Sheffield musical casting young men as Take That
A casting call has gone out for men aged 18-25 to appear in a musical about the passionate fans of boyband Take That.Amateur theatre company Sheffield Teachers' Operatic Society (STOS) will stage a production of The Band at the Lyceum Theatre in November.The show features Take That's songs and premiered in Manchester in 2017 before a West End run.STOS chairman Mark Harris said the group wanted to audition actors to play the five members of the band and added: "We're not necessarily looking for the next Gary Barlow or an imitation Robbie Williams, but boyband members that teenage girls would scream at."
The Band tells the story of five female best friends who reunite after 25 years over their mutual love of the boyband they worshipped in their teens.Auditions will be held on the evening of 16 May at Charnock Hall Primary Academy in Sheffield. Performers are asked to prepare a one-minute "blast" of a Take That song to showcase their vocal range. Harmonies will also be tested on the night.Mr Harris added: "It's not full-on dancing. They need rhythm but think of those early Take That videos. High energy, that's the vibe we're going for."
STOS formed in the city in 1901, but Mr Harris said it was a challenge to attract and entertain modern audiences."The theatre family is changing, generations are evolving, it's tricky to get people to come now unless it's a celebrity with a star billing."They see our amateur status and it scares them off, but we strive for professional standards and we do a brilliant job, we hire some professional people behind the scenes and a professional orchestra." He said there had also been changes in people's ticket-buying habits since Covid."People don't book online early anymore, they decide three weeks before the show."It definitely gets a bit squeaky bum time."Despite the uncertain environment, Mr Harris is confident that the new production in the autumn will be a hit."We'd love the original Take That fans of Sheffield to come along, perhaps with their daughters or other family members. It would be a wonderful family thing."
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