SALAMANCA — Along with the melting of snow and the increase of sunlight, spring in the city means the Cattaraugus County Living Arts Association (CCLAA) begins preparing for its annual summer theater season.
For 2016’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” the CCLAA is holding open auditions from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 8 through Thursday, March 10 at the Ray Evans Seneca Theatre on Main Street.
The show requires a large cast of men, women and children, so the producers welcome participants of all ages to audition, whether they are seasoned performers or trying out for the first time.
“We are hoping for quite a large cast, hopefully nearing 40 cast members and a sizable children’s choir,” said Janette McClure, a CCLAA board member. “Those who missed auditions could still be considered for casting.”
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is a musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, best known for their collaboration on “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The show’s plot is based on the “coat of many colors” story of Joseph from the Bible’s book of Genesis.
“Last summer we put out a survey during our summer shows, asking our audiences about the types of shows they might like to see in the future,” explained McClure. “‘Joseph’ and shows like it came out near the top of the list. The production is well known and appropriate for all audiences. Plus, the show can accommodate a large cast with a wide range of ages.”
The show has little spoken dialogue — it is almost completely sung — but its family-friendly storyline, universal themes and catchy music have resulted in more than 20,000 productions across North America.
For this production, two new directors were hired to take over for Todd Wagner, director of the CCLAA summer productions since 2014.
“We had an open call for directors, and chose both a new and a familiar face to lead the production,” said McClure. “Tony Taylor is from the Jamestown area, and it will be his first time working with our group as director. Mitchell Brownell will be joining us for his third summer, this time taking on the role of music/vocal director.”
The producers ask those that auditioned to prepare a short, vocal selection from a musical of their choice, prepare to do a reading to show off their acting chops and wear comfortable clothes to learn a short dance combination. But the producers are looking for more than actors, dancers and singers to make the show a success.
McClure said the theater is always looking for help backstage with painting and constructing sets and backgrounds; getting costumes together; styling hair and makeup during show nights; and general organization and upkeep of the theater.
“There has been a lot of cleaning and reorganization since last summer,” she added. “But there hasn’t been much in the way of physical repairs or updates.”
Rehearsals for the show begin at the end of May at the Ray Evans Seneca Theatre on Main Street. Performances dates are scheduled for two Friday-through-Sunday weekends, Aug. 5, 6, and 7 and Aug. 12, 13, and 14.
For more information, visit the theater’s Facebook page by searching, “Ray Evans Seneca Theater.”
(A version of this story appears in the March 10, 2016 edition of The Salamanca Press.)
