Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Sneak Peek at the Sailors - "New York, New York"

Get a sneak peek of The 5th Avenue Theatre's production of On The Town! From the creative team who brought Seattle the wildly popular productions of West Side Story and Cabaret, director Bill Berry and choreographer Bob Richard partner again with Seattle's exciting Spectrum Dance Theater to bring Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins dance spectacular to life. Get ready for an unforgettable night On The Town this madcap comedy is one helluva show!

Featuring performances by Joe Aaron Reid, Matt Owen and Greg McCormick Allen, the following is a clip from Spotlight Night, hosted by David Armstrong.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Save 50% on On the Town tickets

On The Town starts April 11!

Social media fans on our blog, facebook and twitter recieve 50% off tickets to our upcoming show!

Paint the Big Apple red with three sailors as they try to cram a lifetime of romance and excitement into a day-long adventure in the city that never sleeps! From the creative team who brought Seattle the wildly popular productions of West Side Story and Cabaret, director Bill Berry and choreographer Bob Richard partner again with Seattle’s exciting Spectrum Dance Theater to bring Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins’ dance spectacular to life. Get ready for an unforgettable night On The Town – this madcap comedy is one helluva show!

Use promotion code FANS to receive 50% off performances Tuesday April 13 - Friday April 16

Buy tickets over the phone at 206-625-1900, in person at the box office or online using promotion code FANS. When ordering online, be sure to sign in to your account and use the promotion code FANS at that time, before choosing your seats.
Click here for more info on the show.

Not valid on previously purchased tickets or in conjunction with any other offer. Not valid on Pearl or Side Balcony seats.

"An incredible experience," says Courtney Iventosch

by Courtney Iventosch (Ivy Smith in On The Town)



Wow! This has been an incredible experience so far. It is an honor to be working with The 5th Avenue Theatre and such an amazing group of people. I am so grateful to be here in Seattle doing what I love most! Rehearsals are a blast. And I love how we start off each day with ballet class so we can really be warmed up and ready to go. Everything is fun...the dancing, singing, acting...I love it all. I am looking forward to the next couple weeks of rehearsal and a wonderful run of shows!

Brian Kerrick, Performance intern with an OTT Blog


Brian Kerrick is a little short on time these days. As he puts it, "From March 18th to May 2nd, we have only six scheduled days off!" Kerrick, a performance intern in On The Town, is getting school credit for performing and is assigned to keep a daily blog.

Today's rehearsal started with 45 minutes of ballet and then leaped in to staging "Lucky to Be Me." Here're an excerpt from today's entry:

"After finishing the dream ballet of "Lucky to Be Me", we spent some time on "Miss Turnstiles." In this scene, Ivy Smith played by the amazing Courtney Iventosch is chosen to be Miss Turnstiles: A special yet ordinary New Yorker. This dance has Courtney and the dancers flying around the stage showing off their many talents - I won’t give anything more away but I do promise you, you are going to be blown away!

We finished the afternoon choreographing another ballet for Lonely Town - this will inevitably be one your favorite parts of the show. Six dancers from Spectrum Dance Theatre perform an awe-inspiring couples piece while Joe (Gabey) sings the beautiful ballad. I had the pleasure of watching this performed three times today, and each time I was simply blown away. Everyone in the cast is so talented and brings endless talent to the show giving Bill Berry (Director) and Bob Richard (Choreographer) so much to work with. It seems there are no limits for this cast - from hilarious goof-ball scenes to beautiful ballets, this show has it all - and I’m so grateful to be apart of it."

We're excited to have Brian Kerrick as our Donut Vendor in Times Square and can't wait to hear more.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

2010 2011 Season General Auditions and special workshop!

2010-2011 5TH AVENUE THEATRE AUDITIONS

5th Avenue Theatre General Auditions
The 5th Avenue Theatre will hold 2010-2011 season auditions for principal singers, actors, and ensemble singers April 21-24 12pm-5pm and April 25 4pm-8pm. Auditions will be held at The 5th Avenue Theatre’s rehearsal space (1326 5th Avenue, downtown – Skinner Building). Adult performers over the age of 18 with professional musical theatre experience are sought for principal, supporting and ensemble roles in A Christmas Story – The Musical!, Vanities, Guys & Dolls and Oklahoma!

