Auditions for Center Stage Jackson Youth Musical!

SYNOPSIS Get your peg leg tappin’ to this eclectic score of rollicking sea shanties and contemporary styles — a surefire audience-pleaser! Aristocrat Roger Goodman has his heart set on a conventional life married to the wealthy Sarah Huffington and living happily ever after. That is, until he finds out she thinks he’s boring and would rather marry a brave and adventurous pirate!  Determined to prove himself to his beloved, Roger hires Long John Sliver to tutor him and his newly recruited motley crew in the field of piracy. In exchange for his total pirate makeover (which includes the fearsome new name, Captain Blood!), Roger and his crew sail to Treasure Island seeking the chests of gold doubloons Long John buried there long ago.

Artistic Director Melissa McElhone   Music Director Sarah Baldwin

Auditions
Thursday January 12, 2014 promptly starting at 4:30pm
Tuesday January 17, 2017 promptly starting at 4:30pm
(Actors need only attend one audition day)

Audition Location
Jackson’s First Presbyterian Church, 743 W. Michigan Ave. Jackson, MI 49201. Please park in the rear of the church and enter the southwest door, which will be marked.

What to Expect at Auditions
No preparation necessary! Newbies welcome and encouraged to attend! Youth will do a short vocal and dance auditions as well as read from the script with other youth.
Age Range
This production is for youth in Jackson County that are in 3rd through 9th grade (no exceptions).

Rehearsals
Read-through & Mandatory Parent Meeting will be held Monday January 23, 2017 at 4:30pm. Regular rehearsals will be Monday-Thursday 4:30pm-6:00pm starting Tuesday January 24, 2017 at Jackson's First Presbyterian Church, 743 W. Michigan Ave. Jackson, MI 49201. Rehearsals will move to the Middle School at Parkside's Auditorium in March 2017, date TBA.

Performances
March 17, 18, & 19, 2017
Friday and Saturday at 7pm, Sunday at 2pm
at The Middle School at Parkside Kiesel Auditorium

Contact
Youth Theater Committee Chair Doug Meyers at drmeyers14@sbcglobal.net or 517-783-1468.

Registration for the 9th Annual Youth Singing Competition!

Competitor Registration Deadline: Friday January 6, 2017

About the Competition

January 20, 2017 at 7:00pm
at Northwest High School's Cafetorium
6900 Rives Junction Rd. Jackson, MI 49201

Registration for Competitors
$25 per act due by January 6, 2017

Spectator Tickets
$5 per person (Sold at the door only, cash or credit/debit)

Three Competition Categories 
Children: Age 12 and under
Teen: Age 13 through 12th grade
Group: Any ages/age combinations, must have 2 or more participants

Prizes
Awarded to the top 3 places in each category
Judges
Ann Holt, Jackie Livesay, and Stephen Murphy

Judging Criteria
Tonal Quality: Support, tension, focus and resonance, projection, vowel placement
Breath: Depth and expansion, support, breath management/phrasing, posture
Musical Elements: Pitch, rhythmic/rest, intonation, tempo and pulse consistency, memorization, dynamics and phrasing
Presentation: Pronunciation/articulations, expressiveness, stage presence/poise, syllabic stress

Piano, accompanist, and microphones will be provided.
Each contestant is limited to a single musical number whether performing as a group or individually.
There is a limit of 20 slots determined by first come, first served.

Registration form and fee must be mailed by January 6, 2017 to Becky Onnen at the following address:
Center Stage Jackson, Attn: Becky Onnen
PO Box 822, Jackson, MI 49204

Any questions regarding the competition may be directed to Becky Onnen, Competition Director.
Email:  mooleeboo@gmail.com
Call: 517-945-8821

Auditions at The Sauk in Jonesville

The Sauk will hold auditions for the March/April 2017 production of "Doubt, A Parable" at 7 p.m. on Monday, February 13 and Tuesday, February 14. Please prepare a 1-2 minute dramatic monologue from a play. Auditions will also consist of readings from the script. Auditions are open to anyone age 18 and up. No experience necessary. More information can be found at www.thesauk.org/auditions.html. Performances are March 30-April 2, 2017. This production will be directed by Trinity Bird.

