NYMF 2011 **Revised** Equity Principal Audition - NYMF Auditions

New York Musical Theatre Festival 2011

Equity Principal Auditions

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN’T DIE!! IN 3D!!!

LES ENFANTS DE PARIS

F@!#ing Hipsters

Man Of Rock

All productions will use the NYMF Special Agreement:

Rehearsal stipend: $500; $27 per performance; pension fund payment.

The 2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival will run from 9/26-10/16, at various venues in NYC.

Most shows will have six perfs each (perf dates for each show TBA).

Equity Principal Auditions:

Tuesday, July 12, 2011 Actors' Equity Association Audition Center

9:30 AM - 5:30 PM 165 West 46th Street, 2nd Floor

Lunch from 1 - 2. New York City

Please prepare 32 bars of a musical theatre selection: either something specifically appropriate for any of the shows, or a general selection that shows off your range. Some shows may have specific music suggestions; see show listing. Bring sheet music in the correct key; accompanist is provided, but may not transpose.

Please bring FOUR COPIES of your stapled-together picture and resume.

Notes from Equity: Each production listed below will be represented at this call by a separate individual with casting authority (i.e. the authority to effectively recommend a performer for a callback or casting).

THE BRAIN THAt WOULDN’T DIE!! IN 3D!!! Prod: Brainstorming Productions LLC. Music: T. Sivak. Book/Lyrics: T. Sivak & E. Gelman. Dir: Tim Drucker. CD: Holly Buczek/Michael Cassara Casting.

It's 1961, and Dr. Dick Cuttingham will go to any lengths to further scientific knowledge—even murder! When his fiancée Hedy is accidentally decapitated, Dick keeps her head alive in a baking pan while he hunts for a replacement body to transplant to her. Hedy would rather die than take part in this ghastly experiment, and joins forces with The Monster in the Closet to battle Dick in a 3D rock ‘n’ roll finale!

The Emcee:

40-60. Role for a character actor. Emcee is a theatrical persona with a dark, monstrous side – menacing yet engaging. He is host, producer and director of the musical, and has written himself into every scene. He plays multiple roles throughout, including a pompous surgeon, a licentious photographer, the MC of a beauty pageant, the host of a burlesque club, and – the role dearest to his heart – the Monster in the Closet. Think Kelsey Grammar as Sideshow Bob. A2 to A4 (baritone).

Dr. Dick Cuttingham:

30s/early 40s. Role for a leading man. Dick is charming, handsome, supremely confident, driven to succeed at any cost. Obsessed with transforming medical science, Dick transforms himself from respectable physician to psychopathic would-be killer. Bb2 to G4 (baritone).

Head Nurse Hedy:

Late 20s/30s. Role for a character actress. Hedy is Dick’s fiancée, and the heroine of the story. Smart, charismatic, with good comedic sense. Hedy is “decapitated” early on in the show, and the actress spends most of the show with only her head visible. G3 to D5 (high belt or pop mix).

Kurt / Others:

Track age: 20s/30s. Track for a character actor. Kurt: Former surgeon, now Dick’s bitter laboratory assistant. Has one arm. Overly dramatic in performance, slightly petulant in person. Think Gene Wilder in “Young Frankenstein”. Actor also plays other characters, including a licentious Photographer, a Body Part, Miss Taken (a beauty pageant contestant (in drag)), and a Patient on a Gurney. C3 to C5 (tenor with falsetto).

Desiree DaBotti / Others:

Track age: Late 20s/30s. Track for an attractive comedic actress. Desiree: Photographers’ model. Has a tragically scarred face. A hermit who hates all men, she falls in love with Dick and becomes his unwitting victim. Actress also plays Alice (friend of Donna’s and a beauty pageant contestant), Trixie (burlesque dancer), a Body Part, and Nurse Annette. Sings lead backup vocals throughout. Middle C to G5 (belt w/pop soprano).

Donna / Others:

Track age: Late 20s/30s. Track for an attractive comedic actress. Donna: Bubbly and free-spirited. Dick’s old high school girlfriend. Actress also plays Toots (burlesque dancer), a Photographer (in male drag), a Body Part, and Nurse Dinah. Sings backup vocals throughout. G3 to D5 (belt).

www.facebook.com/brainmusical

If unable to attend EPA, please send picture/resume to Holly Buczek, Michael Cassara Casting, 333 W. 39th Street – Suite #601A, New York, NY 10018, ATTN: NYMF/Brain.

LES ENFANTS DE PARIS Score: David Levinson. Book: Stacey Weingarten. Dir: Donna Drake. Mus Dir: Mark Hartman. Choreo: Rhonda Miller. CD: Michael Cassara, CSA. Six perfs 9/26-10/16 (exact dates TBA).

Tale of Pierre Frollo, a young man whose love for an Algerian refugee sparks a series of cataclysmic events. The piece is loosely based on Victor Hugo’s novel “Notre Dame de Paris”, re-setting the story to 1958 Paris and featuring an Arab- and French-influenced score. Islamophobia and disenfranchisement of youth are also explored through the guise of France during the Algerian War for Independence.

Audition music suggestion:

For Nehal and Esme: Folk-rock song, or Arab song if you know one. All others: Traditional musical theater piece or a chanson (Piaf, Brel, Aznavour, etc.).

Esme Benhamou:

Arab woman, early 20s. Algerian refugee and activist. Stunning beauty. Belter to D. Knowledge of Arabic a huge plus.

Pierre Frollo:

Caucasian man, early 20s. Composer and accompanist; a real “artist” type. Naïve. Lyric tenor to G.

Fleur-de-Lys DeGondelaurier:

Woman, mid 20s. Well-off, aspiring nightclub singer. Charming and bourgeois. Classic belter to C#; looking for an Edith Piaf or Judy Garland classic sort of sound.

Phillipe Chateaupers:

Man, mid 20s. Soldier in the French army. Fleur’s fiancé. High tenor to Bb.

Claude Frollo:

Man, mid 30s. Pierre’s older brother. Priest at Notre Dame de Paris. Bass; looking for a rough, Jacques Brel sort of sound. Dance background a plus.

Michel Giroux:

Seeking actor 18+ to play 16. Deaf. Has Asperger’s syndrome. Non-singing role.

Nehal Benhamou:

Arab man, late 20s. Esme’s older brother. Former activist. Lyric tenor to G#. Knowledge of Arabic a huge plus.

If unable to attend, submit materials to Michael Cassara Casting, 333 W. 39th Street – Suite #601A, New York, NY 10018, ATTN: NYMF/Paris.

F@!#ING HIPSTERS Music: John Ballinger. Music/Lyrics: Lori Scarlett. Book: Keythe Farley. Dir: John Carrafa. CD: Michael Cassara, CSA.

Lars:

Man, 26. Hipster. Idealist. Plays in a band called Mark Twain's Moustache. Self-published their first record, and is doing quite well. Has a growing following. Brews and sells his own beer. Definitely leader of the pack, and a pillar in his own community. Living the dream. Actor should play an instrument – preferably guitar, but could be keyboards, drums, bass.

Josie Harvey:

Korean woman, 27. Sexy. Charming.

Evangeline:

Woman, 28. Hipster. Lars’s roommate, band member and business partner. Madly in love with Lars, but is keeping it to herself. Previous experience with keys or guitar would be a major plus, but at a minimum, will need to learn a simple instrument such as bells.

Tomatoes:

African American man, 34. Over 6' 2". Hipster. Lars and Evangeline’s roommate. Band member. Married to Buck. Stoic. Rational. Very much the father figure. Actor needs to play guitar, bass or drums.

Buck:

Man, 30. Under 5' 10". Hipster. Band member. Married to Tomatoes. Quick-witted and fun-loving. Actor needs to play guitar, bass or drums.

If unable to attend, submit to Michael Cassara Casting, 333 W. 39th Street - Suite #601A, New York, NY 10018, ATTN: Hipsters.

MAn OF ROCK Prod: Silverwolf Productons, LLC. Music: Ken Flagg. Book/Lyrics: Daniel Heath. Dir: Jessica Heidt. 1st reh: Late August, 2011. At least 6 perfs 9/26-10/16.

