Tag Archives: Moon Over Buffalo

Auditions for Circle Theatre’s 2020 season set for this weekend

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Well it is finally here! Auditions for Circle Theatre’s 2020 Main Stage productions will be this Friday and Saturday. 

Area thespians have until Thursday, March 5, by noon to sign up to audition for any of the five Main Stage productions which include “Disaster!,” May 7 -23; “Moon Over Buffalo,” June 4 – 20; “Always…Patsy Cline,” July 16 – Aug. 1;  “Noises Off,” Aug. 13 – 29; “Hair,” Sept. 10 – 26; and the Magic Circle production “Goldilocks and the Three Pigs,” June 29 – July 1.

On person who is definitely interested in the upcoming auditions is Mike Hull, director of Circle Theatre’s first production, the musical “Disaster!.” Hull and Circle Theatre’s Market and Outreach Specialist Ashlee McGreevy recently visited the WKTV’s “Locally Entertaining” podcast to talk about Circle Theatre’s 68th season which is set to open in June and run through September.

McGreevy said it is an action pack four-months as the theater company hosts the five Main Stage productions, the Magic Circle Theatre show and its popular Concert Series, which will host auditions on March 13 and 14. 

“There really is something for everyone,”McGreevy said, adding that for those who are not interested in being on stage but want to be part of the theater, there are a number of volunteer opportunities including ushering and backstage.

Audition Info

For the Main Stage Musicals (”Disaster!,” “Always…Patsy Cline,” “and “Hair”), all auditions are at one time, in the same room. This means that when auditioning for a musical. attendees will be auditioning for all the musicals at once. Even if they’re only audition for one show, they’ll be auditioning in front of al of the directors of all of the musicals. 

Those who are auditioning should be prepared with 16-32 bars of a prepared song along with sheet music. An accompanist is provided, so singing a cappella or with a music track is not allowed. Those auditioning should note that they may be cut off early while singing if the production team(s) have seen what they needed.

For the Main Stage Plays (“Moon Over Buffalo”  and “Nosies Off”) and Magic Circle (“Goldilocks and the Three Bears”), those auditioning will be asked to read from the script of the show for which they are auditioning and should note that no prepared monologues are necessary. Al plays audition during the same weekend, however; they do audition separately in different rooms. 

If an attendee is auditioning for more than one play, they should sign up for each play and allow enough time to attend each audition. It also helps to let the stage manager or director of each show know that you are auditioning for other shows.

Concert Serie Auditions

Next weekend, March 13 and 14, Circle Theatre will be auditing for its concert series. So even if attendees are auditioning for one show, they will be auditioning for all of the Directors of the concerts. Those auditioning for a concert you will be required to bring two contrasting pieces of music, with 16-32 bars of each, along with sheet music. An accompanist is provided, so singing a cappella or with a music track is not allowed. Those who play an instrument are permitted to accompany themselves. The deadline to sign up for the concert series auditions is Wednesday, March 12.

For more information about auditioning, visit the Circle Theatre website, circletheathre.org. The auditions information is under the “Get Involved” tab. 

Circle Theatre’s 2020 season will leave audiences laughing

By Ashlee Lambart
Circle Theatre


Circle Theatre’s 2020 Main Stage season will entertain audiences with a season of throwbacks, belly laughs, and iconic productions. The newly announced season will launch with Circle Theatre’s Season Kickoff Event, American Graffiti In Concert on April 19 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Aquinas College. The one night only fundraising event will include a silent auction, costume contest, dance contest, and more.

2020 celebrates Circle’s 68th year of producing plays and musicals for West Michigan audiences. Upcoming 2020 Main Stage productions include:

Disaster! (musical): Earthquakes, tidal waves, infernos and the unforgettable songs of the ’70s take center stage in Broadway’s side-splitting homage to classic disaster films. What begins as a night of boogie fever quickly changes to panic as the ship succumbs to multiple disasters. As the night turns into day, everyone struggles to survive and, quite possibly, repair the love that they’ve lost… or at least escape the killer rats. Musical by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick. This new Broadway show runs May 7-9, 13-16, and 20-23 at 7:30 p.m. and May 17 at 5 p.m.

Moon Over Buffalo (play): In the madcap comedy tradition of Lend Me a Tenor, the hilarious Moon Over Buffalo centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950s, who are on tour in Buffalo with a repertory consisting of Cyrano de and Noel Coward’s Private Lives, when they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee! Unfortunately for George and Charlotte, everything that could go wrong does. Play by author Ken Ludwig. Moon Over Buffalo runs June 4-6, 10- 13, and 17-20 at 7:30 p.m. and June 14 at 5 p.m.

Always… Patsy Cline (musical): Always…Patsy Cline, based on the true story of country superstar Patsy Cline’s friendship with Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk in 1961, and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death, is more than a tribute to the legendary country singer, it’s the journey of friendship and strength of two women through some of Cline’s most unforgettable hits. Musical created and originally directed by Ted Swindley. Always… Patsy Cline runs July 16-18, 22-25, and July 29-Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and July 26 at 5 p.m.

Noises Off (play): Called “the funniest farce ever written,” Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play. Play by Michael Frayn. This hilarious play takes the Circle stage Aug. 13-15, 19-22, and 26-29 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 23 at 5 p.m.

HAIR (musical): This American tribal love-rock musical celebrates the ‘60s counterculture in all its barefoot, long-haired, bell-bottomed, beaded and fringed glory while exploring the ideas of identity, community, global responsibility and peace. HAIR remains as relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world. Book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado. Music by Galt MacDermot. This toe-tapping musical runs Sept. 10-12, 16-19, and 23-26 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 20 at 5:00pm.

2019 Magic Circle | Goldilocks and the Three Pigs (family play): Goldilocks and the three… PIGS?! The action in this playful romp finds Goldilocks and the three Chop brothers, with help from the Squeal sisters, hiding from the witch who’s chasing them. Toss into this hilarious fractured fairy tale the Big Bad Wolf, his French weasel friend Oui Oui, and two very different witches, then mix in a classic chase scene and a little bit of a moral and watch the mayhem that ensues! Play by Larry Damico. Catch Goldilocks and the Three Pigs on the Circle stage June 29 at 7 p.m., June 30 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and July 1 at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 7 p.m.. Magic Circle Party will be June 29 at 5:30 p.m.

Circle’s unique and diverse Summer Concert Series performances include Hits of the ‘80s: Vol. 2 (May 11, July 20, September 14), Hello Sunshine: Songs of Summer (June 15, August 24), ABC: Boy Band Evolution (June 8, August 17), and Freebird: Classic Rock of the ‘70s(May 18, July 27, September 21). All performances will be held at Circle Theatre, located at the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Aquinas College, on select Monday evenings throughout the summer.

Season Flex Passes and Concert Bundles for the 2020 season give patrons the best value for purchasing multiple tickets while also allowing for flexibility when plans change. Flex Passes and Concert Bundles are now available for purchase! For more season details, ticket packages, and audition information please call the box office at 616-456-6656 or visit Circle’s website at circletheatre.org.