Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater Hosts ANYTHING GOES Casting Auction, 11/14

The Victory Gardens Theater will host their 28th Annual Casting Auction, one of Chicago's most unique benefit fundraisers on Saturday, November 14 at 6 pm at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater.

This year, anything goes when Anything Goes is on the auction block, with more than 50 starring and supporting roles on sale to a subsequent, all-amateur production of the classic American musical, professionally directed by Victory Gardens Artistic Director Dennis Zacek. Proceeds from both the auction and the performances that follow will support the non-profit Victory Gardens Theater's new play mission and educational outreach programs.

The party begins at 6 pm with an open bar, a delicious pre-auction buffet, and a silent auction for chorus, cameo, supporting and children's roles. At 7 pm, the Casting Auction moves into the Victory Gardens Biograph mainstage for a live medley performed by top Chicago actors of favorite Cole Porter-penned numbers from Anything Goes, including, of course, the title song, as well as "You're the Top" and "I Get a Kick Out of You."

After the revue, celebrity auctioneer Aaron Freeman will spur on the live bidding for the most coveted lead characters, including seafaring stowaway Billy Crocker, heiress Hope Harcourt, her rich fiancé Sir Evelyn Oakley, nightclub owner Reno Sweeney, and Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin.

No stage experience (or talent) is necessary. Just a desire to support Victory Gardens, a love of musical theater, and if you want to win a part, the drive to be a star. Dress code? Nautical is recommended (but not required), in a nod to the play's ocean liner setting, Admission is $60 in advance ($200 for groups of 4), or $75 at the door. To RSVP or for more information, contact Johnny Merrifield, (773) 549-5788 ext. 2140 or jmerrifield@victorygardens.org. For complete details, to set up an online pledge form, and to monitor all of the pre-event Casting Auction online pledges, go to www.victorygardens.org/content/support/casting_auction

If, following the auction, you are not the highest bidder for any of the roles you aspire to, you are still a winner! All pledge and auction money supports Victory Gardens Theater's new play mission, and can still get you one of the MANY one-line or cameo roles, a behind the scenes position at the performance of Anything Goes, or the chance to sponsor hired members of the Anything Goes production staff such as the music director, choreographer, costumes, scenery and props, and orchestra.

Winning bidders will form Victory Gardens' all amateur cast for Anything Goes. Rehearsals begin almost immediately on nights and weekends, culminating in two fully-staged performances, February 12 and 13, 2010 at Chicago's Athenaeum Theater.

Unique to Victory Gardens, the Casting Auction celebrates theater and the development of theater artists and theater lovers alike. Last year's Casting Auction and subsequent public performances of Mame raised nearly $75,000 for the non-profit Victory Gardens, which is celebrating its 36th season as home to more world premiere mainstage productions than any other Chicago theater, now in its fourth season in its new home, the state-of-the-art Victory Gardens Biograph Theater.

Co-Chairs of Victory Gardens' 28th Casting Auction are Victory Gardens board members Stuart Burstein (Lincoln Park), President, Burstein Associates; Nancy Studenroth (Gold Coast); and Dr. Fred A. Zar, MD, FACP (Lincoln Park), Professor of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Chief of In-Patient Medical Services, University of Illinois Hospital.

Anything Goes boasts music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, revised by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 21, 1934, starring William Gaxton as Billy, Ethel Merman as Reno and Victor Moore as Moon, and turned out to be the fourth longest running musical of the 1930s. The 1936 screen version starred Ethel Merman and Bing Crosby. In 1987, it was revived at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre with Patti LuPone in the leading role.

The plot unfolds aboard the S.S. American, bound from New York to London, which is carrying an unusual group of passengers, including a gangster (Moonface Martin), a wealthy debutante and her mother (Hope and Evangeline Harcourt), a nightclub singer (Reno Sweeney), and a wealthy New York businessman and his stowaway assistant (Elisha Whitney and Billy Crocker). It turns out that Hope is Billy's long-lost love. Madcap antics (and lots of singing and dancing) ensue when Reno and Moonface aid Billy in his quest to win Hope back.

FREQUENTLY ASKED CASTING AUCTION QUESTIONS...

-Should I come to the Casting Auction, even if I don't want to be on stage or bid on a role for myself?

Yes. Regardless of your theatrical desires, this is a uniquely entertaining, one-of-a-kind party at the Victory Gardens Biograph! Your ticket includes unlimited food, drink and laughs! And, host Aaron Freeman promise not to make you sing unless you really want to!

-If I do want to bid on a role, do I have to pay all the money myself?

No. While individuals are welcome to pay for a role entirely on their own, most participants raise "bidding money" in advance from friends and family who support your dreams of stardom. This year, Victory Gardens is helping aspiring Casting Auction stars to solicit "walk-a-thon"-like pledges from friends and family, through a personal pledge website: vgtcastingauction.dojiggy.com.

All donations towards Casting Auction roles, win or lose, are fully tax-deductible, so not only will your friends be supporting you, their pledge(s) will ultimately help fund Victory Gardens develop and produce new plays, as well as continue offering in-class theater residencies in over 20 Chicago Public Schools, and special student matinee performances for over 2,200 students. Victory Gardens will send an acknowledgment letter and tax receipt to every donor by the end of the year.

-I'm a lawyer by day, and while I have dreams of being a super-star, I can't quit my day job quite yet...can I still participate?

Yes. Past participants include teachers, lawyers, bankers and students, among others. Rehearsals are scheduled with the working person in mind, and only take place on weekends and weekday nights. Rehearsals are minimal prior to the holidays, becoming more frequent in January and February, with required attendance at all rehearsals the week immediately preceding Opening Night.

-I'm curious to see what life is like on the other side of the footlights, but nervous about memorizing all those lines...

Bid for a chorus role. Chorus members have the time of their lives, singing and dancing with the ensemble, with no lines to memorize and a less significant time commitment.

Victory Gardens Theater is home to the bold voices of world premiere theater. The company features the work of its own 14-member Playwrights Ensemble, as well as that of exciting playwrights who are changing theater in the United States and abroad. Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Regional Theatre. The company's dedication to developing, supporting and producing new work makes Victory Gardens an American Center for New Plays.

Working with a $3.1 million annual budget in 2009-2010, Victory Gardens continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Dennis Zacek, Executive Director Jan Kallish, Associate Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, Board President Jeffrey Rappin, a dedicated staff and board, and the support of its loyal subscribers.

Victory Gardens Theater is supported by the Illinois Arts Council (IAC), a stage agency, and is partially supported by a CityArts Program 4 Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Major funders also include Alphawood Foundation, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Arie & Ida Crown Memorial, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Tool Works, Joyce Foundation, Kraft Foods, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Albert Pick, Jr. Fund, Polk Bros. Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, Shubert Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, and Wrightwood Neighbors Association.

For complete information, visit victorygardens.org.

 

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!