MCAC sets tryouts for summer musical

Madison County Arts Council will hold auditions May 13-14 for this summer’s musical, “Carousel.” Last summer’s production of “Anything Goes” was a huge success and included: (from left) Doug Dennowitz, Kyle Scott and Debbie Cochran.

At fairs and carnivals, the musical carousel is one of the most attractive features—a merry-go-round with colorfully-painted ponies bounding up-and-down to calliope tunes.

The Madison County Arts Council (MCAC) invites people to jump aboard this summer as they announce auditions for the famed Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Carousel.” The musical will take place July 25-27 at Jonathan Alder High School. All rehearsals will take place at the school, as well.

Last summer, the Arts Council enjoyed success with “Anything Goes.”

Auditions will be May 13 at Jonathan Alder High School and May 14 at London Presbyterian Church (Garfield Avenue). Each night, auditions begin at 7 p.m. People are asked to arrive at 6:30 p.m. to fill out the audition form. It can also be completed ahead of time; the form is available online at http://mcaconline.org (click on “Documents”).

Those who audition should be prepared to sing 16 bars of a song without accompaniment. They should wear comfortable clothes for a small dance audition. Those interested in speaking parts will have an opportunity to read from the script.

“Carousel” revolves around a romance between mill girl Julie Jordan and carnival barker Billy Bigelow. Through Billy’s struggles in life, Julie continues to love him. Conversely, Julie’s friend Carrie finds romance with kindly fisherman Enoch Snow. When it is discovered that Julie is going to have a baby, Billy turns to a life of crime to get money to support his family—ultimately resulting in his untimely death. In Heaven, Billy is given one more opportunity to return to Earth to try to make things right.

“Carousel” is known for a variety of songs, including the campy “June is Bustin’ Out All Over” and the sentimental “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”