HISTORY
Background
The Casting Auction is a grand Chicago tradition that began more than three decades ago. In 1980, the late Chicago attorney Joan Grossman (1947-2008) devised an inspired fundraiser for Victory Gardens Theatre (VGT)—a casting auction, eventually to be known as The Casting Auction. With the support of the VGT Board of Directors, the first show, Tobacco Road, was staged in 1981. Soon, musicals became the preferred genre, and VGT Board members who were first the primary actors were joined by other Chicagoland theatre lovers.
When Dennis Zacek retired from his role as VGT Artistic Director in 2011, he handed the baton to Bailiwick Chicago for a 5 year successful run before becoming its own 501- (c) (3) organization. The mission of the Casting Auction has always been to provide and authentic theater experience to the players while raising much needed funding for small theaters.
While some things have changed since that first show, one thing remains the same: The participants get to express interest in the various roles in the plays in an annual Casting Party & Auction. The winners rehearse in their free time to perform in a professionally-produced show in a professional Chicago theater. By day, performers are professionals in completely different fields such as law, communications, education, sales, human resources, IT, finance, and more! Once bitten by the acting bug, it’s hard not to return again and again!
History of Casting Auction Shows
The Casting Auction is a grand Chicago tradition that began more than three decades ago. In 1980, the late Chicago attorney Joan Grossman (1947-2008) devised an inspired fundraiser for Victory Gardens Theatre (VGT)—a casting auction, eventually to be known as The Casting Auction. With the support of the VGT Board of Directors, the first show, Tobacco Road, was staged in 1981. Soon, musicals became the preferred genre, and VGT Board members who were first the primary actors were joined by other Chicagoland theatre lovers.
When Dennis Zacek retired from his role as VGT Artistic Director in 2011, he handed the baton to Bailiwick Chicago for a 5 year successful run before becoming its own 501- (c) (3) organization. The mission of the Casting Auction has always been to provide and authentic theater experience to the players while raising much needed funding for small theaters.
While some things have changed since that first show, one thing remains the same: The participants get to express interest in the various roles in the plays in an annual Casting Party & Auction. The winners rehearse in their free time to perform in a professionally-produced show in a professional Chicago theater. By day, performers are professionals in completely different fields such as law, communications, education, sales, human resources, IT, finance, and more! Once bitten by the acting bug, it’s hard not to return again and again!
History of Casting Auction Shows
- 1980 - Tobacco Road
- 1981 – The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- 1982 – Sherlock Holmes
- 1983- Arsenic and Old Lace
- 1984- The Man Who Came to Dinner
- 1985- Anything Goes
- 1987- Grease!
- 1988- The Boyfriend
- 1989- Chicago
- 1990- Little Shop of Horrors
- 1992- Guys and Dolls
- 1993- Peter Pan
- 1994- Bye Bye Birdie
- 1996- Annie
- 1997- The Music Man
- 1998- Gypsy
- 1999- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- 2000- Once Upon A Mattress
- 2001- Damn Yankees
- 2002- Guys and Dolls
- 2003-Kiss Me, Kate
- 2004- Grease!
- 2005- My Fair Lady
- 2006- Hello Dolly
- 2007-Annie Get Your Gun
- 2008- The Pajama Game
- 2009- Mame
- 2010- Anything Goes
- 2011- Thoroughly Modern Millie
- 2012- Damn Yankees!
- 2013- Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat
- 2014- The Drowsy Chaperone
- 2015-Wonderful Town
- 2016- 9 to 5
- 2017- All Shook Up
- 2018- The Addams Family