The 2012 Summer Arts Festival (SAF) production is Hairspray, which delighted audiences by sweeping them away to 1960's Baltimore, where the 50's are out – and change is in the air!
Loveable plus-size heroine, Tracy Turnblad, has a passion for dancing, and wins a spot on the local tv dance program, “The Corny Collins Show.” Overnight she finds herself transformed from outsider to teen celebrity. Can a larger-than-life adolescent manage to vanquish the program’s reigning princess, integrate the television show, and find true love (singing and dancing all the while, of course!) without mussing her hair?
Initial vocal and reading auditions will be held on Sunday, May 6 and Sunday, May 13 at Northwest Catholic High School. For college students who might not be in the area for these early dates, we have limited audition spots available on the evening on Friday, June 1.
Please prepare one song in the style of the show. We highly discourage pop songs or classical vocal pieces. Choose a song you know well and will show your vocal potential. An accompanist will be provided.
Dance auditions and callbacks will be held on Saturday, June 2 also at Northwest Catholic High School, which is located off of North Main Street at 29 Wampanoag Drive, West Hartford, CT 06117.
Please call 860-561-8160 for an audition time and contact us at westhartfordsaf@gmail.com with any questions. We invite all performers in the Greater Hartford area entering 9th grade through age 25 to audition. There is a $20 (non-refundable) audition fee for SAF.
Rehearsals for Hairspray are Mon-Fri from 6-10 p.m. at Hall High School in West Hartford beginning two days after the West Hartford public schools begin summer recess (this date has not yet been announced). There will also likely be rehearsal Saturday, July 14, Saturday, July 21, and Sunday, July 22. The production will run July 26-28 at Hall High School. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m.
SAF began 36 years ago as a venue for West Hartford high school and college students to perform in high caliber productions of some of Broadway’s most famous musicals and plays. Since its inception, the program has expanded to include participants outside of West Hartford and found its focus centering on musicals. The program employs professional designers and directors from the greater Hartford area, who are held to the highest standards set forth by its founder and now Executive Producer, Haig Shahverdian. SAF prides itself on being a learning experience for those who are interested in various aspects of musical theater including acting, singing, dancing, orchestra, and technical theater. The West Hartford Summer Arts Festival is a joint venture between the Board of Education and the Human and Leisure Services Department.
For more information about the West Hartford Summer Arts Festival, please see the Frequently Asked Questions available at the following link:
http://www.westhartford.org/living_here/town_departments/leisure_services/summer_arts_festival/docs/West_Hartford_Summer_Arts_Festi.pdf
