Curtains Audition Information
Book by RUPERT HOLMES Music by JOHN KANDER
Lyrics by FRED EBB Original Book and Concept by PETER STONE
Additional Lyrics by JOHN KANDER and RUPERT HOLMES
Originally Produced on Broadway by Roger Berlind, Roger Horchow, Daryl Roth, Jane Bergère,
Ted Hartley and Center Theatre Group. American Premiere Produced at The Ahmanson Theatre
by Center Theatre Group, LA’s Theatre Company.
Vocal & Dance Auditions dates for performers:
•
Sign up for a Dance & Acting Audition either Wed., Nov. 13, 6:30-8:30 PM, or
Tues., Nov. 19, 6:30-8:30 PM
•
Sign up for a Vocal Audition either Tues., Nov. 12, 6:00-8:30 PM or Mon., Nov. 18,
6:00-8:30 PM
•
Show up prepared & bring your completed Atholton High School Musical Audition
Form AND a 2013-2014 Atholton High School Theatre Student & Family information
sheet AND Conflict Information, completed fully and honestly.
•
Dress to move
•
Prepare and sing a song from a musical (16-32 bars, NOT from Curtains)
•
Expect to sing scales to determine range
•
Act some improvisations
Call-back list will be posted online by 10 PM, Tuesday, Nov. 19 or earlier.
Call back audition date: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6:30-8:30 PM
learn and perform parts of Curtains song(s)
read from the Curtains script
Cast list posted by Friday, Nov. 22, 2:10 PM
Vocal & Dance Audition for students in grades 2-8, Sun. Nov. 24, 2-4:00
Tech meeting for those interested in working backstage: Mon., Nov. 25, 2:30-3:15
Read through required for parents & cast; crew & orchestra encouraged to attend:
Mon., Nov. 25, 6:30-9:00 PM
Rehearsals: Monday, Nov. 25-Tuesday Mar. 19
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 1
Performances: Mar. 20-24, 2013:
Wednesday @ 10 AM, Thursday- Saturday @ 7:00 PM, Sunday @ 3:00 PM
What to do in advance
•
Read this packet completely
•
Complete your audition forms IN ADVANCE
•
Carefully consider your conflicts, and ANTICIPATE others, because doing a musical
takes a lot of time, and write ALL of your conflicts on the audition form.
•
Sign up in the drama hallway for a vocal audition time and a dance audition time; you
should only plan on attending one session of each.
•
Arrive a few minutes early for your appointment.
Vocal Auditions: Tues., Nov. 12, 6:00-8:30 PM and Mon., Nov. 18, 6:00-8:30 PM
SIGN UP FOR BOTH Vocal AND Dance & Acting, please
Dance & Acting Auditions: Wed., Nov. 13, 6:30-8:30 PM, and Tues., Nov. 19, 6:30-8:30 PM
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please take the rehearsal schedule and your commitment
to it seriously. Please do not schedule classes, jobs or appointments during
rehearsal AFTER you have accepted a role—attendance (or lack thereof) at
rehearsals can affect casting at any time in the production period. If you miss too
many rehearsals, your role may be changed or eliminated. Your directors and
co-cast members need you at every rehearsal you are scheduled for. Stay
healthy, and plan ahead on projects and papers. The tight schedule and winter
weather give us enough challenges. Do not unnecessarily add to them.
How to prepare
•
•
•
See the show if you can
Go to http://www.theatricalrights.com/curtains
For summary, character lists, song samples, LOTS OF INFORMATION!!!
Watch scenes and songs on http://www.youtube.com/, check some other websites to
learn about the show
•
Listen to the album
•
Choose and rehearse your song (NOT from Curtains, please)
•
Make sure you are acting and moving while you sing your song. This is a traditional
musical theatre piece, not a choir concert. Your song performance is the only part of the
audition you can prepare in advance. Make the most of it. Show us your very best. You
should pick a song you can sing well, and that you can act and move to at the same time.
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 2
That may, or may not be, a song that you really, really like, from a show that you really,
really like.
•
Dress for the audition so you can move while you perform
How to choose a song
•
You will sing 16-32 bars of a song, not an entire song. That’s about one minute of music.
Get help in making a good selection for your voice and the song.
•
Sing a song from a Broadway musical play or a Broadway musical-style movie that
allows you to act while singing. Please consider what shows off your voice, what is
right for the show, and what may be right for any character you want to play.
(But not from Curtains)
•
You need a song for which you have sheet music that you bring with you. Either bring
your own accompanist, or let Mr. Merrell play. Learn the song in the correct key at an
appropriate tempo. These materials are available in music stores and online. Someone
who is looking for sheet music online shouldn't need to venture beyond these sites:
Sheet Music Plus http://www.sheetmusicplus.com
Music Notes http://www.musicnotes.com
Music Room http://www.musicroom.com
•
If you are providing sheet music, please take the following steps to prepare it so the
piano player can use it easily: Copy or print the music in a double-sided paper format.
