Auditions

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Petite Opera holds 2013-2014 General Auditions
February 2-3, 2013


Petite Opera Productions, a 501c3 non-profit professional opera company, will hold general auditions on February 2-3, 2013 in Park Ridge, Illinois (a Chicago northwestern suburb) for paid principal and cover roles.  Auditions will be held by appointment only. Only local Chicago-area residents or those with local housing need apply.  The company offers no housing or transportation reimbursement*. Casting preference is given to Chicago-area local emerging professionals who are interested in enhancing their craft in a very open, collaborative environment.

Seeking to cast for the 2013-2014 season:

November 2013: COSI FAN TUTTE

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, featuring a new libretto by Dimitri Toscas. All of the principal characters work at a downtown Chicago company in 1959, at the turn of the sexual revolution.  (NOTE: There is no chorus for this production)

Open paid PRINCIPAL roles include:

  • Flora (Fiordiligi) – A dramatic lyric soprano.  A secretary at the company, Dora’s sister, and girlfriend to Elmer, she is the epitome of the conservative 1950’s woman – all floral and froofy
  • Dora (Dorabella) – Mezzo-soprano.  Flora’s sister, Dora is also a secretary at the company. She is more daring, and starting to follow more 1960’s behavioral conventions, like her boyfriend, Randall.
  • Al Fonzarello (Don Alfonso) – Bass-Baritone.  An executive at the company, Al is the epitome of the smooth operator with the ladies, but believes there is no such thing as true love.  He is Randall and Elmer’s boss
  • Randall (Ferrando) – Lyric Tenor.  Dora’s boyfriend. Close friend of Elmer’s, he is more daring and liberal, but is devoted to Dora.  Reports to Al Fonzarello at the company. 

Open paid COVER Roles are guaranteed one performance(paid). Available roles include:

  • Flora (Fiordiligi) COVER
  • Dora (Dorabella) COVER
  • Miss Desi (Despina) COVER – Lyric Soubrette. Slightly older than the two girls, Miss Desi is the severely conservative head of the secretarial pool during the day.  She is soured on men because the father of her child left her for his career, leaving her a single mother.  However, Miss Desi secretly moonlights as a jazz singer at a fancy club.   Performer must be able to sing legit opera and jazz
  • Al Fonzarello (Don Alfonso) COVER
  • Randall (Ferrando) COVER
  • Elmer (Guglielmo) COVER - Lyric Baritone. More conservative in nature, he is Flora’s boyfriend. A close friend of Randall, he also reports to Al Fonzarello

Spring 2014: Musical Theatre (production TBA)

This production will be selected from the legitimate musical theatre repertoire.  Interested performers should be classically trained (no belting), and understand that all performances will be acoustic (no microphones).  Principals will be paid.

To apply for an audition appointment, send the following information via email to by no later than SAT January 19, 2013.  Please enter “AUDITION REQUEST” on the subject line:
  • Resume, including your phone number and email
  • Headshot in JPG format
Include, if available: 
  • YouTube links of your performance
  • Performance reviews in .DOC, .PDF or .TXT format
  • 3 performance references (include those from directors, conductors, teachers/coaches)
You will be notified via email of your appointment time, location and what to bring to the audition.

What to Prepare:

  • Two arias/selections of appropriate audition length and style that demonstrate range, vocal ability and characterization.  One selection must be in English
  • Be prepared to read, improvise, and learn/perform a dance routine

ABOUT PETITE OPERA
Petite Opera Productions specializes in comic and lighter works, performs works only in English, and is committed to making all patrons opera lovers by making opera approachable and fun. The company casts complete performers—classically-trained professional vocalists who provide complete characterizations and dance/move well—and volunteer chorus, orchestra and dancers from the community. Each production runs for 6 or more performances in an intimate, acoustically-friendly space (200 seats) without the use of microphones.  The company takes a cross-over approach to all of the genre performed. 

*Please note that Petite Opera does not provide housing, transportation, or transportation reimbursement for performers.  Performers must be local Chicago-area candidates or those that can provide their own housing and transportation for the rehearsal period, which occurs up to three days per week and is spread out over a 12-14 week period (due to venue access).