news

A New Stage for KW Musical Productions!

Many of you may have noticed the recent media coverage about the Centre In The Square. Over the last two years the Centre In The Square has gone through substantial organizational changes in order to streamline their business, including increasing their rental rates for community groups. With so much competition for entertainment dollars in Waterloo Region, the Centre In The Square faces the same financial challenges as most not-for-profit arts organizations in the country. We have encountered many of the same hurdles and can appreciate their situation.

KWMP has produced musicals at the Centre In The Square since 1980. Over the last five years, our sales for shows at that venue have declined substantially due to the rising costs and the number of seats in the theatre that must be sold in order to reach our budget threshold. After disappointing sales for Anne of Green Gables last fall, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision not to renew our annual contract. We are extremely proud of our 34 years at this world class venue, but we must be financially prudent in order to preserve the legacy of our organization.

Over the last few months, the Board of Directors has diligently explored other venue options. It is with great excitement that we formally announce our plan for the coming Season. As many of you know, rehearsals have already begun for The Drowsy Chaperone which will be produced at The Registry Theatre from November 6 to 15, 2014. We are very excited that longtime performer Eric Da Costa will step behind-the-scenes to direct this fun-filled comedic production. Eric was part of our mentorship program as the Assistant Director for Anne of Green Gables last fall. It’s exciting to see him take the next step and be at the helm of a production.

Earlier this year, we had the great fortune of returning to the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse after a seven year hiatus. Our production of The Full Monty, staged in February, was a bit of an experiment to see if we could produce larger scale musicals in this venue. The Full Monty was a critical and financial success paving the way for a new vision for KWMP.

Our major musical for the coming Season will be Bye Bye Birdie presented at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse from February 12 to 21, 2015. We anticipate a cast size of around 40-50 people, so although our big musical will not be quite as large as it was at the Centre In The Square, there will still be plenty of cast and crew positions available for aspiring artists on stage and off. David Atkins and Michael Brown will return as Director and Music Director, and Christine Watson, who choreographed The Full Monty will join their ranks as Choreographer.

This season was full of new projects – we undertook our first fundraiser in May and it was a rousing success both artistically and financially. We have decided to make this an annual event and look forward to the return of Broadway Our Way next spring, which will be extended over two weekends from May 21-30, 2015. We will produce the fundraiser at our building on Shaftsbury Avenue – this is the first time we will have produced a show in our own space and we look forward to that exciting challenge. Please watch for our call for volunteers in early 2015.

We know that change can be unsettling, but we want to assure you that the organization you know and love will continue to produce high quality musical theatre and provide opportunities for the community to be involved at all levels. The big bonus here is the reduction in ticket prices – you’ll notice that all our shows are now under $40 before tax. We are thrilled that our musicals are more affordable than ever.

The Board of Directors is confident that the changes to the venues and structure of our Season will maintain the vitality of our community theatre organization for generations to come.  In closing, we invite you to become a member and reconnect with the KWMP family. Whether you were involved last season, or haven’t been a member for years, we want you to be part of the 2014/2015 Season. KWMP is built by and for the membership. Email us at info@kwmp.ca to renew your membership today.

John Bigelow
President

Call for Volunteers for the Drowsy Chaperone

KWMP is looking for a number of volunteers to help bring its production of The Drowsy Chaperone to life. If you’ve ever wanted to be a part of a KWMP production, or are wondering what happens behind the scenes to make these shows happen, this is your opportunity! This is also a great opportunity for High School students looking to complete their volunteer hours.

See the volunteer positions PDF for details on all the volunteer positions we have available.

Book Your Audition for the Drowsy Chaperone!

CALL for AUDITIONS for KWMP’s The Drowsy Chaperone, on stage at the Registry Theatre November 6-15

General Information

• Auditions will be held July 7, 8, and 9 evenings
• Callbacks will be held July 10 in the evening
• All auditions and callbacks will take place at the KWMP Rehearsal Hall, 14 Shaftsbury Dr, Kitchener
• Auditions are open to anyone aged 17 and older
• Auditions can be booked at appointment.com/kwmp
• Character breakdowns can be found here: CastingBreakdown-TheDrowsyChaperone

Audition Requirements

• Please fill out and print this audition form to bring to your audition. Please bring a head and shoulders photo to attach to your audition form
• Please come prepared with 16-32 bars of two contrasting musical theatre pieces, one being in the style of the show (but not from the show). You may be asked for one or both. You may bring sheet music (a pianist will be present) or an MP3 of the instrumental music to accompany you. You may bring an accompanist if you so choose
• Movement/dance will be a component of the callbacks
• Lead roles, then named roles, then ensemble will be notified within three days. All auditionees should be notified by July 15th