Make sure your music is hole punched and in a three-ring binder. Or, if you cannot print
double-sided, place the individual pages back to back in transparent binder sleeves (these
can be found at Staples, Office Depot, some grocery stores, etc). Turning the pages in the
binder should feel like turning the pages in a book.
•
You may use a karaoke-style backing track (recorded music without singing) on CD,
cassette or MP3 player if you like. These are also available in music stores and online.
Do NOT use a recording with the vocal part on the recording. If you use a recording, you
must bring your own CD or cassette tape cued up. We will provide a CD/tape player in
the audition room and we can connect your iPod or most phones to the sound system.
•
You should not sing a song from Curtains for your audition.
•
You should not sing opera or country music. Make sure that you can act (and perhaps
dance) while you sing your song.
•
Get advice from people who know show tunes and pop music. Mr. Rosen and your voice
coach are good candidates. There are others as well. Find them.
•
You might try to select a song that is the same range or style as that of a particular
character you are interested in playing. Try to categorize the musical style or character
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 3
traits of characters that interest you. For example, if the character tends to be happy and
peppy, don’t sing something from Sweeney Todd or JUDD from Oklahoma!
Here’s how the open-call auditions will run:
Part 1: Register when you arrive for your appointment. For the vocal audition, come to the
auditorium at least 10 minutes before your scheduled time. Bring your audition form,
information form, and sheet music or CD. Wait quietly until it is your turn to sing. We will try
to run on time. Your audition should take about ten minutes.
Part 2: For the dance and acting audition, dress to move and arrive in the auditorium at least 10
minutes before your scheduled audition. You may come as early as the session starts, if you like.
You will be taught a short dance combination. You will have some practice time before the
dance audition. There will be some acting as well. Expect to stay at least one half hour.
Part 3: Some people will be called back on Wednesday evening, Nov. 20, to learn portions of
songs and read from the script.
Also, you might check:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtains_%28musical%29
Curtains Characters!
Casting(Information(
LIEUTENANT FRANK CIOFFI (30’s - 40’s): Sweetly endearing local Boston detective who
idolizes the world of musical theatre and has reveled in the thrill of performing in community
theatre. Called upon to solve the murder of the star of “Robbin’ Hood” (a musical intended for
Broadway that is currently out of town in Boston), Cioffi is very good at his job and, lamentably,
married to his work. He is instantly smitten with ingénue Niki Harris. The undisputed central
character of the musical. Requires deft and charming comedy, good singing, solid dancing in one
extended “Fred and Ginger” number.
NIKI HARRIS (20's-early 30's) Pretty, almost too innocent ingénue, a local performer in a small
role hoping “Robbin’ Hood” will be the Boston production that at last takes her to Broadway.
Love interest for Lieutenant Cioffi, apparently reciprocated. Requires a legit soprano and strong
dancing in an extended “Fred and Ginger” number.
GEORGIA HENDRICKS (30’s – mid-40’s, similar age to AARON) Female half of our showwithin-a-show’s songwriting team on the lyric-writing side. Ends up taking on the leading lady
role. Must sing and dance extremely well.
CARMEN BERNSTEIN (45-65) Brash and brassy Broadway producer. Terrific comedic actress
with a belt.
AARON FOX (30’s - 40's, similar age to GEORGIA) The composer of the show-within-the-
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 4
show. His songwriting partner, Georgia, is also his wife, from whom he's separated but for whom
he still pines. He's a handsome, intense, somewhat tortured artist-type. Requires a strong
vocalist with comedy.
SIDNEY BERNSTEIN (Late 50’s-Mid 60’s): The always-angry, sleazy, philandering producer
of the out-of-town flop. Sidney is rough around the edges and completely self-serving. Requires
a cartoon-like character actor who is funny on arrival. No singing required.
CHRISTOPHER BELLING (40-60) English director. Very camp. Very droll. Noel Coward
meets Addison DeWitt meets Clifton Webb. Requires a superb comic actor.
BAMBI “BERNÉT” (Early 20's-early 30's) Performer in the chorus, daughter of Carmen, stepdaughter of Sidney. Genuinely brassy and artificially blonde. Hungry to work her way out of the
chorus; many think she was only hired because of her mother. She surprises everyone, however,
when she shows genuine dancing and singing talent when at last called upon. Requires great
dancing, strong “street-smart dumb blonde” comedy, and singing.
OSCAR SHAPIRO (45-65): from the garment district and sole investor in “Robbin’ Hood.” A
likeably gruff man who knows nothing about theatre and frets over every dime of his that’s
spent. Requires good “rough around the edges” comedy and singing.
