SHOW PALACE CASTING BREAKDOWN

Send all submissions to auditions@showpalace.net. All available roles are listed below.

BIG APPLE CHRISTMAS (Original Show)

SHOW SYNOPSIS
Help spread some holiday cheer with our annual Christmas musical.  Each year the Show Palace celebrates the Holidays with an exhilarating production for all ages.  Past productions have featured classic carols, high-energy dancing and special appearances by many of your favorite holiday characters.  Big Apple Christmas is a beautifully wrapped gift for our audiences.  Come join us as we celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

8 FEMALE DANCERS Must have advanced technique in tap, jazz, ballet and ensemble work. Pointe is a plus. Height range: 5’ 3” to 5’ 5”. Beautiful body and confident presence.

4 MALE DANCERS Seeking versatile, athletic male dancers with advanced technique in tap, jazz and ballet. Height range: 5’ 10” to 6’0”. Tumbling skills are a plus.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

- Music: Frank Loesser
- Lyrics: Frank Loesser
- Book: Abe Burrows and Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert
- Director:  Donna Morse Scheer
- Choreographer: Donna Morse Scheer
- Music Director: TBD
- Stage Manager: TBD
- First Rehearsal: December 20th, 2010
- Opening: January 7th, 2011
- Closing: February 27th, 2011

SHOW SYNOPSIS
Power, sex, ambition, greed... it's just another day at the office. A satire of big business and all it holds sacred, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant company man, the boss' whiny, nepotistic nephew, the office party, backstabbing co-workers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love.

J. PIERREPONT FINCH (late 20’s to mid 30’s) Our irrepressible, puckish hero. A real go-getter. Must be a strong mover and a top-notch comic actor. Tenor.

ROSEMARY (late 20’s to mid 30’s) A prim and sweet secretary in love with Finch. A quirky ingénue with a strong belt and excellent comedic timing. Mezzo.

MR. TWIMBLE (mid 50’s to late 60’s) The compliant head of the mailroom. Strong character actor who sings and moves well. Will be double cast as Wally Womper.

HEDY LARUE (late 20’s to mid 30’s) Biggley's beautiful, dim-witted mistress.  A true bombshell. Tall, leggy and voluptuous. The kind of gal that stops traffic. Strong actress, singer and dancer.

BERT BRATT (late 40’s to early 50’s) Natty conservative vice president. Very pompous and well put together. A strong actor with a great baritone voice. Must be able to move very well.

MISS KRUMHOLTZ (late 40’s to early 50’s) Sassy and uptight secretary. Pals with Smitty and Rosemary.

WALLY WOMPER  CEO and former window washer. Brash and funny last minute cameo. Will be double cast as Mr. Twimble.

GATCH, JENKINS, TACKABERRY, PETERSON, ORVINGTON Various male character roles. Must be great movers with singing ability and excellent comic timing.

EXECUTIVES AND SECRETARIES Various characters. Strong singers and dancers. Must be able to play numerous roles.

42nd STREET

- Music: Harry Warren
- Lyrics: Al Dubin
- Book: Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble
- Director:  Matthew McGee
- Choreographer: Chris & Shanna Sell
- Music Director: TBD
- Stage Manager: Susan Haldeman
- First Rehearsal: February 14th, 2011
- Opening: March 4th, 2011
- Closing: April 24th, 2011

SHOW SYNOPSIS
42nd Street is a classic musical set in 1933 that celebrates the stuff that dreams are made of. It focuses on aspiring chorus girl Peggy Sawyer, and takes us along her journey to stardom in the new Julian Marsh show Pretty Lady. Filled with backstage drama, demanding divas, and some of the best dances ever created for the stage 42nd Street is Broadway at its best.

JULIAN MARSH (40’s to 50’s) Broadway show director.  Suave and debonair man of the theatre. Doesn't dance, but strong singing & acting role.  Vocal range D to high G.

PEGGY SAWYER (mid 20’s) Young, talented, hopeful newcomer auditioning for her first Broadway show. Sweet and natural. Must be an excellent tapper and singer.

MAGGIE JONES (40’s to 50’s) Co-author of Pretty Lady.  Brash and hilarious “broad” type. Vocal range Ab below middle C to C.  Some dance helpful.

