Kellogg Community College is seeking up to 20 actors to appear in the College’s spring musical, “Xanadu,” with auditions happening this week.
Auditions will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, and Friday, Feb. 16, at the Binda Performing Arts Center on campus at 450 North Ave., Battle Creek. Individuals interested in auditioning can choose just one date to audition; they do not have to appear on both nights.
The Play
What happens when a magical Greek muse, Kira, descends from Mount Olympus in 1980 Venice Beach, California? She helps a struggling artist create his masterpiece: a roller disco, of course.
The original film version of “Xanadu,” released in 1980, starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelley. It served as a self-serious source of inspiration for the comedic, over-the-top stage musical, which premiered on Broadway in 2008.
“In a lot of ways it’s kind of like the musical version of ‘The Room,’” KCC Theater professor and “Xanadu” director Brad Poer said. “In the 80s and onward, ‘Xanadu’ was kind of referred to one of the worst film musicals ever made.”
Poer said the show is a simplified, tongue-in-cheek version of the movie. It’s the kind of show he said is perfect for the College since the cast typically includes varying skill levels.
“To have something that we can be a little cartoony with and we can be thumbing our nose at ourselves, it’s going to work really well for that, I think,” Poer said, adding that there’s really only one person in the cast who has to move on wheels a lot. “People who are coming to audition: You are not required to be able to roller skate.”
Audition Details
“Xanadu” roles are open to all actors ages 16 and up. Actors interested in auditioning for the musical should wear clothes and shoes comfortable enough to move and dance in.
Here are some things to know about auditioning:
- There will be reading from scenes in the script. Time will be provided to practice before reading in front of others.
- Expect to learn and sing a selection of a song in groups, and to learn a selection of a dance and perform it in groups. Only those auditioning for certain parts will also perform solo singing or dancing.
- The cast calls for 10 to 20 men and women who want to bond with a bunch of other people who believe in the power of cheesiness to bring people together.
More information about auditions, including character descriptions for each role, is available on the KCC Theatre Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kcctheatre.
Commitment Requirements
Actors cast in “Xanadu” must be available for rehearsals from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays beginning Feb. 20. There might be rehearsals during the College’s Spring Break the first week of April, but those who are already scheduled to be out of town won’t be excluded from the show.
Actors must also be available to appear in the public performances of the musical, which are scheduled the weekends of April 13-15 and April 20-22.
For more information about “Xanadu” auditions or the KCC production in general, contact KCC Theatre professor and “Xanadu” director Brad Poer at poerb@kellogg.edu.
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.