BERKELEY REP AUDITIONS KIDS FOR BRUNDIBÁR AND COMEDY ON THE BRIDGE Local children needed to sing in new production by Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak WHO: Boy and girl sopranos who are 13 years old or younger WHAT: Auditions for Berkeley Rep’s Brundibár and Comedy on the Bridge WHERE: Berkeley Rep School of Theatre / 2071 Addison Street / Downtown Berkeley WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, September 10–11, 2005 HOW: Prepare 16 bars of a song and wear comfortable clothing INFO: 510.868.3275 or www.berkeleyrep.org BERKELEY CA, JULY 29, 2005 Berkeley Repertory Theatre is seeking boy and girl sopranos who are 13 years old or younger for its highly anticipated local production of Brundibár and Comedy on the Bridge. A pair of operatic fables about innocence triumphing over evil, the shows are being brought to the stage by two master artists: Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and legendary children’s author Maurice Sendak. Local children will be an essential part of the multigenerational cast, singing the show’s moral: “Let us be brave, and make bullies behave!” Auditions will be held on the weekend of September 10–11. Children who are cast must attend a singing class after school three times each week beginning September 19, followed by rehearsals after school and on weekends starting October 11. The production runs November 11 through December 28. Those auditioning should prepare 16 bars of a song, bringing the sheet music if possible. There will also be a movement component to the audition, so children should wear comfortable clothing. Auditions will be held at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre in the Nevo Education Center at 2071 Addison Street in downtown Berkeley. For an appointment to audition, call 510.868.3275. “Brundibár is all about the power of community, so I’m thrilled that we can involve children from local schools in this production,” remarked Berkeley Rep’s artistic director, Tony Taccone, who will stage both shows. “Brundibár is a beautiful children’s story, extolling the virtues of courage and cooperation and collective action against tyranny,” said Kushner. “It’s a tale of the power of music to make miracles happen. Comedy is another work whose history is intertwined with war and oppression. Their beauty is testament to the creative power of human beings, even in dark times, to turn ugliness into music.” Berkeley Rep is proud to present the opera Brundibár, a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between two artistic giants: Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak. Not only is Kushner the acclaimed author of Angels in America and Homebody/Kabul, he wrote the brilliant libretto for Caroline, or Change—and now he’s penned a new libretto for this remarkable musical fable. Sendak’s singular style is famous from books such as Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen—don’t miss his spectacular sets and costumes for this production. Brundibár was originally composed in the ominous years leading up to World War II and was performed by children imprisoned at Terezin, the Nazi’s notorious “model ghetto.” In 2003, Kushner and Sendak published a picture-book version of this classic tale; now audiences can enjoy it live! Brundibár will be presented alongside the pair’s adaptation of Comedy on the Bridge, an absurd commentary on war also written in Czechoslovakia in the thirties. Season subscriptions are on sale now; single tickets go on sale on August 20. For more information on tickets, contact the Berkeley Rep box office at 510.647.2949 or visit berkeleyrep.org. Media contact: Terence Keane 510.647.2917, tkeane@berkeleyrep.org BACK TO TOP