High school and college students are invited to audition on Thursday, Aug. 17 for singing and non-singing roles in the Laredo Community College Opera Workshop production of the Broadway masterpiece “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Auditions for the fall 2005 production will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center, room 102, on the LCC main campus.
Aspiring actors and singers, as well as backstage personnel, are needed for the production, said Opera Workshop Director Dr. Joseph Crabtree.
“The auditions for singing and chorus roles will consist of singing a song of the candidate’s choosing to determine their vocal talents, as well as reading scenes from the show,” Crabtree explained.
He added that all ages are welcome; however, most roles will be for students who are in middle school or above.
“Students who are eligible to enroll at LCC, including high school juniors and seniors and college-age adults, must sign up for the Opera Workshop class to be in the show,” Crabtree said.
Scholarships are available for eligible students performing with the Opera Workshop or working back stage.
Crabtree added that persons interested in backstage positions should submit a list of their backstage experience and interests, such as props, set-building or stage lighting.
The performances will include a matinee show for school children on Oct. 26 and three evening performances for the public from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29.
The college production is based on a touching musical which was a hit in Broadway and on the silver screen.
“Fiddler on the Roof” is set in the small Jewish village of Anatevka, Russia in 1905 and is concerned primarily with the efforts of Tevye, a Jewish dairyman, his wife, Golde, and their five daughters to cope with their harsh existence under Tsarist rule.
“‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is my favorite show,” Crabtree said. “I have performed in it three times, most recently in Laredo. Now, I am excited to get a chance to introduce it to students from the director's standpoint.
“While watching the show, the audience is drawn into the story of this man whose traditions are being challenged. He must decide which ones must be saved, and which can be bent a little. It goes from moments of pure joy and fancy where you are laughing, to more somber moments where the realities of the world grab and hold you. You will laugh, cry and cheer.”
For more information, contact the LCC Music and Dance Department by calling 721-5330.
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