s, is the setting as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring gangs. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas, with the 1961 film adaptation earning a triumphant 10 Academy Awards. Bernstein and Sondheim’s score is considered one of Broadway's finest, with songs of hope, love, and the harsh realities of life, including Somewhere, Maria, and I Feel Pretty.
Musical Theatre West began its rich history in 1952, enriching the community with Broadway-quality productions that feature both professional actors and local talent. Since 1997, MTW began producing shows at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach and is now recognized as the largest arts producer in the area.
