Evita Audition Information

Starring Lauren Kennedy as Eva Peron and Ray Walker as Che Guevara, Evita will run Saturday, October 22nd through Sunday, October 30th in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Evita will be directed and choreographed by Tito Hernandez and music directed by Julie Flinchum Bradley. Here's what you need to know about the auditions for all other roles in Evita.

Auditions will be held on Sunday, July 24th at the North Carolina Theatre Conservatory located at 3043 Barrow Drive Raleigh, NC 27616 in North Raleigh near Triangle Towne Center.

Important Details:

2:30 PM: sign-in begins, no appointments taken

3:00 PM: vocal auditions begin

6:00 PM: dance auditions begin

North Carolina Theatre is seeking strong male and female singers, ages 18 and up and strong male and female dancers, ages 16 and up. All auditioning must be prepared to sing 16 bars. All ethnicities are encouraged to audition. This is a professional production offering both Equity and non-Equity contracts. All adult roles are paid.

Singers auditioning will go in based on sign-in order. Dance auditions will begin promptly at 6:00 PM with a routine taught to the entire group at once. Choreography will be jazz with a strong emphasis on Latin style. Male and female dancers should wear character or jazz shoes.

Please bring:

-Headshot and resume stapled together front to back

-Sheet music of a musical theater selection in your key that shows your range and best vocal ability. Be prepared to sing more if asked. Sight reading accompanist provided.

-Dancers should bring dance attire as mentioned above. Singers should bring attire to move in if asked to callbacks.

Final callbacks are the same evening following the vocal auditions. Callbacks may involve movement and reading - sides to be given day of, no monologues needed. Performers will be notified on site if needed for callbacks.

Please click here for all further information on the auditions. Click here for an Evita character list and plot summary.

Bringing Broadway Home

North Carolina Theatre is thrilled to announce Bringing Broadway Home, a spectacular benefit concert on Monday, June 21st at 8 PM in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

This one-night-only event will celebrate 27 seasons of Broadway at North Carolina Theatre and stars Clay Aiken, Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Terrence Mann and Quiana Parler.

Clay Aiken is a multi-platinum recording artist and is set to release his sixth album, Tried and True, this summer. Since his meteoric rise to fame on the hit TV show American Idol in 2003, Aiken has launched eight tours, authored a New York Times best-selling book called Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, starred on Broadway in Monty Python's Spamalot, and has guest starring roles in TV's Scrubs, 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live. Before all of these accomplishments and more, Aiken performed on the North Carolina Theatre stage in Shenandoah and 1776 in 1996.

Lauren Kennedy has numerous Broadway credits to her name since she moved to New York from Raleigh, her hometown. She starred as Lady of the Lake in Monty Python's Spamalot, appeared in Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close, and received acclaim as Fantine in the final year of Les Miserables. Kennedy has dazzled audiences in a number of NC Theatre productions, most recently starring alongside Country music singer Larry Gatlin in Annie Get Your Gun.

Sharon Lawrence is a four-time Emmy nominated actress and is known for many roles on the hit TV shows NYPD Blue, Desperate Housewives, Monk, Law & Order: SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Grey's Anatomy. In addition to film and Broadway work, Lawrence has performed a myriad of roles on the NC Theatre stage and starred alongside Terrence Mann in the theatre's first production, Camelot, in 1984.

Terrence Mann currently stars on Broadway in The Addams Family. He made his Broadway debut in 1982 in the Tony Award-winning musical, Barnum, and has been a fixture on the Great White Way ever since. In 1987, his portrayal of Javert in Les Miserables earned him his first Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role, which he reprised years later. He originated the role of the Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, earning another Tony nomination. Other Broadway credits include Rags, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Getting Away with Murder, The Rocky Horror Show. Mann served as an actor, artistic director and director for many NC Theatre productions throughout the years.

Quiana Parler has shared the stage with an array of national artists, from Keith Sweat to Clay Aiken; Miranda Lambert to Kelly Clarkson. Her performances have been seen on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, The View, The Tyra Banks Show, Good Morning America, The Academy of Country Music Awards and Saturday Night Live. Additionally, her vocal talents have been sought out by recording industry leaders such as David Novik, Walter Afanasieff and David Foster. Her debut in 2008, as Effie, in NC Theatre's Dreamgirls became one of the most talked about performances of NC Theatre's 27 year history.

