STARKVILLE — Starkville Community Theatre will hold auditions for its 2021-2022 season opener “Smoke on the Mountain” at 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, July 13 and 14, at The Playhouse on Main.
“Smoke on the Mountain” tells the story of a Saturday Night Gospel Sing at a country church in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains in 1938. The show features two dozen bluegrass songs played and sung by the Sanders Family, a traveling group making its return to performing after a five-year hiatus. Pastor Oglethorpe, the young and enthusiastic minister of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, enlists the Sanders Family in his efforts to bring his tiny congregation into “the modern world.” Between songs, each family member “witnesses” – telling a story about an important event in their life. Though they try to appear perfect in the eyes of a congregation who wants to be inspired by their songs, one thing after another goes awry and they reveal their true – and hilariously imperfect – natures.
“Smoke on the Mountain” features a book by Connie Ray and was conceived by Alan Bailey, with musical arrangements by Mike Craver and Mark Hardwick. The show is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals, www.concordtheatricals.com.
Roles include four men and three women between the ages of late teens and 60s. All actors should be able to sing, and the ability to read sheet music is preferred. Playing, or displaying an ability to learn to play, one of the following instruments is a plus – banjo, piano, upright bass, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, ukulele or harmonica. Bonus points to actresses auditioning for the role of Vera, who can play an autoharp, and actors auditioning for the role of the Rev. Olgethorpe, who can play the accordion.
Auditions will consist of vocal auditions, cold readings and instrumental auditions for those who play one of the listed instruments (please provide your own, other than keyboard). Auditionees may select one of three songs from the show to perform – “I’ll Fly Away,” “Church in the Wildwood” or “Power in the Blood”. An accompanist will be provided. Auditionees may choose to be accompanied on keyboard or accompany themselves. No recorded tracks or a’capella auditions will be accepted. Those wishing to show proficiency on an instrument should prepare a song of no more than 60 seconds. Gospel or country preferred.
Sheet music for these three songs, as well as a perusal PDF of the show script, is available upon request by emailing [email protected].
The show is scheduled to run for eight performances, which will be September 23, 24, 26, 28, 29 and 30 and October 1-2. Rehearsals will begin in mid-July.
For information on the show or the audition process, contact production director Pattye Archer at [email protected].
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