CHICAGO ( October 20, 2014 ) — Anyone can be a star — for a price! The annual Chicago Casting Auction is a unique opportunity for non-professionals to experience the thrill of being on stage in a professionally produced Chicago stage production. Bailiwick Chicago will be auctioning off over 40 roles for this season's musical production, Wonderful Town, on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at this year's new venue, Michelle's Ballroom, 2800 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. THE CHICAGO CASTING AUCTION will also feature live entertainment, a silent auction, delectable hors d'oeuvres, an open bar with signature cocktails and a professional photo booth to ham it up!
Doors open at 5:45 pm and the Live Auction begins at 7 pm. Tickets for the Live Auction, priced at $75, are available at www.castingauction.com .
The Auction:
At the Live Auction, a professional auctioneer starts the bidding for leading roles and major supporting roles. Anyone can make an opening bid, either for themselves or on behalf of someone else. Once all the contenders for a given role are onstage, the bidding begins! Friends, family and supporters bid to win the role for their contestant of choice! Be advised, contenders are often egged on by the crowd to show off their talents — resulting in the ultimate talent show! Supporting roles, chorus roles and prize packages are bid on in a silent auction throughout the night.
Online Fundraising:
The Sponsor Drive is a unique opportunity for contenders to maximize their chances of winning a role at the Live Auction Event. After signing up online at www.castingauction.com, contenders receive a free person fundraising page where they can raise money in advance from family, friends and colleagues ( a $250 credit is awarded to anyone who raises $500 or more ). The funds raised are used for bidding at the Live Auction— the ultimate edge!
The Production:
After casting is complete and five weeks of rehearsals, all the fun culminates in a public production of the musical classic Wonderful Town directed by Company Member Varris Holmes with music direction by Kyle Pollio and choreography by Company Member Jon Martinez. Wonderful Town will be presented February 24 — 28, 2015 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets for Wonderful Town go on sale Thursday, January 15 at castingauction.com .
With music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and book by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, Wonderful Town debuted on Broadway in 1953, winning five Tony Awards including Best Musical with a Tony-nominated revival in 2003. Wonderful Town tells the story of two sisters from Ohio who come to New York to make their fortunes: Ruth, the older, wisecracking one in writing and journalism, and Eileen, the younger, beautiful one in show business. Their subsequent adventures, which include dive apartment-dwelling on Christopher Street, involve the various wacky denizens and citizens of bohemian Greenwich Village they encounter while on their search for fortune, fame and romance in the big city.
Last year's CHICAGO CASTING AUCTION, which culminated in a sold-out public run of The Drowsy Chaperone, raised over $60,000 to support Bailiwick Chicago programming.
Bailiwick Chicago is a non-profit professional company with a mission to produce contemporary musicals and plays, reinvent classic musicals and develop new work, while sharing a powerful, intimate theatrical experience. The company celebrates and engages our community through diverse programming, artistic partnerships and outreach opportunities. In its first four seasons Bailiwick Chicago has garnered 65 award nominations, including eight Non-Equity Jeff Award Nominations in its 2013-14 Season. For additional information, visit bailiwickchicago.com .
Bailiwick Chicago Staff:
Lili-Anne Brown —Artistic Director
Kate Garassino — Executive Director
Geoff Bleeker — Producing Director
Eric Martin — Creative Director
Jon Martinez — Administrative Coordinator
