By Erin Guiney
It’s getting closer to the holiday season, which means that everyone is beginning to discuss vacation plans and are avoiding preparing for finals. However, this year, there’s one more thing to keep in mind – auditions for the spring musical.
Mr. Sanderson has chosen Carousel, one of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most celebrated musicals, to perform because he wanted “something different from last year.” Audience surveys were included in all the programs for the musical last year, but when My Fair Lady got the largest amount of votes, Mr. Sanderson made the executive choice to save that for the next year. My Fair Lady is “too similar to Pirates of Penzance,” explained Mr. Sanderson, “and I want to alternate between comedic musicals and dramatic musicals. Carousel is a dramatic musical, and it’s been one of my favorites since I was about 12.”
He also has some ideas about things to improve on this year. Last year, he says, he enjoyed “the talent and level of fun.” He says he was very happy with the final product, but the stress level was hard to deal with. “I had trouble sleeping,” he laughed. This year, he hopes to keep the stress level to a minimum by having “official drama mamas — or drama papas.” He’s hoping that two or three parents will step up and volunteer to act as his assistants by helping with organization and other responsibilities.
This is also the main reason auditions are being held before winter break: Carousel is “bigger, longer, and more technically complex” than Pirates of Penzance was, and will require a lot more organization to coordinate everyone’s schedules. There’s also some staging coordination to work out; Mr. Sanderson says he’s applied for a few grants, but he’d “rather have something simple than something that looks like garbage.” Due to the nature of the musical, it’s easier to go minimalist with the set design: “There’s just no way to create a beach onstage. Maybe Broadway can do that, but we can’t. The audience will have to use their imagination.”
He says he’ll miss the seniors who were in Pirates of Penzance last year, but that “we have great kids coming in.” His main goal for Carousel this year is for everyone who wants to be in the show to be able to be. Being a great singer is not required; all you need is lots of enthusiasm to be in the chorus. “The most important thing is having fun and learning about putting on a musical,” he says, “so everyone is welcome regardless of ability or experience.”
Auditions for Carousel will be held on Dec. 4.