Cornerstone Playhouse announces auditions

SUSSEX BOROUGH — Cornerstone Playhouse will hold open auditions for their upcoming production of the beloved musical comedy “Bye, Bye Birdie”.
Interested in theater and never been on stage? This is your opportunity for a chance to learn and perform.
We will make this a fun and educational experience for those with interest to be on stage. And the best part is Cornerstone never has, and never will be, a pay for play theater so you get the learn and act for free.
Bye, Bye Birdie, which was written by Michael Stewart, features music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams. It won four Tony awards, including Best Musical.
Cornerstone’s production will be directed by Tommy Wright.
Auditions are scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday April 25, Thursday April 26, at 6:30–9 p.m. and Sunday April 29, at 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. All auditions will be held at Cornerstone Playhouse, 74 Main Street, Sussex, N.J. The show will be held June 22, to July 1.
Rock star Conrad Birdie is the biggest thing to top the charts. Women love him, men want to be him and teenage girls scream at the mere mention of his name. But when the United States Army drafts Birdie, manager Albert Peterson and his longtime love Rose Alvarez hatch a plan: send Conrad to small-town America to plant a goodbye kiss on one lucky fan to be televised on live TV. Their selection of Kim MacAfee sends wholesome Sweet Apple, Ohio, into chaos. Kim’s boyfriend, Hugo, can’t take the humiliation, Rose can’t take another minute of Albert’s devotion to the music business and Sweet Apple can’t take its teens' riotous “Rock-n-Roll” rebellion. Will Sweet Apple ever be the same?
“Bye, Bye Birdie is a family show through and through,” Wright said. “Colorful, cute, and sweet, this classic includes some of the most famous songs in musical theater, including ‘Put On a Happy Face,’ ‘Kids’ and the lively number ‘A Lot of Livin’ to Do. It’s important that we don’t lose the history of some of the older shows,” he said. “‘Bye, Bye Birdie’ is filled with fun music for adults and teenagers alike. It has a ’50s/’60s style which, musically, is well accepted and appreciated by most of the population. This show has wit, charm and a ton of great music. I’m excited to help bring this score to life in Sussex.”
At the auditions, participants will be asked to read lines and sing a short vocal selection. If auditioning for a singing role, choose a prepared number to bring on a media device or sheet music. If auditioning for a specific principal character, also prepare a musical number sung by that character. Participants should wear comfortable clothing, as they will be asked to learn a small dance routine.
Auditions are open to all ages.
“We have male and female lead roles, supporting and featured roles for adults and teens. There are spoken-only roles, dancing-only roles, comic roles, ensemble chorus roles that don’t require dancing, and more,” Wright said. “If you don’t have time to rehearse more than once a week until close to show, we can still use you!”
For more information go to www.mycptix.com, call 973 702-0687 or message us on our Facebook page. Cornerstone Playhouse is a 501C3 non-profit community theater dedicated to bringing the arts to the Greater Sussex County area. Funding has been made available in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through the State/County Partnership Block Grant Program, as administered through the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council.