Creating a Musical Role

Still seeking ensemble members!
No experience necessary!
Financial aid available!

This year's Creating a Musical Role class will culminate in a full-scale production of the Broadway musical Parade, by Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry. We're looking for a large cast of all ages, ethnicities, types and experience levels. Please join us!

The Experience Whether you have a lot of musical theatre experience or none, this process promises to be incredibly rewarding. If past productions are any guide, this one will be a fully realized show that will entertain hundreds of people, and will be the result of the efforts of actors at every experience level, from never-set-foot-on-a-stage to working-as-a-professional. The course takes students step-by-step through all aspects of preparing and performing a role in a major musical. Students new to musicals will work on singing, acting, dance and movement skills while developing a character or characters and learning how to sing as part of an acting ensemble. More experienced students will be challenged to stretch themselves and move beyond “safe choices,” both musically and emotionally.

The Show Parade won the 1999 Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score. It’s still not well known, partly because of its difficulty (but it’s a challenge we’re up to!) and partly because of its subject matter (murder and race relations in early twentieth-century Atlanta!). Jason Robert Brown is probably better known as the composer/lyricist of Songs for a New World and The Last Five Years. Alfred Uhry is definitely better known as the author of Driving Miss Daisy. Like this team’s other work, Parade is full of emotion, meaty roles and thrilling music.

Instructors The instructors (and directors) are Scott Fortier and Buzz Mauro. Scott is a highly acclaimed actor and director, and he’s also the founding Artistic Director of Catalyst Theater. Buzz is one of the founders and Directors of The Theatre Lab, and will be both musical directing and serving as guest artist in the role of Leo Frank. Both Scott and Buzz have lots of professional experience, having acted, directed and musical directed at Catalyst, Signature, Woolly Mammoth, Studio Theatre, and the Bay Theatre Company, to name just a few.

Qualifications We picked this play because it offers many great acting roles for all types. All roles except Leo Frank are open. To take part as a member of the ensemble, which will mean playing a role or roles that will involve lots of singing, all you have to do is sign up—no experience or audition necessary. (We do ask that you come in so we can listen to your range and confirm your ability to carry a tune.) Principal roles will be cast by audition.

Details We’re looking for people who are ready for an intensive experience. Class will meet every Saturday from 10am to 1pm and every Tuesday from 7:00-10:30pm plus rehearsals at The Theatre Lab, 733 8th Street NW, near the Gallery Place Metro. Classes began May 3 (but we're still accepting participants) and culminate in six public performances, July 10-12 and 17-19 with a mandatory brush-up rehearsal on Wednesday, July 16. Students will also be asked to rehearse together outside of class time for 3-6 hours per week, and to work alone to learn music and memorize lines. Tuition for this intensive, double-session course is $550 ($495 for Theatre Lab Members—so a $50 annual membership more than pays for itself). We will try to be flexible with conflicts, but for the most part students will be expected to attend all classes and all scheduled rehearsals.

Signing Up If you want to be in the ensemble, call or email to sign up for a five-minute “non-audition” slot—there’s nothing to prepare (and nothing to be nervous about). If you’d like to try out for a major role, call or email to sign up for a five-minute slot—and be prepared to sing a song of your choice, and to bring the sheet music in the key you want to sing it in. Auditioning in no way obligates you to take the class, but if you don’t get offered a major role, you’ll still be more than welcome in the ensemble if you choose to participate.

We expect spaces to fill quickly, so if you’re interested, please call (202) 824-0449 or email contact@theatrelab.org ASAP.