Auditions for principal actor/singers and ensemble singers for April 21- 25 are by appointment only. Qualified performers must schedule an audition appointment by calling The 5th Avenue Theatre at 206-625-1418 beginning March 30 from 11am to 4pm. Any actor/singer who appeared on the 5th Avenue Theatre’s stage during the 2009-2010 season should not attend these auditions. Auditions for children’s roles will be held at a date to be determined.

All auditioners must bring a resume and a recent 8x10 headshot, which will not be returned. Additionally, auditioners should bring sheet music in their correct key for two songs that demonstrate vocal ability, acting ability and stage presence. Please prepare one musical theatre pop song and one song from the “golden age” of musical theatre. Selections should be no more than one verse and one chorus in length. All songs should be from the musical theatre canon. Please no opera arias, pop songs, etc. An accompanist will be provided. Taped accompaniment or singing a cappella will not be permitted.

5th Avenue Theatre Dance Audition
The 5th Avenue Theatre will hold an open audition for experienced DANCERS WHO SING on Sunday, April 18 7pm-10pm and Monday, April 19 3pm-6pm at The 5th Avenue Theatre’s rehearsal space (1326 5th Avenue, downtown – Skinner Building). You only need to attend one of these dance calls. Adult performers over the age of 18 with professional musical theatre dance experience are sought for ensemble roles in A Christmas Story – The Musical!, Guys & Dolls and Oklahoma! SINGERS WHO MOVE SHOULD NOT ATTEND THIS CALL.

Dancers must register in advance by calling The 5th Avenue Theatre at 206-625-1418 beginning March 30 from 11am to 4pm. All dancers who wish to be considered as a dancer must attend these auditions, even if you appeared on the 5th Avenue Theatre’s stage during the 2009-2010 season.

Dancers should come to the audition dressed to dance and must be prepared to follow combination steps under the choreographer’s direction. Advanced backgrounds in jazz and ballet are required. Dancers should be prepared to sing and bring sheet music in their correct key. No separate audition appointment is needed. An accompanist will be provided.

The 5th Avenue Theatre values diversity in all areas of its operations. We welcome and encourage auditions from people of all ethnic and cultural groups. Dedicated to nurturing talent and hiring locally, The 5th Avenue Theatre encourages auditions from both Equity and Non-Equity singers, actors and dancers.

***
HOW TO AUDITION FOR MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP
To assist performers in the audition process, David Armstrong, Executive Producer and Artistic Director, will lead the workshop on Monday, March 29 7pm-10pm at 5th Avenue Theatre’s rehearsal space (1326 5th Avenue, downtown – Skinner Building). The three-hour workshop will focus on the ten things actors especially need to know for effective musical theatre auditions in New York City, Los Angeles or Seattle. The workshop is designed for all levels of professional performers. The workshop is a suggested $15 donation, and all proceeds will benefit The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Educational Programs. Drop-ins welcome.
Full information and registration form is on our website: http://www.5thavenue.org/education/developmentworkshops.aspx

Monday, March 22, 2010

Bucks Off Bernstein - One Day Sale!

To help kick off the Seattle Celebrates Bernstein Festival,
NOTE: This sale ended at 9:59am Tuesday, March 23, 2010.we are now hosting a special 24-hour sale on the next two shows in our season, Leonard Bernstein’s riotous musical On The Town, and his mid-career masterpiece Candide.

Starting today at 10am, patrons can purchase tickets to select performances of these two musicals using the promo code 24HOUR for only $19.18, to celebrate Bernstein’s birth on August 25, 1918. This special price is good for any Friday evening performance of either show:
On the Town April 16, April 23, April 30
Candide May 28, June 4, June 11
Good for ALL seats, excluding Pearl section.

Sale ends at 9:59am Tuesday, March 23.


Tonight at 7:00, join the kick-off for Seattle Celebrates Bernstein at our Spotlight Night, a regular free event at The 5th that has drawn record crowds this past season. Join Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong as he’s accompanied by a collection of Seattle’s favorite talent for a look at the life of Bernstein, a sneak preview at upcoming Festival events, and a tune-filled evening that delves into the history of these two landmark shows.

On The Town
was Bernstein’s first musical, written in 1944 with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and choreography by Jerome Robbins. This madcap comedy follows the fortunes of a trio of sailors on 24-hour shore leave in New York City, where they dance, joke and sing their way through misadventures, marvels and romance. Director Bill Berry’s production of On The Town earlier this year for New Jersey’s Papermill Playhouse received critical raves, including The Star Ledger (“a magnificent revival”), Curtain Up (“For the sheer number of belly laughs and for simply having a helluva good time, you can’t beat the jovial and rambunctious carrying on by the three sailors…”) and The Wall Street Journal (“...gets everything right, all the way down to the last detail, and the results are lovely and amazing to behold…. better than any musical now playing on Broadway.”)

