The Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department will hold auditions for its spring musical production of “Working,” directed by LMC Instructor of Theatre Dr. Patrick King with musical direction by Rebecca Derbas-Selvidge.
Students and community members are invited to participate in the auditions that are set for 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, and Thursday, Dec. 1. They will be held in Deckmann Studio located in the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center on the Benton Harbor Campus located at 2755 E. Napier Ave. Auditioners should register at www.tinyurl.com/WorkingLMC and indicate which night they prefer to audition.
Auditioners should prepare a cutting of a favorite music theatre or pop/rock song from the ‘60s-‘80s, as well as a monologue from the audition packet for the show. They should arrive ready to move in comfortable clothing.
Cast members are asked to enroll in the three-credit course Theatre Practicum (DRAM 202) to receive academic credit for their work on the play. Alternatively, they may register as community education participants.
The ensemble includes six or more cast members; all should be of working age. Auditioners from a variety of backgrounds and identities are encouraged to audition to help tell the story of who our community is today.
The production runs March 10-12, 2023. The first cast meeting is scheduled for Dec. 5; rehearsals begin Jan. 17 and run 7-10 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays. Technical rehearsals begin March 5, with Saturday and Sunday rehearsals added at that time.
Students and community volunteers interested in building the set or assisting with costumes, lights, props, or run crew should contact King. Those individuals may enroll in Theatre Practicum or Stagecraft, depending on their area of interest and availability.
Musical synopsis
In the 1970s, Stephen Schwartz (“Godspell, “Wicked,” “Pippin”) worked with a team of collaborators including James Taylor to create a musical based on Studs Terkel's bestselling book of interviews “Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do.” In 2012, the musical was updated with new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and in 2022, Lake Michigan College is updating it with stories and interviews from the people who work in our own community. “Working” is a musical that is always evolving, bringing to life the feelings and thoughts of the people who make up the world we live in: administrative assistants, construction workers, teachers, truckers, and servers through the use of pop songs, monologues, and scenes that explore what it is to work in America today.
For more information about the LMC Visual and Performing Arts department and performances, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/arts, email mmccaffrey@lakemichigancollege.edu, or call 269-927-8876.
About the Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department
The Visual & Performing Arts department allows students to reach new levels of excellence through classroom instruction and public performance. Many programs, including theatre, instrumental and vocal music, and dance, are based in the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center, the only performing arts center of its kind in southwest Michigan. Here, LMC students have opportunities to study the performing arts in a venue that attracts more than 100,000 patrons annually. Programs including drawing, painting, and graphic design allow students to explore the possibilities in the visual arts.
Auditions are held for select ensembles that perform on the same stages as world-renowned touring acts. Students in any major also have opportunities to audition for Broadway musicals and plays and join two different vocal ensembles, string and wind ensembles, a pop-rock ensemble, drumline, and jazz band. One of only two colleges in Michigan to carry the prestigious All-Steinway designation, LMC has a team of highly qualified faculty that bring real-world expertise to the classroom.
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Posted November 22, 2022