Podcast: Audition no-shows and corny corn puns

Director Kelly Van Oosbree guest-hosts, plus an interview with ‘Shucked’ actor Ryan Fitzgerald and the Top 10 Colorado Headliners.

What’s the big deal if actors don’t show up for an audition slot? Plenty, says Kelly Van Oosbree, who joins hosts Toni Tresca and Alex Miller to talk about that and all she’s up to with shows at the Aurora Fox and Platte Valley Theatre Arts as well as her new role as artistic director at Performance Now Theatre Company.

Kelly Van Oosbree

Later in the episode, Alex catches up with actor Ryan Fitzgerald — a graduate of the Denver School for the Arts now in the touring Broadway production of the musical comedy Shucked. After getting his start at Jester’s Dinner Theatre in Longmont, Fitzgerald has been on the road for years, with an international tour of West Side Story and this tour of Shucked, which plays at the Denver Center Oct. 7-19 and ends next June in Las Vegas.

Also in the episode we run down our list of the Top 10 Colorado Headliners — upcoming shows that might be worth checking out. This week’s list, in no particular order:

• First Date, Vintage Theatre, Aurora, Sept. 29-Oct. 23
• The Vampire of Cripple Creek, The Butte Theater, Cripple Creek, Oct. 3-Nov. 2
• A Fine Monster You Are, Impossible Players, Pueblo, Oct. 3-18
• A Case for Black Girls Setting Central Park on Fire, Local Theater Company, Boulder, Oct. 2-25
• The Pumpkin Kid, Ballyhoo Table & Stage, Denver, Oct. 4-25
• Misery, Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts, Oct. 3-12

• Dracula, Colorado Ballet, Denver, Oct. 3-12
• Hamlet, Merely Players, Durango, Oct. 3-12
• Alabama Story, Firehouse Theater at John Hand Theater, Denver, Sept. 27-Oct. 26.
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Denver Center Theatre Company, Oct. 3-Nov. 2

Chapter Summary

Shows Reviewed

Alex Miller’s Reviews:

• Mr. Burns at Bas Bleu in Fort Collins – A “gloriously weird” post-apocalyptic play based in part on The Simpsons. Miller praised the creative staging and called it perfect for the venue.
• The Happiest Man on Earth at Denver Center – A one-person Holocaust survivor story performed by Kenneth Tigar. Well-executed but not breaking new ground in the genre.

Toni Tresca’s Reviews:

• Jebediah Blackstone at Clayton campus – A hip-hop Western by Jeff Campbell’s Emancipation Theater about Clara Brown and Black history in Central City. Some audio clarity issues due to the echoey space.
• Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill at Arvada Center – Strong scenic design by Brian Mallgrave, though the lead performance’s portrayal of intoxication sometimes affected clarity.
• Alabama Story at Firehouse Theater – A timely drama about book censorship during the civil rights movement. Strong direction by Melissa Lucero-McCarl with effective staging.

Guest Interview: Kelly Van Oosbree

New Roles:

• Recently announced as artistic director of Performance Now (where she started directing in 2006)
• Continues as artistic director at Platte Valley Theatre Arts
• Currently directing Schoolhouse Rock Live at Aurora Fox (just opened)

No-Show Problem Discussion: Van Oosbree sparked conversation with a Facebook post about 32% no-show rate at recent auditions (12 out of 38 people). Key points:

• One auditioner no-showed the final slot without leaving contact info; production team waited 45 minutes
• This is an industry-wide problem affecting not just theater but dating, employment, etc.
• Possible solutions: removing self-service sign-ups, requiring video auditions as screening tool, better data tracking
• Van Oosbree emphasized the importance of being a “full yes” – treating commitments seriously as a life lesson

Upcoming Projects:

• Frankenstein (Nick Dear adaptation) at Platte Valley – Opens October 10th
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (free TYA production) – November 1st and 3rd
• Hedwig remount at Ballyhoo Table & Stage
• Mary Poppins at Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center (directing only, not choreographing)
• The Tomato Plant Girl at Parker’s Schoolhouse Theater – December
• The Big Read project focusing on Japanese American incarceration, featuring Hold These Truths – Starting November (funded by National Endowment for the Arts grant)

Guest Interview: Ryan Fitzgerald, ensemble member in toouring Broadway production of the musical comedy Shucked – at the Denver Center Oct. 7-19

Background:

• Colorado native from Longmont
• Got his start at Jester’s Dinner Theater after seeing Fame
• Attended Denver School of the Arts
• Currently in the national tour of Shucked through next June

Tour Life:

• Tour started in Providence, Rhode Island a year ago
• Performs in the ensemble and understudies two lead roles
• Travel varies: bus for shorter distances, plane for longer routes
• One-week runs are grueling: arrive Monday (rest day), work Tuesday-Sunday with two-show days on weekends
• Brings a collapsible bicycle (25 lbs) in checked luggage to explore cities
• Cooks his own meals in Air BnBs to maintain sanity and health
• Largest venue: Fox Theater in Atlanta (4,700+ seats) where he went on as the lead

About Shucked:

• Coming to Denver Center Buell Theater October 7-19