A Choral Musical of the Michigan Festival

You can probably imagine the flurry of activities we are engaged in this week as we enter the final stretch for preparing for our production: Wanting the Music: A Choral Musical of the Michigan Festival.

We’ve got singers, actors, musicians, choral directors, composers, arrangers, writers, production staff, tech crew, lighting and sound designers, artists, a makeup designer, carpenters, media team members, house staff, and even a tumbler! A world made by women.

According to predictions, it looks like the weather will cooperate and be a fairly mild wintry weekend on January 28 and 29 in Chicago. Hope so!

At last count, we’re expecting audience members from 12 states and we can’t wait to see them all. Buy your tickets online today or at the door.

See you in January

Join us this winter for a musical memory of Michigan!

Combining original songs and book with choral versions of songs from beloved Michigan artists, Wanting the Music will transport you back to the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. Performing two days on January 28 and 29, 2017, this theatrical experience will include a craftswomen area and audience participation.

We’ve already sold tickets to people across the Midwest. Get your tickets today for this unique performance: http://artemiswantingthemusic.bpt.me/

Artemis Singers is Chicago’s Lesbian Feminist Chorus. Performing only music written or arranged by women since our founding in 1980.

For complete details on the show, click here.

Wanting the Music – Audition Information

Wanting the Music – a Choral Musical of the Michigan Festival is a new musical based on the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, which took place in the woods of Michigan from 1976-2015. In this musical we follow the lives of 2 lesbians who see each other at the festival over the course of the many years. The chorus will sing songs that were sung at Michigan, while the actors will live through some of our Midwest lesbian herstory.

Performances will be Saturday January 28 and Sunday January 29, 2017

Characters and requirements:

Linda, female, must play early 20s – late 50s. 2 solos, 1 duet, mezzo soprano, folk style (possibly can divide to 2 actors, 1 20s-30s, 1 40s-50s).

Sandy, female, must play early 20s – late 50s, butch in appearance. 1 solo, 1 duet, mezzo soprano, folk style (possibly can divide to 2 actors, 1 20s-30s, 1 40s-50s).

Summer, Linda’s daughter, female, must play teen – mid-30s, femme in appearance. 1 duet, musical theater style.

Ashley, Summer’s girlfriend, female, 20s – 30s. 1 duet, musical theater style.

Kali, Summer and Ashley’s daughter, 9 yrs old. 1 solo.

Jennifer, Sandy’s girlfriend, female, 30s – 50s.

6 chorus members will also have small speaking roles.

Send an email to ledwalds@hotmail.com to let us know you if you wish to audition. You’ll be asked to bring a resume of your acting experience. Prepare a 1-2 minute monologue in the voice of a woman in her 20s (let us know if you need a monologue). Also prepare one of the following songs:

• Cris Williamson’s Song of the Soul

• Holly Near’s I Am Willing

• Pat Humphries’ Never Turning Back

• Russell, Willis & Bray, What About Love (from the musical “The Color Purple”)

Auditions will include reading from the script.

Rehearsals for actors will start in October. More frequent rehearsals will be required in January, and there’s a full week of tech, dress rehearsals and performances January 23-29.

If you’d like to join as a chorus member, we’d love to have you. Find information about joining Artemis Singers here.

Actors will not be paid in money but will be showered with love and respect!

Stay up to date on the Musical! Join our mailing list specifically for information on the musical by clicking here.

View the main page about the musical.