Dear Apprehensive About Auditioning

Although the auditions announced in this press release are past, the message continues to be relevant. It's about the importance of showing up.

Dear Apprehensive About Auditioning, You’re not alone in your apprehension. I have had the opportunity to work at the sign in table at auditions for CSJ (Center Stage Jackson) many times, and I hear some variation of this at or before every audition...  I don’t know this director or what they want... I did theatre in high school but that was so long ago... I’ve never done this before and I think everyone will know it... I want a particular part but I think someone else will be better... Are any of these familiar to you? Do I sound too much like an infomercial? Sorry, I’m just trying to show that there are more people in your boat than out of it. Basically, my advice to you is this: Just show up. Just show up. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never done theatre before. It doesn’t matter if it’s been years. It doesn’t matter if there is or isn’t a part ‘made for you’ in this show. It doesn’t matter if you think you don’t fit into this show at all. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a giant embarrassing coffee stain on your sweatshirt (but feel free to ask me about that story). Regardless of if you are cast or not, whether you audition or not, showing up is not a waste of our time or yours. There is a lot you can gain from showing up: Getting comfortable with the process, meeting people that you'll probably see next time, getting feedback that can help you at your next audition, or even quieting that voice in the back of your head that’s saying is this something that I would like to do? Actually, I’d like to invite you to just watch auditions to get a feel for what they are like. There are two audition days for this production, so you can even watch the first day to see if you would like to come back the second day. This isn’t a high intensity job interview, and you’re allowed to say “eh, this isn’t for me” at any time. Well...maybe not a month into rehearsals. That kind of stinks for everyone else. Just know that we aren’t expecting perfectly polished actors to arrive fresh out of the actor factory box (you know every mail service is so backed up this time of year). Acting, like anything else in life, takes practice, and we’ve already planned for that. Showing up can also require practice, and that’s okay. It’s okay to feel nervous, and it’s okay to say that out loud. You can even say it as soon as you get in the door. A lot of people do! We can chat if it helps you relax. If I'm working, I’ll be happy to answer any and every question you have (fair warning: I’m not very good at science). The “worst” thing that can happen is that you won’t be cast in a role…this time. But if you want to come to another audition you will be carrying all of that knowledge you gained. You will be more comfortable, and we’ll be so happy to see you again. Lastly…bring a bottle of water, it’ll give you something to do with your hands. I mean--hydration is important! Auditions for Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None are this Friday the 16th from 6:30pm-9:00pm and Saturday the 17th from 2:00pm until 5:00pm. Drop by anytime during those hours. We’ll be at Jackson’s First Presbyterian Church, 743 W. Michigan Ave, Jackson. Just follow the orange signs once you get to the building. We'll be waiting for you just inside the door. I hope to see you soon.

Katie Meyers
Administrative Director
Center Stage Jackson

New book tells story of Croswell’s first 150 years

The story of the Croswell Opera House’s first 150 years is told in a new book, “Behind the Curtain: 150 Years at Michigan’s Oldest Theater.”

The 246-page book, written by Croswell director of marketing and audience development Erik Gable, includes more than 300 photos and illustrations, many of them never before published. In addition to material from the Croswell archives and the local history collections at the Adrian District Library and Lenawee County Historical Museum, it includes information drawn from archives in Ann Arbor, Detroit and Lansing.

It begins with the story of the Croswell’s construction in post-Civil War Adrian and includes stories about the local groups and touring companies that performed on its stage in the early days. In addition, readers will learn about the many other roles the theater has played — including becoming a roller rink for one week in 1876 and serving as a hospital after the Lenawee County Fair grandstand collapsed in 1879.

The book then discusses the Croswell’s days as a movie theater, including how patrons raised more than $1 million to support the war effort during World War II, before moving into the modern era. The story of how the Croswell was saved from likely destruction in the 1960s is accompanied by photos from many of the theater’s productions over the past 50 years.

The book also includes a foreword by Tobin Ost, a Tony Award-nominated scenic designer who grew up in Adrian and got his start designing shows at the Croswell.

“Behind the Curtain: 150 Years at Michigan’s Oldest Theater” sells for $42 and may be purchased at the Croswell’s business office, 123 E. Maumee St., Adrian, or online at croswell.org/book.