Auditions!
Music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman & Shaiman
Book by Mark O’Donnell & Thomas Meehan
Directed by Anamaria Cammarata Kalet
Music Direction by Rory Chalcraft
WHEN: Monday, March 14, and Tuesday, March 15
WHERE: Playhouse 22, East Brunswick Cultural Arts Center, 721 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick,
732.254.3939
www.playhouse22.org
Show dates: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, June 3 – 26, 2011
HAIRSPRAY delights audiences by sweeping them away to 1960′s Baltimore, where the 50′s are out — and change is in the air. Loveable plus-size heroine, Tracy Turnblad, has a passion for dancing, and wins a spot on the local TV dance program, “The Corny Collins Show.” Overnight she finds herself transformed from outsider to teen celebrity. Can a larger-than-life adolescent manage to vanquish the program’s reigning princess, integrate the television show, and find true love (singing and dancing all the while, of course!) without mussing her hair?
Teenage characters must look like teenagers, Adults must look like adults and it WILL be an interracial cast since it deals with integration in Maryland in 1962!
Auditioners are asked to prepare 16 bars of a song with a 60’s Motown sound and come dressed to dance. See character descriptions below:
WOMEN
- TRACY TURNBLAD – FEMALE (17+) – 5’3″ or shorter, heavyset. To play high school age. Outgoing, unstoppable, good-hearted with vibrant, lovable, spirited personality. Strong dancer/mover. Strong pop belt singer;
- MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE – FEMALE (40s-50s; African-American) – Queen of Baltimore soul, a radio DJ. Powerful and inspiring, with infectious, brassy personality. Strong soulful, gospel/pop singer;
- PENNY SINGLETON – FEMALE (17+) – To play high school age. Ditzy, neurotic, devoted best friend of Tracy. Very funny. Pop singer with strong belt, good mover;
- LITTLE INEZ – FEMALE (14+; African-American) – Young girl, Seaweed’s lovable little sister. Spunky, tough, streetwise, outgoing. Soulful voice, strong belt, great mover
- AMBER VON TUSSLE – FEMALE (17+) – To play high school age. The show’s resident princess, conniving and selfish, but superficially perky. Strong dancer/singer;
- VELMA VON TUSSLE – FEMALE (30s-40s) – Ex-beauty queen glamour. Sweet seeming, manipulative, controlling villainess. Good comic actress who sings well
- PRUDY, GYM TEACHER, MATRON – FEMALE (30’s-40’s) – Character role for good singing comedian.
- THE DYNAMITES – 3 FEMALES (20’s; African American) – -ala the Supremes… good singers/Dancers…will double as teens.
- 5 FEMALES (17+, 1 African American, 4 non-African American) must be good ACTOR/SINGER/DANCERS will double as kids on Corney Collins Show. Shelly, Brenda, Tammy, Lou Ann
MEN
- EDNA TURNBLAD – MALE (40s-50s) – Male to play female. Large physique. Sincere and honest, not camp drag. Strong acting and comic ability. 1960′s Baltimore housewife, “Larger than life” character actor with singing ability to convincingly play mother of Tracy;
- LINK LARKIN – MALE (17+) – To play high school age. Handsome, sexy, clean-cut, good-hearted, down-to-earth. The heartthrob of the local TV teen dance show. Strong pop singer and great mover;
- CORNY COLLINS – MALE (30s) – Host of local TV teen dance show. Handsome, charming, engaging, smooth. Strong pop singer who can move;
- SEAWEED J. STUBBS MALE – (17+; African-American) – To play high school age, attractive, street smart but easy-going. Strong dancer/singer;
- WILBUR TURNBLAD – MALE (40s-50s) – Loving, mischievous character actor, Tracy’s father. Moves and acts well
- PRINCIPAL, OFFICER, MR PINKY – MALE (30’s-40’s) – Good character role.
- 8 MALES (17+ )–(4 African American, 4 Non African American) must be good ACTOR/SINGER/DANCERS…for the Corner Collins show. IQ, Sketch, Fender, Brad, etc