YES plans ‘Doctor Dolittle Jr.’ auditions
YES Kids and Kidettes are holding open auditions for an upcoming production of “Doctor Dolittle Jr.”
The Youth Entertainment Stage Company is looking for young performers to take part in their grade-school-age programs from the Stanislaus County Office of Education. The casting call is open to students in Grades 1 through 8. The story of the magical doctor who can talk to the animals will need young actors, singers and dancers.
The Modesto auditions will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Martin Petersen Event Center, 720 12th St.; 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Johansen High School Vikings Den, 641 Norseman Drive; and 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Mildred Perkins School multipurpose room, 3920 Blue Bird Drive.
Attendance to only one audition is required. No experience or preparation is necessary, and all audition materials will be provided. The production commitment is extracurricular, includes some weekends and will run from Nov. 3 to Jan. 31. Tuition is $200 per student, though scholarships are available. For more information, call 209-238-6850 or visit www.yescompany.org.
Comedian Dan St. Paul
Comic Dan St. Paul brings his solo show “What’s Funny After 50?” to Modesto on Saturday.
The comedian tours nationally and has appeared on NBC, ABC, FOX, Comedy Central, A&E, VH-1 and the “Bob and Tom Radio Show.” He has opened for celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Natalie Cole and more.
The show is sponsored by 104.1 The Hawk FM and starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Charity Way Ballroom, 645 Charity Way in Modesto. Tickets are $20. Call 209-544-8156 or visit www.104thehawk.com.
Astrobiologist at MAPS program
Lynn J. Rothschild, an astrobiologist at NASA-AMES, will speak at the next Modesto Area Partners in Science program, set for Friday, Oct. 2.
Rothschild will discuss life in extreme environments on Earth and the possibilities for discovering life in our solar system and other parts of the universe, including the recently discovered exoplanets.
An astronomy open house with telescope viewing will follow the free presentation. The talk begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Modesto Junior College, West Campus, Mary Stuart Rogers Student Center, 2201 Blue Gum Ave.
‘Importance of Being Earnest’
Playhouse Merced continues its 22nd season with a production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
The Oscar Wilde comedy pokes fun at societal constructs in Victorian England, and is about a man who creates a fictitious brother named Ernest. The Merced production will be directed by Chris Battisti and star real-life newlyweds Colton Dennis and Katie Brokaw as John Worthing (who invents Ernest) and Gwendolyn Fairfax (who falls in love with Ernest).
The production also stars Stephen Mouillesseaux (who played Shrek in Playhouse Merced’s “Shrek the Musical”), as well as local actors Connie Stetson, Meganne Kocher, Karen Damme, Bryan Hurd, Chelsea King and Chris Ingle.
The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, and runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 11. Tickets are $15-$22. Call 209-725-8587 or visit www.playhousemerced.com.
Sonora Bach Festival
The 39th annual Sonora Bach Festival starts a month’s worth of events this weekend in Tuolumne County.
The festival brings a lineup of concerts over four weekends for lovers of baroque and classical music. Highlights include a Youth Concert on Sunday, Oct. 4; Salon Concert on Saturday, Oct. 10, with artist Ric Campero; Locals Concert on Sunday, Oct. 18; and the Bach’s Brunch on Sunday, Oct. 25.
The Youth Concert kicks things off at 3 p.m. at the Church of the 49ers in Columbia. Tickets are $5. Other concerts range from $10-$35 and locations will vary. For more information, call 209-536-6330 or visit www.sonorabach.org.
This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 9:50 AM with the headline "YES plans ‘Doctor Dolittle Jr.’ auditions."