Donna Dupras (say “Do Pray”) is a critically-acclaimed and classically trained vocalist who possesses a prowess and energy that will take your breath away. Currently performing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in the Seattle, WA area, Donna has spent a lifetime warming hearts with her angelic voice.
Imagine holding a brand new piece of clay in your hands. What will you do with it? Have you ever created anything from nothing before? Where do you start? This is how Amanda and I felt about two days after accepting the responsibility of producing Matilda, the Musical.
While both Amanda and I have been active board members for META, and I was fortunate to have been the musical director for West Side Story this past winter, taking on the responsibilities of producing came with many new and unforeseen challenges.
We were now responsible for the overall financial and managerial functions of the production. Including but not limited to securing the beautiful and historic Lincoln Theatre, raising financial backing, procuring the rights, hiring personnel for creative positions (director, musical director, choreographer, set and lighting designers, stage manager, orchestra, costumer, makeup artist, and last but not least, our cast).
Once our creative team was set and rehearsals were underway, just like the ball of clay, we started to see progress. Some things came easier than others did, but nonetheless, our clay was starting to take shape.
We auditioned nearly 90 amazing young performers and after long deliberation ended up with a cast of 48. The majority of them under the age of 16. They barely knew each other but it didn’t take long for them to see that “Even If You’re Little, You Can Do a Lot”
We would like to thank Joe Bowen and Peter Wheeler for their expert advice along the way. Their help has been invaluable to us as we sculpted our piece of clay into a beautiful piece of magic.
We simply cannot thank TJ Fantini and Glynna Goff enough for infusing our cast with their beautiful spirit, years of experience, and an overall love for molding the mind of the young performers of Skagit Valley. They are talented, driven, and care deeply for this cast.
We the Producers, are proud to count ourselves among this special group of creative talent. It is easy to see how much love everyone has put into creating such a beautiful show for you our viewing audience. Thank you for being a part of our story and for helping us continue the mission of META Performing Arts.
“You seemed so far away," Miss Honey whispered, awestruck.
"Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings," Matilda said. "It was wonderful.”
~Roald Dahl
The story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical is the captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. With book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda has won 47 international awards and continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages around the world.
Auditions for parts can be somewhat unnerving, and oftentimes the anticipation of such an event can be the most debilitating part of it all and worse than the event itself! FEAR= "Future Events Appearing Real".
Once you get through it, you can breathe a sigh of relief and say "Well... that was easy!" or you can begin the post-mortem process of deconstructing the flaws and wishing you'd "just spent a little more time on that one part". The moral of the story is that *if* you go in well-prepared, you will be more relaxed and comfortable and have a much better experience than if you do not.
Here are a few pointers to get you started on the road to nailing your part and getting the callbacks. There are no shortcuts to being exceptional in your chosen endeavor, but there's a few simple "Do's and Dont's" that can clear the road and allow you to stay on course.