Blog Stage - Acting in Film, TV, Theatre - Backstage

New York Auditions at a Glance – March 8-16

The following "Auditions at a Glance" calendar conveniently organizes projects by the date and day-of-the-week that the projects' auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your plans.

Click on any of the following links to see the casting and job notices related to the dates and project titles highlighted below.

Regional Auditions at a Glance – March 8-16

The following "Auditions at a Glance" calendar conveniently organizes projects by the date and day-of-the-week that the projects' auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your plans.

Click on any of the following links to see the casting and job notices related to the dates and project titles highlighted below.

New March 1-7, 2012 Issue of Back Stage, with Jennifer Westfeldt

Pick up the newest issue of Back Stage to read our cover story about 'Friends With Kids' writer-director Jennifer Westfeldt, see the winners of the 2012 Garland Awards, read our profile of actress Jane Alexander, and more! Plus, hundreds of new casting and job notices!

The Bright Side Indeed

A ship-shape touring edition of the ever-zany and utterly delightful Tony-winning musical "Spamalot"  has commenced a very brief run at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, continuing through March 4. 

This tuner, ingeniously adapted by Eric Idle and John Du Prez from the classic comedy film, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail,"  has just about everything lovers of lighthearted musicals hope for-- a fun and tuneful score, a hilarious and well crafted book, a splendid production design brimmng with color and imagination, and a top-notch cast.  All of the ingredients that made the show a huge hit on Broadway are evident in this blissfully entertaining edition.

Standouts in the shimmering  ensemble include Arthur Rowan's sidesplitting turn in the lead role of alternatly noble and daffy King Arthur, the splendid Brittany Woodrow (a belting pop diva extraoridnaire and a drolly funny comedian) as the Lady in the Lake , Michael J. Berry as Arthur's trusty if goofy horse Patsy, and Adam Grabau and Jacob L. Smith in multiple roles. Yet there are no weak links in this talented troupe,  as BT McNicholl deftly recreates the original direction by Mike Nichols with the aid of these brilliant farceurs.  Lovers of musical theater will howl with laughter at the affectionate jabs at many musical classics, ranging from "A Chorus Line" to "West Side Story."

Casey Nicholaw's choregraphy is as witty and polished as ever, and Nolan Bonvouloir's musical direction and conducting are likewise exemplary.  (Steven M. Bishop serves as musical supervisor.) The visual designs are Broadway-calibre all the way. The holy grail of musical entertainment is alive and well in this wonderful production, which should delight Monty Python enthusiasts, and might just convince those who have been resistant to the Python charms to make a conversion.

--Les Spindle

Mac is Back

Entertainer Peter Mac, who we wrote about following watching him perform last September at the Gardenia restaurant-cabaret in West Hollywood, has upped the ante on his local gigs, by becoming the resident performer at a new cabaret venue.

The long-popular French Quarter restaurant in the French Market Place (a dining and shopping facility in WeHo) has created a performing space specifically for Mac.

Each weekend, Mac and/or his special guests offer the special blend of nostalgia and celebrity impersonation that have proven a winning formula for Mac in other engagements in L.A. and elsewhere. He is particularly known for his warm and winning portrayal of the late superstar Judy Garland.

Playing throughout March on Fridays and Saturday nights is “The Songs That Got Away.” What Mac promises is to sing songs that Garland never got to perform, but perhaps should have. We’re told the mix of tunes will be highly eclectic—drawing from ABBA, Disney, Sondheim, and much more. His familiar accompanist and musical director Bryan Miller will also be on hand.

During his engagement last fall, I praised Mac for the unique blend of elements he was offering at that time. He enthralled the crowd as Judy, and then emerged later in the show out of that guise, appearing as Mac, a gifted male singer who mixed songs with moving anecdotes about his upbringing. I plan to catch one of his upcoming appearances in this new venue. He’s a terrific entertainer, and it would be great to support his efforts. The French Quarter is to be commended for creating this new entertainment showcase at a time when cabaret is L.A. is sadly much harder to find than it used to be.

—Les Spindle

Entertainment Industry Opportunities - 2/29/12

Every week Back Stage posts hundreds of casting notices and entertainment-industry opportunities in the BackStage.com Casting/Jobs Database. Check out the following sampling of 43 new notices — performance venues calling for talent, film festivals calling for entries, staff/tech/crew jobs, calls for scripts, casting workshops, competitions, open mikes, and more:

California Auditions at a Glance – March 1-9

The following "Auditions at a Glance" calendar conveniently organizes projects by the date and day-of-the-week that the projects' auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your plans.

Click on any of the following links to see the casting and job notices related to the dates and project titles highlighted below.

New York Auditions at a Glance – March 1-9

The following "Auditions at a Glance" calendar conveniently organizes projects by the date and day-of-the-week that the projects' auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your plans.

Click on any of the following links to see the casting and job notices related to the dates and project titles highlighted below.

Regional Auditions at a Glance – March 1-9

The following "Auditions at a Glance" calendar conveniently organizes projects by the date and day-of-the-week that the projects' auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your plans.

Click on any of the following links to see the casting and job notices related to the dates and project titles highlighted below.

Reality TV Casting Highlights - 2/28/11

Back Stage runs hundreds of casting notices every year for reality television shows, games shows, reality competitions, talk shows, documentaries, commercials, and multimedia projects and events seeking real people, hosts, contestants, and performers. And now with the help of our partner RealityWanted.com, we're pleased to bring you even more reality casting opportunities than ever before.  See below for some of this week's top reality casting calls and auditions.

You can find all of these casting notices and more in the Reality TV category on BackStage.com, at Twitter.com/RealityTVCast, and in Back Stage's new Reality TV Casting iPhone app.