Want to improve your musical theatre audition skills? Chandler Center for the Arts and Showtune Productions are hosting a free musical theatre audition workshop on Monday, July 27, from 6:00 p.m to 9:30 p.m. at the Chandler Community Center.
Designed for adults ages 18 and older, the workshop will be led by Showtune Productions Artistic Director Seth Reines and Producer/Musical Director JR McAlexander. Participants will gain practical tips for professional musical theatre auditions, including song selection, performance techniques, audition etiquette, attire, and resume and headshot preparation.
Those who would like to perform should prepare 32 bars of a Broadway classic or a song from Fiddler on the Roof and bring sheet music or iPad music in the correct key. Piano accompaniment will be provided.
A professional photographer will also be available to take free theatrical headshots. Participants who would like feedback on their current resume or headshot are encouraged to bring them for review.
Leading the Workshop
Seth Reines
For many years, he served as the Director of the BFA/MFA Musical Theatre Program at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He was also the Artistic Producer of Little Theatre on the Square, Illinois' oldest Equity Stock Company, for 25 years. Additionally, he worked with Broadway Palm West and Prather Entertainment Group for 10 years. He is a member of the Society for Directors and Choreographers and Actors' Equity.
Over the course of his career, he has staged more than 500 productions for both stage and television, including national tours of All Shook Up, The Wedding Singer, South Pacific and the tenth-anniversary tour of "Sunday in the Park with George." He has collaborated with notable talents such as Sierra Boggess, Emily Loesser, Tom Wopat, Chita Rivera, and Angela Lansbury.
He has also served as the Artistic Director for multiple theaters, including Utah Musical Theatre in Ogden, UT; Promise Valley Playhouse in Salt Lake City; Waldo Astoria; and Tiffany's Attic Playhouses in Kansas City.
JR McAlexander
JR is the owner of Showtune Productions and has an impressive 40-year career in professional theatre. He has served as a musical supervisor, music director, pianist, orchestrator, and arranger, and has music directed over 400 productions across the United States and Canada. His experience includes working on Broadway National Tours of Sunday in the Park with George, All Shook Up, The Wedding Singer, Anything Goes, Footloose, and Beehive: The Musical.
Throughout his career, JR has collaborated with many notable stars, including Donald O'Connor, Gloria Loring, Gloria DeHaven, Van Johnson, and Ken Page, in addition to various West End and Broadway performers. He was the music supervisor for Prather Entertainment Group’s five theaters and national touring company for 20 years.
JR has also served as musical director for several prestigious theaters, including The Guthrie in Minneapolis, Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, The Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, PA, Cumberland County Playhouse in Tennessee, Galveston Island Opera House, Fireside Playhouse in Wisconsin, Little Theatre on the Square, Circa ’21 Playhouse in Illinois, and Arizona Broadway Theatre. Additionally, he has worked as a music director and vocal coach at the UA Musical Theatre School in Tucson.