Auditions to be held in Naples September 13 and 14, 2025
And in New York City for New York-Based Actors September 20, 2025
TheatreZone has announced audition dates in Naples, Fla., and in New York City for its upcoming season, an annual event that attracts top-tier talent from throughout the country to Southwest Florida.
More than 200 actors are expected to arrive in Naples Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 14, to audition for more than 40 roles in TheatreZone’s five musicals for its 2025-2026 “Hilarity & Heart” season, announced TheatreZone’s founding artistic director, Mark Danni.
To secure an appointment in Naples, actors must email Auditions@Theatre.Zone with a preferred date and time range for their audition. Actors without appointments will be seen throughout the day as time permits. Submissions sent to personal email addresses will not be accepted. Full information is available at Theatre.Zone/Auditions.
Actors are asked to prepare 32 bars of a song and have a contrasting selection ready. Sheet music in the correct key is required, and an accompanist will be provided. Actors should also bring a picture and resume, stapled together, and be prepared to dance if asked.
Video submissions for New York-based actors, should email a resume and headshot in one document to Auditions@Theatre.Zone, and create YouTube video of contrasting songs with a brief monologue, to be uploaded to a Google Drive document included on a link at Theatre.Zone/Auditions, no later than September 12.
Sides for the musicals will be emailed in advance and provided at the auditions. Visually impaired performers may request an advance copy of the sides when making an audition appointment.
More details are available at Theatre.Zone/Auditions, under the About page.
The 2025-2026 season is TheatreZone’s 21st season as Naples’ premier musical theatre. Danni has selected treasured, award-winning musicals with roles coveted by performers:
- Home for the Holidays (first rehearsal December 15, runs December 19-21) with five Equity actor contracts and three non-Equity actor contracts available.
- Grumpy Old Men: The Musical (first rehearsal December 29, runs January 8-18) with eight Equity actor contracts and six non-Equity actor contracts available.
- Gutenberg: The Musical (first rehearsal January 26, runs February 5-15) with two Equity actor contracts available.
- Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (first rehearsal February 23, runs March 5-15) with seven Equity actor contracts and five non-Equity actor contracts available.
- Oliver (first rehearsal May 25, runs June 4-14) with eight Equity actor contracts and six non-Equity actor contracts available
“The annual arrival in Naples of triple-threat performers — gifted actors, singers and dancers – is a highlight of our season as we build toward our first show in December,” said Danni. “They come from New York City, throughout the southeastern U.S., and beyond.”
TheatreZone, Naples’ original musical theatre company, possesses a coveted contract with the Actors’ Equity Association [AEA] which allows it to attract professional performers from throughout the country. “We are proud to bring experienced actors to Naples stages, and also to offer a valuable venue for Equity actors living in South Florida,” Danni commented.
Non-Equity performers are also welcome to audition as TheatreZone’s Equity contract allows for a certain number of non-Equity actors in its casts.
The live auditions in Naples will be held at TheatreZone’s G&L Theatre, located at 13275 Livingston Road in Naples, on the campus of the Community School of Naples.
2025-2026 TheatreZone Musicals
TheatreZone’s 21st season promises hilarity and heart with our festive Home for the Holidays, followed by four musicals that feature passionate searches for romance, fame and fortune.
Home for the Holidays
Dec. 19-21
7:30 p.m. Dec. 19-20
2 p.m. Dec. 20-21
Southwest Florida audiences kick off their holiday festivities on Dec. 15 with Home for the Holidays, TheatreZone’s ninth annual production of its traditional season opener. The popular holiday musical is a feast for the senses with memorable songs, exuberant choreography and colorful costumes.
Grumpy Old Men: The Musical
Jan. 8 – 18
7:30 p.m. Jan. 8-11; Jan. 15-18
2 p.m. Jan. 10-11; Jan. 17-18
Based on the 1993 film Grumpy Old Men starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann Margaret, the musical features Max and John, two feuding neighbors who have spent most of their lives at odds with each other. Their conflicts take a comedic turn when they become romantic rivals for a stunning and charismatic new neighbor.
Gutenberg: The Musical – Starring Larry Alexander & Adolpho Blaire
Feb. 5 – 15
7:30 p.m. Feb. 5-8; Feb. 12-15
2 p.m. Feb. 7-8; Feb. 14-15
Gutenberg: The Musical is a comedic, fast-paced, two-man show abounding with energy. This Tony-nominated Best Musical follows Bud (Adolpho Blaire) and Doug (Larry Alexander) as theatre writers and composers who try to sell a hilariously inaccurate musical about Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, to potential investors.
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
March 5-15
7:30 p.m. March 5-8; March 12-15
2 p.m. March 7-8; March 14-15
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story celebrates the youthful energy, creativity, and legacy of a rock-n-roll icon who changed popular music. The musical follows Buddy Holly’s meteoric rise to fame and features more than 20 of Buddy’s greatest hits, including “That’ll Be the Day,” “Peggy Sue,” “Oh, Boy!” and “Rave On.”
Oliver!
June 4 – 14
7:30 p.m. June 4-7; Jue 11-14
2 p.m. June 6-7; June 13-14
Few shows are as iconic and timeless as Oliver!, a beloved musical based on Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel, Oliver Twist. The adaptation transforms the novel into a tune-filled show with unforgettable songs — “Food, Glorious Food,” “Where Is Love?,” and “Who Will Buy?” — while retaining its exploration of poverty and loss.
About TheatreZone
TheatreZone, celebrating its 21st season in 2025-2026, performs its musical productions in the intimate 250-seat G&L Theatre conveniently located in Naples at 13275 Livingston Road, between Pine Ridge and Vanderbilt Beach Roads, in a dedicated building nestled within the campus of the Community School of Naples.
TheatreZone’s contract with the Actors’ Equity Association ensures access to the best actors, singers, dancers, musicians, and stage management professionals from throughout the country. The nonprofit, 501(c)(3) was established in 2005 by Mark Danni and Karen Molnar Danni, who have both enjoyed successful careers on Broadway and Off-Broadway.
Visit www.theatre.zone for information and tickets or call the box office at 888-966-3352.
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