Program Casting Call: 'Footloose'

The Cranford Dramatic Club will hold auditions for their Junior Theatre show, "Footloose," based on the movie musical of the same name, in a few weeks. Auditions are open for eight-graders through college students.

When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. What he isn’t prepared for are the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, determined to exercise the control over the town’s youth that he cannot command in his own home. When the reverend’s rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren’s reputation with many of the locals, eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges is of a father longing for the son he lost and of a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. With an Oscar- and Tony-nominated score and augmented with dynamic new songs for the stage musical, "Footloose" celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind.

Auditionees should prepare 32 bars of a song from musical theater, being sure to bring sheet music in the correct key; an accompanist will be provided. They should also bring a headshot, resumé, and list of conflicts. There will be dancing at the audition, and those with gymnastics skills should be prepared to demonstrate. Those who are cast will need to pay a $125 production fee.

Auditions will be held at 6 p.m. April 13 and at 11 p.m. April 16. Performances will occur at 8 p.m. June 10 and at 3 and 8 p.m. June 11.

For more information, visit the CDC website. The Cranford Dramatic Club is located at 78 Winans Avenue, Cranford.

Casting Call: 'Incorruptible'

Circle Players will hold auditions for "Incorruptible," a bawdy farce by Michael Hollinger satirizing the fragility of faith in the face of survival, next month.

Welcome to Priseaux, France, c. 1250 A.D.: The river flooded again last week. The chandler's shop just burned to the ground. Nobody's heard of the wheelbarrow yet. And St. Foy, the patron of the local monastery, hasn't worked a miracle in thirteen years. In other words, the Dark Ages still look pretty dark. All eyes turn to the Pope, whose promised visit will surely encourage other pilgrims to make the trek and restore the abbey to its former glory. That is, until a rival church claims to possess the relics of St. Foy—and their bones are working miracles. All seems lost until the destitute monks take a lesson from a larcenous one-eyed minstrel, who teaches them an outrageous new way to pay old debts.

Auditions will take place from 7-9 p.m. April 17 and 18, with callbacks (if needed) at the same time April 20. The show is directed by Eric Walby.

Charles (50s)	Has been abbot and leader of the Priseaux Monastery for the past 13 years. Compassionate with the best intentions, but when the livelihood of the church is threatened he begins to succumb to pressure and compromises his values for the greater good.
Martin (40s)	The second in command at the Monastery. Martin will do anything necessary to help the church survive, so that it will still be around when he becomes abbot after Charles. Lacks the patience, sympathies, and people skills one would expect a monk to possess.
Olf	One of the monks. A bit dim-witted and childlike, but very loyal to church and the leaders. Does many of the hard labor chores at the monastery. There is always a sense that he’s not completely following what is happening around him.
Felix (20s-30s)	The newest monk at the Priseaux Monastery when the play begins. Becomes the moral compass as the actions of the monks become more and more questionable. Though in his past he was known to have “a weakness of the fairer sex," he now takes his vows very seriously, including obedience.
Jack (20s–30s)	The opportunistic, eye-patch-wearing, travelling minstrel “husband” to Marie. Although he does not have any faith of his own, he is later blackmailed into becoming a monk. The actor cast needs to know how to juggle, play the guitar or a similar minstrel instrument, and sing.
Marie (20s–30s)	The pretty travelling minstrel “wife” of Jack and daughter of the Peasant Woman. Her true love drowned years earlier, and she is happy neither with what her life has become nor what she needs to do to earn money. There are several physical comedy moments, including being carried in a sack by other actors, and Marie should also be able to dance and sing.
Peasant Woman (50s–60s)	Marie’s mother, desperately poor and seeking help in any and every way she can think of, including praying to the local saint. She encourages Marie to make money anyway that she can (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), but vocally disapproves of her relationship with Jack.
Agatha (40s–50s)	Charles’ sister, abbess of a competing church in Bernay. She has no shame, no tact, and celebrates the failures of her brother and his monks. She plows her way through every scene she is in.

