first-ever San Jose Light Opera Festival

by | Apr 5, 2022

  • Theater
  • San Jose
  • Applications have closed

Lyric Theatre

various roles

Lyric Theatre, the performing company of The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of San Jose, is committed to diversity and encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to audition for its productions.
Lyric Theatre, the performing company of The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of San Jose, announces auditions for our first-ever San Jose Light Opera Festival. We will present three shows in repertory, that is, on a rotating schedule, allowing audience members the potential of seeing three different shows in one weekend, all at the fabulous Hammer Theatre Center in downtown San Jose.

The festival will take place July 23 through August 7, and will feature Gilbert & Sullivan’s classic comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance, Stephen Sondheim’s fairytale romp, Into the Woods, and in the tradition of Lyric Theatre’s “Discovery Series”, a potpourri program called Light Opera Around the World, featuring songs familiar and new from the wide variety of operetta and show music.

Stage Director for both The Pirates of Penzance and Into the Woods will be Gary De Mattei. Music Director for The Pirates of Penzance will be Matthew Bourne. Music Director for Into the Woods will be Benjamin Belew. (With one director staging both shows, performers WILL be able to do both, if they like.)

Auditions will be held in person at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, 20920 McClellan Road, Cupertino, on
–Sunday, April 24, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM,
–Monday, April 25, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM,
–Tuesday, April 26, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Callbacks will be held during the next week, May 1 for Pirates, and May 3 for Into the Woods. All actors called back for a role must attend these in-person callbacks. Videos will NOT be sufficient.

Lyric Theatre, the performing company of The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of San Jose, is committed to diversity and encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to audition for its productions. All roles are considered volunteer positions (non-AEA), and no compensation is offered.

Lyric Theatre will also observe our current COVID protocol policy, which includes vaccinations for all staff, performers, and audience, and masks indoors other than when performing.

All roles are available for The Pirates of Penzance:
• Major-General Stanley (comic baritone)
• The Pirate King (bass-baritone)
• Samuel, his Lieutenant (baritone)
• Frederic, the Pirate Apprentice (tenor)
• Sergeant of Police (bass)
• Mabel (soprano)
• Edith (mezzo-soprano)
• Kate (mezzo-soprano)
• Isabel (speaking role)
• Ruth, a Piratical Maid of all work (contralto)
• Chorus of Pirates, Police and General Stanley’s Daughters

Visit Wikipedia for more information about The Pirates of Penzance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pirates_of_Penzance
Additional information on characters is available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GCHJ_MS8iku8-O4p_-hgVP6sMwzuqFey/view?usp=sharing
All roles are available for Into the Woods:
• The Witch
• The Baker
• The Baker’s Wife
• The Narrator
• The Mysterious Man
• The Wolf
• Cinderella’s Prince
• Cinderella
• Rapunzel’s Prince
• Rapunzel
• Little Red Riding hood
• Jack (of the Beanstalk)
• Jack’s Mother
• The Grandmother
• Cinderella’s Mother
• The Giant’s Wife
• The Cow (non-speakling role, with possible ASL)
Into the Woods is very much an ensemble show, with ample solo opportunities for all. More
information can be found at Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Woods
Additional information about characters is available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b5e6ErfItLKSUIvhMDEWBF3EV2JwZlJb/view?usp=sharing

About Light Opera Around the World:
We are hoping to select singers for this program from members of the casts of both shows. Repertoire will include selections from well-known light operas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, AND songs by lesser-known BiPOC composers of the same era. If you’d like to perform for this concert ONLY, we’d be happy to have you. Do sign-up for an audition, or send a video audition of the songs from light opera that you’d like to perform.

The Festival will open on July 23 with The Pirates of Penzance and Light Opera Around the World. Into the Woods will open on July 29. Pirates will have four performances, Woods will have four, and LOAtW will have three performances during the three-week festival.

Rehearsals will commence in mid-May, probably around May 8, and continue through July, on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays, in the evenings, and Saturdays in the morning. Each show will rehearse about three days per week. Initial rehearsals will be music only. Blocking rehearsals will begin in late May.

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