Audition for Verdi's La Traviata as a Principal/Professional singer

Auditions are hereby announced for Opera South East's production of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi for performances on Fri 12 April and  Sat 13 April 2019.

The auditions will be held on Sunday 4th November 2018.  Please indicate your interest here on the form below and our chairman, John Rycroft, will be informed immediately on submission of this form. 

Priority for Principal roles casting will be from applicants within the OSE Company where casting is suitable, but many principal roles will be offered outside the Company through audition selection.  If selected for audition, please sing an aria of your choice in English, preferably by Verdi though not necessarily from La Traviata. The closing date for audition applications is technically Wednesday 24th October 2018 but late applications may be considered; you will be advised of your audition time by Wednesday 31st October.  Please apply on this form below...

All roles will be cast by audition, but fees will only be offered for three roles:
  • Alfredo Germont (Tenor)
  • Giorgio Germont (Baritone)
  • Violetta (Soprano)
Chorus applications will not be auditioned on this date - simply submit your details on the chorus application form at any time and join our rehearsals from January 2018, and we'll try each other out from there. 

    Apply to Audition for a role in Ta Traviata here:

    Max file size: 500KB
    Max file size: 500KB
Watch above this line once you hit [submit] to an audition application for any error messages or a confirmation!

Principal Fee/expense schedule for La Traviata

OSE does pay a small fee including expenses for main principal roles. Show-week accommodation with company members can normally be arranged. Feel free to ask for details in the notes on your application.

Our last few productions were just great!  See the NODA write-ups (National Operatic and Dramatic Association).  In July 2015, OSE received a regional award in the NODA South-East Awards for Excellence 2014 - for Musical Excellence in OSE's production of Carmen

About La Traviata, OSE and our audition format

OSE are performing Verdi's La Traviata, in English, on Fri 12 April and  Sat 13 April 2019 at the White Rock Theatre, Hastings. 

We will be auditioning for the principal roles on the afternoon of Sunday 4th November  2018 at the John Taplin Centre, Healey House, 3 Upper Maze Hill, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 0LQ 

Apply on this audition application form by Wednesday 24th October 2018 and you will be informed on 30th October if you are successful in gaining a personal audition time on 4th November.
​ 
Chorus applications: As well as Principal part auditions, we also very much welcome new members of the chorus, and a separate form exists to apply for the Chrous or for back-stage or administrative roles.