Candide was written by Bernstein in 1956, but it didn’t become a hit until 1974 when Hal Prince’s Broadway production ran for nearly two years. Having been taught by his beloved tutor, Dr. Pangloss, that "everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds" our handsome, yet hapless, hero Candide sets off on an epic journey to find his one true love -- the beautiful Cunegonde. Along the way he encounters wars, plagues, shipwrecks, earthquakes, pirates, swindlers, the Old World, the New World, the fabled lost city of Eldorado, and the Spanish Inquisition! Inspired by Voltaire’s classic satire this legendary musical features a sparkling score by the great Leonard Bernstein that includes the famous "Candide Overture", the hilarious and bravura showstopper "Glitter And Be Gay", and the moving and inspiring anthem "Make Our Garden Grow". This Seattle premiere, directed by David Armstrong, offers you the rare opportunity to experience one of "the best musicals you’ve never seen!"

Tickets for this special offer are available by using the promo code 24HOUR online via The 5th’s website at http://www.5thavenue.org/, or in person at the box office, 1308 5th Avenue, Seattle. Service fees apply to online orders. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Spotlight Night begins at 7:00 p.m. tonight. The event is free, but attendees must reserve their tickets. They can do so over the phone by calling 206-625-1900/toll-free 888-5TH-4TIX (584-4849), in person at the box office at 1308 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, or online at http://www.5thavenue.org/.

Our thanks to our 2009-2010 Corporate Sponsors Safeco and US Bank.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Sarah Rudinoff on starting rehearsals for On The Town


by Sarah Rudinoff (Hildy, On The Town)
I love the new rehearsal space! This is the first show I have rehearsed right under The 5th and to able to sing and then dance and then get a costume fitting and then walk to Pike Place on a break is a total treat. We are also getting a big gift in having many pieces of the set already built and Matt [Owen] and I get to stage our scenes in the actual enormous cab and not a bench pretending to be a cab. Thank heavens for joint productions! The first few days seem to always be about reminding the voice what it is like to sing this much and not run out of steam. Looking forward to dancing more this week and a photo shoot tomorrow. So happy to be back in the saddle...
***
Sarah Rudinoff was last seen at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Wonderful Town.
***
“In case you haven’t already, you should now officially put Sarah Rudinoff at the top of your Reasons to See Live Theater list. She gives a performance so entertaining you know everyone else will get a kick out of it, but so filled with singular pleasures you’ll swear you’re the only one who really knows what makes it work.” - Steve Wiecking, Seattle Metropolitan Magazine

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Cast of On The Town

Announcing the cast of On The Town! Featuring many fabulous familiar faces and a few new ones, this production features 5th Avenue stars and Spectrum Dancers! From the creative team who brought Seattle the wildly popular West Side Story and Cabaret, 5th Avenue Theatre and Spectrum Dance partner again to bring Leonard Bernstein dance spectacular to life. Get ready for an unforgettable night On The Town – this madcap comedy is one helluva show!

The Cast

Gabey: Joe Aaron Reid
Ozzie: Greg McCormick
Chip: Matt Owen

Brunhilde Esterhazy: Sarah Rudinoff
Claire Huddesen: Billie Wildrick

Ivy Smith: Courtney Iventosch
Madame Dilyovska: Suzy Hunt
Lucy Schmeeler: Jenny Sue Johnson
Judge Pitkin: Allen Fitzpatrick
Bill Poster, Announcer, Figment, MC: Richard Gray
Workman Solo, Uperman, Nedick's: Ekello Harrid Jr.
Old Lady, Nun: Frances Leah King

Male Ensemble: David Alewine, Jeffrey Alewine, Gabriel Corey, Vincent Lopez, Joel Meyers, Patrick Pulkrabek, Dane Stokinger

Female Ensemble: Kelly Ann Barton, Brittany Jamieson, Geneva Jenkins, Kylie Lewallen, Nikki Long, Amber Mayberry, Mia Monteabaro, Kasey Nusbickel, Tory Peil, Marissa Quimby

Performance Interns: Dana Blasingame, Ty Alexander Cheng, Brian Scott Kerrick, Arwen Morgan, Sage Michael Price

