Audition call for ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ set for June 1-3
The South Arkansas Arts Center is inviting the public to audition for this year’s summer musical, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
Director Kristen Blossom will hold auditions in the Callaway Theater at SAAC on June 1-3. The show, sponsored by Murphy USA, will run from July 18-28.
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is based on the Victor Hugo novel, as well as songs from the Disney animated feature. The musical showcases the film’s Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Menken and Schwartz.
Call for community singers who want to sing in the cathedral choir is June 1. This is a show for every voice type, range and level of training. Vocal sectionals will be held in the morning, with men at 9 a.m., altos at 10 a.m. and sopranos at 11 a.m., then everyone singing again together starting at 1 p.m. People interested in auditioning for character roles are encouraged to join this rehearsal to get more familiar with the music. This will be the first music rehearsal and everyone is welcome. Check the SAAC website for more details about the choir call.
General auditions will be held at 2:30 p.m. June 2. Everyone will be asked to sing and dance for the general auditions with readings at callbacks on June 3. To prepare for auditions, be ready to sing 24-36 bars of a song selection in the style of “Hunchback” (in the vein of “Les Misérables” or a Disney ballad).
For the dance section, expect to learn a short movement combination.
For those who are a dancer or actor who doesn’t sing, come audition to be a dancer only or for one of the three spoken roles, and be sure to let staff at the check-in desk know.
On June 3, the directors will start at 6 p.m. by seeing new faces wanting to audition, followed by callbacks for the character roles at 6:30 p.m. Registration will be open in the lobby 30 minutes prior to each event.
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” begins as the bells of Notre Dame sound through the famed cathedral in 15th-century Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer who longs to be “Out There,” observes all of Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools. Held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, he escapes
for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn’t the only one captivated by her free spirit, though – the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three
vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies – and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all.
“In the novel, Victor Hugo writes, ‘Spira, Spera,’ translated from Latin this means, ‘ While I breathe, I hope.’ Despite this musical’s heavy content, my concept from the beginning has been centered around hope. Especially after the tragic fire in Paris, I
believe now is a time to focus on resilience and restoration,” Blossom, the director, said when asked about the vision for the production.
For more information or to download an audition form, visit saac-arts.org. SAAC is located at 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado.