Newtown Elementary Fifth and Sixth Graders Present…
Annie, Jr.
Rehearsals, singing, dancing, staging,… it must be that time of year! It’s the start of our
new school musical! If you are willing to give of your time and show us your enthusiasm, we
want you as part of our team. There is a lot of information in this letter, so please review it
carefully. Of course, if you have any questions after reading it, please email Mrs. Weinstein
([email protected]) or Ms. Antonelli ([email protected]). Please note that in an effort to “go
green,” all future communication will be posted on our bulletin board at school outside of room
B-4 and on the “School Show” link on Mrs. Weinstein’s web page.
Audition Information
Dates:
 Anyone interested in being on stage must have a singing/acting audition. All
students who complete an audition will be cast in the musical.
 Acting and Singing Auditions will be held in Room B-3, before school
(8:00am) on
October 13th and 14th and 16th and after school(4:00) on Oct. 12th and 15th.
You only need to sign up for ONE audition time on one day that works best for
your schedule.
 If you are interested in dancing, you need to also attend the dance audition on
Monday, October 19th at 8:00 AM.in Room B-3. Students will be taught a short
combination, given an opportunity to practice it, and then asked to perform it in
small groups. Since you don’t know what part you will be given, it is a good idea
to come to the dance audition as well.
Additional Information:
 Acting and Singing Audition
*You will be asked to read from the attached script. You do not need to
memorize it, but you should practice so you can be familiar enough with the
dialogue to keep your eyes up and act with your body. (You will not be told in
advance which character you will be reading, so prepare all roles- even if they
are of the opposite gender.)
*For the singing portion of your audition, you can simply sing “Happy Birthday”
or prepare another song of your choice, a cappella.
*You can search on YouTube for the song “Tomorrow” in Annie, as you may also
be asked to sing this as well.
 This is a HUGE commitment of your time and energy. If you decide to
audition, we must be able to count on you to learn your lines, songs, and
choreography, provide your costume, and arrange transportation to and
from rehearsals. Look at all of your extracurricular schedules to be sure
you are available for rehearsals and show times.
 All 5th and 6th grade students are given equal consideration for any acting,
singing, or dancing part.
 Decisions will be made and the cast list will be posted on or before October 23 rd.
 In order to provide the most performance time for all students, we will create two
casts for some of the title characters (Blue Cast and White Cast). All ensemble
members will be in both casts. If you cannot commit to all the performance
and dress rehearsal dates that are listed for both the blue and white casts, you
cannot commit to being in the musical.
Best of luck to all our actors. We can’t wait to see you shine!
Rehearsal Information
 Rehearsals for our show will be held on Monday and Thursday afternoons from
3:45-5:15. Our 1st 2 full cast rehearsal will be on November 7th and 10th .
 No matter what part you are given, please be available for designated rehearsal
times. Just as it is difficult to rehearse lines with a title character absent, it is
impossible for the ensemble to rehearse blocking and singing without the full
group.
 A schedule for the first month will be distributed at the first rehearsal. You
probably will not need to attend both rehearsals in a week, so check the
schedules and your script carefully. You need to know in which scenes and
songs you perform.
 Dress rehearsals are mandatory for all participants. Students are expected
to be at all other rehearsals unless they were absent from school or sent home
early from the nurse’s office.
 It is imperative that you are picked up promptly at 5:15 pm. Parents will be
asked to enter the building and sign out students. Your directors have their own
evening commitments and must leave promptly as well. Carpools would be
helpful. Please be considerate and responsible about getting picked up on time.
Students must be trusted to be on their best behavior during
rehearsals. You may bring a small snack to rehearsal.
Parent Volunteers: Please stay tuned for a parent meeting!
A show of this magnitude cannot happen without your support! We appreciate all that
you do in providing timely transportation from rehearsals, practicing lines at home, costumes,
and encouraging your child’s enthusiasm. If you are interested in lending a hand in the
production of our show, please attend the parent volunteer meeting, which will be announced
soon.
Participation Fee
 A fee of $30.00 is due when your child hands in his or her commitment sheet at
the time of auditions.
 The $30.00 fee includes: an individual, original libretto (that’s “show talk” for
script and music and required by copyright law), a practice CD of all the music in
the show, a t-shirt for the performer, a Cast Party at the completion of our show,
as well as contributing to offsetting the cost of production incidentals. (*If this is a
financial concern for your family, please notify one of the teachers, as we do not
want this to impede any student’s participation.)
 Please fill out the Commitment Sheet and include cash or a check payable to:
NES Student Activities in a sealed envelope labeled with the student’s name.
Costumes and Make-Up
Students will be responsible for their own costumes. Incidentals may be provided for
certain groups. More information will be sent home specific to individual costume needs during
our production. Students will also need to provide their own stage make-up for the
performances.
Performance Information (Remember: Most of the cast is in all performances.)
DRESS REHEARSALS:
Monday, March 20th — White Cast, 4pm-6:30 pm
Thursday, March 23rd --- Blue Cast, 4pm-6:30 pm
PERFORMANCES:
Tuesday, March 28th
—White Cast, 9:30am and 7:00 pm
st
Thursday, March 31
—Blue Cast, 9:30am and 7:00 pm
We are very excited for our show this year! It will be great fun!
Thank you so much for your support!
Mrs. Weinstein, Director/Choreographer
Ms. Antonelli, Producer
and the entire Annie, Jr. NES Teacher/Production Staff