JTGR Presents: “One Night with Fanny Brice”

Written by Chip Deffaa
Directed by: Jean Reed Bahle
Musical Direction by: Alex Hammel
Show Dates: January 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 2015

Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids opens their 2014-15 season January 7-18, 2015 with a production of One Night with Fannie Brice by Chip Deffaa. This production is directed by Jean Reed Bahle, Music Direction by Alex Hammel and starring Sarah LaCroix.
Performances will be on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m in the intimate Black Box Theatre at Spectrum Theater, 160 Fountain ST NE in downtown Grand Rapids on the GRCC campus.

Tickets go on sale beginning December 8, 2014 for season subscribers and December 15 for all others. Be aware, however, that the Box Office (616-234-3946) will be closed from December 24-January 4. Seating is limited so make your reservations early! Online reservations are always available and can be made while the Box Office is closed at www.jtgr.org

One Night with Fannie Brice is a one-woman show about the life of the famed comical singer of vaudeville and radio. Brice was the highest paid American singing comedienne of her day, made famous when she joined Zeigfeld’s Follies. This production is a musical revue, where you will experience the life and times of Fanny Brice through the songs that made her famous, including numbers such as “Second Hand Rose,” “Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey,” and, of course, “My Man.”

Two Great Pieces of Classical Theatre Happening in GR Right Now

LES MISÉRABLES at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre

February 28 – March 30, 2014

Book by Alan Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, Music By Claude-Michel Schönberg and Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer

This multiple Tony Award winning musical phenomenon follows the story of former prisoner Jean Val Jean, who is on the run from police officer Javert, rescues Fantine’s daughter, Cosette, and sets out to begin a new life. Set post-French revolution, Les Misérables, is the story of love, loss, and the hope of a better tomorrow.

Show Description: After 19 years on the chain gang, Jean Valjean finds that the ticket-of-leave he must display condemns him to be an outcast. Only the Bishop of Digne treats him kindly and Valjean, embittered by years of hardship, repays him by stealing some silver. Valjean is caught and brought back by the police and is astonished when the Bishop lies to the police to save him. Valjean decides to start his life anew.

See a preview video, get information about the cast, and reserve tickets at Grand Rapids Civic’s website.

 

DRIVING MISS DAISY at Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids

March 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30, 2014 

Written by Alfred Uhry, Directed by Lewis Richards and Len Robinson and starring Nancy Wagner, Jerome Richards, Patrick Hendren and Ruth Ann Molenaar, “Driving Miss Daisy” is a timeless classic. It explores themes of friendship, prejudice, racism and the fluctuating atmosphere in the second half of the 20th century. A charming “Must See”

Appropriate for all audiences, Thursday and Saturday evening curtain times are 8:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM

Go online for tickets after March 10th or call the Box Office at 616-234-3946. www.jtgr.org

Book Fair for Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids

Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids (JTGR) will be the beneficiary of a Book Fair at Barnes & Noble at Woodland Mall on Thursday, December 12, 2013. A portion of all sales, including food, stationary, cards, etc. will go to support JTGR when you mention the Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids Code bookfair ID# 1192432 at the checkout.

Out of town friends and family can support the theater as well! People can shop at ANY Barnes and Noble store anywhere in the world on December 12^th and just tell the cashier that they would like a percentage of their sale to benefit Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids Code bookfair ID# 1192432.

Online shoppers have 5 days to shop! Any day between Thursday, December 12^th and Monday, December 16^th, online shoppers just have to enter our bookfair ID# 1192432 Any online sales between those 5 days will benefit Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids.

Thursday, December 12th, is an All Day Event, with an informational table set up at the Woodland store manned by representatives from the theater to answer questions. Then at 7:00PM: some words from Len Robinson about Jewish Theatre and a special musical performance by Katherine D’Arcy Van Wesep. See www.jtgr.org for further information.

Plan a fun evening for the family and come to Barnes & Noble for dessert! They sell delicious pastries & cheesecakes (don’t forget to mention JTGR when paying for your goodies) so come have a piece of cake, a cup of coffee and listen to Len and some music! (Then do some holiday shopping!)

Audition Information for “The Milliner” at JTGR

THE MILLINER

Written by: Suzanne Glass
Directed by: Scott Baisden

Audition Dates: Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 2 p.m. and Monday, November 25, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Show Dates: January 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 2014

Casting: 3 men, 4 women

WOLFGANG GEORG – Mid-late 40’s; Jewish; handsome, sexy, charismatic; a complex, multi-layered character.

AMALIA GEORG – 30’s; Wolfgang’s wife; dark-haired, attractive, sensitive, worldly and pragmatic.

CLAUDIA – 30’s. Owns and runs a fashionable milliner’s boutique in Berlin; a sometimes cabaret singer. Blonde, sexy and Aryan in appearance; a strong Dietrich style voice. Confident, flirtatious and with a surface affability that conceals a far darker side to her nature. Character sings during production.

WOLFGANG’S MOTHER – Late 40’s/early 50’s; a refined Berliner; strong willed and sensitive.

FRAU HENDEL – Early 50’s; an attractive gentile Berliner.

GERHARDT MÜLLER – 30’s; blonde and Aryan looking; charming in a very Germanic way.

MAX – 40’s/50’s; concierge; warm natured and friendly.

HEINZ – 40’s; Claudia’s friend; jovial and affable.

PAUL – 40’s; Claudia’s Friend; reserved.

More information can be found at the Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids audition page on their website: http://www.jtgr.org/auditions.htm and on their Facebook Event page.

Auditions for “The World of Sholom Aleichem”

Auditions for “The World of Sholom Aleichem”

Auditions will be held Sunday afternoon, March 17th at 2:00 PM and Tuesday night, March 19th, at 7:00 PM on the second floor of Spectrum Theater.

The Cast calls for 11 males/females

The World of Sholom Aleichem is an ensemble piece of three intriguing, touching and sometimes hilarious stories of Jewish culture strung together by a narrator, the Mendele. The cast calls for 11 actors of various age, race, and gender. The play will be cast neutral in all of those categories and actors will be expected to play multiple roles. Women will play men, People in their 50s will play children, race will not be a factor in casting. Except for the narrator, there are no leading or minor roles.

Auditioners are expected to come and bring their ability to play anything in or out of their type. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script and casting will depend on your ability to match the type of character you are presented. Preference will be given to people who can stretch beyond one single type of play various characters with conviction.

To learn more, go Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids’ event on Facebook.