Friday, March 12, 2010

Going on for Warner! - Seattle part 3 of 3

Week 8 - SEATTLE! (Part 3 of 3)
Going on for Warner!
or "It's Time to Get Serious"
by Jason Kappus, Legally Blonde cast member, Seattle native

It's happening! I was hoping that I would get to on as Warner at some point before we leave Seattle, and with just a couple days to spare, here we are! I'm going on tonight (Friday) for the first time as Elle's initial love interest. Should be fun! (Although thinking about it, I like my normal track so much, I'll actually kind of miss it.)
In other news for the week, Lucia Spina makes her debut as Paulette this weekend, while Natalie Joy Johnson is on vacation. We also have Sara Shepard (an LB tour vet) coming back to play Mom starting this weekend (Yay!). And we're on our last three days of shows in Seattle (Boo!). It has been magical to be here, and be a part of this amazing show. The audiences have been great, the experience un-paralleled and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. If you haven't caught the show yet, you've got time! Ladies, bring your friends, Moms, daughters! Guys, you'll like it, too! There's sports (watch closely for football, golf, and a whole jump rope number), rockin' music, and girls dancing around in various states of undress! Everybody I've talked to has loved the show - don't miss it right here in Seattle!
And if you're free tonight, I'll sing a rock ballad just for you! =)

**
click the Jason Kappus tag below to read all of Jason's backstage blog entries!

Is this the Face of Harvard Law? - Seattle part 2 of 3 by Jason Kappus

Week 6 & 7 - SEATTLE! (Part 2 of 3)
or "Is This the Face of Harvard Law?"
By Jason Kappus, Legally Blonde The Musical cast member, Seattle native
It's obviously nice when we spend more than one week in any city because we get a REAL day off, instead of just a day to travel. It just so happens that I'M lucky enough here in Seattle to spend that whole day off at home with my wife and cats - heaven! =) It was particularly nice to come to the day off because we have been spending a LOT of time in rehearsal. That's partly for me, because I have still been learning the two tracks that I cover (Dad and Warner), and also because there have been a number of full cast rehearsals to clean both music and dances. Everybody knows that Seattle is a big theatre town, so the producers came out to see the show here, and the creative team wanted to make sure that the show was in great shape.
As I mentioned in the last blog, I got to go on for a new track in the middle of week one in Seattle. The man who plays Dad/Winthrop/Reporter was in Hawaii on vacation, so Barry and I combined to cover his track for the week. (Every person in the show is covered by at least two people - three for Elle.) It was a little nerve-wracking, as I sort of feel somewhat new to my OWN track, but especially after the first performance (where I was largely concerned about just making sure I wasn't in anyone's way) it was a lot of fun... especially because within the span of four shows as Dad, I ended up having two different daughters and two different wives - never a dull moment!
Speaking of which - here's a tour fun fact. As you can tell, we end up with swings and understudies on pretty regularly, as people have vacations, take personal days, or are sick or injured. So far, I have done 31 shows with this tour, and I have yet to do a show with the full cast. We've always been missing at least one person - keeps it interesting! =)
Also in our second Seatte week, I got to participate in my first understudy rehearsal, where I played both Dad and Warner. The Dad stuff was pretty easy as I'd just done it in the show, and it was great to get to run through the show as Warner, which I have not yet gotten to do yet. Here's hoping I get to go on for Warner this last week before we leave Seattle! If I find out, I'll post it on here right away! More soon!
***
For all blog entries by Jason Kappus, click on his name in the tags below!

Friday, March 5, 2010

5th Avenue star returns to Seattle - on tour! Pt 1.

by Jason Kappus, Ensemble, Legally Blonde The Musical (Seattle-native)

Week 6 - SEATTLE! (Part 1 of 3)
The Return or "Let's Go Home Before Someone Cries"

Week 5 was great, and Portland's a great town, so we had a good time. After a few weeks away from home and my wife, though, I was READY to be home. Lucky me, that's exactly where we were headed. Since it's so short, we took two buses instead of flying for this trip. It was really nice not having to deal with security, baggage weight, or keeping your elbows to yourself. I couldn't keep a stupid grin off my face as we rolled past Olympia, Tacoma, finally hit Southcenter and then Seattle proper. How cool is this?! Not only do I get to do a national tour, but I get to do it AT HOME for three weeks! I was a little worried that I may have talked the town up too much to the rest of the cast - but of course, the city did not dissapoint. Everyone LOVES it here (duh).

