Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre Embarks On 34th Theatrical Season

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Allentown, PA—The Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre festival at Muhlenberg College announces the lineup for its 2014 summer season — the 34th in the festival’s history. The season will feature the groundbreaking 1970s musical “A Chorus Line,” Monty Python’s “Spamalot,” and “Gruff!” a new musical for young audiences.

“A Chorus Line” opens the summer season, June 11-29. The Tony Award-winning best play of 1975, and one of the longest-running plays in Broadway history, “A Chorus Line” delves into the lives of 17 dancers auditioning for eight spots in the chorus of a Broadway musical. SMT artistic director Charles Richter directs the production.

“Spamalot” — the zany Monty Python musical comedy adapted from the classic movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” — runs July 9-27. Directed by James Peck, the show parodies the legend of King Arthur and his band of haphazard knights as they sing and dance their way through a ridiculous divine quest.

“Gruff! A New Family Musical… with Goats!” runs June 18 through July 26. In this interactive and puppet-filled musical, a young goat leaves the junkyard for the first time and stumbles into the fantastical land of the trolls. The show is a new creation of the neo-vaudeville theater group Doppelskope, and is recommended for ages 4 and up.

Tickets and information are available at muhlenberg.edu/SMT and 484-664-3693.

“A Chorus Line” takes the audience behind the scenes of an unnamed Broadway musical, and into the minds and lives of 17 Broadway hopefuls in the midst of a soul-baring audition. As the ranks thin, the auditioners face the realities of life, love, and a career in show business. “A Chorus Line” features such memorable numbers as “What I Did for Love,” “One,” “I Can Do That,” “At the Ballet,” “The Music and the Mirror,” and “I Hope I Get It.”

The Broadway production of “A Chorus Line” garnered numerous awards when it premiered in 1975, including the Tony Awards for best musical, best book, and best score. Charles Richter directs the production. Michael Schnack is musical director, and Muhlenberg dance program chair Karen Dearborn choreographs.

The Muhlenberg premiere of “Monty Python’s Spamalot” features “some of the funniest antics introduced on a Broadway stage,” according to USA Today. The show is “lovingly ripped off” from the classic 1975 film by beloved British comedy troupe “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” King Arthur and his knights embark on an ill-fated quest for the Holy Grail, dodging giant wooden rabbits, obnoxious Frenchmen, and a death-defying limbless knight along the way. James Peck directs. Justin Brehm serves as musical director. Sammy Reyes choreographs the production.

In the world-premiere family musical “Gruff!” a young goat learns the wonder of the natural world, and a new adventure begins, in which trolls and goats learn to live and play together. This innovative take on the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff is the work of Doppelskope, a neo-vaudeville theatre ensemble that creates original works featuring puppetry, magic, and clowning. Gruff is directed by Ora Fruchter, with music written by Ora Fruchter and Toby Singer. It is appropriate for ages four and up.

A sensory-friendly performance of “Gruff!” will be presented Saturday, June 28, at 1 p.m. The performance will feature lighting and sound design conducive to children with autism and other sensory processing difficulties; a cast meet-and-greet and orientation before the performance; an open house and available sensory stories in advance of the performance; and facilities available for children who need time away from the performance. Tickets are provided at a discounted rate of $5. For reservations and information about the sensory-friendly performance, please contact general manager Jess Bien at 484-664-3087.

An accessible performance will be presented during the SMT season, featuring audio description for patrons with visual impairments and open captioning for patrons with hearing difficulties. Details are still pending; however, the performance will take place on a Sunday at 2 p.m. Call 484-664-3087 for information.

“A Chorus Line” runs June 11-29; “Spamalot” runs July 9-27. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Ticket prices for both “A Chorus Line” and “Spamalot” are as follows. For the first four performances: regular admission tickets are $33; seniors are $29; students and children are $18. For the remaining 11 performances, beginning Sunday of opening weekend; regular admission tickets are $39; seniors are $36; students and children are $20.

