Encore Atlanta

My ‘Nutcracker’ moment

By guest blogger Grace Murphy, Grade 8

To me, love has so many different definitions. Love is a feeling, an enormous, immeasurable feeling that overcomes everyone’s thoughts many times. You can love a person, like your family and friends. You can love a certain place, you can love a feeling, a food, a movie, a book and so much more. Something that I absolutely loved doing was dancing in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker as a Party Child at the Fox Theatre last year.

Dancing at the Fox was an experience of a lifetime. I adored the exquisite decorations and elegant interior inside the theater. I thought that the sparkly blue ceiling with twinkling lights in the theater was gorgeous. When I was in the Fox, I felt like a true professional.

Backstage was a whole different story! It was not as appealing as upstairs, but we did not mind at all. All the girls (and a few boys) were so excited. Before the show started, people were rushing around doing hair, makeup and putting on costumes. I loved my costume. All the girls told me that they wanted to have my costume next year. It was a turquoise blue color with gold accents. It felt so delicate. My headpiece was slightly uncomfortable, but it looked fabulous with the dress. Getting ready for the show to start was probably one of my favorite parts of the experience.

After everyone was ready, we all ascended the steep stairs up to the stage area. While I walked to my starting place, I watched all of the company dancers stretch and warm up. This is when I got a little nervous, but after my first show, it was not so bad.

After about five or so minutes of waiting in the dark with some of my fellow cast members, we could hear the director of the show, Sharon Story, give her speech to the audience about no cell phones and how hard we had worked and finally, to enjoy the show. After that, the lights dimmed and the music started. I could hear the sounds of the people playing the characters who were supposed to be outside. After about a minute, the curtain started to rise and the lights went up. The music for our scene commenced.

I waited for my cue, and when I heard it I walked on with the lady who was supposed to be my grandmother. I was finally on the stage! Being on stage was fantastic. When I looked out into the audience, I could only see the people in the first few rows because of the bright lights in my face, but I could tell there were a lot of people out there.

I felt like my time on stage flew by far too quickly. Leaving the stage was a bit scary because it was pitch black and there were men moving scenery around. When we got down to our room backstage, we pretty much played around until the show was over. Throughout the whole process, all of the party children became good friends, and we all had a blast. This is definitely a memory that I will love forever.

Last year, Grace was a Party Girl. This year she is a Munchkin. See if you can pick her out of the crowd at this year’s performance.

Auditions for the Alliance’s “Class of 3000 Live”

The Alliance Theatre, in association with Andre Benjamin, Moxy Entertainment, Cartoon Network, and Tom Lynch Productions, is holding auditions for CLASS OF 3000 LIVE!

Open auditions for National Tour of “Hairspray” in Atlanta Dec. 13

Attention aspiring musical theater professionals: This Saturday, NETworks is holding an open call for immediate and future replacements for its 2009 National Tour of Hairspray, playing the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Jan. 13-18 as part of the new Atlanta Broadway Series. The tour is currently scheduled to run through June 2009.

Auditions in Atlanta will be held Saturday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m. at the Woodruff Arts Center’s Rich Theatre at 1280 Peachtree Street.  Participants should plan to bring appropriate musical theater songs or tunes from the late ’50s or early ’60s.  Pop music is preferred.  Performers are welcome to sing numbers from the show for this call, but should have another selection as well.  Performers should also be prepared in case they are asked to stay and dance.  Performers should bring a picture and resume.

Some callbacks for immediate replacements will be flown to New York.  All ensemble members must sing well enough to cover a principle role.  All roles are paid.  The call is for Non-Equity performers.

Any questions prior to the casting call should be directed to BOBCLINECAST@Gmail.com.

Performers are needed in the following roles:

