29th Annual Youth Musical
AUDITIONS: The Drowsy Chaperone
This Tony Award-winning farce begins when a die-hard musical theatre fan plays his favorite cast album and the characters from a 1928 fictitious musical come to life in his apartment. Mix in two love-birds on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not-so-bright hostess, gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan, and a tipsy chaperone to create the ingredients for an evening of madcap delight. All the while, poking fun at all the tropes that characterize the musical theatre genre!
Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar
Music & Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Directed by Eve Keller
Music Directed by Sarah Maher
Choreographed by Michael Marchak
All actors must be fully vaccinated for Covid.
AUDITIONS
Auditions will be held on:
Sunday, August 17 from 12:30 - 3:30pm
Monday, August 18 from 3:30 - 6:30pm
Actors only need to attend one day of auditions.
This audition traditionally has a large turnout. In order to help us better manage the process, all actors must sign up for a time slot to audition to make sure we can accommodate everyone.
Callbacks will be held on:
Saturday, August 23 from 11:00am-3:00pm.
**You will be notified via email by 8/20 if you will be needed for
callbacks and given a schedule.
All auditions, and any necessary callbacks, will be held at the
2627 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA
Street parking available.
Venice Family Clinic’s parking lot is available on weekends and on weekdays after 6 p.m. Do not park at our neighbors AAMCO/Viking Motors or SGI or you will be towed.
PREPARE
Prepare two contrasting musical theatre style songs (one uptempo, one ballad).
One song should be a 32 bar cut and the other only 16 bars. Choose songs with a “story” so you can show both your acting and vocal ability.
NOTE: For this audition, we encourage & prefer you to use the accompanist we are providing to have a “real world” audition experience so bring sheet music for your cuts and you will have time to review your material in advance. We will have a playback system if you do need to use tracks so make sure to bring those. We will accommodate those that use pianist and make time for you to sing at least one song both with piano and a track to gain experience. You can also choose to sing one with track and one with piano.
Be prepared to dance with comfortable clothes and dance shoes or sneakers.
PEFORMANCE DATES
Actors MUST be available for all performances. This is non-negotiable!
November 8 - December 7
Most performances are Saturday and Sunday afternoons with a few on Friday and Saturday evenings. There will be shows over THANKSGIVING WEEKEND.
In ADDITION: Actors will perform numbers from the show in the Morgan-Wixson’s annual Geoffrey Awards show on the evening of November 16. A complete show schedule will be provided at auditions. Actors MUST be available for all performances as well as the week before opening (tech week).
REHEARSALS
Rehearsals will begin Mon, August 25 with a parent meeting and music rehearsal. (a read-thru will be scheduled at a later time) The rest of rehearsals will be scheduled in a combination of week days from 4:00-6:30/45pm, weekday evenings from 6:15-9:30 as well as Saturdays and Sundays – dependent upon theatre availability. A calendar with more specific time slots will be available at the audition and can also be found here.
Actors are not called for all rehearsals, only ones where they are being used for a scene/song/dance.
We will try to limit most actors to 4-5 rehearsals a week until we reach the last few weeks.
Rehearsals will be worked around actor schedules as much as possible.
BRING
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A printed copy of your vaccination card with updated booster listed.
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A picture (school picture or snapshot is fine) *even if you have done shows with us before, we need a new one
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Resume or list of shows done.
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Your conflicts. All conflicts MUST be submitted prior to callbacks using the calendar provided on the audition form. (see below)
CONFLICTS
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At the audition, all actors must fill out a calendar form with all conflicts.
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PRIOR to auditioning, make sure to check with your school choir/band/theatre director, your sports coach, any pending field/overnight trips, or any other adult who schedules your time.
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Weekends are predominantly for dance – more than 3 conflicts on those days may result in an actor not being cast.
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There will be rehearsals on some holidays
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All conflicts must be submitted BEFORE callbacks.
