The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company

Audition

The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company tentatively plans to hold auditions for our 2013 production of The Yeomen of the Guard on Sunday, November 11, 2012, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m, and Monday, November 12, 2012, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.  Callbacks will be held on Tuesday, November 13, 2012, starting at 7:00 p.m.

This production of The Yeomen of the Guard will be directed by Lesley Hendrickson, with Music Direction by Marina Liadova.

The auditions will be held at Lake Harriet Methodist Church, at 4901 South Chowen Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota  55410.

All principal roles for the production are cast through these auditions.  No principal roles are pre-cast. 

While approximately a third of the chorus is already filled by performers who are company members, the remaining chorus vacancies, all voices, will be filled through these auditions. 

All positions are unpaid.

To Audition …

We ask you to bring your performance resume.  If you don’t have one, that’s fine.  We’ll have everyone complete an audition form.  Those with resumes, however, will simply be able to refer to their resumes on the audition form.  We would also appreciate it if you would bring a copy of your head shot, if you have one, or another good photo of yourself, if you don’t.

Please audition with a song or aria in English.  It need not be memorized.  Your selection may be from opera or operetta, Gilbert and Sullivan, a show tune, etc.  No pop or rock music please.

An accompanist will be provided.  We strongly recommend that all those auditioning prepare an accompanied piece rather than something unaccompanied.

If you are auditioning for a principal role, you do not need to prepare a monologue.  The Directors may provide you with text during your audition, to rehearse with another person auditioning and then to return and present.

Roles in The Yeomen of the Guard …

Jack Point, a strolling jester  (comic baritone)

Colonel Fairfax  (tenor)

Wilfred Shadbolt, Head Jailer  (bass-baritone or baritone)

Sir Richard Cholmondeley, Lieutenant of the Tower  (baritone)

Sergeant Meryll, of the Yeomen of the Guard  (bass-baritone)

Leonard Meryll, his son  (tenor)

First Yeoman  (tenor)

Second Yeoman  (baritone)

Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer  (soprano)

Phoebe Meryll, Sergeant Meryll’s daughter  (mezzo-soprano)

Dame Carruthers, Housekeeper to the Tower  (mezzo-soprano)

Kate, her niece  (soprano)

Chorus

Men:   Yeomen of the Guard

Men and Women:   Townspeople

Rehearsal and Performance Schedule …

Chorus rehearsals will begin promptly at 7:00 PM and run until 10:00 PM, on Mondays and Thursday nights.  The Directors can call the Chorus to rehearse on Tuesdays, if necessary.

Principal rehearsals will be scheduled by the Directors, and will generally occur on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 10:00 PM and Saturdays, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  Principals will be added to the Monday and Thursday rehearsals, as necessary.

The general rehearsal schedule is as follows:

Full Cast Introductory Rehearsal:  Monday, January 7th, from 7:00 to 10:00 PM

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, from 7:00 to 10:00 PM, and Saturdays, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, January 7th to February 23rd.

Tech Week:  Monday, February 25th through Wednesday, February 27th
 Estimated call:  6:30 to 11:00 PM

Preview Performance / Final Dress Rehearsal:  Thursday, February 28th, Estimated call:  6:30 PM

 The performance schedule is as follows:

Thursday,  February 28th,  7:30 PM    Preview Performance
Fridays,  March 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 7:30 PM   Evening Performances
Saturdays,  March 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 7:30 PM   Evening Performances
Saturday,  March 16th,  2:00 PM    Matinee Performance
Sundays,  March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th,  2:00 PM   Matinee Performances

Notification …

We intend for casting to be completed by Monday, November 26th.  We will call those being offered principal roles first.  They are given a limited amount of time to accept or decline the offer before the offer will go to the next candidate.  After the principal roles have been filled, those being offered chorus roles will be called.  Finally, we will call those whom we are unable to cast.  This process usually takes about two weeks, but everyone who auditions will receive a call.

To Schedule an Audition …

If you would like to receive notification for this and future auditions, please sign up for our audition mailing list.

We look forward to hearing from you and to hearing you!