The College of the Canyons theatre and music departments are in need of cowboys, cowgirls, country crooners, dancers and actors, of all ages and abilities, to audition for its fall production of the foot-stomping musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Written by Larry L. King and Peter Masterson, with music and lyrics by Carol Hall, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a happy-go-lucky romp centering on the infamous Chicken Ranch brothel — so named because during the Great Depression poultry was accepted as a form of payment.
“Some audiences may be familiar with the 1982 film of the same title starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds, but the stage version of this musical is much funnier, faster-paced and enjoyable for audiences,” said Paul Wickline, COC theatre department chair and director of the production. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas will run on the main stage of the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center (PAC) at College of the Canyons, October 15 to 17 and 22 to 24.
Auditions will be held 12 p.m., Saturday, August 21, and 6:30 p.m., Monday, August 23, in the PAC Block Box Theatre. Auditions are open to both COC students and community members. Actors are asked to arrive 15 minutes early in order to complete paperwork and sign up for an audition time slot.
Performers are asked to prepare 16 to 32 bars from a musical theatre or country and western song. Those auditioning for the role of Jewel might choose to audition with a blues song. Audition material should be no more than two to three minutes in length, and should be accompanied by sheet music in the correct key. Music in CD form will not be accepted. Participants only need to attend one of the preliminary audition dates, but should be prepared to attend callback auditions at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, August 26.
The directors will be looking to cast between 20 and 25 performers. Actors of all ages, ethnicities and abilities are needed, including actors who don’t sing, singers who don’t dance and dancers who don’t act or sing. However, everyone will still be required to sing for the directors during auditions. Rehearsals will be held from 6:30 to 10 p.m.,