Casting Call: 'Master Class'

Kelsey Theater will be holding auditions for "Master Class" from 7-9:30 p.m. Nov. 20 and from 11-3 p.m. Nov. 23. Callbacks will be held from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 25.

"Master Class" is based on classes that Maria Callas taught at the Juilliard School.  Over two 6-week periods, Callas taught a master class called "The Lyric Tradition" for would-be professional singers. Included in this course was a series of semiweekly two-hour public working sessions with the variety of voices and repertoires in the class, intended to pass on Callas' knowledge and experience to the students and to the public at large. Callas died at age 54 in 1997.

Maria Callas (mid-50's)	Has extensive monologues (20 out of 43 pages are exclusively this part's.) This is a tour-de-force for the actress playing the role; she is on stage the entire time. Auditionees for Callas must memorize these two monologues. They may also be asked to do a reading from the script.
Sophie De Palma (mid-20's, operatic soprano)	Auditionees seeking to be cast in this part must prepare "Ah non credea mirarti" from Bellini's "La Sonnambula." Preparing "Vieni t'affretta" from Verdi's "Macbeth" as well is recommended, but not required.
Sharon Graham (mid-20's, operatic soprano)	Auditionees seeking to be cast in this part must prepare "Vieni t'affretta" from Verdi's "Macbeth." Preparing "Ah non credea mirarti" from Bellini's "La Sonnambula" as well is recommended, but not required.
Anthony Candolino (mid—late 20's, operatic tenor)	Auditionees seeking to be cast in this part must prepare "Recondita armonia" from Puccini's "Tosca."

  Other roles have already been cast.

The first read-through will be either on Nov. 30 or Dec. 2. Rehearsals with the actor cast as Maria Callas will begin in Dec. Most rehearsals will be Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Most of the early rehearsals will be with Maria Callas only, due to the significant amount of monologues and stage time. Rehearsals with the accompanist and the three singers will begin in Jan. The only two people with significant stage time are Maria and the accompanist.

The show will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays Feb. 21-March 2. Auditions will be held at the Communications Building next to Kelsey Theater on Mercer County College Campus at 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. For more information, or to make an appointment, contact auditions@penningtonplayers.org. For directions, visit www.kelseyatmccc.org.