Bailiwick Chicago Theater Presents THE CHICAGO CASTING AUCTION Saturday, October 27, 2012

Anyone can be a star – for a price!  The Chicago Casting Auction is a unique opportunity for non-professionals to experience the thrill of being on stage in a professionally produced Chicago stage production. Bailiwick Chicago Theater will be auctioning off over 60 roles for this season’s production, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, on Saturday, October 27 at the Dank Haus German American Cultural Center Grand Ballroom, 4740 N. Western Ave. in Chicago.  The event will also include live entertainment, a silent auction, delectable catering, an open bar and a professional photo booth to ham it up!  Door open at 6 pm, the live auction begins at 7 pm. Tickets for the Live Auction Event, priced at  $29 – $75, are available at www.castingauction.com.

The Auction:

At the Live Auction Event stage, a professional Auctioneer starts the bidding for leading roles and major supporting roles. Anyone can make an opening bid, either for themselves or on behalf of someone else, and that person becomes a Player and is called onto the event stage. Once all Players for a role are onstage, the bidding begins!  Friends, family and supporters bid to win that role for their Player of choice. Be advised, Players may be asked for a display of their talents! Once a role is won, the winning Player is presented with a Winner’s Certificate and their rehearsal schedule. Supporting roles and chorus roles are bid on in the silent auction arena throughout the night.

The Sponsor Drive:

The Sponsor Drive for the Chicago Casting Auction is new this year!  It’s an online effort for Players to maximize their chances of scoring a role at the live auction.  Players sign up online at www.castingauction.com and receive a free “Players Page,” which can be customized and used to raise money online which be used to bid on roles at the Auction event.

The Production:

After casting is complete and five weeks of rehearsals, all the fun culminates in a public production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice and co-directed by Bailiwick Executive Director Kate Garassino and Collective Member Christopher Pazdernik. Joseph will be presented January 31 – February 2, 2013 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.  Tickets for Joseph go on sale January 1, 2013 at www.castingauction.com.

Bailiwick Chicago is a non-profit professional company with a mission to produce contemporary musicals and plays, reinvent classic musicals and develop new work, while sharing a powerful and authentic theatrical experience. We celebrate and engage our community through diverse programming, artistic partnerships and outreach opportunities. In just two seasons, Bailiwick Chicago has garnered 28 award nominations, including 10 Non-Equity Jeff Award Nominations in their first Jeff-Eligible season (2011-12).

Bailiwick Chicago Staff:

Artistic Director: Lili-Anne Brown

Executive Director: Kate Garassino

Creative Director: Eric Martin

Managing Director: Mike Harnichar