The coming home feeling I got driving up I-5 was just enhanced the first day at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Especially after the amazing experience I had here this summer with Catch Me If You Can, I was ecstatic to be back.

A few unique things about the 5th Avenue:

1) I had been telling everyone about how beautiful the theatre is, and it was fun to watch everyone taking in this gorgeous house on the first day. The bulk of the theatres we play are more multi-purpose performing arts center types. This theatre, as most of us here know, has more class and character than most you come across, including a lot of the theatres in New York.

2) A somewhat less well-known fact is that the backstage area at the 5th Avenue is particularly small. In fact, a lot of the national tours specifically take this theatre into account when planning their sets, as we have one of the smallest backstage spaces they will come across. Our tour is not particularly set-heavy, but even so, everyone really has to work hard to fit backstage!

3) The audiences here are FANTASTIC. I heard happy comments from a number of cast members on opening night, and it hasn't quit since then. The good ol' PacNW theatre goers are theatre savvy, but know how to show their appreciation! Makes for a fun show on our end!

I could ramble on forever about how great it is to be back here on tour. I've had friends at EVERY performance so far, get to work in the heart of my FAVORITE city, and sleep in MY OWN BED every night. Are you KIDDING ME?! And as if things weren't fun enough, I got to make my debut in a new track in the middle of week one. More on that in part 2, coming soon!

Don't miss Legally Blonde The Musical - it closes in just over a week on March 14! Tickets and info, here.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

It's time to play GUESS THE SEASON!

Check out our website this Sunday, March 7th for a listing of our 2010/2011 Season of Musicals!

Already announced: NEXT TO NORMAL & VANITIES!

Now it's time to play: Guess The Season!

Guess what shows are going to be part of our upcoming season! All correct guesses will be entered to win two tickets to our upcoming production of ON THE TOWN! Each contestant can guess up to 5 shows.

Here's how you enter:

FACEBOOK:
Visit our Facebook Page (here) and write on our wall YOUR guesses for what shows will be in next season
or
Write a status update using @5th Avenue Theatre in your status update to have it post directly to our page.

TWITTER:
post a tweet including @backstage5thave in the body of the tweet along with your show title guesses


Each person, once eligible by making a correct guess, will be entered into the drawing once! Entries must be posted by end of day Friday.

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD GUESSING!

LAST WEEK of Legally Blonde offer




Legally Blonde The Musical closes March 14th, which means we are fast approaching the LAST WEEK of performances. The last week to catch the show that critics are raving about - the last week to cheer with the Delta Nu's - the last week of Bruiser, the UPS guy and Elle!

We would like to extend a LAST WEEK offer to all our social media fans.

Use promotion code PINK to receive $25 off tickets to March 9th & 10th performances.

Buy tickets online, over the phone at 206-625-1900 or in person at the box office!
Click here for more info on the show.

To receive this discount enter promotion code PINK when signing in to your account or creating a new account. Not valid on previously purchased tickets or in conjunction with any other offer. Not valid on Pearl, Upper Balcony or Side Balcony seats.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Omigod, it's a Dream Come True!

by Jason Kappus, Legally Blonde ensemble, Seattle Native.
Week 4: Denver (continued)

Wednesday, Feb 10th was my opening night! Show number one for me, show number 500 and something for the company. I remember when former Seattle and 5th Avenue actor Steven Taylor was joining the Broadway cast of The Lion King, he said it was weird because it was his Broadway debut, but for everyone else, it was just another day at work, so it didn't feel like the big celebration it maybe should be. I thought my experience might be similar, but everybody in the cast and crew made a BIG DEAL about my first show. They were very excited, encouraging, and happy for me throughout the whole day.

We had a put-in rehearsal in the afternoon, for both Michael Rupert and myself, so that we both got to practice all our scenes (and costume changes) once through with the cast before our first show. That was actually a little bit more nerve-racking than the actual show, since all eyes were on me during my scenes and it was the first time a lot of my new friends/colleagues were seeing me work. But the put-in went very smoothly - I discovered a couple helpful things about quick costume changes, and how some on-stage traffic works with people actually there.

When I got to the theatre for the show that evening, there was a lovely opening night present from some of the boys in the cast, as well as some flowers from my wife - both very nice surprises. I went over everything in my head during half-hour, got dressed and ready (WAY earlier than I needed to - ha) and then all of a sudden, the overture was starting, and we were underway. My first night on my first national tour. Wow.