BOBBY PEPPER (30’s to early 40’s, similar age as Georgia and Aaron) The Gene Kelly of
“Robbin’ Hood,” its choreographer and male star, and a handsome rival to Aaron for Georgia’s
affection. Requires strong dancing, singing, comedy.
DARYL GRADY (30’s-40’s): Caustic and smug theatre critic for the local Boston newspaper.
Patronizingly pompous, enjoys using his power to make or break shows during their Boston
tryouts. Does not require strong singing or dancing.
JOHNNY HARMON (30's-60's) Stage Manager of the show-within-the-show, and both drill
sergeant and mother hen to the cast. Barks orders but has a pleasant side as well, he keeps the
company in line and on their toes throughout the rehearsal process. Comic actor who can sing.
JESSICA CRANSHAW (40’s-60’s) Faded Hollywood star, a grand diva with no right to be one,
and a plague to the show-with-the-show and to her cast. An absolutely dreadful singer and inept
actress who stars in the show-within-a-show and gets murdered on its opening night in Boston.
Must be skillful enough to sing hilariously out-of-tune and ineptly, and adroit enough to dance
perfectly out of step with the rest of the cast. Appears only in the first minutes of the musical; on
Broadway, this performer then adopted a different look and became part of the ensemble.
RANDY DEXTER (20’s – 30’s) a member of the singing & dancing ensemble featured in
“Kansasland,” pleasant but with a sensitive side.
HARV FREMONT (20’s – 30’s) a member of the singing & dancing ensemble who bears a
bouquet.
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 5
ROBERTA WOOSTER (20’s – 30’s) a member of the singing & dancing ensemble who speaks
from experience.
ENSEMBLE
Musical Numbers:
Act I
Overture - The Orchestra
Wide Open Spaces - Randy Dexter, Niki Harris, Jessica Cranshaw, Bobby Pepper and
Ensemble
What Kind of Man? - Carmen Bernstein, Oscar Shapiro, Aaron Fox and Georgia Hendricks
Thinking of Him - Georgia, Aaron and Bobby
The Woman's Dead - Entire Company
Show People - Carmen, Lieutenant Frank Cioffi and Company
Coffee Shop Nights - Cioffi
In the Same Boat 1 - Georgia, Niki and Bambi Bernét
I Miss the Music - Aaron
Thataway! - Georgia and Ensemble
Act II
The Man is Dead (reprise) - Sasha (the conductor)
He Did It - Company
In the Same Boat 2 - Bobby, Randy and Harv Fremont
It's a Business - Carmen and Stagehands
Kansasland - Randy, Harv, Bambi and Ensemble
She Did It (reprise) - Company
Thinking of Him/I Miss The Music (Reprise) - Aaron and Georgia
A Tough Act to Follow - Cioffi, Niki and Ensemble
In the Same Boat 3, 4, and 5 - Company
In the Same Boat Complete - Cioffi and Ensemble
Show People (Reprise) - Cioffi and Carmen
Wide Open Spaces (Finale) - Ensemble
A Tough Act to Follow (Reprise) - Company
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 6
Top Ten Tips for Cold Readings (mostly) by Mike Doggett
ONE: TRAIN FOR IT
More and more auditions involve cold readings of monologues or dialogues.
It’s something you’re going to spend a lot of time doing. For that reason, you need to prepare for
it. But what preparation can you do? Practice! You can cold read a ton of things at home, pick
up anything and practice cold reading it, the TV guide, a novel, a play, the Bible, it doesn’t
matter, just practice picking up things and reading them aloud. It helps!
TWO: SLOW DOWN
People tend to garble when they’re nervous, they speak really, really fast and it damages their
audition because no one can understand them. While the panel will expect you to be nervous,
speaking too quickly will kill your articulation.
THREE: RAPID ANALYSIS
Make an analysis of the scene as quickly as you can. What does the character want the other
character to do as a result of hearing the words? If you can answer this question, you will give
yourself a tone for the scene based on context. If you have time to work out an Essential Action
for your character in the scene, such as ‘To bring someone down a peg’ or ‘To get someone to
crown me Queen’, or ‘To get what I deserve’ – you’ll have something strong to act in your
scene, not just the words.
FOUR: WARM UP
If you can, do a quick warm up before you start (obviously not in view of the panel). So before
they bring you in, have a good stretch, do some spinal rolls, have a few good deep breaths
through your mouth to slow down your heart beat and make yourself more comfortable. Warm
your mouth up with a couple of tongue twisters to prevent yourself from getting tongue-tied in
the audition.
FIVE: LEARN TO READ SENTENCES NOT WORDS
One of the keys to cold reading is the ability to take in a sentence at a glance, and then while you
are acting that line, you scan ahead to see the next line. This is not easy, so practice it as part of
your regular cold reading practice. While you speak and act one line, scan ahead to the next.