"Incorruptible" will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays June 10-25 and at 3 p.m. June 26.

For more information, contact circleplayersnj@gmail.com. The Circle Playhouse is located at 416 Victoria Avenue, Piscataway.

'Bill W. and Dr. Bob' at Circle Players

Circle Players will present the critically acclaimed "Bill W. and Dr. Bob," based on the true story of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, this April.

When the stock market crashes in 1929, Bill W. becomes a hopeless drunk, and his wife, Lois, is unable to force him to keep his promise to stop. Meanwhile, Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon, drinks secretly, often going into the operating room hungover and high on sedatives. Through an astonishing series of events involving doctors, ministers, the Oxford Group evangelical movement, and Henrietta Sieberling – a scion of the Goodyear Rubber fortune – Bill and Bob meet on Mother’s Day of 1935 and form a relationship which keeps each other sober. Fired up, they seek out a third drunk to see if their program will work for others.

The show features Kirk White as Bill W., AJ Liana as Dr. Bob, Debbie Miller Nelson as Bill's wife Lois, Dawn Lanoue as Bob's wife Anne, and Stephen Mennella and Diane Teichman as members of the ensemble. It is directed by Ed Faver.

The show will run at 8 p.m. April 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23 and at 3 p.m. April 24. Tickets cost $18 per adult and $17 per student or senior.

To purchase tickets, click here. Circle Players is located at 416 Victoria Avenue, Piscataway.

'Picnic' at Villagers Theatre

Although it may open on April Fool's Day, Villagers Theatre's production of "Picnic," by William Inge, is serious.

The play takes place on Labor Day weekend in 1953, in the joint backyards of two middle-aged widows who live on farms in Kansas. The one house belongs to Flo Owens, who lives there with her two maturing daughters, Madge and Millie, and a boarder who is a spinster school teacher. The other house belongs to Helen Potts, who lives with her elderly and invalid mother. Into this female atmosphere comes a young man named Hal Carter, whose animal vitality seriously upsets the entire group. Hal is a most interesting character, a child of parents who ignored him, self-conscious of his failings and his position behind the eight ball. Flo is sensitively wary of temptations for her daughters. Madge, bored with being only a beauty, sacrifices her chances for a wealthy marriage for the excitement Hal promises. Her sister, Millie, finds her balance for the first time through the stranger's brief attention. And the spinster is stirred to make an issue out of the dangling courtship that has brightened her life in a dreary, minor way.

Directed by Eric Walby, the play features Mary O'Connor as Helen Potts, J.D. Wilson as Hal Carter, Madelyn Barkocy as Millie Owens, Corinne Chandler as Madge Owens, Teresa Mota as Flo Owens, Donne Petito as Rosemary Sydney, Zachary Caruso as Alan Seymour, Terrie Copeland as Irma Kronkite, Heidi Hart as Christine Schoenwalder, Matthew Cox as Bomber Gutzel, and Charles Deitz as Howard Bevans. It is produced by Darren Nye and Paul Carter.

Tickets cost $18 per adult and $16 per student or senior, with group rates available upon request. The show will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays April 1-17.

 To purchase tickets, click here. Villagers Theatre is located at 475 DeMott Lane, Somerset.

Casting Call: 'Young Frankenstein'

Villagers Theatre will hold auditions for the musical adaptation of the legendary, uproarious Mel Brooks film of the same name, "Young Frankenstein."

Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced "Fronk-en-steen") inherits his family's estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick, Igor (pronounced "Eye-gore"), and a leggy lab assistant, Inga (pronounced normally), Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors. "It's alive!" he exclaims as he brings to life a creature to rival his grandfather's. Eventually, of course, the monster escapes and hilarity abounds. Every bit as relevant to audience members who will remember the original as it will be to newcomers, "Young Frankenstein" has all the panache of the screen sensation with a little extra theatrical flair added. With such memorable tunes as "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Puttin' on the Ritz," Young Frankenstein is scientifically proven to be monstrously good entertainment.

