– All performance levels and backgrounds welcome –
Gateway Playhouse of Somers Point will host open auditions for Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical “Into the Woods” 6-8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, July 30 and 31. The Gateway welcomes “everyone and anyone” ages 16 and up to audition regardless of performance experience, race, gender identity, or theatrical background.
Originally produced in 1986, “Into the Woods,” with words and music by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Main characters are taken from “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Rapunzel,” and “Cinderella.” The musical is woven together via the story of a baker and his wife who cannot conceive children due to a curse that a witch placed on them. The couple must venture deep into the woods to find an array of magical items – a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold – in order to reverse the curse.
The musical dives deep into themes of wishes, consequences, responsibility – i.e., the darker side of fairy tales – and makes the characters question what really happens following “happily ever after.”
“What’s great about this show is these stories belong to everyone. And everyone deserves to be seen on stage – all races, backgrounds, gender identities, shapes, sizes, and more,” said Gateway’s Artistic Director Phil Pallitto. “At its heart, ‘Into the Woods’ is about a variety of different people whose lives intertwine and we’re striving for that – to build an ensemble that resembles exactly that.”
Auditioners should bring a song in the style of the show that best showcases their voice (accompanist provided), as well as perform a monologue from the show, which will be provided during auditions and can be found in advance at GatewayByTheBay.org.
Rehearsals will begin Aug. 10 and will typically be held two to three times per week, including some weekends, leading up to tech week. Attendance at all technical and dress rehearsals is required. Performances are 7 p.m. Sept. 25-27, Oct. 2-4, and 2 p.m. Sept. 28 and Oct. 5. Actors must be available all performance dates.
“Our goal is to make Gateway Playhouse even more of a hub for talent than it already is,” said Katie Calvi, Gateway board chairperson. “Whether someone is a first-time auditioner or a seasoned acting veteran, it doesn’t matter. Just try out.”
Tickets for “Into the Woods” are $25 at GatewayByTheBay.org and at the Karen S. Sutherland Box Office. Gateway Playhouse is located at 738 Bay Ave., Somers Point. For info, go to GatewayByTheBay.org.
