New Line Theatre will hold open auditions on two Monday nights, June 11 and 18, 2018, for two shows, Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein's classic musical LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz' new rock musical BE MORE CHILL, based on the bestselling novel. The auditions will start at 7:00 p.m. both nights, at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive (63103), just three blocks east of Grand in the Grand Center Arts District. Performers need to come to only one of the dates. No appointment is necessary.
For directions to the theatre, click here.
Both shows will run twelve performances over four weeks at the Marcelle. La Cage will run Feb. 28-March 1-23, 2019, and Be More Chill will run May 30-June 22, 2019. The season's opening show, The Zombies of Penzance, has already been cast.
La Cage will have a cast of 16, and Be More Chill will have a cast of 10. For both shows, New Line is looking for a multi-racial cast of intelligent, fearless, singing actors who are willing to take risks onstage. We do not cast anyone under 17. We are very eager to cast actors of color. Performers are asked to bring a prepared contemporary theatre song, with printed piano music for our pianist (no karaoke tracks and no a cappella). Performers may also be asked to sing from the score. There will be a dance audition.
Roles and ranges for both shows can be found below.
No appointments for the audition are necessary. All performers should arrive for the audition before 7:00 p.m. If we need to call actors back, it will be on the same night. New Line continues its long-standing policy of considering people of all backgrounds for all roles that are not ethnically specified. We are proud to be part of a diverse community, and our stage will represent that inclusivity. To read New Line's Diversity Statement, click here.
New Line is a non-union professional theatre company. Performers will share a guaranteed 10% of box office receipts, with a minimum of $150 per actor for the run.
ABOUT THE SHOWS
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES is subversive comedy about real family values in a world that doesn't always value family. In its original 1983 production -- long before gay marriage was legal -- the show was a safely old-fashioned musical comedy. But in its 2008 London revival and 2010 Broadway revival, the show was transformed from a genial comedy into a more serious story, with laughs. Without rewriting it, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES has become a 21st-century musical -- and a New Line show.
Based on the 1973 French play and its 1978 film adaptation, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES tells the story of a middle-aged show business couple, grappling with aging, fidelity, kids, and holding on to their dignity when the world around them would rather strip it away. At the center is Georges, a St. Tropez nightclub owner, and his husband Albin, who is also the club's erratic drag headliner Zaza. When Georges' son gets engaged to the daughter of a right-wing politician, all hell breaks loose -- and suddenly we can see 2018 in the politics and culture war onstage.
BE MORE CHILL, based on the bestselling novel by Ned Vizzini, centers on Jeremy, an average teenage nerd -- until he finds out about the Squip ("Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor"), a tiny Japanese supercomputer -- in a convenient pill taken with Mountain Dew -- which promises to "upgrade" him and bring him everything he desires most: a date with Christine, an invite to the coolest party of the year, and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school. But is being the most popular guy in school worth the risk? What would you do?
The show made its world premiere at the Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey in 2015, and it's now being produced across the country. BroadwayWorld called it "a vibrant, inventive musical that makes the most of every moment." The New Jersey Star-Ledger called it "a high-energy, imaginative, well-crafted world premiere musical." The Tri-City News called it "sharp and smart, the musical perfectly balances the tragedy and hilarity of high school."
REHEARSALS
Rehearsals for La Cage begin the first week of January, and rehearsals for Be More Chill begin the first week of April. Both shows will rehearse three to four times a week in the evenings plus a few weekend afternoons.
ROLES AND RANGES
La Cage Aux Folles
ALBIN: Male 45-55 (Range: Baritone, A#2-G4) A performer of star quality; mature; great powerhouse of a Broadway voice; fine comic actor. His onstage persona is the fabulous Zaza, star of La Cage aux Folles.
GEORGES: Male, 50s (Range: G2-F4) Mature and attractive; good singer; energetic, loving and caring; must move well. He is the Emcee of the club.
LES CAGELLES (Range: Ensemble, Parts Flexible) The six drag showgirls at La Cage aux Folles; must sing and dance (in heels) extremely well.
JEAN-MICHEL: Male, 20 (Range: Baritone, A#2-G4) Handsome; brunette; masculine, well-mannered, educated; desperately in love with his fiancée; acts, sings, and moves well
JACOB: Male, Early 20s (Range: Bb2-Ab4) Black male butler/maid; strong comedian who sings and moves well
ANNE: Female, 18-21 (Range: Ensemble, Part Flexible) Jean-Michel's fiancée; lovely to look at; spunky; a superb dancer who acts well. ALSO PLAYS TOWNSPERSON.
EDOUARD DINDON: Male, Early 50s (Range:Bb2-Eb4) Anne's father; right-wing radical politician; pompous; quirky; must sing, move well, and be a fine comedian. ALSO PLAYS TOWNSPERSON.