• TRACY TURNBLAD Female, Caucasian, 5′3″ or shorter, to play high school age. Must be heavyset. Outgoing, unstoppable, goodhearted with a vibrant, lovable, spirited personality. Loves to dance. Becomes a teen heroine. Strong pop belt singer and great mover.
• EDNA TURNBLAD Male to play female, Caucasian, 40s - 50s. Tracy’s mother. A working class, devoted, loving housewife with dreams of her own. Sincere, not campy. Needs a funny, grand character actor with singing ability who can convincingly play a woman. Large physique. COMEDIAN.
• SEAWEED J. STUBBS Male, African-American, to play high school age. Cool, sexy, street smart, goodhearted. Son of Motormouth Maybelle who becomes Penny’s boyfriend. His dance lessons help Tracy get chosen for the local TV teen dance show. Strong, soulful tenor pop singer and great mover.
• WILBUR TURNBLAD Male, Caucasian, 40s - 50s. Tracy’s father. A working class inventor. Sweet, goofy, childlike personality. Adores his family. Needs a thin, funny character actor. Good character singer.
• LINK LARKIN Male, Caucasian, to play high school age. Handsome, sexy, clean-cut, goodhearted, down-to-earth. The heartthrob of the local TV teen dance show. Amber’s boyfriend at first, but he soon falls for Tracy. Strong pop singer and great mover.
• AMBER VON TUSSLE Female, Caucasian, to play high school age. The ice princess of the local TV teen dance show. Attractive snob. Very funny, with good physique. Strong pop belt singer and great mover.
• PENNY PINGLETON Female, Caucasian, to play high school age. Ditzy, neurotic, devoted best friend of Tracy. Very funny, with good physique. Strong pop belt singer and mover.
• CORNY COLLINS Male, Caucasian, 30s. Host of the local TV teen dance show. Handsome, charming, engaging, smooth. Strong pop singer.
• MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE Female, African-American, 40s - 50s. Seaweed and Little Inez’s mother. Queen of Baltimore Soul, a radio DJ. Powerful and inspiring, with an infectious, brassy personality. Large physique. Strong, soulful gospel/pop singer.
• VELMA VON TUSSLE Female, Caucasian, 40s - 50s. A former beauty queen, Amber’s mother, and producer of the local TV teen dance show. Upscale, attractive, prejudiced snob who always wants her daughter in the spotlight. Funny, biting, manipulative. Good character singer.
• LITTLE INEZ Female, African-American, 5′1″ or shorter. SEEKING ADULT ACTRESS TO PLAY EARLY TEENS. Spunky, tough, streetwise, outgoing, older than her years. Seaweed’s lovable little sister. Strong Broadway/pop singer and mover.
• MALE AUTHORITY FIGURE Male, Caucasian, 40s - 50s. One actor plays various zany roles including a nervous businessman; a condescending high school principal; a flamboyant fashion boutique owner; a cop; and a corrupt prison guard. (Think “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.”) Also understudies Edna Turnblad and Wilbur Turnblad. Must be a heavyset, sharp, funny, inventive character actor with good singing voice.
• FEMALE AUTHORITY FIGURE Female, Caucasian, 40s - 50s. One actress plays various zany roles including Prudy Pingleton, Penny’s uptight and small-minded mother; a sadistic high school gym teacher; a cop; and a sardonic prison matron. (Think “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.”) Also understudies Velma Von Tussle. Must be a sharp, funny, inventive character actress with strong singing voice.
• ENSEMBLE DANCERS WHO SING and SINGERS WHO DANCE Male and female dancers with strong pop singing voices and great personalities, to play high schoolers, To play various roles in the ensemble and have to sing well enough to cover principal roles.
• THE DYNAMITES–3 sexy African-American female singer/dancers inspired by the Supremes. Should have glorious pop/gospel singing voices. Should move well. They are featured in the showstopper “Welcome to the ’60s”. ENSEMBLE

Want to join the Cirque? Here’s your chance …

On Dec. 6, you’ll have two minutes to prove you’re a total freak. One that’s ready to run away with the circus, that is. Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy will be holding open auditions at 11 a.m. at Discover Mills for locals with performance, acrobatic, gymnastic, musical, dance or other special skills.

The panel will see only the first 100 people in line. Bring a CD with your music and prepare something that’s 2 minutes or less (they will cut you off, so no show-boating). One lucky winner will be chosen to train either locally or at the Cirque Dreams Fort Lauderdale Dreams Studios by the Cirque Dreams design team.  Additionally, the winner will receive six complimentary tickets to the Atlanta engagement so friends and family can cheer them on in their debut performance.

If you don’t win, you can still enjoy the show, which will play the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Dec. 30-Jan. 4 (presented by the New Atlanta Broadway Series, a division of Broadway Across America-Atlanta.
Tickets are available at the theater box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, or via phone at 404-817-8700.  Orders for groups of 15 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000.

Why does the Alliance get all the awards?

Don’t get me wrong — I love that Atlanta’s arts scene has the Suzi Bass Awards, and that they’re now in their fourth year. For far too long local actors have been toiling without any kind of recognition, seeing the quality and quantity of theater coverage in local press dwindle to next to nothing.

But how come the Alliance always sweeps the Suzi’s?

The awards, modeled loosely after Chicago’s prestigious Joseph Jefferson Awards, seem to nominate from a very small pool of theaters, and an even smaller portion of shows. Year after year, Atlanta’s big-budget house Alliance Theatre makes a crazy sweep of the awards. The theater produced at Horizon, 7 Stages, Theatre in the Square, Georgia Shakespeare and Synchronicity regularly makes end of the year critics list picks with more frequency (and they employ far more local talent) — so how come they never make out big at the Suzi’s?

