There are four great shows this Fall with the Manatee Players and we want you to be a part of it!
The first show in the Bradenton Kiwanis Theater is the Off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks. The original ran a total of 42 years, making it the world’s longest-running musical. The poetic book and breezy, inventive score, including such memorable songs as “Try to Remember”. The tale centers around Luisa and Matt, who are tricked by their fathers to fall in love by pretending to feud.
-The Fantasticks opens Thursday, September 19, 2024, and is scheduled for a two-week run. The show may be extended if there is a demand.
-Rehearsals are scheduled to begin the week of July 21st. The exact start date will be determined after auditions are completed.
In October, the Manatee Players will produce the Stephen Sondheim musical Merrily We Roll Along. Currently enjoying a revival on Broadway, the show tells the story of how three friends’ lives and friendships change over the course of 20 years. It features well-known songs such as “Not a Day Goes By”, “Old Friends”, “Now You Know, and the title song.
-Merrily We Roll Along opens Thursday, October 24, 2024, and is scheduled for a two-week run. The show may be extended if there is a demand.
-Rehearsals are scheduled to begin the week of August 25th. The exact start date will be determined after auditions are completed.
November will see the premiere of the 1979 play On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson which was filmed in the Academy Award-winning movie starring Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, and Jane Fonda. The plot focuses on the aging couple Ethel and Norman Thayer, who spend each summer at their home on the lake called Golden Pond. The play explores the often turbulent relationship that Norman shares with his daughter Chelsea and the difficulties faced by a couple in the twilight years of a long marriage.
-On Golden Pond opens Thursday, November 7, 2024, and is scheduled for a two-week run. The show may be extended if there is a demand.
-Rehearsals are scheduled to begin the week of September 15th. The exact start date will be determined after auditions are completed.
The Wizard of Oz is the perfect holiday treat for family and friends! Come follow the Yellow Brick Road in this musical extravaganza that is sure to be a huge hit this season. This is the Royal Shakespeare Company version that premiered in 1987 and includes the additional verse of “Over the Rainbow” as well as “The Jitterbug” which was cut from the 1939 film version. This full version will be performed at Manatee Performing Arts Center for the very first time.
-The Wizard of Oz opens Thursday, December 5, 2024, and is scheduled for a two-week run. The show may be extended if there is a demand.
-Rehearsals are scheduled to begin the week of October 6th. The exact start date will be determined after auditions are completed, but note that there will be rehearsals over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
The Wizard of Oz is open to children aged 6 and up. The child must turn 6 prior to October 1st.
General Information
-Auditions begin at 7 PM each night.
-Actors audition in the order they arrive.
-You should prepare a song in your key and be ready for any movement portion of the audition that the director may require.
-Anyone being called back will be notified that night of the callback time and date. Not being called back does NOT mean that you are not being considered for a role.
-If you wish to submit a video audition, please email it to Rick Kerby at artisticdirector@manateeperformingartscenter.com. Video submissions must be received before 4 PM Friday, July 5th.
-These are non-paid volunteer roles in all shows.
-You must be 13 or older to audition for an adult role.
All auditions are held at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Avenue West in downtown Bradenton.
Commitment
Please note that by auditioning, you are obligating yourself to a considerable rehearsal and performance process. Please be certain that you are willing and able to make this commitment.