Upcoming Auditions: "Lend Me A Tenor" at The Road Company

Sunday, September 21,  2008 and Monday, September 22, 2008 at 7:00 pm

Auditions will be held at:

The Grand Theatre

405 South Main Street

Williamstown, New Jersey

Auditions consist of cold readings from the script.  Those auditioning for Max, Tito, and the Bellhop please have a portion of an operatic-type song prepared that you can sing acapella. These characters do not require trained singing voices, but the actors should be able to carry a tune and sing loudly. Show dates are November 28, 29, 30 (2pm matinee), December 5 and 6.Synopsis:  This night in September of 1934 is the biggest in the history of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. World famous tenor Tito Morelli is to perform Othello, his greatest role, at the gala season opener. Saunders, the General Manager, hopes this will put Cleveland on the operatic map. Morelli is late; when he finally sweeps in it is too late to rehearse with the company. Through a hilarious series of mishaps, Il Stupendo is given a double dose of tranquilizers which mix with the booze he has consumed and he passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he is dead. What to do? Max is an aspiring singer and Saunders persuades him to get into Morelli's Othello costume and try to fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume. Now two Othello’s are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo! A sensation on Broadway and in London's West End, Lend Me a Tenor is guaranteed to leave your audiences teary eyed with laughter.

Character Descriptions:

Max*-Assistant to Saunders.  Late twenties-mid thirties.  Max is earnest and hard-working, and is in love with Maggie.Maggie- Max’s girlfriend & Saunders’ daughter.  Mid twenties-early thirties.  Maggie is smart & practical, but yearns for something “wonderful and romantic” before she settles down with Max.Saunders-General Manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company.  Late forties-mid sixties.  Saunders is brusque and authoritarian with a short fuse.Tito Merelli*-A world-famous tenor, also known to his fans as “Il Stupendo.” Early forties-mid sixties. Tito is larger than life; full of grand gestures and grand appetites.  He has an Italian accent.Maria-Tito’s wife.  Mid thirties-late forties.  Maria is proud, excitable, and emotional.  She speaks with an Italian accent.Bellhop*-A bellhop.  Early twenties-mid thirties.  The bellhop is shrewd, opportunistic, and determined to audition for Tito.Diana-The Cleveland Grand Opera’s lead soprano.  Early thirties-late forties.  Diana is sexy and forceful; she knows what she wants and how to get it.Julia-Chairperson of the Opera Guild.  Mid forties-early seventies.  Julia is vivacious and charming and passionate about opera.*These characters sing “opera.”  The actors need only be able to sing loudly and carry a tune; operatic training is not required.For more information call (856) 728-2120 or contact the director, John Blackwell, at johnnyblack4@comcast.net