MARIE DINDON: Female, Late 40s (Range: F4-A5) Anne's mother; shy, retiring, sexually repressed and sex-starved; good singer and actress who moves well; must look great in a leotard for the finale. ALSO PLAYS TOWNSPERSON.
JACQUELINE: Female, Middle Age (Range: B3-F5) Mature, female friend of Georges and Albin; owns a chic restaurant; attractive, charming; very theatrical. She leads the Act II showstopper, “The Best of Times.” ALSO PLAYS MME. RENAUD
M. RENAUD: Male, Middle Age (Range: Ensemble, Part Flexible) Mature, male friend of Georges and Albin; owns a small cafe; understudies both of the 2 leads
FRANCIS: Male, 40s (Range: Ensemble, Part Flexible) Male stage manager in the club; strong actor/dancer. ALSO PLAYS TOWNSPERSON.
Be More Chill
Jeremy Heere: Male, high school student, range G2-A4
Sweet, introspective, awkward, and very much uncool, he just hopes to keep his head down enough to survive high school and maybe get the girl of his dreams to notice him; when he's given the opportunity to have a supercomputer implanted in his brain that tells him how to become popular, he has to balance following its rules with following his own heart; must have warmth, great comedic timing, and a great rock/pop voice.
The Squip: Male, any age, range A3-Ab4
The Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor is a super-computer inside Jeremy's head – ingested through a pill and Mountain Dew – designed to help him become popular and win the love of his crush, Christine. The Squip looks like Keanu Reeves, but says, "My default mode. You can also set me for (suavely) Sean Connery. (raspy) Jack Nicholson. (falsetto) Sexy anime female..." Needs total confidence and a great rock/pop voice.
Michael Mell: Male, high school student, range C3-A4 (B4 once)
Funny, laid-back, and very warm; although he’s uncool too, he’s comfortable in his own skin and happy to kick back, play video games with his best (and only) friend Jeremy, listen to Bob Marley, and wait for high school to be over; Jeremy’s transformation and subsequent betrayal are devastating, and for the first time ever, the longtime outsider finds himself in a position to save the day; must have warmth, great comedic timing, and a great rock/pop voice.
Christine Canigula: Female, high school student, range G3-D5
Sweet, sensitive, smart, and a little nerdy; she's a theater kid and cares deeply about it; the kind of girl who knows she'll thrive in college, she doesn't engage with the social hierarchy of high school but can't resist being tempted when the coolest guy in school starts pursuing her; attractive and appealing but not in an obvious way; strong voice with a pop/indie-rock sensibility.
Jeremy's Dad/Mr. Reyes/Scary Stockboy: Male, 40-49, range Bb2-G4
Sweet, cheerful, and a little pathetic, his wife’s departure the year before has left him in denial and struggling to cope; terrified of everything, including stepping up as a father and wearing pants, he pretends everything is just fine. Mr. Reyes: the drama teacher at the high school, whose dreams of an artistic production are crushed under the demands of school bureaucracy; emotional and prone to hiding his many disappointments under a constant hunger for Hot Pockets, he needs only the slightest encouragement to take the stage himself; must have a strong rock/pop voice.
Jake Dillinger: Male, high school student, range D3-Gb4 (Bb4 once)
The ultimate high school cool guy; handsome, popular, a star athlete from a rich family, he has everything going for him and he knows it; Alpha status is effortless to him and he might contain hidden depths, but it’s hard to see them when he gets whatever he wants all the time; strong rock/pop voice.
Rich: Male, high school student, range B2-A4 (also rock falsetto)
The terror of the uncool kids, and will go out of his way to make their lives difficult; despite his meanness and almost certain criminal future, he has a secret that reveals a surprisingly sensitive side and a chance at possible redemption; must have great comedic timing and the ability to be truly threatening; strong rock/pop voice.
Chloe: Female, high school student, range Eb4-C5
The hottest girl in school; confident, crass, sexy, manipulative, and downright mean at times, she's the undisputed queen of the social scene, and rules over her minions with unquestioned power; must have great comic timing and the rock/pop voice of the total diva that she is.
Brooke: Female, high school student, range Eb4-C5
The second hottest girl in school; sweet and a little insecure, she’s Chloe’s sidekick and always happy to defer to her, although she’s not nearly as driven or dominating; strong voice with a pop/indie-rock sensibility.
Jenna Rolan: Female, high school student, range B3-D5
Not one of the cool kids (although she desperately wants to be), she’s the school gossip who always has the dirt and is more than happy to tell anyone and everyone about it; strong voice with a pop/indie-rock sensibility.
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