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By Vivien Schweitzer
20 Oct 2006
Lyric Opera of Chicago is seeking "street-fightin' men" for their production of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet, directed by Ian Judge, which opens November 20.
The company needs eight male actors in top physical condition with "extensive hand-to-hand stage combat experience" to play members of the Montague and Capulet clans. Auditions will be held for those in the fighting spirit tomorrow (Sat., October 21).
Additional auditions will be held on Monday, October 23 for three supernumerary roles: a "corporate big-business type" to play Lord Montague, a "small, birdlike" woman to play Lady Montague, and someone with "access to large emotions" to play Lady Capulet.
Judge's production (originally done at Los Angeles Opera) is set in a wealthy mid-19th-century milieu — "because that's what I hear," says the English director. "It's absolutely faithful to the music, which is intensely Victorian, and has a big ballroom sweep."
"Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is NOT a tragedy, it's a comedy that goes wrong," Judge declares. "It's all bad luck. Actually, if you play the vitality, the comedy and the fun of this relationship, plus the joy of youth, then it's even more poignant."
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| A street-fighting scene from Ian Judge's production of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet at Los Angeles Opera.
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| photo by Robert Millard |
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