Culture Flash

Jack Black

• If you have ever had a dream of dancing in a community theatre production of The Music Man with Jack Black playing Professor Harold Hill – and who hasn't? – listen up. Auditions are being held this Saturday, Sept. 25, for dancers to appear in the motion picture Bernie, starring Black and directed by Richard Linklater, in which a community college production of The Music Man figures prominently, and Black does indeed play the lead. If you're keen to "76 Trombones" it with him, here's what you need to know: Dancers must be 13 years or older, beyond the beginner level, and available for mandatory rehearsals on two Saturdays, Oct. 16 & 23, and for filming the first week of November. And the gig doesn't pay. All ethnicities and ages are welcome. Tumbling and singing skills are a plus. If you're good with all that, you can schedule an audition time by e-mailing your name, phone number, head shot, résumé, and e-mail address to auditions@zachtheatre.org. Auditions will be held 1:30-8pm in the Nowlin Rehearsal Studio at Zach Theatre, 1426 Toomey. Bring a head shot and résumé, wear proper dance attire and shoes, and come warmed up. The dances will be choreographed by Robin Lewis.

• Congratulations to the Paramount Theatre, which came in first in the This Place Matters Community Challenge grant competition sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The challenge was intended to draw attention to and support for preservation of landmarks within local communities, with a $25,000 grant going to the facility that garnered the most votes. One hundred nineteen buildings were entered into the competition, and of the more than 55,000 votes cast nationwide between Aug. 15 and Sept. 15, the Paramount received almost 8,000 – 14% of the total. Placing second with 11% of the vote was the Tinker Swiss Cottage of Rockford, Ill. Fittingly, the trust's next annual conference will be in Austin, Oct. 27-30, and it will be hosting two events at the Paramount.