Monday and Tuesday
February 16 and 17, 2009
7:00 p.m. LRC Theatre
Nicolet College, Rhinelander
Jim Nuttall – Director
Mary Peterson – Musical Director
Michelle Bryski – Choreographer
Broadway's greatest farce is light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written – the perfect escape from life's troubles. With the infectious energy of both classic Roman comedy and classic vaudeville, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum provides a non-stop laugh-fest in which a crafty Roman slave struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan for his young master in exchange for his freedom. This unforgettable, hysterical play allows a terrific ensemble of comedic actors to shine.
Roles:
Senex – an old man – 50–70 – Baritone – Some Dancing
Domina – his wife – 40–60 – Mezzo – No Dancing
Hero – their son – 18–25 – Baritone/Tenor – Some Dancing
Hysterium – slave to Senex and Domina – 20–50 – Baritone – Some Dancing
Pseudolus – slave to Hero – Baritone – Some Dancing
Lycus – a buyer and seller of courtesans – 30–60 – Baritone – Some Dancing
Philia – a virgin – 18–25 – Mezzo/Soprano - Some Dancing
Miles Gloriosus – a warrior – 25–45 – Baritone/Bass – No Dancing
Erronius – an old man – 65–??? – Baritone – Little Singing/No Dancing
The Proteans – the ‘chorus', will play many roles and be featured in various scenes –
Written for males, but we'll make 1 or 2 female. Some singing – Dancing. We are especially interested in anyone with special skills ~ Juggling, Tumbling, Acrobatics, Clowning, etc.
The Courtesans (Tintinabula, Panacaea, The Geminae (twins), Vibrata and Gymnasia) –
These are some of the funniest roles with dance and some chorus singing. Courtesans are women available for sale so expect the costumes to be pretty wild and often revealing.
Auditions will consist of three parts that give us an idea of how you sing, act, and move. First, you'll each get to stand by the piano and sing a song that shows the range and quality of your voice. Bring sheet music, since Mary Peterson will accompany you on the piano. You should choose your own music and prepare a bit before the audition. "Showtunes" from musicals are generally the best, but pop songs or oldies can work too. Second, we'll do several readings from the script. Third, we'll do some very simple choreography, just to get an idea of how well you can move. All that may sound intimidating, but we make it low pressure and fun, so get up some courage and give it a shot! All are welcome and encouraged, and previous experience is not required – most of the people who have performed on the Nicolet stage became so good because they rehearsed so much, and not because they're seasoned professional actors...
We'll have 11 weeks to rehearse – that's a generous amount of time for rehearsals. We'll rehearse 3–5 nights/week (6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. is the usual schedule). The first few weeks will be devoted to learning the music, then we'll work on the staging of the play, and along the way we'll work in the dance routines. Psuedolus is on stage much of the time, so he will need to be present at many of the rehearsals. Other roles will rehearse for the scenes that they are in, and will have night off for the scenes they aren't in. Once we get to the last couple of weeks before the show opens, we'll need everyone every night, since we'll be running entire acts.
Performances are May 1-3 and 7-10 at 7:30 p.m. except for Sundays which are at 2:00 p.m.
For more information call Jim Nuttall at 715-365-4476 or email him at jnuttall@nicoletcollege.edu
Here are two websites that go into greater detail about the story and characters: