Election Day Announcement: Auditions Set for RAGTIME at Music Theatre Of Denton

Music Theatre of Denton is proud to announce auditions for RAGTIME, the Broadway musical based on E.L. Doctorow's distinguished 1975 novel. With a book by Terrence McNally and music by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, RAGTIME is considered one of the best musicals on the past several decades. For Music Theatre of Denton, Kyle Christopher West directs with John Norine Jr. serving as musical director and Elizabeth Cantrell as stage manager. RAGTIME runs February 22nd - March 3rd.

Auditions will be held by appointment on Tuesday, December 11th and Wednesday, December 12th from 6:30-9:30pm at The Campus Theatre (214 W Hickory St, Denton, TX 76201). Callbacks will be held, as needed, on Saturday, December 15th between 10:00am and 1:00pm at The 1st Presbyterian Church (1114 W. University Dr. Denton, TX 76201). If you are unable to attend auditions, a video may be submitted to KyleChristopherWest@gmail.com by Monday, December 10th.

Please arrive with a headshot and resume, prepare 16-32 bars of standard musical theatre repertoire and be prepared for cold readings, dance, and additional vocal auditions if invited to callbacks. Singing from the show is accepted, but not required. All auditionees will be contacted with casting results within 14 days of auditions.

Rehearsals are anticipated to begin on Monday, January 14th with weekly rehearsals Mondays through Thursday 7:00pm-10:00pm and occasional Saturday mornings or Sunday afternoons as needed.

CLICK HERE to schedule your audition appointment!

About the Show:

At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing... and anything is possible. Set in the volatile melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, three distinctly American tales are woven together - that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant, and a daring young Harlem musician - united by their courage, compassion and belief in the promise of the future. Together, they confront history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and what it means to live in America.

The show is set in the early 20th century, but if you turn on the TV, you can hear the same headlines right this minute. You know these people.

Character Breakdown:

Mother (25-35) Conservative and wealthy, but brave and warm-hearted. If she'd watched The View, Nicole Wallace would hands-down have been her favorite host. Vocal range: E5-G3

Father (30-45) Rich. Right. Right Winged, but "doesn't discuss politics." Definitely the oldest sibling and a product of boarding school. Vocal range: F5-A3

Younger Brother (18-30) Son of rich Republicans, but had his eyes opened while attending a Black Lives Matter rally in college. Ready to make a change in the world but distracted by an obsession with a celebrity personality. Vocal range top: F5 | Vocal range bottom: B3

Little Boy (6ish-10ish) The young, well-manicured son of a respected white family with incredible insight. If he gets in trouble, expect him to be saved in the name of affluenza. He will learn from the mistakes of the generation that raised him.

Evelyn Nesbit (18-25) Beautiful and moderately talented. She's a socialite and influencer who knew she could get away with anything, including her rich husband's murder. Vocal range top: D5 | Vocal range bottom: B3

Grandfather (50-65) Mother's conservative, easily irritated father. Tell racist jokes but "knows a fine black man" and "isn't racist." He's an old dog who may not learn new tricks, but not intentionally unkind.

Tateh (25-40) A young immigrant and father and the victim of fear mongering. He's here for his American Dream and willing to give up everything for a better life for his daughter. He probably played Tevye in high school and would have voted for Bernie Sanders if he could have. Vocal range top: F5 | Vocal range bottom: A3

Little Girl (6ish-10ish) Tateh's daughter, a young immigrant girl attached to her father by a leash in fear of being separated and detained by the US government. Scared, but smart and sweet. Vocal range top: D5 | Vocal range bottom: C4

Emma Goldman (30-40) A Russian anarchist who doesn't take no for an answer. She would have watched every episode of Orange is the New Black and yelled back at the authority figures in Russian, even if Red's accent would have pissed her off. And were she a man, you would have listened to her. Vocal range top: D5 | Vocal range bottom: E3

Houdini (25+) An immigrant with privilege due to his celebrated escape artist act. Eventually quits making movies, but is open to a one-hour program dedicated to him and his craft if the money is right. Vocal range top: G5 | Vocal range bottom: C4

Coalhouse (25-35) A smart and stubborn young black man with infinite potential. Can't sit still when the tide rolls in. Loves music and women and always takes a knee to silently protest for his cause. Vocal range top: B5 | Vocal range bottom: G3

Sarah (18-25) A young, black, lovesick artist who is forced to grow up very quickly. She's an outgoing introvert with a lot to lose. Vocal range top: F5 | Vocal range bottom: G3

Sarah's Friend (18-30) It's hard to tell if she's more vocal in the church choir or while protesting in the streets, but you'll stop and listen when she opens her mouth. Vocal range top: D5 | Vocal range bottom: D3

Booker T. Washington (40+) Black icon, author, and a respected voice in the black community. Would be honored to have a school named after him. Vocal range top: E5 | Vocal range bottom: C4

J.P. Morgan (40+) A rich and well-fed auto financier.

Henry Ford (30+) Smart. Rich. He burns, but never tans. Appeared alongside J.P. Morgan is last year's Forbes Magazine. Vocal range top: F5 | Vocal range bottom: D4

Willie Conklin (25-40) A volunteer fireman on a power trip. A tattered Confederate flag hangs off his rusty pickup truck. Vocal range top: F5 | Vocal range bottom: D4

Ensemble (15-20 folks of different ages, sizes, gender identities, and ethnic backgrounds) to play Citizens of New Rochelle and Harlem, Coalhouse supporters, reporters, and various other supporting roles. They're likely team #BlackLivesMatter or #BackTheBlue. Strong singers an actors who move well.

About the Directors:

Kyle Christopher West (Director/Choreographer) is best known to DFW as the Senior Editor for BroadwayWorld.com, but has directed and choreographed over 60 productions across the country, including Hairspray, Cabaret, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph...Dreamcoat, RENT and many more. For his work, he has received the AriZoni Award, MET Award, Annie Award and BroadwayWorld.com Award, among others. Most recently, Kyle directed WHITE CHRISTMAS at The Firehouse Theatre and EVITA at Music Theatre of Denton.

John Norine Jr. (Musical Director) is a DMA graduate of the University of North Texas, where he studied Orchestral Conducting under Anshel Brusilow and Clay Couturiaux. He furthered his studies at the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival between 2007 and 2018, studying conducting under Michael Jinbo and working as an Orchestral Assistant. John has been an active music director throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex at the community, educational, and professional levels since 2005, directing almost fifty shows during that time. He recently served as musical director for The Firehouse Theatre's GYPSY and WHITE CHRISTMAS as well as MTD's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

If you are unable to attend scheduled auditions or have questions that must be answered before auditions, you may email KyleChristopherWest@gmail.com.

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