"No Strings" Reading THIS SUNDAY - one more reader still needed

That's right, we're just a few days away from our reading of the Richard Rodgers / Samuel Taylor musical, "No Strings."  There have been a few last minute cast changes over the last week, and we just lost another cast member to a conflict... so we are in need of one more person to read stage directions.  We usually skip the stage directions, but Taylor wrote such rich and interesting instructions to the director and cast, that these are worth including.  Anyone interested in stepping in?  Sign up here.


As usual, here are the details:


SCRIPTS AND SCORES - Please plan to bring your own copies. If you need to know where to get your own copy, email us.

PRE-READING REHEARSAL - While we do not have a formal rehearsal, anyone who wishes to come in advance of the 7pm reading start time to review a song or two should feel free to do so. Rob will be on hand starting at 6pm to help you through difficult sections or harmonies that you wish to review.

TIME, PLACE, and HOW TO GET IN - The reading will take place in the recital hall at Sherman Clay Pianos, located at NW 13th and Davis. We MUST USE THE SIDE DOOR ON DAVIS. The door is locked from the outside, so you need to be let in. Someone will be monitoring the door between 5:30pm and 7pm. If you arrive after 7pm, YOU NEED TO CALL OR TEXT ME AT 914-522-9363 TO BE LET INSIDE.

WHY WE ARE DOING THIS - The goal of Entr'acte is to educate and enrich our collective knowledge of this art form, but also to network with fellow practitioners. We have a wide range of knowledge and experience among our participants. Please come with an open mind and willingness to both learn and share.

MEN NEEDED - Three Male Roles Still Open for February 27

There are three roles which still need to be filled if we are to proceed with our reading on February 27.  Each character has significan stage time and each sings (two of the three, Mike and Louis, have solo songs.  The other, Luc, shares a song.).  If you are interested, or know someone who might be... please head to our signup page to claim these roles.

In fairness to those who have already signed up, we will need to be fully cast by February 18 in order to proceed with the reading.  Otherwise, we will have to cancel.

Several Roles Still Open for February 27 Reading

Calling all actors/singers - there are still several great principal and character roles open for our February 27th reading of "No Strings."  Click here to sign up for a role.

Open roles include:

- Louis dePourtal - Barbara's lover and sugardaddy, mature, experienced, and very content with himself

- Luc Delbert - a fashion photographer in a relationship with Gabrielle

- Gabrielle Bertin - a flirt, Luc's girlfriend

- Mike Robinson - an American gigolo

- Stage Directions Reader - self explanatory... there's lots of great writing in the stage directions, and it's worth having someone read them aloud.

For those who want to know even more about "No Strings," a great history and synopsis of the show can be found here on Diahann Carroll's website.

Next Reading - February 27 - No Strings

Please Note: There will be no January reading.


Please join us for our February 27th reading of the 1962 musical, No Strings. The show was the first for Richard Rodgers after Oscar Hammerstein's death, and the only time he wrote a full score (both music & lyrics) without a collaborator. The book was written by Samuel Taylor, who may be best known for the film Sabrina (and the original play, Sabrina Fair, on which it was based).


No Strings is the story of an American fashion model, living in Paris, and an expatriate American novelist whom she meets and falls in love with. The show debuted during the early part of the civil rights era. The script notes that the model, Barbara, is African-American, but no mention of her race or race in general is ever raised in the story. Rodgers got the idea for casting a black actress in the star role after viewing Diahann Carroll on The Tonight Show. According to his biographer, Geoffrey Holden, "He felt that the casting spoke for itself and any specific references to race in the play were unnecessary."


Our reading will take place on SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27th at 7pm at Sherman Clay Pianos (NW 13th & Davis, PDX). To sign up for a role, please visit: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/nostrings

As always, you can arrive anytime between 6pm and 7pm to review sections of music with our accompanist (who, this month, is Mont Christopher Hubbard).  If you are still in need of a copy of the score or script (please bring your own to the reading), let me know.