Local Yokels
by Chris Shull
After auditioning in New York, Atlanta and Dallas a few talented locals will grace this season's Dallas Summer Musical's production of Music Man co-produced with Fox Theatricals. Melissa Strom describes auditioning for the production, joining Actors' Equity Association, the union for stage actors and making her professional debut.
At an audition last spring for a brand - new production of the classic musical The Music Man, choreographer Norb Joerder stood infront of the nervous, exccited young dancers of both sexes, walking them through the steps eight counts at a time, rythmically describing upcoming motions as he moved. The dancers followed each of Joerder’s shuffle-steps and truns, some with more precision then others.
“I was no. 139 - I remember my number,” says 18 year-old-dancer Melissa Strom of Plano, who landed a role as dancer. “The audition went so fast - bang bang. You either learned it or you didn’t. It’s really your muscles that have to remember the steps. You use your brain to keep it all in order, but your muscles are the most important factor. I was catching on pretty quick because I’ve been taking dance since I was two.”
Dallas Summer Musicals managing director Michael Jenkins wants to give today’s future stars the same career opportunities. Jenkins says they auditioned over 600 dancers, singers and children in Dallas alone. Casting calls were also held in Atlanta, Kansas City, and New York. About half of the cast, including Strom, were selected from Dallas auditions. “We actually found more talented singers and dancers in Dallas and Atlanta than we did in New York City,” Jenkins says, we want to make it easier for talented people to have the opportunity to perform.”
All a future Broadway star needs is that first big break. Perhaps audiences will someday remember the performance of Strom in the current production of Music Man with as much foandness and nostalgia as they do the musicals produced by the Dallas Summer Musicals that launched the careers of Tommy Tune and Sandy Duncun 30 years ago.