Tickets

Ticket prices range from $50 to $100 with a VIP option of $150 that includes an exclusive, one hour pre-show reception and complimentary parking.

Week of April 12th: On sale to NC Theatre subscribers only

Week of April 19th: All tickets open to the general public

To purchase, call the NC Theatre Box Office at 919-831-6941 x6943 OR x6944. Sponsor packages also available.

Broadway Star Lauren Kennedy Underwrites Subscriptions for HipTix!

We are so excited to announce that NC Theatre alum, board member and Broadway star Lauren Kennedy will underwrite 50 subscriptions for the launch of our newly formed HipTix program. HipTix is a $100 subscription to all four productions in 2010 with the opportunity to network at HipTix socials before performances at a designated Empire Eats restaurant. Because of Kennedy's generosity and dedication to the theatre, the first 50 HipTix members will receive a subscription for FREE when they purchase one subscription at full price.

In her first year as a board member at NC Theatre, Kennedy wanted to do more than just write a check. She wanted to make a difference – the way that NC Theatre made a difference in her own life. Kennedy says, “NC Theatre was a huge part of my life growing up; my early experiences on the NC Theatre stage provided me with invaluable training and helped shape me into who I am today. I want to make live theatre affordable to those just out of college, maybe paying off their student loans, perhaps not yet accustomed to seeing shows on a regular basis. Theatre can transform lives. I really believe that.”

Originally from Raleigh, Lauren Kennedy’s Broadway credits include Lady of the Lake in Monty Python’s Spamalot, Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close, Side Show as Daisy Hilton and Fantine in the final year of Les Miserables. Lauren starred as Nellie Forbush in Trevor Nunn’s revival of South Pacific at the Royal National Theatre in London and she starred opposite Val Kilmer in The Ten Commandments at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. She has also recorded two albums, Here and Now and her debut album Lauren Kennedy Songs of Jason Robert Brown. Kennedy has appeared in numerous NC Theatre productions, most recently in Annie Get Your Gun alongside Larry Gatlin.

Benefits of HipTix

• Discounted subscription – normally 50% off, but with Kennedy’s donation now nearly 70% off
• Meet other young professionals in the Triangle at a pre-show networking event
• Additional single ticket discounts for those outside the HipTix age bracket
• Free ticket exchanges for Tuesday or Thursday evening performances
• Personalized service from the NC Theatre Box Office
• 30 % off discount cards to Empire Eats restaurants four times per year

All HipTix are for the Wednesday evening performance and are located in the mezzanine section.

We are also excited to partner with Empire Eats in this new program. Before the show, mix and mingle with fellow HipTix members at an Empire Eats establishment and enjoy drink and appetizer specials. Empire Eats restaurants include The Pit, The Raleigh Times Bar, The Morning Times, Sitti and Gravy. For more information on Empire Eats, visit www.empireeats.com.

Ordering HipTix

Call the NC Theatre Box Office at 919-831-6941 x6944, click here to download the order form or visit the NC Theatre Box Office located at One East South Street in downtown Raleigh.

New Board Members

WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS!

At the final board meeting of 2009, seven new board members were voted in including:

• Gary Bryant: President/Restaurant Guy of Empire Eats | Empire Properties
• Candace Covington Olander: Community Philanthropist
• Joanne Fruth: Physician and Producer at Granville Little Theatre
• Lauren Kennedy: Broadway Star and NCT Alum
• Mary Marcantonio (Curtain Caller President): PR/Marketing Consultant
• Virginia Parker: VP/Business Development Officer at Paragon Commercial Bank
• Bill Roberts: Chairman of Belk Inc. Northern Division

They join a prestigious group of community leaders who are committed to the mission of NC Theatre. We're excited to have them on board!

NCT Featured on UNC-TV!