Please see the notes below before submitting your audition application...
Notes on Principal audition applications:
  • Principal roles rehearsals are generally on Sunday afternoons, starting with production rehearsals on Sunday 3rd February 2019.  (Chorus music rehearsals before that are on Sunday afternoons or evenings from 6th January 2019.)
  • Please provide with your application any holidays or other commitment dates on the application form if you will not be available for a rehearsal from Sunday 3rd February through to the April production.  (See schedule below).  Everyone is expected for all calls for the week of the performances and the two Sundays before (i.e. the afternoon of Sunday 31st March; the afternoon & evening of Sunday 7th April to 10pm, and every evening of show-week (Monday 8th April = Sitzprobe, Tuesday 9th = Tech Rehearsal, Wednesday 10th = Dress rehearsal 1, Thursday 11th = Dress rehearsal 2, Friday 12th = first performance, Saturday 13st = last performance - see timings below)
  • Principal performers seeking auditions should  sing at least one piece in English (preferably from Verdi)
  • We will then contact applicants via email (where possible) or phone with confirmation of your audition time if selected, and later with the results of your audition
  • Castings for principal roles will not be notified to the rest of the company until all the roles have been offered and accepted
  • New Members of the Chorus are always welcomed for all voice parts and we offer chorus training and a free trial period to cover an opera production. Volunteers for back-stage and administrative roles do not have to be held by OSE Members - there's a range of supporting & leading roles in terms of set construction, costume work, press/marketing and administration roles.  We'd love to hear from you, whether you are or are not interested in on-stage roles. Applications for chorus and back-stage roles are coming on separate pages.
  • Audition applications received by Wednesday 24th October 2018 will be considered for audition appointment by The Chairman (John Rycroft) on submission of this form.  There is no guarantee of later applications being accommodated even if you have potential for selection. 
    Please raise any problems with this auditions website form to Secretary (Greg Solomon) rather than the Chairman.
Fees: For the roles to be cast by audition, minor fees inclusive of expenses are only for the following roles:
  • Alfredo Germont (Tenor)
  • Giorgio Germont (Baritone)
  • Violetta (Soprano)
Notes on the OSE rehearsal schedule:
  • Sundays: Chorus-only music rehearsals will take place from January 2019 under our Music Director, Kenneth Roberts.  These Music rehearsals generally run from 2pm-5pm, though sometimes from 6:30pm-8:30pm.  From February the main production rehearsals begin for the whole company, generally from 1pm-5pm. Rehearsals are mostly located in St Leonards-on-Sea.  Principal performers are only required from the start of production rehearsals with the Director, Fraser Grant, commencing Sunday 3rd February 2019.
  • There may be additional daytime Principal rehearsals, perhaps in London at other times to be mutually agreed. 
  • Principal music calls will be held for major roles, wherever possible on the Sunday mornings preceding the production rehearsals. 
  • Minor principal roles where singers are doubling chorus will need to attend chorus rehearsals
  • There may also be additional evening Chorus rehearsals in the run-up to the production, where the focus will be entirely on music.  Principals are welcome but not expected.
​Principals are expected for the following dates in bold (from February) in the schedule below, and mandatory attendance is required for dates in red: -
Draft Rehearsal schedule TBC  (chorus rehearsals are for information for Principals):
Sun 06-Jan-19 - Chorus-only music rehearsal - 2pm-3:45pm
Sun 13-Jan-19 - Chorus-only music rehearsal - 2pm-3:45pm
Sun 20-Jan-19 - Chorus-only music rehearsal - 2pm-3:45pm
Sun 21-Jan-19 - Chorus-only music rehearsal - 2pm-3:45pm
Sun 27-Jan-19 - Chorus-only music rehearsal - 2pm-3:45pm
Sun 03-Feb-19 - Production rehearsal - 1pm-5pm
Sun 10-Feb-19 - Production rehearsal - 1pm-5pm
Sun 11-Feb-19 - Production rehearsal - 1pm-5pm
Sun 24-Feb-19 - Production rehearsal - 1pm-5pm
Sun 03-Mar-19 - Production rehearsal - 1pm-5pm
Sun 10-Mar-19 - Production rehearsal - 1pm-5pm
Weekday evening TBC - Chorus-only music rehearsals will be added
Further Principal daytime /evening rehearsals TBC over next 3 weeks
Sun 17-Mar-19 - Production rehearsal - 1pm-5pm
Sun 24-Mar-19 - Production rehearsal - 1pm-5pm
Sun 31-Mar-19 - Orchestral rehearsal - morning
Sun 31-Mar-19 - Production rehearsal - 1pm-5pm
Sun   7-Apr-19 - Hell Sunday - 2pm-10pm
Mon 8-Apr-19 - Sitzprobe rehearsal - 7.15pm-10.15pm
Tue   9-Apr-19 - Technical rehearsal - 6pm-10:00pm
Wed 10-Apr-19 - Dress rehearsal 1 - 6pm-10:00pm
Thu  11-Apr-19 - Dress rehearsal 2 - 6pm-10:00pm
Fri 12-Apr-19 - Production night 1 - 6pm-10:30pm (7.30pm curtain-up)
Sat 13-Apr-19 - Production night 2 - 6pm-10:30pm (7.30pm curtain-up)

Audition & rehearsal location

Primary rehearsal location:
    John Taplin Centre,
    Healey House,
    3 Upper Maze Hill,
    St Leonard's on Sea,
    East Sussex TN38 0LQ