“Gruff!” runs June 18 through July 26. Performances are Wednesday through Friday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m, and Saturday at 10 a.m. only. All tickets to “Gruff!” are $10 for June performances and $12 for July performances.

Tickets and information are available at www.muhlenberg.edu/SMT or 484-664-3333. Information on group discounts, subscriptions, and family matinee discounts is available on the website.

Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre Announces Open Audition Dates

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Allentown, PA — Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre will hold open auditions for performers ages 16 and up on Feb. 23 and 24. Performers will be cast for the season’s mainstage productions: the classic Broadway musical “A Chorus Line,” performing June 11-29, and “Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot,’” performing July 9-27.

The following audition details can also be found online, at www.muhlenberg.edu/smt.

Vocal auditions will be held Sunday, Feb. 23, from 3 to 6:30 and 7:30 to 11 p.m., and Monday, Feb. 24, from 7 to 11 p.m. Sunday vocal auditions will be held in the Baker Center for the Arts Band Room. Monday vocal auditions will be held in the Baker Theatre, in the Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance. Vocal audition appointments are three minutes.

Dance auditions will be held Sunday, Feb. 23, from 5 to 9 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m., in the Empie Theatre, Baker Center for the Arts. Dance auditions will take about half an hour.

All auditioners must register in advance and schedule an audition. All auditioners must sign up for both vocal and dance auditions. Auditioners should send an email to SMTcompany@muhlenberg.edu before Friday, Feb. 21, indicating available dates and times within the scheduled audition, and providing a mobile phone number where the auditioner can be reached with questions.

Those without access to email should call the Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance office at 484-664-3087, during regular office hours before Thursday, Feb. 20. Voice messages should contain all of the above information.

All auditioners will be assigned a time for both a dance audition and a vocal audition. Auditioners must both dance and sing, even if they concentrate in just one area. All performers in both shows will sing and dance.

Auditioners who live too far away from the Allentown area or who are unable to attend auditions may submit a preliminary DVD audition. The DVD should consist of a comedic monologue not more than two minutes in length, one song (see guidelines below), and a 90-second dance solo. DVDs must arrive before the audition date listed to be eligible for consideration.

Auditioners who receive a callback must attend in person to be considered for a role. Callbacks will be held March 9-11, and will include acting auditions, reading from the script.

Auditioners for both shows should prepare a memorized vocal selection of no more than 32 bars of a musical theater song written between 1950 and 1980.

An accompanist will be provided for the vocal audition. Auditioners must bring sheet music in the key in which they would like to sing, with the selection indicated and any cuts clearly noted. Please no accompaniment tapes or a cappella auditions.

For dance auditions, auditioners will be taught a short dance sequence, which they will then perform. No preparation is required. Auditioners who own tap shoes should bring them.

Auditioners should bring two copies of their resumes and headshots.

Non-performing opportunities are available for technicians and costumers. Carpenters, electricians, props technicians, light board and sound board operators, and stage crew are needed for productions. Costumers, first hand, stitchers, and wardrobe running crew are needed in the costume shop.

High school stage management internships are available for those who will be at least 16 years old by the time they begin working for MSMT. Interns work alongside college students and professionals from the College, and guest artists from New York, learning valuable skills that they can take back to their high school programs. Interns receive a $400 stipend for the summer.

The application deadline for technicians, costumers, and administrative personnel is March 1. Applications can be found online at muhlenberg.edu/smt. Completed applications can be sent to boxoffice@muhlenberg.edu.

Review Of “A Chorus Line” at Genesius Theatre In Reading

Review of “A Chorus Line” by Roy Keeler – Pottstown Herald Staff Reporter

On Sunday afternoon, September 13th, I attended a matinee performance of “A Chorus Line” at the Genesius Theatre in Reading.  The theatre is a very intimate space and my seat was dead center so viewing was perfect.  The seat was comfortable which was good because this production is performed without an intermission.

The set is stark.  Everything is black and there are large rectangular mirrors that can be turned to show the front or back sides.  The orchestra is behind the mirrors and can only be glimpsed when the mirrors are being turned.  The theatre was not full but that is to be expected for a Sunday matinee at 2 pm.