Hilary Russo, a reporter for UNC-TV, approached me this summer with an idea about promoting North Carolina Theatre on their station. The segment she was doing was North Carolina Destinations - and she felt that with our rich history in downtown Raleigh and North Carolina - we were an appropriate fit and great destination in Raleigh!

From there we began brainstorming possible people for her to interview to make the segment and quickly came up with our list:

De Ann Jones - Founder of NCT

Lisa Grele Barrie - Executive Director of NCT

Ray Walker - NC Theatre Conservatory Artistic Director

Lauren Kennedy - NC Theatre Alum/Broadway star

Kathleen Lynch - NC Theatre Alum/student in our Kids on Broadway program

The interview process went really well and I gave her footage of our past productions to showcase the quality and talent that is on our stage performance after performance. After Hilary put the finishing touches on the piece, it aired on Thursday, October 15th! In case you missed it, they put it up online as well! Click on this link (http://www.unctv.org/ncweekend/video_audio/october2009.html), scroll down to October 15th and click on NC Theatre! Enjoy!

Dinner on Stage Performers Announced!

Dinner on Stage with NCT is a very special event for our leading role donors*. This year's event will take place on Monday, October 19th on the stage of Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. Dinner on Stage is always on the dark Monday during our last show of the season, and our donors have cocktails, appetizers, dinner and delicious desert among the set on stage! It's a very unique event - and is a great excuse to get all dressed up to come to the theater for a special occasion.

For our 5th year - we are very fortunate to have three talented performers grace the stage for a fun-filled evening of entertainment. They are:

Ray Walker - NC Theatre Conservatory Artistic Director and Broadway veteran (Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, Les Miserables)

Lauren Kennedy - Broadway Veteran (Sunset Boulevard, Side Show, Spamalot & Les Miserables)

John Arthur Greene - former NCT Kids on Broadway and main stage alum, now starring as Riff in Broadway's West Side Story

Stay tuned for pictures from the event - and if you want to be a part of this special evening or future Dinner on Stage events, please contact the Devlopment Department at 919-831-6941 x6948. Contributing to our Annual Fund at all different levels gives you a host of benefits at NCT! Click here for more details.

*Leading role donors give $1,500 or more to the Annual Fund.

First Annual Producer Trip to the Big Apple

I was honored to be a part of the first annual Producer Trip to New York August 5-7! As part of our annual fund, Producer level individual donors to the NCT are invited to attend auditions in New York and see a Broadway show (or two!). The inaugural trip included Walter Powell and Melody Fountain, Debbie and Mary Beth Woody, Edythe Poyner and Florence Lumsden along with staff members Lisa Grele Barrie, Carolee Baxter and me! Our guests were invited to sit in and watch as Carolee busily worked with director Josh Bergasse, musical director Edward G. Robinson and artistic director Casey Hushion to audition over 400 men and women for West Side Story. Those of us non-production folks were very impressed with the outstanding talent we saw and very glad to not have to make the tough decisions about who would and would not be in the show.

Lisa Grele Barrie and Mary Beth Woody watching auditions at Equity Audition Center in NYC

We were fortunate to see two shows while in New York. The group saw Raleigh-native Lauren Kennedy as "Mary" in Vanities at 2econd Stage and loved it. Lauren's smile is infectious and we were grateful to have the chance to see her after the show and thank her for a great night of theatre!

The whole group with Vanities star Lauren Kennedy after the show

The second night we were there we saw In the Heights and thanks to our Aritstic Director Casey Hushion (who just happens to be the Assistant Director for In the Heights) we were able to get a "backstage" tour. We quickly saw that there was no backstage (actors have to run up and down a steep flight of stairs to change clothes between numbers) and instead admired the set up close. We said hello to a few of the actors, including everyone's favorite graphitti artist "Graphitti Pete" played by Seth Stewart and had our pictures taken...repeatedly. After all, how often do you get a chance to stand on a Broadway stage?

Carolee Baxter & Lisa Grele Barrie on stage at In the Heights

On stage at In the Heights

It was a very successful trip...thank you to Walter and Melody, Debbie and Mary Beth and Edythe and Florence for trusting us to "produce" an excellent adventure for you!