Dorimant, lead singer of Silverwolf, broke hearts all down the Jersey Shore with his panty-dropping ballad “Come Down Angel”, the summer hit of 1982. But now it's 1986, and he’s still a one-hit-wonder. When the hot and brainless JJ Rock rolls into town with his band Hämmer, Dorimant must rediscover the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, or lose his band, his bar ... and his one shot at a girl who can rock as hard as he does. This hilarious adaptation of George Etherege's restoration comedy “The Man of Mode” includes the you-wish-it-had-actually-been-around-in-the-80s hit song “Lovesnake” (it’s a metaphor!) and other soon-to-be classics.

Casting personnel’s notes: “All actors must be able to sing rock and own it. Ethnicity is not a factor and diversity is encouraged for all roles.”

Dorimant:

Man, early - mid 30s. Lead singer of Silverwolf, an 80s hard-rock band that achieved a modicum of success, but has not produced a new song in several years. Now owns and runs a Jersey shore beach bar, and coasts on his previous success. Ladies’ man/traditional restoration cad. Has slept with most of the women on the shore, but has never had a serious relationship. Witty, charming, smart, sexy, but while he can manipulate other people’s emotions, he is clueless about his own. He is the biggest fish in his rather small pond, and he revels in it. Meets his match in Toni, who can dish it out as well as he can. Believes in the music, not the theatrics, but has a tendency to speak in heightened language. Ability to play rhythm rock guitar (not lead) a major plus.

Medley / Old Bellair / Jersey Boy #1:

Male. Track age: Early - mid 30s. Medley: Dorimant’s best friend, and Silverwolf’s drummer. Aloof and sarcastic. Old Bellair: Over the top. Feisty, ass-pinching, cigar-smoking industrialist. Determined to marry his gay son off. Heart of gold (ish). Does not need to sing more than back-up; must play rock ‘n’ roll drums well. If a good candidate can play keyboard or bass instead, script could be altered so that actor could be considered. A guitar player would also work, but the actor would need to be a seasoned rock lead guitarist who could really shred.

JJ Rock / Harry Bellair / Jersey Boy:

Male. Track age: Mid - late 20s. JJ Rock: Lead singer of the up-and-coming Hämmer. Flamboyant. Naïve. Likes to rock – HARD! Fiercely determined, albeit slightly misguided. Idolizes Dorimant. Puts on a good show. Think Poison. Harry Bellair: Mostly closeted artist from Chelsea. Cowed by his father. Can tend to snarkiness and snobbery, but ultimately is a good guy and a loyal friend. Track needs a strong falsetto voice. Ability to play rhythm rock guitar (not lead) a plus.

Susie Love:

Woman, early - mid 30s. Fierce. Totally Jersey, as in she could cut you. Very passionate, loyal, sexy … more like Lita Ford than Joan Jett. At heart, she is a romantic who just wants to be loved. Actress needs excellent comic chops.

Toni / Orange Woman / Jersey Boy:
Track age: Mid - late 20s. Toni: Woman from Connecticut; a preppy snob who secretly likes to rock. She is quite intelligent; many consider her cold. She does not fall for Dorimant’s usual lines, and dishes it right back to him. Orange Woman: Mercenary. Think Michelle Pfieffer in “Married to the Mob”. Landlord of Dorimant’s bar; has a sweet spot for Dorimant. Ability to play guitar a major plus.

If unable to attend, submit to
casting@manofrock.com

All of the information above is subject to change. Check “Casting Call” or the Equity Audition Center bulletin boards frequently for updates. See separate casting notices for more NYMF 2011 EPAs.

Michael Cassara Casting is the resident casting office for the 2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival, and will be coordinating days of Equity Principal Auditions for multiple shows on July 12, 14 and 26. An Equity Chorus Call will be held on July 13. Individual shows will be using their own casting practices; please read breakdowns for details. General festival submissions (not for a specific show) may be sent to Michael Cassara Casting, 333 W. 39th Street – Suite #601A, New York, NY 10018, Attn: NYMF.

Note to non-Equity performers from Michael Cassara Casting:

“Due to the high turnout of Equity members for these combined EPA days, it is unlikely we will be able to see EMC or [other] non-Equity performers. A non-Equity open call will be held in July – and details will be available on
facebook.com/michaelcassaracasting and
michaelcassara.net – as the time draws closer.”