SIX: LINE LEARNING?
I’ve heard some people advise cold readers to try to learn the script quickly. NONSENSE, you’re
going to end up confused, stuck half in memory, half trying to act in the moment. Don’t even
think about it – unless they give you a couple of hours!
SEVEN: READ
Spend your time that you have with the script reading it over and over, don’t work out how
you’re going to say the lines, just read it over and over until you’re comfortable with it, until you
just have a feel for it and the words are easy with you. This will help you live in the moment
when the audition comes.
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 7
EIGHT: RESEARCH
If you know what show they are doing, read the play in advance. … Actors who read the play
and scene ahead of a cold reading audition will have a HUGE advantage over actors who do not
and a leg up on getting the role of their choice. If you can’t put your hands on the script, use the
Internet and read about the script and its author(s).
NINE: PLEASANT IN AND OUT
Walk in with a big natural smile, and say hello if they are looking at you. Again, when they’re
done with you, regardless of how you felt you’ve done, just give a big lovely smile and say
‘thanks’ or ‘thank you very much.’ Being lovely is something to cultivate, there are too many
prima donnas still.
TEN: LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY
You’re going to be nervous and cold reading auditions are fairly fraught experiences. So
remember to listen carefully to any instructions that you get before or during the audition. Listen
to the director carefully and speak clearly yourself.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------http://www.iisd1.org/hs_theatre/monologue_help.htm#Top_Ten_Tips_for_Cold_Reading
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 8
# _______
ATHOLTON HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL AUDITION FORM
Name__________________________________________________ Grade ______ Age ________
If you do not have a current Atholton High School Theatre Student & Family information sheet on file,
please complete one and return it to Mr. Rosen ASAP
Height _____
Weight _____
Hair color _________
Gender: Male___ Female___
Vocal range (if known):______________________________________________
List musical instruments you play: ______________________________________________________________
Are you eligible for extracurricular activities?
_____ yes
____ no
(Check ALL that apply) Are you interested in a
_____Major role ____ Minor role _____ Ensemble role
Roles of interest to you, if known: _________________________________________________________________
Are you willing to be cast as the opposite gender?
_____ yes
____ no
If not cast, are you interested in doing tech work?
_____ yes
____ no
If interested in tech, in what areas? (set, costume, props, etc.)____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Check the performance schedule to make sure you will be available to perform the show!
Persons with major roles will rehearse 4-5 days per week from now until we open. Many rehearsals are at night, and
some are on Sunday afternoons. Persons with minor and ensemble roles will rehearse 1-3 days each week until Feb;
the last three weeks the whole cast will be busy most days. Note on March rehearsals: We will rehearse at night and
on Sundays, which will make spring sports participation possible, although you would be very busy. Rehearsals for
Dec-January are usually two hours on weekdays, often longer on Sundays. Please note any conflicts you have
between now & the production dates-include all Atholton, work & other commitments: (Put a * next to any
commitment you can adjust or can change)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Please list acting experience & classes (or attach your resume):
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Please list music and dance experience or classes (including any choir singing or specialty dance):
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 9
Name ___________________________________________________________
Title of audition song _______________________________________________
From (show or movie title) _______________________________________________
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(please do not write below this line)
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Tone quality 1
2
3
4
5 ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Rhythm
1
2
3
4
5 ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Pitch
1
2
3
4
5 ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Presence
1
2
3
4
5 ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Ear
1
2
3
4
5 ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 10
Atholton High School Drama Student & Family Information 2013-2014
(Please complete NEATLY & return. This information is for AHS Theatre use only)
Name (first & last) _________________________________ grade 9 10 11 12 (circle)
Class
Teacher
Room #
per. 1 _____________________________________________________________________
per. 2 _____________________________________________________________________
per. 3 _____________________________________________________________________
per. 4 A_____________________________________________________________________
what lunch? A
B
C
D
per. 4 B _____________________________________________________________________
what lunch? A
B
C
D
per. 5 _____________________________________________________________________
per. 6 _____________________________________________________________________
Student’s e-mail address __________________________________
Facebook name (if you have one) ____________________________
Student phone (h) ________________ cell _________________ Do you text? ___ yes ____ no
Mother/guardian name _________________________________________
address____________________________________________________
city _______________________ state ________ zip _______________
phone (h) __________________ (w) _________________ cell ________________
Mother’s e-mail address _____________________________________
Father/ guardian name _________________________________________
address____________________________________________________ (only if different)
city _______________________ state ________ zip _______________
phone (h) __________________ (w) _________________ cell ________________
Father’s e-mail address _____________________________________
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 11
AHS Curtains Audition Packet p. 12