General and dance auditions on Dec. 12 in person and virtually
The Lewis and Shirley White Theatre of The Jewish Community Center (The J) is excited to announce it will debut the Broadway smash hit musical “Something Rotten” virtually to a national audience Feb. 13 through March 5 for the opening of its 2020-2021 season.
“We’re tremendously excited to be the first major theater in the Kansas City metro area to premiere this wonderfully entertaining show after its successful national tour,” said Keith Wiedenkeller, director of Arts + Culture at The J. “We think this show is ‘just what the doctor ordered,’ not just in terms of keeping people safe by doing a virtual presentation, but in terms of being able to offer some light-hearted, fun fare in these challenging times.”
The White Theatre is currently auditioning for local talent to join the cast. Auditions will take place in person on Saturday, Dec. 12. Special precautions are being taken to ensure cast and crew safety for auditions, rehearsals and filming. General auditions will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. by appointment only and will be accompanied by music director, Marsha Canaday. Dance auditions will take place from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Video submissions will be accepted instead of in-person auditions. Callbacks will be Sunday, Dec. 13, by invitation. To find out more about auditions and sign up for an appointment, visit www.thejkc.org/auditions.
Created by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick and successful screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, “Something Rotten!” opened on Broadway in 2015 to rave reviews by audiences and critics alike. This crowd-pleasing musical garnered 10 Tony nominations and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
“Something Rotten” takes audiences back to the Renaissance. The year is 1590 when two brothers set out to write the world’s first musical in this hilarious mash-up of 16th century Shakespeare and 21st century Broadway. “Something Rotten” is an outrageous, musical farce with big song and dance numbers and over-the-top characters in this history-twisting adventure.
Veteran White Theatre director Tim Bair has been tapped to direct. Bair (who is also producing artistic director for Theatre in the Park) is a familiar face at The White Theatre having directed several musical hits including “Anything Goes,” “Cabaret,” “Mary Poppins” and “Shrek.”
The White Theatre at The J is the longest continuously running community theater in the region and is a leader in presenting some of the area’s finest theatrical and musical productions, featuring an array of talented local performers from the Kansas City-metro region. This 500-seat, state-of-the-art facility is located at the Jewish Community Campus, 5801 W. 115th Street in Overland Park.
For more information about upcoming virtual events at The White Theatre, visit www.TheWhiteTheatre.org.