And how is it possible that Theater of the Stars — Atlanta’s oldest professional theater, and one that’s done more to support Atlanta’s talent pool than any other in its 50+ years of existence — doesn’t get one nod for any of its productions from the Suzi committee? That’s kind of an embarrassing oversight for a committee that’s been organized to recognize Atlanta’s professional theater.

I think the Suzi organizers should take a look at the “Jeff” awards and consider a little re-organization. They have Equity and non-Equity awards. In Atlanta, where most of the theater is produced by Non-Equity houses, the Suzi Award restrictions may have limited their talent pool a little too sharply. And if they’re ignoring theaters like TOTS, maybe it’s time to re-examine what qualifies for the awards.

A totally cool shout-out from Atlanta’s arts & business community

Imagine our surprise … we were listening to AM 1160’s interview with Theater of the Stars‘ Nick Manos and Fox Theatre’s Jamie Vosmeier and we heard them and station head Jeff Davis giving Encore Atlanta, our Dinner and a Show Packages and our beloved Sherry Madigan White mad props!

If you don’t believe it, hear for yourself:

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Fox Gallery: Jersey Boys launch party

The Fox Theatre hosted a Jersey Boys sneak preview party on Monday, Sept. 8. Local TV and radio personality Holly Firfer hosted the event and led a Q&A with current cast members Zachary Prince (Frankie Valli alternate – First National Tour) and Peter Gregus (Bob Crewe, and others – Original Broadway Cast; Broadway Dance/Fight Captain). Guests were treated to a candid discussion about the show and a thrilling video, highlighting the Tony Award-winning musical’s score and storyline. Fox Theatre Director of Group Sales & Subscriptions Jamie Vosmeier reminded the crowd that group tickets are currently on sale, individual tickets will go on sale Dec. 14, and the show is expected sell out quickly.

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‘Wicked’ ticket lottery

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for Wicked, playing Oct. 8 – Nov. 2 at The Fabulous Fox Theatre. Each day, 2½ hours prior to show time, those who wish to participate in the ticket lottery may come to The Fox Theatre box office and enter their names in the drawing. Thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of seats at $25 each, cash only.  This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person.

If you don’t want to leave things up to chance, purchase a ticket through authorized ticket sellers at The Fox Theatre, Ticketmaster outlets, online or by phone at 404-817-8700.  Orders for groups of 20 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000.

Wicked will play Wednesday, Oct. 8 through Sunday, Nov. 2; Tuesday - Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m. and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.  Special Thursday matinees will take place on Oct. 9 at 1:00 p.m. and Oct. 30 at 2:00 p.m.  Prices vary in range depending on performance, seat location, and date of purchase and start at $31.00.

Live music returns to the ballet

Two years ago, the Atlanta Ballet’s Board of Directors voted to switch from live music accompaniment to digital music tracks as a cost-saving measure. On Sept. 22, the ballet announced it is bringing its orchestra back for select performances during the 2008-2009 season, thanks to a $200,000 gift from AB Trustee Patti Wallace and a one-year pact with the Atlanta Federation of Musicians.

“It has always been our intention to bring live music back to our performances,” says Barry Hughson, AB’s Executive Director. “While this is an exciting step, we still have further to go, and need the support of whole community, so that live music will be a part of every one of our performances in future seasons.”

Wallace met AB Artistic Director John McFall when the ballet performed in Haywood, N.C., where she has a home. “I have been a fan of the Atlanta Ballet for years,” Wallace says. “While they hold a special place in my heart, this is a good business decision. The arts are vital in Atlanta’s emergence as a world-class city, and live music is an integral part of professional dance that will help grow our base of audience and donors. I am proud to be able to provide the support to accelerate the return of the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra.”

The ASO season opens with ’spoonfuls of honey’

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra promised sparks flying on their opening night, Sept. 25, and they didn’t disappoint. ASO President and CEO Allison Vulgamore addressed a small pre-show gathering at Gallery 100, enthusing that having Bach, Beethoven and Brahms on the same program was “like having spoonfuls of honey.”

Conductor Robert Spano kicked off the concert with a rousing rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner,” encouraging the crowd to sing along. Unlike ballpark crowds, these people can sing. I swear the woman next to me was operatically trained. Regardless, it was a moving way to kick off a season of world-class concerts.

Arrangements for the Bach piece brought the orchestra’s talents into sharp relief, pianist Emanuel Ax was masterful during the Beethoven selection, and the Brahms selection was a thrilling closer. This week, the B-Loved classical series continues with three other selections from the masters and Peter Serkin on the piano.