Got a Broadway song you’ve always wanted to sing? BMTS wants to hear it

Boundary Musical & Theatre Society is building its fall Broadway Night around the people who audition, opening the stage to experienced performers and newcomers alike.

Photos by Rebecca Brook, supplied by Boundary Musical & Theatre Society.

There is a particular Broadway song almost every theatre fan carries around with them.

It might be the one belted out alone in the car, attempted in the shower or imagined under stage lights — even if the person singing it has never auditioned for a musical.

This fall, the Boundary Musical & Theatre Society wants to give some of those songs a stage.

BMTS is planning a Broadway variety night for October, with the production taking shape around the performers who come forward rather than a predetermined cast of characters.

Jordan Day, speaking on behalf of BMTS, said the format is partly an attempt to reach people who may love performing but have never felt ready to audition for a full show.

BMTS often stages a smaller single-act play or musical in September or October, Day said, but those productions tend to have smaller casts and draw fewer people to auditions.

“Our hope is that with this event we may have some more people come out of the woodwork who have never thought to or had the confidence to audition for a full show, but would still love the chance to perform a number from their favourite musicals,” he said.

It also gives performers a rare opportunity to choose the material themselves.

For theatre enthusiasts, Day said, there is sometimes one song that simply sticks — the number that gets belted out in the shower or car and that a performer would love the chance to sing for an audience.

With limited opportunities to stage different musicals, it could otherwise be a long wait for that particular song or role to come around. Even then, casting decisions might put it out of reach.

Broadway Night turns that process around.

Performers are being invited to bring the song or number they want to perform, with BMTS planning to build the evening around the mix of talent that walks through the audition doors.

“We are hoping for a wide variety of differing talents, voices, and types of songs from the people that are coming to audition so that we can display a wide variety of what the Boundary has to offer,” Day said.

“Hopefully the night will be full of laughs, maybe a few tears, and plenty of talent.”

The invitation extends beyond experienced musical-theatre performers. Singers, dancers, solo performers, duets and groups are welcome, and Day said experience is not required.

“If you even thought about it for a moment you should come out to audition,” he said. “It may sound cliché, but everybody has to start somewhere, and BMTS would love to help anybody in taking those first steps.”

The society is also hoping someone surprises them.

Asked whether an unexpected audition could reshape the show, Day said that is exactly the sort of moment organizers would welcome.

“If we can provide a space for somebody to come out of their shell and blow us away with something unexpected, we would be delighted,” he said.

Photos by Rebecca Brook, supplied by Boundary Musical & Theatre Society.

An unusual place to audition

The remaining audition will be held at Grand Forks Funeral Home — an unconventional venue, but a practical one for BMTS.

Day said the connection with longtime society members Deborah and Aaron Baker makes the funeral home a cost-effective and easy-to-find place to hold auditions.

Broadway Night may also offer audiences a glimpse of what is coming next. Day said organizers hope to sneak a number from Come From Away into the evening as a teaser for the upcoming musical.

What happens behind the curtain

While audiences ultimately see the songs and performances, putting community theatre on a stage requires a much less visible layer of work.

There are auditions to organize and difficult decisions about which performances to include. A venue has to be secured and details such as timing, costs and what can be done in the space have to be worked out.

Then there is the money.

Funding has to be found, grants written and donors thanked — often while organizers deal with the inevitable last-minute problem that emerges after everything appears to have been settled.

“As with most shows, there is always one thing or another that comes up just as soon as you think you finally have everything finalized,” Day said. “But that’s just part of show business.”

BMTS is not facing a particular shortage of performers or volunteers, Day said, but the society is always interested in hearing from people with an idea, skill or passion they would like to contribute.

That can mean performing on stage or working backstage. It could mean playing an instrument, helping build sets or bringing an interest in sound or lighting technology.

Financial donations are welcome, but Day said support can also come in the form of skilled volunteer time or even a letter expressing appreciation for theatre in the Boundary.

Like many community arts organizations, much of the day-to-day work is carried by a relatively small group.

“Community theatre runs on the blood — hopefully just corn syrup and food dye — sweat, hopes, and tears of the people involved,” Day said.

For those involved with BMTS, he added, it remains a labour of love.

More people becoming involved would spread that work around while also giving the society the capacity to take on bigger productions and bring more theatre and music to local stages.

Day said local theatre gives people in the Boundary another place to meet, create and share an interest.

People arrive in the region with different backgrounds, interests and passions. Local theatre creates one place where some of those paths can cross — through performing, rehearsing, volunteering or simply sitting in the audience.

It can mean finding people with a shared interest, forming friendships or discovering a talent that might otherwise have remained private. For a young performer, Day said, it could even become a first step toward a future career.

“Events like the ones BMTS puts on are essential for allowing communities to thrive and grow in so many ways that people may never think of,” he said.

The remaining Broadway Night audition will be held Aug. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Grand Forks Funeral Home. Performers aged 16 and older are invited to prepare a number for the audition panel.

Day said Broadway Night is scheduled for Oct. 16 at the GEM Theatre in Grand Forks.