Director Suzanne Rayome, Producer Jennifer S. Depew, and Music Director Michael Lotano are pleased to announce auditions for The Scarlet Pimpernel, SLOC’s 5th and final show of the season.  Auditions will be held at the Opera house, located at 826 State Street in Schenectady, on Tuesday, January 27 and Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 7:00p.m.  Call back auditions, if needed, will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2009.  Production dates will be May 1-3 and May 7 – 10, 2009.  If you wish to audition, please come prepared to sing 16 bars from any musical number in the show or any musical theater piece.  An accompanist will be provided; no a cappella singing or singing with an accompanying CD will be allowed.  Individuals auditioning will be asked to read scenes from the script and may be asked to learn a choreographed movement.  For further information, please contact the Director, Suzanne Rayome at 209-1127 or at guyanddoll@hotmail.com or the Producer, Jennifer S. Depew, at 456-5504.

Based on the classic novel by Baroness Orczy, SLOC’s staging of the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel features a Capital Region premiere.  The show is set in England and France against the backdrop of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution.  The musical vividly portrays the romance, intrigue and horrors of one of the most tumultuous periods in history.  With the book and lyrics written by Nan Knighton and the music by Frank Wildhorn, the story mixes historical fact with dramatic adventure. The hero of the story, a rich Englishman, organizes a brave band of his friends to rescue intended victims of the guillotine in France.  The title of the musical gets its name from the symbol used by the enigmatic hero: the red, star-shaped wildflower known as the Scarlet Pimpernel.  There are many leading and supporting roles available for teens, (age 14 and above), women and men.  

Roles to be cast/vocal ranges include:

Percy Blakeney (a.k.a. The Scarlet Pimpernel) – tenor

Marguerite St. Just (his wife) – mezzo soprano

Chauvelin (the antagonist in search of the true identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel) – baritone/tenor

Armand St. Just (Marguerite’s brother) – baritone

Percy’s Bounders (the band of heroes helping the Scarlet Pimpernel): 

            Ozzy, Dewhurst, Elton, Farleigh, Hal, Ben – various ranges

Marie Grosholtz (a friend of Marguerite) – mezzo

Prince of Wales- baritone

Chorus of 6 - 10 includes many speaking, singing and supporting roles.