No Square seeking sounds for ‘Music’

TOM TITUS

Laguna Beach’s No Square Theater, having recently satirized its city

in the annual “Lagunatics” romp, is reverting to traditional musical

theater -- sort of.

The local producing group will be holding auditions Saturday for

one of the most popular staples of the genre, Rodgers and

Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music,” which the company plans to stage

in its own No Square way.

“We’ll put the audience in the chorus, in the scenery, in the

show,” promises founding director Bree Burgess Rosen. “But we can’t

leave it all to those wild folks in the house.”

That’s why No Square will be looking for 14 women and nine men,

including five girls and two boys, at auditions Saturday at the No

Square rehearsal studio, 1863 S. Coast Highway.

The tryouts are scheduled from noon to 4 p.m., and no appointment

is necessary.

Directing the show, and doubling as musical director, will be Saif

Eddin, who just finished performing the same chores for Lagunatics.

Eliza Korshin will serve as stage manager, also returning from

Lagunatics.

“The Sound of Music,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s final

collaboration, began life on Broadway in 1959 and became an

Oscar-winning movie with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in

1965.

It’s the true-life story of the Von Trapp family’s flight from

Austria after Hitler took power, and of the would-be nun who takes a

job as the nanny for Capt. Von Trapp’s seven children and eventually

becomes their new stepmother.

“With the film not enjoying a kitschy new life as ‘Sing-a-Long

Sound of Music,’ we’re going to add to the fun in our own way,” Rosen

promises. “We may be shy on elevation, but we’ve got the goats

covered.”

Apart from the adult leads, the theater will be seeking five girls

ages 5, 7, 9, 13 and 16 (going on 17), along with boys 11 and 14.

Auditioners should be prepared to sing two musical numbers.

“The Sound of Music” will be presented the weekend of Oct. 8 and 9

in the Forum Theater on the Festival of Arts grounds. Additional

information may be obtained by calling the No Square Theater at (949)

497-1950.