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Dean tribute tryouts draw 40 hopefuls
BY BARRY WILLIAM WALSH
Alexa Roemke has a dream of making it to Hollywood, and after a tryout Saturday for the Community School of the Arts James Dean Tribute production, her dream remains alive.
"I love being the center of attention and singing and acting," said Roemke, 14, Marion. "Warner Brothers will see the final event, and I want to go to Hollywood!"
Roemke, who was decked out in a '50s style black top and white skirt featuring a mix of colors, was one of more than 40 people who auditioned Saturday for CSA's tribute production for the June 3 to 5 Dean Fest.
"It will be a big cast, and we had maybe 40 people show up today," said Mark Fauser, director of the production.
Fauser said the judges were impressed by the quality of the auditions they had seen Saturday.
"When you saw what we saw today, people are going to be blown away," Fauser said. "I think there are several people who walked through the door today who could be performing on a stage in New York City."
The musical will tell the story of James Dean's childhood, and the struggles that he encountered in his journey to Hollywood.
"What we are going to do is take a story that no one has ever heard before, the story of his youth, and we are going to tap into that to show what some of the obstacles he had to overcome were," Fauser said.
"We have Todd Syswerda, professor of music at Indiana Wesleyan University, who is writing original music for the show which is awesome, and we have Jamie Bragg, who is the guru of all gurus for dancing, choreographing all of the great numbers the show will have."
Syswerda said that he currently has written several numbers for the show.
"There are three or four different things I've written, but I will write more depending on the need," he said.
The vision for the show only now is starting to be formed. Fauser said the final version will take shape much like many of the programs at the CSA do, by letting everyone have a say in the creation process.
"We let anyone who comes through these doors create their own world," he said. "Some of the people who walked through the doors today wrote their own skits, or choreographed their own dances, or wrote their own songs."
Although no tryouts will be held after today, the cast for the show is far from set.
"We are going to try and get the churches involved with their choirs and build this world up," Fauser said.
Fauser also offered encouragement for those who were questioning whether they should try out for a part.
"Sometimes people go, 'Should I, or should I not?' It's not too late to call us and get in front of this wonderful opportunity that may never come again," Fauser said.
Originally published 04-10-2005
Source: Chronicle-Tribune
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