Great Lakes Operetta is proud to announce auditions for its first full-length, fully-staged production, Jacques Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld,” in a new English translation by Francis Lynch. This version will be based on the original two-act, 1858 version and will be performed with live piano accompaniment. The production will be directed by Great Lakes Operetta Artistic Director SarahAnn Sutter, music directed by Lindsey Baer, assistant music directed by Anna Therese George, and produced by Kristin Weed.   

Time Commitment:

Rehearsals will begin May 17th and will be held at the Park Plaza Retirement Center in Chicago at 6840 N. Sacramento Ave, Chicago IL 60645 on Sunday afternoons/evenings and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings from 7-10pm, with Thursday evenings added the last two weeks of rehearsals. There will be no rehearsals over Memorial Day weekend (May 23rd-25th) or Independence Day weekend (July 3rd-5th). Tech dates are July 6th-9th and no conflicts will be permitted during these dates. 6 performances will be given at the Bramble Arts Loft in Chicago on the weekends of July 10th-12th and 17-19th.

Stipend Information:

Performers will receive a profit-sharing stipend, calculated after production concludes and based on the total production profit (after expenses) as applicable, and the final number of participating performers (see the Casting Notes below). This means that a stipend is not guaranteed, and we do understand and respect that this arrangement may not be acceptable to some performers. The profit-sharing model is our attempt at a gradual transition from amateur (“community theater”) company to a professional non-equity company that we hope can provide fixed stipends in the future. We cannot provide housing or travel stipends.

Please carefully review the below audition requirements, casting notes, and casting breakdown before applying:

Audition Requirements:

For your audition, please fill out the audition form, upload your resume and headshot, and submit a video recording that best shows your singing and performing abilities. We strongly recommend that you submit a piece from the light opera repertoire, but you can also submit an opera/oratorio piece if it effectively demonstrates performing/acting ability, or a musical theater piece if it effectively demonstrates classical vocal technique, especially as we will be performing without microphones. Please submit before midnight CST on Monday, January 26th, 2026.

Invitation-only, in-person callbacks will be held on Sunday, February 8th from 2:30-5:30pm at the Park Plaza Retirement Center at 6840 N. Sacramento Ave, Chicago IL 60645 and will consist of singing and reading from the score/libretto. Callback materials will be provided at least 7 days in advance to allow for preparation. If you are unavailable on the callback date, please let us know this in your audition form, as we may be able to allow for a virtual callback submission. 

Casting Notes:

This production will feature an ensemble cast of 13 singers, who will also make up the chorus. Most or all roles will likely be double-cast. For roles that are double cast, each singer will get 3 performances of the role. We are seeking performers with strong musicianship, physical comedy, acting and dancing skills. All performers will be expected to attend the first rehearsal with music and dialogue largely learned and partially-to-fully memorized.

Casting Breakdown: 

NOTE: Indicated genders are the character’s gender, not the performer’s gender identity. Therefore, when completing your audition form, please select whatever role(s) interest(s) you most regardless of gender; we are potentially open to having vocal lines sung up or down the octave as needed, or swapping out assigned lines in ensemble numbers, although we will not be changing any keys.