Amdram auditions for Phantom of the Opera next month

Glass artist Katie Brown has agreed to design and build the chandelier for Amdram's production of Phantom of the Opera. Photo / Paul Brooks

AMDRAM Update
with Sandi Black

What a crazy end to 2020 for the Phantom of the Opera production team. At the beginning of December we hosted Jennifer Ward-Lealand, who ran two amazing masterclasses in her "Flying Solo -Telling the story through song" workshops. Participants and observers were treated to some very special insights and tips from Jennifer and the feedback was extremely positive.

Jennifer enjoyed her time in Whanganui and has promised to come back to run her Craft of Acting Workshop in the near future. Exciting! AMDRAM have also been lucky enough to receive an offer of help from Jennifer with some aspects of the show, but more on that later.

Mid-December saw our wonderful choreographer, Amelia Chandulal-McKay, put a keen group of participants through their paces at our Dance and Movement workshop. Amelia has a fantastic teaching manner and we are lucky to have her on board.

We have also been fortunate enough to receive some grant funding to assist with our production. We will be sourcing our Phantom mask and prosthetics from Body FX in Auckland, leading industry professionals in their field, ensuring our Phantom will look his ominous best.

Katie Brown, Whanganui's international renowned glass artist, has agreed to design and build the famous chandelier. This is a real coup for the production, having Katie on board. Our thanks to the WDC and the Public Art Fund for making this possible. We can't wait to see it.

A meeting with the RWOH team rounded off the year with much of the vision for the show being achievable from a set design perspective.

With those steps in place, it's time to hold auditions! Auditions will be held at Amdram Theatre, Guyton St, Whanganui. Why audition?
• You'll be part of something truly spectacular - this is a once-in-a-lifetime show!
• You'll have fun. We will work hard, but we'll play hard too!
• You'll learn something new and to hone your craft.
• The roles are all great. From comic to dramatic and everything in between, there are challenging roles up for grabs, including 16 featured ensemble roles.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21. Auditions are by appointment only, you must book an individual slot in advance and prepare. For more information, come along to one of our two information evenings where you can find additional information regarding casting requirements, character descriptions, and have the chance to ask any questions. These are on Wednesday, February 10 at 7pm and Sunday, February 14 at 2pm at the AMDRAM Theatre. For more information, follow our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Amdrams-Phantom-of-the-Opera-2021

In the interim, don't miss AMDRAM's current production, Blind Eye. Written by April Phillips, this a play that will question what we believe about devotion. What is the price of true love?

Vera has been blind since birth, but with Wally's words to guide her, she has travelled the world and experienced all its wonders. Wally and Vera are soulmates, and for 60 years they have existed in a cocoon of love and security that needed no outside influence. But when a random act of violence brings strangers into their midst, the real world begins to ask questions of their bond.

Some great actors and directed by Chris McKenzie, it is going to be a fantastic, thought-provoking show. It plays February 4-13. Tickets from the i-Site or online at www.iticket.co.nz