Laura and Samara spend their days as non-profit unicorns and fill every spare minute exploring the world of musical theatre as BFFs (that’s Broadway Friends Forever). Follow @bffs613 on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Some of you might recall our excitement at finally making it to the Confidential Musical Theatre Project (CMTP) last year and our interview explaining this truly unique theatre experience where the cast has been cast confidentially, has not rehearsed together, and even the audience doesn’t even know what show they’re in for. Well, it’s that time of year again! We’re thrilled that we got to speak with musical director and producer Wendy Berkelaar to dig into what audiences can expect this time around as Zucchini Productions brings their secret show to the GCTC on June 8.
How do you find and select people to get involved? (And keep it a secret?!)
Wendy: People who want to be involved apply (via email: cmtpottawa@gmail.com) with a headshot, a resume and a video clip of themselves singing. They are automatically added to the casting binder.
When casting, we try to create a good mix of people who have done a CMTP before and new people. We also try to add in a few people whose strength is in improv, who we know will be great at leading scenes, creating dynamic characters and movement, and pushing boundaries. The best CMTP shows always have one or two people who are larger than life, who give their cast mates an opportunity to play and play BIG. And then, of course, we watch to see who shines, and who the audiences are buzzing about after the show!
As far as keeping secrets goes… I think everyone knows that the concept is useless without the secret-keeping. In this age of communication, I think people genuinely LIKE being surprised, and who doesn’t like keeping a juicy secret? Cast members ARE allowed to tell people they are in the project–we do need to sell tickets, after all–but as far as the show goes, everyone is sworn to secrecy upon receiving the email telling them what role they get to play.
Photo by Maria Vartnanova
How often do you do a CMTP run each year? What is the timeline to prepare for something like this?
Wendy: Pre-COVID, Zucchini Productions was producing three CMTPs a year. However, my co-producer had to step away due to work commitments. While I’m dedicated to keeping the CMTP running as long as people are still invested in the concept, I’ve scaled back to two productions a year, due to the workload involved. We generally have about ten weeks for the actors to become familiar with the script and learn the music through rehearsal tracks.
We know most pieces are kept hush-hush, but what can you tell audiences to expect from the June 8 show?
Wendy: Audiences can expect a great story with a lesson, a lot of laughs, some catchy tunes, some familiar faces alongside several new ones, and one incredibly obscure reference!
The Confidential Musical Theatre Project is on June 8 at the Great Canadian Theatre Company at 7:30pm. The show runs for two and a half hours. Tickets are $30, including HST and seating is general admission.
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