Auditions for the Pilot Project

Are you no longer the right type  for your dream soprano diva role? Have you passed the age range for  that juicy tenor lead? Do you think yourself too callow for that iconic  comic character part?

Well, think again!

The University of Michigan Gilbert &Sullivan Society (UMGASS) is  holding auditions for The Pilot Project, or Return to Duty, on Tuesday,  May 2 nd and Thursday, May 4 th , from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, at the Student  Theater Arts Complex (STAC), 1201 Kipke Drive, Ann Arbor (near the U-M  stadium). This adapted libretto is designed as a sequel to The Pirates  of Penzance, set 44 years after the original, using Sullivan’s original  score. It will be presented concert style on June 9 th and June 10 th at  the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre in the Michigan League building in Ann  Arbor.

All principal and chorus roles from Pirates have equivalents (by voice  part) in The Pilot Project, however some characters are 44 years older  than in the original (e.g., Frederic is now 65, rather than 21), and  some are younger descendants of the original roles (see the Character  Descriptions at the end of this posting).

Cast members will be selected from the audition pool with no pre-casting. Affiliation with the University of Michigan is not required.

To sign up for an audition time, and/or  to receive audition forms in advance, please contact the UMGASS Executive Board at umgassexec@umich.edu.

The Pilot Project will be directed by David Andrews, who in December  2022 directed the Society’s 75 th anniversary production of The Pirates  of Penzance – his 10 th time in the director’s chair for UMGASS. Music  Director for this production will be Nada Radakovich, who recently  directed the Society’s 2022 production of The C.E.O., a modern  adaptation of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado. Ms. Radakovich is a  popular choir director and in-demand vocal coach in Genesee County.

Audition requirements:

• Prepare ~32-64 bars of a  selection from musical theater, comic opera, or opera (in English), and  provide a legible copy for the accompanist.
• Be prepared to read from the libretto if you are interested in a speaking role.
• There will be no dance audition for this concert style show.
• Please contact the UMGASS Board at umgassexec@umich.edu if you would prefer to submit a recorded video audition by Wednesday, May 3 rd , 2023.

Please note:

• Masks may be required at auditions and rehearsals, depending on the evolving public health situation.
• Current plans call for all performances to be unmasked.
• Walk-ins are welcome in the first two hours of the audition period each night.
• Please wear a mask in the common  areas of the audition locale as a courtesy to other performers. Masks  will be available on-site.

Rehearsal and production dates:

• The first rehearsal is scheduled  for Sunday, May 7 th . Scripts will be available at this rehearsal or  at STAC during the following week, for those not able to attend on 5/7.
• Music rehearsals will be held  two days per week for the full ensemble at STAC. Principals may be  called for additional dialogue or music rehearsals as necessary.
• Production dates are June 9 –  10, 2023, at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre in the Michigan League, in  concert-style, accompanied by piano.

Answers to questions regarding the production and the audition process,  as well as a PDF copy of the libretto, are available at  umgassexec@umich.edu.