ABOUT STANDING_O PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE
STANDING_O performance ensemble was created and designed to prepare students in grades 5-12 to bridge between our Junior and Senior Company and help prepare to build a solid foundation for their future, no matter if they choose to pursue college training in the arts or otherwise. It teaches them hard work, discipline, working toward goals, teamwork and much more. STANDING_O uses locally established artist to help teach our young students how to excel in voice, dance, and acting. It allows young students who are dedicated to performing and who love Musical Theatre to grow in their gifts while providing top-notch training.

STANDING_O Performance Ensemble is a mix of training hours and rehearsal leading up to several productions including Matilda, Gypsy (co-production with Upstage), The Sound of Music and our annual holiday show A Christmas Carol. Additionally, there are opportunities for roadshows and smaller cabarets. This February students in STANDING_O will visit the big apple to see a show on Broadway!

2023-2024 Season

Matilda, A Christmas Carol, Gypsy & The Sound of Music Featuring students in grades 5-12

AUDITIONS
Auditions for The Sound of Music Youth Edition will be held on Tuesday, December 12, 2023 from 6:30-8:30pm. Students should prepare both an up-tempo and a ballad that best displays your vocal abilities as well as your acting range and a 30-second monologue prepared.  Auditionees should be prepared to learn a short dance audition combo. Additional auditions for each production will be held throughout the season. 

REHEARSALS
Members of STANDING_O will rehearse on Sunday afternoons from 3:45pm-5:30pm and Monday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm. A full rehearsal schedule will be provided during the initial weeks of rehearsal. There may be additional weeknight rehearsals as we get closer to production time.

PRODUCTION TECH/PERFORMANCE DATES                                                                                                                                    

Tech June 3-6, 2023

Performances June 7-9 

TUITION & FEES                                                                                                                        Tuition for The Sound of Music is $1375. Tuition payment is due by the first rehearsal. There are payment plans and limited scholarships available. Financial assistance and payment plan request MUST be made PRIOR to auditions. Please email ovationstheatre@gmail.com for more info.

MEET OUR TEAM
Carly Swartz she/her (Director of STANDING_O) is thrilled to return to OVATIONS after working on Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. Her first musical theater performance took place on the JCC stage almost 20 years ago, so she shares in the excitement of our young artists. She’s previously worked as the Dance Captain/Asst. Choreographer for Summer Theater Arts for Youth, and was most recently seen in the ensemble of Keith & Amy’s Opening Number at The Gateway Performance Arts Center of Suffolk County.

PREVIOUS GUEST ARTISTS & MENTORS                                                                         Michael Thompson he/him is a recent graduate from Kenyon College with a degree in music and is incredibly excited to work with Ovations Theater and the Standing-O program this year. Michael has enjoyed recent experiences of directing peers and arranging music in college a cappella as well as working with younger music students both in private lessons (piano, voice, and guitar), and as a camp counselor at Imagination Stage. He’s very eager for this opportunity to put those skills together this year.
Eben K. Logan is happy to return to OVATIONS THEATRE after choreographing Parade last fall as well as Spring Awakening and Hairspray Jr with OVATIONS. Most recently Eben choreographed In The Heights (Directed by OVATIONS Artistic Director Darnell Patrick Morris). She served as co-choreographer, and was the recipient of the 2013 WATCH Award for Best Choreography award, alongaide Darnell for Ragtime. Select Professional Acting Credits: Felicia’s 1st Understudy/Featured Dance Ensemble in the National Tour of Memphis The Musical, A Honey in Jelly’s Last Jam with Signature Theatre, Fred’s Wife and Ghost of Christmas Present and Past U/S in Ford’s Theatre’s A Christmas Carol, Gary Coleman in Constellation Theater’s Avenue Q, Whatshername in Keegan Theater’s American Idiot and Looking for Roberto Clemente with Imagination Stage. Eben was nominated for a 2017 Helen Hayes Award for her performance as Whatshername in Keegan Theatre’s American Idiot. Upcoming: Marriott Theatre:Sweet Charity. Northlight Theatre: Nina Simone, Four Women. 

Alicia Osborn is thrilled be back in the DMV area after sailing The Baltic Sea for 6 months as a Lead Vocalist for Aida Cruise Lines. You might have also caught Alicia at the Hippodrome or at Wolf Trap last season in the North America Farewell Tour of Mamma Mia! (Tanya/Rosie cover). Some of her Favorite Regional credits include: Young Frankenstein (Elizabeth), 9 to 5(Judy), The Secret Garden (Martha), Damn Yankees (Gloria Thorpe) I Love You, You’re Perfect-Now Change (Woman 2), The King & I (Anna Leonowens), Godspell (Joanne), and All Shook Up (Natalie/Ed). Alicia graduated from the American Music and Dramatic Academy In NYC. You can catch Alicia this spring in Grand Hotel at Signature Theatre.

Shani Hadjian National Tours: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Wizard of Oz, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Fancy Nancy. Off-Broadway and regional favorites: Fun Home, Spamalot, Les Miserables, Fancy Nancy, Caroline, or Change, Five Course Love, and As You Like It. The Press Papers voted Shani “Best Actress in a Professional Production” for her role of Lady of the Lake in Spamalot and DC Metro Arts voted her “Best Featured Actress in a Professional Production” for her role of Rose Stopnick in Caroline, or Change which Ovation’s own Darnell Morris directed. Favorite screen credits: Stricken, Poncho, and Sometimes at Night. She is currently in pre-production for her first feature film, Up or Out, as a filmmaker.. Graduate of The Hartt School. www.shanihadjian.com @shadjian

Rj Pavel is proud to be back with OVATIONS THEATRE after his first show with the company as Otto in Spring Awakening, as a Mentor Actor. Rj began his puppetry training with Philadelphia’s Enchantment Theatre Co. in 2011. That same year he continued his training with The Walt Disney Co. and continued to work there for six years. During that time, he was also with Busch Gardens, Tampa, as a puppeteer. Recently, you may have seen him in Chicago (The Keegan Theatre) and as Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast (Riverside Center).

Christina Carlucci is a proud Actors Equity Member trained at NYU for Musical Theatre and based out of NYC. Her New York City credits include the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Angel on My Shoulder, Bare, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Two Gentlemen of Verona the Musical (Julia)and Charlie Brown (Lucy). She had toured the world with Shrek the Musical as Gingy as well as nationally with Annie and Disney Cruise Line (Belle/Pocahontas). Her regional favorites include Mamma Mia (Sophie), Saturday Night Fever (Pauline), Marvelous Wonderettes (Suzy), Spelling Bee (Olive), Wedding Singer (Holly), Legally Blonde, Chorus Line (Val) and Hairspray (Amber). In addition to her theatre exploits Christina has been privileged to perform at events across the country opening for the likes of Martina McBride, Tony Danza and Franc D’Ambrosio. She is also a philanthropist donating her time and talents for several organizations including the National Italian American Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (whom she helped raise over one million dollars) and Anne Arundel Medical Center, becoming the face of genetic testing for the BRAC1 mutation. Christina also regularly performs with the USO Show Troupe performing for our nations troops and their families globally.