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LEWISTON — Open auditions for a new musical are scheduled for Sunday and Monday, Sept. 24 and 25, at 6 p.m. each day at the Gendron Franco Center, 46 Cedar Street. In February, Lewiston-Auburn Community Little Theatre in Auburn and the Gendron Franco Center will co-produce the world premiere production of “Come Out Swingin’: A Lewiston Story” — a musical written by Portland native Brian Daly. Callback auditions will be by invitation, and those unable to make it on these dates and times are encouraged to call the director to request an appointment.
Production dates for the show are Friday and Saturday, Feb. 2 and 3, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. has been set aside as a snow date, if needed.
“It’s May of 1965, just months after the assassination of Malcolm X, and the controversial Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston title bout has been moved at the last minute to Lewiston, a Franco-American mill town in decline — the unlikeliest venue ever for a world championship fight,” said Daly, the musical’s writer and composer. “The fictional Mickey St. Pierre, second assistant deputy city manager of Lewiston, sees this as his hometown’s one and only chance to take its rightful place among the world’s great cities. By dint of his boundless enthusiasm, he gets the colorful characters of Lewiston fired up to play host to celebrity jet setters and the world’s top sportswriters.”
Daly’s story continues as the word gets out, and what follows is a musical adventure throughout the neighborhoods of Maine’s second-largest city. Franco Center staff Richard Martin and Mitchell Clyde Thomas will serve as director and music director for the show; Jake Boyce of Portland, a regular CLT choreographer, will take on the choreography. Both Martin and Thomas are also long-time CLT directors and serve on the organization’s board of directors.
Interested performers may be asked to audition in all three parts (vocal, choreography and dialogue) in order to be considered for roles. There are numerous lead and supporting roles and there is an ensemble. There are both singing and non-singing roles.
In preparation for the audition, singers are asked to bring sheet music for the piano accompanist. No prerecorded music will be allowed, and there will be no a cappella singing. Recorded samples of six of the show’s songs are posted on the show’s Facebook(R) event page and can be sent directly by request. With questions about singing auditions, contact Thomas in advance at 207-838-1722 or mthomas@francocenter.org.
The show involves a great deal of movement. There will be time allotted for participants to change clothes and shoes prior to the beginning of dance auditions, if needed. People are asked to bring character shoes, sneakers or jazz shoes. Those with all levels of dance experience are welcome to audition.
The principal and supporting roles include six men and six women. All but two are solo singing roles, and the ages vary. Five of the roles ideally require black male vocalists who make up “The Sapphires,” and they need to be able to belt out “Temptations-style” singing and dancing. Only one of them, Preston, the cool and charismatic African-American leader of the group, will be cast in a role with dialogue.
The ensemble is made up of all ages playing citizens of Lewiston and the out-of-towners, who have come to Lewiston for the fight. There is singing, dancing and some dialogue. Neither of the boxers in the infamous 1965 fight are characters in the show.
With any questions or to request a perusal script, contact the director, Richard Martin at 207-754-9828 or rmartin@francocenter.org.
