Auditions for LA's NEXT GREAT STAGE STAR Set for Dec. 9 at Sterling's Upstairs

Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal has set Sunday, December 9 as auditions for the 7^th consecutive year of LA's Next Great Stage Star®, it was announced today by producers Michael Sterling and Tony Monsour of Michael Sterling & Associates in Los Angeles, CA.  www.msapr.net.  For the second consecutive year - author, actress, concert headliner, and arts philanthropist Barbara Van Orden joins Sterling and Monsour by gifting LA's Next Great Stage Star®  with the Barbara Van Orden Grant which provides invaluable assistance to production of the annual competition.  

Interested talent between the ages of 18 and 28 may call Michael Sterling & Associates at 818 623-7300, Ext. 2 to request an audition appointment. Auditions are by appointment only.  Appointments will be scheduled between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. at Sterling’s Upstairs at the Federal: 5303 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91606.  Auditioners must bring a photo and resume and be prepared to sing between 16 and 32 bars of an up-tempo song and a ballad from a classic or contemporary Broadway musical. 

Having premiered in late 2006 with its first winner chosen in early 2007, LA’s Next Great Stage Star® is the only known such competition on the west coast and will be presented at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District. Sterling’s is dedicated to presenting the best of Broadway performers in concert; as well as nightclub artists dedicated to the Great American Songbook.  LA’s Next Great Stage Star® 2013 will be presented as a series of six consecutive Sunday matinees opening January 6; with its much anticipated finale to be presented February 10, 2013.  Attendance at the competition is by advance reservation only:  818 754-8700.  

Patterned after “an audition process”, LA's Next Great Stage Star® 2013 is geared to discovering new talent for the musical theatre stage.  As has become the standard, 20 contestants will be selected from auditions to compete for the 2013 title, a $1000 cash award, a headlining engagement at Sterling's Upstairs during the New Year, and other valuable prizes.  Contestants selected to compete in the competition are subject to a one time entry fee of $375.  

This year's competition will once again be judged by a live audience and an overall panel of nearly 20 of LA musical theatre’s most creative forces.  Judges will give a live critique to each contestant at every competition. Audience members and Judges will also vote on vocal and acting ability, stage presence and personality.  

Judges for LA’s Next Great Stage Star® 2012 included:  Michael Donovan - Michael Donovan Casting - Theatre, Film, Television, Commercials; Daniel Solis - Disney Entertainment; David Elzer - Producer - The Marvelous Wonderettes, Life Could be a Dream; Steven Glaudini - Artistic Producer/Director – Musical Theatre West/Long Beach, CA, Director - Moonlight Amphitheatre, Vista, CA; Robert Marra – Director – A Chorus Line, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – San Diego Music Theatre; Dan Mojica - Associate Director/Choreographer - Disney’s Beauty and The Beast - National and International Tours; Vocal Coach and Broadway singer Dan Callaway – Executive Committee/Musical Theatre Guild of Los Angeles; Creator/Writer/Director Roger Bean – The Marvelous Wonderettes, Life Could be a Dream; Executive Producer T.J. Dawson and Producer Daniel Dawson – 3-D Theatricals/Fullerton, CA; Director Richard Israel – Once Upon a Mattress, Gypsy, Having it All; John LaLonde – Artistic Director Candlelight Pavilion/Claremont, CA; Calvin Remsberg - Vocal Coach and Director -  Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd/Musical Theatre West/Long Beach, CA; Producer/Director/Composer/Author Bruce Kimmel of Kritzerland Records; Equity Department Theatre Agents: Jodie Bowman and Jacole Kitchen - Kazarian, Spencer & Associates; Dave Secor - Daniel Hoff Agency; and Steven Dry – Connor, Ankrum & Associates.  1976 Tony Award winner Sammy Williams (Follies/Ahmanson Theatre, A Chorus Line/Broadway) was a special celebrity guest judge at the competition’s Finale.

Contestants will compete at each competition with no eliminations until the Finale on February 10, 2013. The Finale will determine the selection of one winner and four finalists.  Additionally, the winner of LA's Next Great Stage Star® 2013 and its four runners-up, will also be awarded private auditions from such LA based producer/director/casting directors.  To date, Lewis Wilkenfeld of Cabrillo Music Theatre, Julia Flores Casting (McCoy/Rigby of La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, and Glenn Casale – Artistic Director of the Sacramento Music Circus, have participated with the competition since 2010.   

As a direct result of LA’s Next Great Stage Star®, more than 40 of the annual competition’s overall 112 contestants have been cast in top regional theatre shows, Broadway national tours, Las Vegas productions, and network television shows; while 7 have made their Broadway and Off-Broadway debuts. Nearly a third of all contestants have been signed by the competition’s top musical theatre agent/judges.  

Sterling’s Upstairs at The Federal and LA's Next Great Stage Star® is produced by Michael Sterling and Tony Monsour of Michael Sterling & Associates (MSA), the Studio City-based entertainment public relations company.  

Since 1980, Sterling has represented such stellar clients as Elizabeth Taylor, Lance Armstrong, Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill, 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. 

Tony Monsour has served MSA for 12 years.  He is also a seasoned 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, Grease, and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

In September, 2009, Sterling and producing partner Jerry Evans of the JLE Media Group joined BroadwayWorld.com to produce television coverage of select Los Angeles theatre and red carpet opening night events for which Sterling also serves as host for Broadway World TV.   

In 2010, Sterling and actor/director Paul Stroili teamed up to co-host and co-produce the highly successful, weekly radio series State of the Arts presented by Breakdown Services and Performing Arts Live on the LATalkRadio.com Network. Since its May 31 debut, State of the Arts has reviewed Los Angeles theatre and interviewed innumerable Tony, Oscar, Emmy and Grammy Award winners and nominees and performers.  www.latalkradio.com/sota.php.

Musical Direction for the competition will be provided by James Lent  and  Michael Alfera. Mr. Lent  received a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Piano Performance from Yale University; has appeared in concert with symphony orchestras throughout the world; and also serves as a musical director for many Los Angeles musical theatre productions. Michael Alfera is a 2010 graduate from USC’s Thornton School of Music.  He is also a prominent musical director in Los Angeles.

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