The Director and Co-Choreographer, Irving Gonzalez came out to welcome us and make the normal announcements.  Without further delay, the show began.

The story revolves around a group of hopefuls auditioning to be part of a chorus line for a Broadway show.  The characters run the spectrum of age, size, gender and orientation.  The casting was well done.  The individuals chosen seemed to fit their character extremely well.  There is no elaborate set so the acting has to be believable in order to draw the viewer in.  Otherwise, there is not much else to look at.

“A Chorus Line” is a musical.  Two of the most important elements are singing and the orchestra.  I found the singing good to excellent depending on the character and the orchestra was excellent. The orchestra plays almost constantly in this show and their timing is crucial.  Everything was well executed and the group blended together nicely which is a direct reflection on Music Director Melody Pierce.

The last major element would be the dancing.  Characters are singing and dancing for a good portion of the show although there are spoken lines as well.  Again, I found the skill levels good to excellent depending on the character.  Irving Gonzalez and Deena Linn did a fantastic job with the choreography!

Richard Bradbury did an outstanding job as Zach.  Zach is the director who is auditioning the dancers.  Richard plays his part extremely well and even spends time in the audience delivering lines which further involves you in the story.

Timothy Feeg plays Paul.  Paul is deeply conflicted and bares his soul in an emotional recollection of how he came to terms with his orientation.  Tim’s ability to capture these intense emotions is amazing.

Deena Linn plays Cassie.  Cassie has a past with Zach which is uncovered as the story unfolds.  Deena has another difficult character to portrait and captures the raw emotion of Cassie in all her flawed glory.

Comic relief is provided by Matthew Kleckner (Mark) who offers an R-rated adolescent memory during his interview with Zach, Erin Stevens (Val) with her naughty little song “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three” (the original title more aptly suits the song) and Christina Ferlazzo (Kristine) with her very funny rendition of “Sing!”

The most familiar and anticipated song for me was “One”.  It was well done.  I definitely enjoyed the costume change at the end.  The glitzy finale provides the appropriate closure and left us on a high note!

After seeing this production, it is no surprise “A Chorus Line” was one of the longest running and most highly awarded Broadway musicals of all time.  In my humble opinion, this production does justice to the story and provides several hours of highly enjoyable entertainment.  Kudos to everyone involved for bringing Broadway to Berks! 

This is not a show for young children as some of the subject matter is very adult!  Sexual subjects are frankly discussed and some course language is used.  Parents should be cautioned.

The show runs through September 20th.  Call the ticket office or check the Genesius Theatre website for dates and times.

Genesius Theatre
153 N. 10th Street
Reading, PA  19601
(610) 371-8151 or (610) 373-9500
http://www.genesiustheatre.org/

Broadway Comes To Berks!

The fourth longest running Broadway musical of all time and winner of multiple Tony Awards is coming to Berks County.  “A Chorus Line” will debut at the Genesius Theatre in Reading at 8:00 p.m. on September 11th.  This popular show features music by Marvin Hamlisch and Lyrics by Edward Kleban.  The Genesius production is Directed and Choreographed by Irving Gonzalez.   The Music Director is Melody Pierce.

 

Ticket prices range from $15.00 to $25.00.

 

Show times are:

 

09/11/09   8:00 PM

09/12/09   8:00 PM

09/13/09   2:00 PM

09/16/09   7:00 PM

09/17/09   8:00 PM

09/18/09   8:00 PM

09/19/09   2:00 PM

09/19/09   8:00 PM

09/20/09   2:00 PM

 

The Genesius Theatre is located at:

 

153 N. 10th Street

Reading, PA  19601

 

To purchase tickets with a credit card call (610) 373-9500

 

To make non credit card reservations, questions and show times call (610) 371-8151

 

For further information see their website at http://www.genesiustheatre.com/

 

17 Broadway Dancers put themselves on the line for their dream only 8 of them will make it. A Chorus Line – Do it for the Love!