Fee Hedrick Family Entertainment

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn., Aug. 3, 2011 – The Fee Hedrick Family Entertainment Group is looking for singers, dancers, singer/dancers, and musicians including strings, percussion and brass, as well as novelty acts, to be part of The Smoky Mountain Opry Christmas Season. Applications are also being accepted for gift shop and box office personnel.

Auditions will be held Sunday, August 7th at The Miracle Theater, 2046 Parkway in Pigeon Forge for singers, dancers and singer/dancers. Additional auditions will be held Friday August 12th at the Miracle Theater for musicians and novelty acts. Registration will begin both days at 11:00 a.m., and the auditions are open call.

“As the newest Christmas Show in the Smokies, our ‘Smoky Mountain Opry Christmas Spectacular’ will feature some of the finest talent in the country,” said David Fee, president of the Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group. “I am happy to be able to provide jobs for people in this tough economy and to offer a big, brand new Christmas musical to the area. We are encouraging people to come and be a part of the success of this brand new show.”

For the 2011 Christmas season, the new ?Smoky Mountain Opry Christmas Spectacular? Show will feature an ice skating rink, the area’s largest live band, lasers and blacklights, elves and live reindeer, flying sugar plum fairies, fiber optic costumes, carriages and sleigh rides, the area’s largest living nativity, live animals, toys that come to life, snow in the theater, nutcrackers, an outdoor Christmas village and Santa’s Christmas train.

“Our new ‘Smoky Mountain Opry Christmas Spectacular’ will have some of the country’s top singers, dancers, comedians and musicians as well as state-of-the-art sound and lighting,” Fee said. “In addition it will have a full eight to 12 piece band and will include traditional old-time seasonal favorite songs, sung from beginning to end with many new surprises including ice skating.”

“It will be a very unique Christmas show and then we will change shows again for the next season and begin in March 2012 with a brand new musical show that will bring back tradition and heritage in this area at The Smoky Mountain Opry,” Fee said. “The show will have high energy entertainment including comedy, dancing and music with everything such as a little bit of Broadway, a little mountain music, some gospel, pure country, classic hits, pop melodies and old bluegrass.”

Because of the overwhelming response to auditions to other Fee/Hedrick shows in past years, all singing auditions will be limited to only 16 to 32 measures of music of any given song. Singers should prepare 16 to 32 measures of an uptempo song and 16 to 32 measures of a ballad that best display the individual’s vocal range. A person may bring Karaoke tracks for all style of songs – pop, pop/rock, country and Broadway. Due to time limitations, a person may only be asked to perform one selection, but should have two selections ready to sing.

Singer participants may be asked to remain for a dance routine and should wear or bring appropriate dance attire and shoes for jazz, tap, hip-hop and lyrical with heavy partnering. However, it is not required that a singer has to be a dancer to be in the show.

Dancers will be taught a routine at the audition at The Miracle Theater and should wear or bring appropriate dance attire and shoes. As dancers, they may also be asked to sing, and they should prepare 16 bars of an up-tempo song that best displays their vocal range. However, it is not required that all dancers sing.

No piano accompanist will be provided. Singers and singer/dancers are asked to bring Karaoke tracks for all styles of songs mentioned above. Participants are asked to please know their cues on their tracks for the sound engineer.

Musicians should prepare a one to two minute selection that best displays their skill and musical style. A taped music accompaniment track is recommended. Prior professional experience and the ability to read music is a definite plus. Musical styles preferred are Big Band, Country, Pop, Pop/Rock and Broadway. Instruments that are needed are: bass, guitar, rhythm guitar, keys/piano (comfortable with string arrangements, 70′s and 80′s synths, Wurlys and B3), utility (steel & acoustic guitar preferred), and fiddle/utility.

All applicants are asked to bring a non-returnable 8 x 10 headshot and a resume to the audition. Applications will be available the day of the auditions. Rehearsals for the show begin Oct. 14 with contracts running through Jan. 1, 2012. Positions will be auditioned at a later date for regular season 2012 March to November Smoky Mountain Opry.

For more information about Christmas Spectacular auditions visit www.smokymtnopry.com. The Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group is an equal opportunity employer. +++