Possums to hold ‘Something Rotten’ auditions July 22-23

Possum Point Players Stage Director Jim Hartzell, Music Director Diane Trautman and Choreographer Bliss Soucek will conduct auditions for the musical comedy, “Something Rotten,” at 7 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, July 22 and 23, in the theater at Possum Hall, 441 Old Laurel Highway, Georgetown.

Show dates are Friday to Sunday, Sept. 27 to 29, and Oct. 4 to 6.

Hartzell plans to have about 25 cast members whose playing age is mid- to late teens and up. “Playing age is the age range which someone could realistically pass for onstage,” said Hartzell. “A lot of actors could conceivably play the role of someone either older or younger than their actual age.”

Those auditioning must prepare a vocal selection of 16 to 24 measures maximum, with either sheet music for the accompanist or prerecorded accompaniment without vocals. Auditions will also include readings from the script and some basic dance movements. The cast requires people ready and willing to learn some basic tap dancing. A few roles call for a little more advanced tap skills. Anyone who cannot make the audition dates or who would like to work in an offstage position should email Jim Hartzell at jimpsu2022@gmail.com.

“Something Rotten” is a musical comedy that premiered on Broadway in 2015. Two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, are trying to write a hit play in 1590s Elizabethan London. They struggle to find success in the theater world while competing with the popularity of their contemporary, William Shakespeare. The musical is a mashup of 16th-century Shakespeare and 21st-century Broadway, featuring large song and dance numbers, bold costumes and offstage antics. It also includes a variety of musical styles such as funk, rock, pop and jazz, and often makes fun of classic tropes from both Shakespeare's work and classic American musicals.

For more information,  go to possumpointplayers.org.