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Limit conflicts for two weeks before opening and NO conflicts during tech week
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If cast, any additional conflicts may result in an actor being replaced – even ones from school that you were unaware of if we are unable to work around it.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
In reference to the character descriptions that follow, our casting seeks to be as inclusive as possible. We will list gender/race/ethnicity when specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities for all roles. We also encourage gender non-conforming, genderfluid, transgender and non-binary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with. In addition, we will list disability when specific to a character, but are otherwise seeking actors with disabilities as well as non-disabled actors for all roles. Please let us know if you have any questions, or if there are any accommodations we can provide.
We are actively committed to casting an inclusive show that reflects the community.
Ages eligible to audition for this cast are: 12-18 years
Note: actors must be able to believably portray adult characters.
*18 year olds must be enrolled in high school
Man in Chair: to play 30-50 year old adult. Musical theatre aficionado who morns the end of the Golden Era. He narrates the show while listening to the vinyl record. Vocal range: open
Mrs. Tottendale: to play 40-50 year old adult. Wealthy, flighty, eccentric, and host of the wedding. She is often forgetful and oblivious to the confusion her behavior generates in other people. Vocal range: Alto character voice (Top: Db5; Bottom: G3)
Underling: to play 40-50 year old adult. Mrs. Tottendale’s savvy butler who is stoic, dry-humored and sarcastic.
Vocal range: Tenor (Top: G4; Bottom: Ab2)
Robert Martin: to play 30-40 year old adult. The groom. A token 1920’s leading man - dashing, ever-cheerful, optimistic. Must be able to roller skate and have tap dance ability. Vocal range: Tenor (Top: Ab4; Bottom: C3)
George: to play 30-40 year old adult. Robert’s anxious, dim-witted best man who has Robert’s best- interest always at heart. Sincere, anxious. Tap ability a plus. Vocal range: Tenor (Top: Bb4; Bottom: F3)
Feldzieg: to play 40-50 year old adult. Broadway producer who is desperate for his star, Janet, to return to his follies show. Nervous, sarcastic, impatient.
Vocal range: Baritone (Top: Db4; Bottom: Db3)
Kitty: to play 30 year old adult. Feldzieg’s dim-witted companion who has huge hopes of being a star.
Vocal range: Soprano comedic belt (Top: F5; Bottom: Bb3)
Gangsters: to play 30-40 year old adult. Posing as pastry chefs, these jovial gangsters intend to collect from Feldzieg. This role is full of word play and stylized movements. Good comedic timing needed. Vocal range: Tenor (Top: Gb4; Bottom: Db3)
Adolpho: to play 30-40 year adult. European self-proclaimed “ladies man” who is impressed with himself. Confident, vigorous and a vaudevillian buffoon. Strong comedic timing needed. Vocal range: Bass/Baritone with falsetto (Top: G4; Bottom: A#2)
Janet Van De Graf: to play 30’s. The bride. A 1920’s starlet. A glamorous, vivacious, outgoing and talented star of Feldzieg’s Follies. Conflicted about giving up her stage-life for marriage. Strong movement and special skills (acrobatics, juggling, etc) a plus. Vocal range: Alto/Soprano with big belt. (Top: E5; Bottom: G3)
The Drowsy Chaperone: to play 40-50 old adult. Janet’s alcoholic confidante and friend. Unconcerned about what the world thinks of her. Often seems carefree due to being tipsy. Strong comedic timing needed. Vocal range: Alto with strong belt (Top: D5; Bottom: F3)
Trix: to play 30-45 year old adult. The brave and brash female aviator who, by chance, is recruited to perform the wedding. Sassy, sleek, take-charge type. May also double in ensemble. Vocal range: Alto (Top: Eb5; Bottom: Ab3)
Ensemble to play adult characters of Staff, Reporters and Ensemble dancers/singers.
Need strong dancers/movers/singers who can handle harmonies.
Non-Equity, there is no pay.
Questions? Contact Eve Keller at eve.keller@morgan-wixson.org.