A musical which made its debut on Broadway 80 years ago will be the inaugural production of the Brownwood Lyric Theatre later this year, with auditions being held Saturday.
“We are excited for not just the opening in the near future, but because we will be holding auditions for our December musical, ‘Anything Goes’,” said Eric Evans, managing director of the theatre. “I want to encourage everyone to come out and be a part.”
The auditions will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Howard Payne University Theatre, located at 202 Whaley on campus. “We are asking for anyone who wants to audition to be a part of this production to bring sheet music,” Evans said. “Everyone who auditions will be asked to sing something from a musical.” Anyone interested in auditioning is also being asked to wear comfortable shoes. “It is important to wear good shoes,” Evans said. “Everyone will be taught simple choreography during audition process.”
“Anything Goes” features music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a joint effort by P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton, which was later revised. The story centers around situations aboard an ocean liner headed from New York to London. The popularity of the musical led to music enthusiasts being introduced to songs such as “Anything Goes”, “You’re the Top” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.”The musical, which debuted in 1934 at the Alvin Theater has been resurrected many times over the years, particularly by community and school productions. Evans said Nancy Jo Humfeld, artistic director for the Brownwood Lyric Theatre focuses on quality of music. “This is going to be a fabulous musical,” Evans said. “I am really excited about the music. ‘Anything Goes’ has great music, beautiful harmonies.”
The onstage cast is expected to be between 30 and 40. “We are really encouraging anyone who is interested to come and audition,” Evans said.
Performances are scheduled to begin in mid-December. For more information, visit www.brownwoodlyrictheatre.com or Brownwood Lyric Theatre on Facebook.