Video Auditions

• Video auditions will be accepted from those who are unable to attend one of the audition evenings, but must be received before July 7. A video should include both styles of songs and evidence of movement/dance ability (YouTube links are acceptable). Please send to auditions@kwmp.ca; include the completed audition form and a digital photo in your email

Cast Requirements

• Cast are expected to learn parts before September 4 (subject to change). Costumes and sets may begin in intervening months. Individual and/or group dance , and/or vocal rehearsals may occur over summer at the discretion and availability of cast and Directors
• All cast will be required to purchase a membership ($25), a script ($10) and provide a $50 cheque as deposit toward production hours (refunded on completion of 10 hours)

Important Production Dates and Times

• Rehearsals: begin September 4th and run Thursdays from 6:30pm to 10pm, and Sundays from 1pm to 10pm (optional Wednesdays if needed for choreography or leads dependent on availability of space and at discretion of directors)
• Load in/ set-up at The Registry Theatre: Nov 2
• Tech/dress: Nov 3, 4, 5
• Performances: November 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15 (Matinee), 15

Book your audition now!

Now Accepting Creative Team Applications for The Drowsy Chaperone and Bye Bye Birdie

KWMP is now accepting applications for the creative teams for their next two shows: The Drowsy Chaperone and Bye Bye Birdie. All applications must be received by May 10, 2014. Audition information will be posted at a later date.

• Click here for information on Drowsy Chaperone creative team applications
• Click here for information on Bye Bye Birdie creative team applications

A breakdown of responsibilities for the various creative team positions can be found at this link: Creative Team Descriptions

Broadway Our Way: A Cabaret Fundraiser

Join us as we celebrate KWMP’s 65-year history and look towards a bright future! Enjoy performances of some of the biggest Broadway hits as well as some undiscovered gems by contemporary composers. This event includes live entertainment, cash bar, silent auction, and door prizes… all in support of KW Musical Productions, Waterloo Region’s premiere community theatre company and one-of-a-kind training ground for aspiring performers. Buy your tickets here.

KWMP’s Annual Dinner Dance

Members of KW Musical Productions are invited to attend the Annual Dinner Dance Saturday April 5th at the Walper Terrace Hotel. Attend on your own or bring a guest and enjoy a great meal with friends along with a few surprises. Cash bar.

To buy tickets you will need the code: 65Years. Buy your tickets here.

Advertising Rates and Sponsorships for The Full Monty

Broadway’s smash-hit comedy The Full Monty is coming this February to Waterloo Region! More information on the production can be found here.

Advertising

Tickets On Sale for The Full Monty

Tickets are now on sale for KWMP’s production of The Full Monty, coming this February to the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse.

Audience Advisory
Please note this production contains explicit language and content. Recommended for audiences 13+.

Dates
February 13-22, 2014

Location
St. Jacobs Country Playhouse
40 Benjamin Rd. E.,
Waterloo, ON N2V 2J9

Prices
All tickets are $35 plus HST. Groups of 20 or more can buy tickets at a rate of $30 per ticket plus HST.

Buy Tickets

Book Your Audition for The Full Monty

KW Musical Productions is now accepting audition bookings for the cast of The Full Monty. Full details can be found in the attached PDFs.

Full Monty audition information can be found here.

Character descriptions and role breakdowns can be found here.

Click here to book your audition.

Update November 22:

Due to a number of questions regarding the music component of the audition, please see the following:

Please prepare two songs – one rock/contemporary (e.g. of the style of The Wedding Singer, RENT, or Little Shop of Horrors), and one of a contrasting lyrical style. You may only be asked to sing one.

An accompanist will be present at auditions so please bring printed music, but you may bring your own accompanist, or bring an MP3 or iPod with music only, no lyrics. A sound system is available for connection.

For males at callbacks: be familiar with the song “Man”.
For Horse at callbacks: “Big Black Man”
Women at callbacks: be familiar with the song “It’s a woman’s World”

KWMP Announces “The Full Monty” As Their Next Show

KWMP is proud to present The Full Monty February 13-15 and 19-22. We are now accepting applications for all Creative Team positions. Required positions, job descriptions and important dates can be found in the Full Monty Creative Team posting (PDF). Applications for Creative Team positions are to be emailed to auditions@kwmp.ca and are due November 1. Successful candidates will be notified by November 7.

Auditions for The Full Monty will take place December 6, 7 & 8. More details about auditions, including how to sign up, will be posted after the selection of the Creative Team.