Arts & Entertainment

'Music Man' Summer Camp Auditions Scheduled in March

Broadway Comes to Camp! will combine the production of a musical with the fun of summer camp.

Royce Chandler and his wife, Hope Chandler, have come up with a new kind of program, and they hope to share it with families this summer.

In August, the pair will combine the fun of summer camp with the production of a Broadway musical. And they’ll do it in just nine days.

Broadway Comes to Camp! will be hosted Aug. 10-18 by The Chandler Family Corp. for the Fine Arts, a non-profit group created specifically to produce this camp. The Chandlers head the organization. Royce Chandler is a former drama director and admissions director at . He also directed the college’s summer camp for many years. Hope Chandler teaches French and English at Florida College. The couple met at the college and married in 1968.

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“Our goal is to produce, in a camp setting, ‘The Music Man,’” Royce Chandler said. “We want all Temple Terrace to know about the auditions for the show on the Florida College campus on March 24 and 25.”

Patch Editor Ashley Reams talked to Royce Chandler to get more information about the auditions and the camp.

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Temple Terrace Patch: Why do you want to offer a summer camp?

Royce Chandler: We have twenty years experience as camp directors and I was drama director at Florida College for eleven years, but we have not been active in those areas for several years due to responsibilities with parents and other distractions. Now we want to combine those two experiences to provide an opportunity for young people and adults who love drama and for those who always wanted to be in a Broadway show but did not have a venue for it.

Temple Terrace Patch: Why did you choose “The Music Man” as your first production?

Chandler: It has a lot of roles for both young people and adults, is well known, the songs are catchy, and it’s a great show to begin with to introduce people of all ages to the fun of both summer camp and producing a hit show.

Temple Terrace Patch: When and where will the camp take place? Is there a cost to participate?

Chandler: The camp will be at the A.C.A. Camp Geneva in Fruitland Park, just outside Leesburg. Participants will stay in dorms on the site, eat all meals there, and live and breathe rehearsals all day for 8 days. The cost for the 9-day camp is $360 per cast member. That’s a great price for a 9-day camp.

Temple Terrace Patch: Tell me about the auditions. Who is eligible to audition? Where, when and what time will auditions be held?

Chandler: Auditions will be held on the Florida College campus in Puckett Auditorium on Saturday, March 24, and Sunday afternoon, March 25.

Saturday, March 24, 2012
1:00 - 2:00 PM | Auditions for youth roles (Winthrop, Amaryllis, and youth chorus members)
2:00 - 3:00 PM | Auditions for chorus and minor roles (townspeople, Gracie, Constable, Charlie, Pick-a-little ladies)
3:00 - 4:30 PM | Auditions for principal roles
Sunday, March 25, 2012
2:00 - 3:00 PM | chorus and minor roles
3:00 - 4:00 PM | principal roles

Anyone ages ten and up can audition; that includes adults of all ages. For those who cannot be on the Florida College campus on those dates, an audition can be arranged via Skype by writing to me at broadwaycomestocamp@gmail.com.

Temple Terrace Patch: What will happen after the auditions? What will those who get parts in the show be required to do?

Chandler: Shortly after auditions the cast list will be posted on our website and scripts and librettos send to those who need them. All cast members will be required to have all lines and songs learned by the time they come to camp on Friday morning, August 10.

Temple Terrace Patch: When and where are performances scheduled?

Chandler: We plan three performances in the auditorium at A.C.A. Camp Geneva:

August 17 at 7:00 p.m.

August 18 at 9:30 a.m. and another that afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

Temple Terrace Patch: What else should the community know about the auditions or the camp?

Chandler: All details can be found on our website: broadwaycomestocamp.com, including some valuable audition tips, a brief description of the show characters and their vocal ranges, and a good description of what each camper can expect during the week. We would love for the community to spread the word and to come audition for a part. This would be a great experience for families to do together! Anyone with questions can call me at 813-784-8387 or email me at broadwaycomestocamp@gmail.com.


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