Audition Call

This audition will be held in person in Vancouver, BC.

Auditions

CALL: We are seeking 2 singers to record the soundtrack for the animated film adaptation of Did I Just Say That?, a new chamber operetta by composer Katerina Gimon and librettist Valerie Sing Turner. Because this is an animated production, we are looking for singers with strong acting skills who are able to convey emotion and character only through their voices.

This call is open to musical theatre and rock opera singers, as well as classical opera singers.

Roles being cast:

• Gabriella: mezzo soprano (Ab3 - F#5), must be BIPOC
• Cecilia: soprano (D4 - C5), any ethnicity

AUDITION DATE: Week of September 22nd 2025, exact date TBD
TIME: 1pm - 5pm | Auditions will be 15 - 20 minutes each

LOCATION: To be determined, in Vancouver, BC

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Sunday, September 7th 2025 at midnight  PST

SUBMISSION: Auditions are in-person only. We kindly ask that only people who are available for rehearsals (total of 3 rehearsals between September 29th - October 13th 2025, exact dates/times TBD) and recording dates apply (week of October 13  2025, exact dates/times TBD). You must be able to read music; experience with studio recording an asset but not mandatory.

To be considered for an audition, please email the following to [email protected]:

• the role you’re interested in being considered for
• confirmation of your in-person availability for all project dates
• A demo reel or link(s) to sample recording(s) showcasing your singing
• Your CV
• If applying for Gabriella, your racial background/identity

Please note we will only be contacting successful applicants for an audition.

SELECTION PROCESS: We will review all applications and notify applicants selected for audition by September 12th 2025. Auditions will take place the week of September 22nd 2025 (exact date to be determined).. Singers who participated in a previous workshop or recording session of Did I Just Say That?, and would like to be considered for this latest recording do NOT have to audition, but only send an email confirming interest and availability for all project dates.

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS*: Upon confirmation of your audition time, we will provide  1 - 2 excerpts from Did I Just Say That? to prepare for the audition, along with relevant excerpts of recorded orchestral accompaniment and full libretto.

IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE SUBMITTING: we are not able to offer travel and accommodation for this project. Please only submit if you are in the Metro Vancouver area for all project dates. Only people who are available for ALL rehearsal and recording dates noted above should apply.

Production Information:

Production name: Did I Just Say That? 
Producing Companies: re:Naissance Opera and Visceral Visions
Location: Vancouver, BC
Project type: Animated film & audio recording

Project Dates: 

• September 29th - October 13th 2025: project rehearsals, times TBD
• Week of October 13th 2025: Recording dates

Exact dates for rehearsals will be scheduled once the successful singers are selected.

Compensation: UBCP/ACTRA contract 

Audition Details:

Applicants should prepare 1-2 sections from Did I Just Say That?. A first mix of a new orchestral recording will be provided in advance of the audition. The recording(s) will be used as the accompaniment during the audition.

About Did I Just Say That?

With support from BC Arts Council and Canada Council, Visceral Visions and re:Naissance Opera co-commissioned Valerie Sing Turner as librettist and Katerina Gimon as composer for a new 20-minute comedic chamber operetta, with dramaturgy by Debi Wong. We are also grateful to CreativeBC, BCAC and CCA for their support for the animated film adaptation.

A friendship is tested when two roommates – a racialized writer and a white composer – battle over whether to apply to an opera competition for women-identifying teams. #OperaSoWhite and #MeToo have never been so hotly debated – or so funny!

Exploring themes of feminism, racial intersectionality, and what it means to embody artistic risk in a patriarchal society in which women must diminish or silence themselves in order to get ahead, the piece features a “diva-off” that incorporates musical quotes from famous arias as the friends debate the problematic portrayal of racialized women in the classic opera canon. We believe the heart of a diva beats in every social justice warrior’s chest!

Visceral Visions and re:Naissance Opera create and operate on the ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. We are dedicated to creating artistic work and collaborative structures that reflect Indigenous and intercultural diversity. Together with our partners, we are committed to attracting and retaining BIPOC teams, particularly women of colour, who reflect the communities in which we live and work. People of colour, Indigenous peoples, and members of other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply.