The PEG&S Society is thrilled to announce auditions for a new festival style concert series which will highlight outstanding local singers and musicians across 9 different genres of music.
Popular G&S productions such as Blast from the Past and the annual Valentine’s Cabaret have unearthed a wealth of talent and this dynamic new project will offer development, mentoring and a unique showcase for performers wishing to take the next step in their careers.
This innovative concept will be officially launched in April and G&S are looking to uncover some exciting new talent to perform alongside many of the outstanding singers who have already worked their magic on the Savoy stage.
“There is way too much talent in the Bay to fit into just 5 shows a year so our Leadership Team had a brainwave and the new festival idea got everyone excited!” enthused G&S President, Rose Cowpar.
The festival will run over 2 weekends from 24/5/24, with 9 short form concerts, 50 minutes long. Concerts will be repeated during the festival to give audiences the best opportunity to watch all the local talent in action. The shows, with a cast of 6 – 8 performers, will each focus on a specific musical genre to highlight the amazing diversity of talent here in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The selected genres are:
✪ Broadway/Musical Theatre
✪ Classical & Opera
✪ The Divas – female vocal powerhouses
✪ Music from the Movies
✪ Jazz
✪ R&B and Motown
✪ Afrikaans Music
✪ South African Hits
✪ Gospel
All performers taking part will need to be available for both weekends of the festival and for the rehearsal period starting in May, which will include performance masterclasses and mentoring. Where possible, we hope to use the performers’ existing repertoire in addition to duets and small group numbers.
Auditions will be held on Sunday 7th and Monday 8th April at the Savoy Theatre. All performers wanting to be part of the Festival will need to audition and successful auditionees will be able to appear in a maximum of 2 different concerts.
Auditionees are asked to prepare a song in the genre of their preference. Anyone wanting to audition for more than one genre should prepare 2 songs from different genres. Singers who can also play an
instrument are especially encouraged to audition. Auditions can be booked by sending a WhatsApp to 072 906 1977 and we will send you the online form to register.
There’s nothing like a fully live performance with singers and musicians and G&S is also asking for Expressions of Interest from musicians who would like to be a part of this exciting new festival. The Society is looking to have live accompaniment or a small band to play for each genre of music and this is a great opportunity to showcase your talents alongside the singers. All interested musicians should email their CV or a short summary of their training and experience to pegandssociety@gmail.com.
This is a completely new approach to developing and showcasing local talent and, in addition to the performance opportunities, G&S plans to introduce a profit share arrangement to pay performers in a first for local Community Theatre.
These auditions will also be used to cast the July production of Blast from the Past. For enquiries contact Rose on 072 906 1977.
PICTURE: Phil Cowie - long standing committee member and performer with the G&S Society
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