by Ken Ludwig
Director Conrad Cecil
When: Auditions – Sunday, September 15th at 7:00 pm
Callbacks – Tuesday, September 17th at 7:00 pm
Where: Sutter Street Theatre – Annex, 710 Figueroa Street, Folsom, CA 95630
REHEARSALS: Begin October 7th Mondays through Thursdays 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm.
PERFORMANCE DATES: November 8th – December 1st Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 4:00 pm. You MUST be available for all performance dates.
WHAT TO BRING: Please bring a headshot and resume stapled together if you have them. Please prepare a brief (1-2 minute) comic monologue. You will be asked to read from the script.
SYNOPSIS: Paris, 1934. One hotel suite, four tenors, two wives, three girlfriends, and a soccer stadium filled with screaming fans. What could possibly go wrong? It’s 1930s Paris and the stage is set for the concert of the century — as long as producer Henry Saunders can keep the amorous Italian superstar and his hot-blooded wife from causing runaway chaos. Prepare for an uproarious ride, full of mistaken identities, blissful romance and madcap delight.
SEEKING: male and female non-equity actors.
Performers of all ethnicity are encouraged to attend.
This is a non-musical but there will be lip-syncing of some numbers.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
Henry Saunders.
Male, mid-late 50’s, any ethnicity.
The Producer. A self-made man. From Akron Ohio.
Hard-working, brash and fast-talking, Saunders has had to fight his way up to become a major showbusiness producer. Although he is pragmatic and even capable of charm, sometimes it all gets too much for his poor nerves… This concert is his biggest production to date and if it fails, he stands to lose not all his money but with it, his reputation, forever… His former assistant, Max, is now an operatic tenor, and is singing in the concert Saunders is producing. Saunders’ daughter Maggie is married to Max and is pregnant with their first child.
Max
Male, 30s, any ethnicity.
Rising American opera singer and former assistant to Saunders. Smart, level-headed and quick with a joke. Considerate, attentive, earnest, capable, intelligent, conciliatory; but also talented, and persistent with his own aims. He was Saunders’ assistant for many years, but is actually a fine singer, and has a potential for an international career. He married Saunders’ daughter Maggie, but he is trying to shake off the yoke of being an assistant, and step into his destiny as a singer…
Tito Merelli / Beppo
Tito Merelli:
Male, 50s, Italian.
Tito is one of Italy’s most famous opera singers. Regal in appearance, fiery in nature. Diva complex, insanely jealous. Although hugely talented and charismatic, Tito can be provocative, egocentric, spoilt, and even cruel in his wit… Utterly dependent on Maria, his wife, who he looks at alternately as: the love of his life, his mother, his biggest fan, his maid, etc…
The same actor plays:
Beppo:
A hotel bellhop – joyous, full of life, and down to earth. An unpolished jewel of a tenor. Has a fling with Racón the Russian soprano.
Italian accent.
Must have chemistry with Maria and with Racón.
Maria Merelli
Female, 40’s to early 50s, Italian.
Stunning wife to one of Italy’s most famous opera singers. Larger than life, in her personality, in her physique, in her explosive temper. Fiercely loyal, spontaneous and natural, she is also acutely sensitive to slights (especially from Tito) and stubborn as a mule. Jumps to conclusions very fast. Her relationship to Tito swings between romance, savage rows, deadly boring routine, mothering a spoiled child, admiring a great man, managing an idiotic lustful goat… Behind it all, she harbors the romantic heart of an Italian teenage girl at the movie theatre.
Italian accent.
Mimi Merelli
Tito & Maria Merelli’s daughter. 25 years old, educated in the US. American accent, (preferably educated East Coast.)
Incurably romantic, wide-eyed modern girl who hopes to make it in showbiz as an actress. She has found the love of her life: she’s in a relationship with Carlo Nucci, the famous young tenor whom she adores and admires, and expects a lot of…
Mimi & Carlo chemistry essential.
Carlo Nucci
Male, late 20s, Italian-American from Brooklyn, with accent accordingly.
Strong stage presence, likes center stage, a peacock who has taken on the airs of an artist, awed by Tito… In love with Mimi.
Tatiana Racón
Female, late 50’s, Russian – Famous Russian opera singer, former lover to Tito, a very intense and passionate woman.
Russian accent
About the Director:
Conrad Cecil, Director
Conrad is directing Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors for Sutter Street Theatre’s Off-Broadway Series in Folsom, following an open-air staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Conrad founded the French theater company Compagnie Tangente under the patronage of award-winning playwright Roland Dubillard, whose play Madame fait ce qu’elle dit, he and Werner Schroeter staged on the Champs-Elysees, Paris. Conrad has performed in English and in French, alongside Sophie Marceau, Liam Cunningham, Clémence Poésy, Moritz Bliebtreu and Johan Leysen. Conrad has a Master’s degree in Directing from RADA and King’s College, London, and is a graduate of East 15 Acting School, London.
