Gail A. Nelli
Have you always wanted to share your talent in vocal, dance, acting, or instrumental performance? Now is your chance to audition for the 2023 SaddleBrooke Variety Show entitled “Pages from the Great American Songbook.” Auditions will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 2 to 5 p.m., and Thursday, Nov. 10, from 9 a.m. to noon in the DesertView Theatre.
Show performance dates are in March, with rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Jan. 10. Detailed specific information about the auditions and show can be obtained from Artistic Director Gail Nelli by emailing her at [email protected]. Contact her ASAP so you have plenty of time to prepare for auditions. You will need to sign up for a specific 5-minute slot on each day.
This show’s format differs from the 2018 show. The numbers have been selected and arranged in order by the director, with the emcee script written and ready for auditions. Each number identifies the specific type of talent to be performed in song (solo, duet, trio, quartet, SSA, SATB), dance (Broadway style, hula, clogging, ballroom, or line dancing), instrumental (solo, combo—with or without vocalist), and a script for both a skit and the two emcee openings.
For those unfamiliar with The Great American Songbook, it is the canon of song standards from the 20th century that have survived over time because they are so beloved by performing artists. The songs were the product of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, radio, and Hollywood musicals. Many artists “covered” these songs after their original release, interpreting them in their chosen style, many times dramatically different from the original. A good example is the Rodgers and Hart song “Blue Moon,” covered by such diverse artists as Connee Boswell, Billy Eckstine, Mel Tormé, Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and The Marcels. It was even used in the movie An American Werewolf in London!
If you are new to SaddleBrooke since our 2018 show, we welcome you to join in with our very talented residents by auditioning. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming back former talent from our previous shows. Let’s make this a show to remember, putting the pandemic days behind us.