Open Auditions for Kol Halev: Monday June 27 6:30pm to 9:30pm

'Hanukkah in Chelm' is being mounted again this year. There'll be two performances - one on sunday Dec. 11th at the Arts Club and the second on Sunday Dec. 18 at Performance Works. Rehearsals begin in September. Audition location is Vancouver Tap Dance Society, 2775 East Hastings St. Vancouver. We want adults and children from age 10 and older. Be prepared to do a cold reading.
Dancers of all skill levels with experience in folk, jazz, musical theatre body percussion, tap. Bring your dance shoes.
Singers, adult and children, come prepared to sing a capella. Please prepare 16 bars of Broadway style musical theatre songs, one ballad and one uptempo.
Bring a resume and head shot if you have one.
If you have an unusual performance skill that you'd like to audition please call and enquire. We are looking for speciality acts.
I wrote the show and lyrics, Dave Ivaz and John Maas wrote the music. Teryl Rothery will direct, Shel Piercy and Sue Cohene will produce.
Call 604 263 6844 to confirm your attendance, or email at info@kolhalev.ca

Merchant of Venice

The play is on Broadway and at Vancouver's Bard on the Beach, and you'd think that by now someone would have taken the leap to a new and yet obvious level of interpretation. But no. So without further ado, and with no explanation necessary, here is a partial list of the ideal cast which should really speak for itself:

James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman - Shylock
Halle Berry - Jessica
Gwyneth Paltrow - Portia
Neil Patrick Harris - Bassanio
Brad Pitt - Antonio

Okay, maybe a little explanation. Shylock is the only major character who doesn't want to be someone or something else. Everyone else is trying to 'pass.' Bassanio and Antonio want each other, but have to pretend otherwise. Portia wants to be a man so she can be free to do what she wants (be a lawyer?), Jessica yearns to cast off the constraints of the Ghetto and step into the life Portia has (but would like to leave)and pass as a White Christian - not because of any spiritual 'epiphany' or even love. If there are any gutsy, imaginative directors out there please feel free to use this information and all I want is a footnote mention in the programme.