The Audition Workshop Weekend

The aim of the weekend is for us to get to know you as a performer and for you to get to know us as a company.

Saturday:

We will learn some chorus repertoire from the opera with our Musical Director, Richard Sisson. Don’t worry if you are not a great sight reader – there will be support in place to ensure everyone is able to take part.

We will also work with our Artistic Director, Fred Broom, testing out staging for some of the scenes, as well as looking at some of the arias that are sung by the principal roles.

Students will be assigned an audition time for the next day. Please remember that these times are approximate, but the Artistic Team will do their best to remain on schedule.

Sunday:

Richard and Fred, along with our Vocal Director, Rachel Nicholls will be auditioning people who would like to be considered for a principal role. They would like to range test everyone to ensure that each person is assigned an appropriate chorus role.

If you would like to be considered for a principal role, please prepare one song for your audition. This could be any repertoire, but bear in mind the style of this year’s opera and the requirements of any roles you are interested in. For example, if you would like to be considered for the Fairy Godmother, we would need to hear some coloratura repertoire as part of your audition.

While the auditions are in progress, there will be other relevant activities on offer, including:

• an opportunity to see past productions in order to get an idea of the kind of work we produce.
• to talk to some of our longer-serving students who may be able to offer information and advice.
• to look at ideas for the Gala Performance that will take place in August.

Cinderella roles 

Lucette/Cinderella (soprano/tenor)

Prince Charming (high mezzo/tenor)

Fairy Godmother (coloratura soprano/tenor)

Pandolfe – Cinderella’s father (baritone/mezzo)

Madame de la Haltière – Cinderella’s stepmother (mezzo/contralto/baritone/bass)

Noémie – Cinderella’s first stepsister (soprano/tenor)

Dorothée – Cinderella’s second stepsister (mezzo/baritone)

Six Spirits (3 soprano & 3 mezzo)

Master of Ceremonies (baritone/mezzo)

Head Doctor (tenor/soprano)

Prime Minister (baritone/mezzo)

King (baritone/mezzo)

There are many opportunities within the chorus to sing in either smaller groups or potentially solos, for example as servants or party guests.

The opera has a large dance element in it so we would like to know if you have dance experience.

If you play a musical instrument (not necessarily orchestral), please tell us which instrument and to what level.

After the Audition Workshop

The Artistic Team will look very carefully at the requirements of the show and try to cast as fairly as possible. This is a difficult and involved process and they will take into account many aspects from your audition.

We aim to contact everybody who attended the workshop within two weeks to announce the role and chorus distribution. If some roles are difficult to cast, they may be “tbc” (to be cast). We might do recalls, but this very rarely happens.

Once the show is cast, you will be asked to confirm if you would like to accept your principal or chorus role and will be invited to book onto our summer course. The cost for this course is £255. If you will find it difficult to pay for this course, please email us at opera@bedfordshiremusictrust.org.uk as there are some financial support options for young singers who would like to participate. Once you have accepted a principal or chorus role, you will be expected to attend all the rehearsals that you are scheduled for during the summer course.

The summer course includes two weekend rehearsals in July to learn the music: the first for principal roles, and the second for full company. At the end of the full company weekend, we aim to sing through the whole show.

After a few weeks break, we start intensive rehearsals in August in preparation for the performance week.

We look forward to you taking part in this unique opportunity.

If you are unavailable for the audition weekend but want to be involved, we may be able to organise auditioning online. For this or any other queries, please contact Vanessa, our Course Manager, at opera@bedfordshiremusictrust.org.uk  or message us on Facebook or Instagram.