Kentwood Players will hold auditions for the musical "Li'l Abner" with book by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank based on characters created by Al Capp, lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Gene de Paul, on Saturday, January 9 from 11 AM to 3 PM, and Sunday, January 10 from 6 to 9 PM at the Westchester Playhouse located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Westchester. The production is directed and choreographed by Victoria Miller with Susan Goldman Weisbarth producing for Kentwood Players. Performance dates are March 12 to April 17, 2010, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM.
Using the fictional backwoods hamlet of "Dogpatch, USA,"
Al Capp offered humorous political and social commentary of the day in his comic strip "Li'l Abner" that ran in the "funny papers" nationwide from 1934 to 1977 but wasn't just for the kiddies. The musical "Li'l Abner" opened on Broadway on November 15, 1956 and ran for 693 performances with original direction and choreography by
Michael Kidd. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the musical remains applicable to today's political and social scenes.
The story centers around Dogpatch's Sadie Hawkins Day Race, the annual opportunity for Daisy Mae to once again attempt to snag Li'l Abner for her husband. But the race gets interrupted by Washington D.C. bureaucrats who announce that Dogpatch has been determined to be the most unnecessary town in the USA , and thus has been selected as the site for testing the atomic bomb. Told they can only avoid evacuation and annihilation by demonstrating that the town has some redeeming value, Mammy Yokum throws her secret Yokumberry tonic into the mix, the plot thickens, and the madCapp ride takes off!
Those auditioning should come prepared to sing, dance, and read sides. Advance appointments are not necessary and an accompanist will be provided. Please bring sheet music, your headshot, resume and appointment calendar with you to the auditions.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
Li'l Abner--20-35; handsome, tall and muscular; must move well; baritone or tenor
Daisy Mae--18-30; beautiful blonde; sweet-natured; must move well; b to e
Marryin' Sam--40-55; good-natured, witty, fatherly, persuasive song and dance man; tenor
Mammy Yokum--40-55; Abner's short, very energetic and spry mother; Mammy traditionally stands and walks with bent knees; must move well
Pappy Yokum--45-60; Abner's short, very energetic and spry father; must move well
General Bullmoose--40-60; a suave, cunning, conniving captain of industry, an antagonist; non-singing role
Appassionata Von Climax--20-35; seductive assistant to and mistress of Gen. Bullmoose
Earthquake McGoon--30-50; a big, rough bully, a mean brute, but sweet on Daisy Mae
Senator Jack S. Phogbound--35-60
Moonbeam McSwine--18-35; beautiful, earthy featured singer and one of the wives
Available Jones--20-40
Stupefyin' Jones--18-35; sensuous tall dancer; non-speaking featured role
Evil Eye Fleagle--20-45; thin, quick-moving, zoot suited featured role
Dr. Rasmussen T. Finsdale--30-60
Mayor Dan'l Dawgmeat--30-60
4 to 6 wives--18-35 - The wives and husbands are featured actors/singers/dancers
4 to 6 husbands--18-40 - The wives and husbands are featured actors/singers/dancers
Other Roles: Other male and female ensemble will be cast to fill different and multiple roles (for example, the Scruggs, Romeo, Clem and Alf, the Indians, Lonesome Polecat and Hairless Joe, Government Men, the Colonel, and various doctors). These will be cast primarily from the husbands, wives and ensemble. Most of the cast will also be singing and dancing and moving in group numbers.
For more information on current and future Kentwood Players productions, auditions, and our Kentwood Kids Children's Theatre Classes, please visit the Kentwood Players website at www.kentwoodplayers.org. And you can also sign up and be a Kentwood Players friend on Facebook and My Space.
To meet Kentwood Players members and hear more about what goes on at the Westchester Playhouse, the public is invited to attend our general membership meetings, which are free and held on the third Wednesday of each month at 8:00 PM at the Westchester Playhouse. Attending will also give you a chance to meet the "Li'l Abner" production team and learn more about our upcoming shows. Westchester Playhouse is located two blocks west of the San Diego Freeway and two blocks north of Manchester at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Westchester , CA 90045 .
So come on down and get involved with Kentwood Players, a friendly little theater group of very professional directors, producers, actors, and designers, as we celebrate 60 years of presenting great entertainment!
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