Auditionees should prepare up to 32 bars of an up-tempo contemporary musical theater song, in the style of the show, that demonstrates range and personality. An accompanist will be provided. A cappella is not permitted. They must also sign Villagers' liability/photo release form.

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (20s-30s)	A professor, brilliant brain surgeon, and grandson of the mad scientist Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein. Vocal range: B-flat one octave below middle C to G above middle C.
Igor (20s-30s)	Frederick's faithful, bright-eyed and eager servant and friend with a hunchback. Vocal range: D below middle C to F above middle C.
Inga (20s)	Frederick's bubbly, not-so-bright young assistant. Sexy, attractive. A resident of Transylvania. Vocal range: G-sharp below middle C to A above the treble staff. Yodeling is a plus.
Elizabeth Benning (20s-30s)	Frederick's self-loving "madcap" boisterous fiancée. Vocal range: F-sharp below middle C to F-sharp, top line of the treble staff.
Frau Blücher (female/male, 30s-40s)	The intense, stern housekeeper of Frankenstein estate. Former lover of Victor Frankenstein. Vocal range: F-sharp sharp (G natural) below middle C to B, third line treble staff.
The Monster (indeterminate)	The misunderstood creation of Dr. Frankenstein. Must be able to emit howling/monster/grunting sounds. Tap dancing a plus. Vocal range: A-flat one octave below middle C to F above middle C.
Inspector Hans Kemp (40s-50s)	Head of the police in Transylvania, with a wooden arm and leg. Justice-driven. A one octave below middle C to F above middle C. Will double as the Blind Hermit, a lonely, poor, blind hermit longing for a friend. Vocal range: B-flat one octave below middle C to D-flat just above middle C.
Ensemble	Plays plenty of featured roles, lot of juicy lines and singing, including a barbershop quartet. Need strong dance/movement training. This group will portray gravediggers, villagers, medical students, passengers, and mad scientists, among others.
Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein (40s-50s)	Frederick's infamous grandfather. Vocal range: C-sharp below middle C to G-sharp above middle C.
Ziggy (30s)	The well-intentioned village idiot. Vocal range: F below middle C to F above middle C.

Auditions will be held at 7 p.m. April 3 and 4; callbacks will be held at the same time April 11. Rehearsals will typically begin at 7 p.m. on dates between April 11 and June 9, with specifics to be announced. Performances will occur at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays June 10-26. It is directed by Nicholas Wainwright and produced by Ana Kalet and Dan Schulze.

For more information, visit the Villagers website. Villagers Theatre is located at 475 DeMott Lane, Somerset.

'Lost in Yonkers' at Playhouse 22

Playhouse 22's production of Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers," set in 1942, will open April 1.

As the play opens, ne’r do-well son Eddie deposits his two young sons on his mother, Grandma Kurnitz’s, doorstep. He is financially strapped and taking to the road as a salesman. The boys are left to contend with Grandma, with their aunt Bella and her secret romance, and with Louie, her brother, a small-time hoodlum in a strange new world called Yonkers.

The show features Joseph Kalet as Jay, Ryan Gordon as Arty, Lee Grabelsky as Eddie, Ana Kalet as Bella, Sherry Lilenfeld as Grandma Kurnitz, Rupert Ravens as Louis, and Jackie Master as Gert. It is directed by Deborah Pedretti.

The show will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Sundays April 1-17. Tickets cost $22 per adult and $20 per senior or student.

To purchase tickets, click here. Playhouse 22 is located at 721 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.

'Wendy's Shadow' at Mystic Vision Players

Mystic Vision Players will present "Wendy's Shadow," which retells the mischievous and magical adventure of Peter Pan from Wendy's adult perspective with a contemporary folk/rock score. The musical takes the audience back to Neverland – where dreams are born, and time is never planned – and asks if it’s possible to leave the one you loved.

The show will run at 8 p.m. March 24-26 and at 2 p.m. March 26; tickets cost $22.50. It is directed by Mikaela Kafka.

To purchase tickets, click here. For more information, fill out the contact form here. The performance will be at UCPAC'S Hamilton Stage on 360 Hamilton Street, Rahway.