ANN REILLY (ANYTIME ANNIE) (mid 20’s) Chorus girl.  Sub-principal in Pretty Lady. Heavy dance role.

BERT BARRY (40’s to 50’s) Co-author of Pretty Lady. Hilarious comedy writer.  Vocal range C to high F.  Some dance

BILLY LAWLOR (mid 20’s) Juvenile lead of Pretty Lady.  Heavy dance role.

ANDY LEE (mid 30’s) Dance Director.  Heavy dance role.

OSCAR (40’s to 50’s) Rehearsal pianist.  Would be a plus if could play piano, but not necessary.

MAC (40’s to 50’s) Stage Manager

PAT DENNING (40’s to 50’s) Former Vaudeville partner of Dorothy's.  Vocal range D to Eb

ABNER DILLON (40’s to 50’s)  "Angel" for Pretty Lady and Dorothy's "sugar daddy".

FRANKIE A stagehand.

TWO THUGS (one non-speaking) Employees of gangster Nick Murphy

DOCTOR Philadelphia theatre physician

WAITER Gypsy Tea Kettle employee

ENSEMBLE Strong singer/dancers with excellent tap dancing skills. Triple threats that are able to play a variety of roles. Male and female dancers should be lean, tall and very fit.

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY (Original Show)

- Music: TBD
- Lyrics: TBD
- Book: Matthew McGee & Scott Daniel
- Director: Susan Haldeman
- Choreographer: TBD
- Music Director: TBD
- Stage Manager: Susan Haldeman
- First Rehearsal: April 11th, 2011
- Opening: April 29th, 2011
- Closing: June 5th, 2011

SHOW SYNOPSIS
Take a fantastic ride into the past-to wartime America of the 1940s. It's an affectionate lampoon of the big band, brassy and exuberant America of World War II. Filled with classic 1940’s songs, handsome soldiers, beautiful nurses and exciting partner dancing that evokes the lindy hop and the jitter bug of days gone by.

JOAN DOUGLAS (BYRD) The oldest of the 3 “J Byrd sisters”. Beautiful woman in her 30s. Mature protective older sister type.

JOYCE BYRD Mid to late 20s. the middle sister and the middle (harder) harmony of the 3 “J Byrd sisters”. Strong dancer.

JUDY BYRD The youngest and most stubborn of the 3 “J Byrd sisters”. A sweet and hopeful girl who prefers to be called Judith. 18 to mid 20’s.

CAPT. WALTER DOUGLAS Husband to Joan, a masculine romantic leading man type

LT. SAMUEL ROBERTS Newly engaged to Joyce. A true singer/dancer that can cut a rug at any canteen.

EDWARD (EDDY) CASTELLANO A young Italian wise guy from the wrong side of town. Love interest for Judy.

PHYLLIS SNODGRASS Mid to late 50s. the “chaperone” and road manager of the “J Byrd sisters”.  A brassy character actress with precise comedic timing.

4 MALE DANCERS Strong masculine male dancers with advanced technique in Swing, Foxtrot and Tap.

4 FEMALE DANCERS Beautiful female dancers with advanced technique in Swing, Foxtrot and Tap.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

- Music: Alan Menken
- Lyrics: Howard Ashman
- Book: Erik Jackson and Ben H. Winters
- Director:  TBD
- Choreographer: TBD
- Music Director: TBD
- Stage Manager: Susan Haldeman
- First Rehearsal: May 23rd, 2011
- Opening: June 10th, 2011
- Closing: July 17th, 2011

SHOW SYNOPSIS
A down-and out skid row floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon "Audrey II" grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination!

MR. MUSHNIK their boss. A failure of an East Side florist. His accent, if he has one, is more that of middle class New York than of Eastern Europe. He seldom smiles but often sweats. (Vocal range = low G to high E-flat)

ORIN A tall, dark, handsome dentist with a black leather jacket and sadistic tendencies. He is NOT, however, a leftover from the movie version of GREASE. Think instead of an egotistical pretty-boy - all got up like a greaser but thinking like an insurance salesman and talking like a radio announcer. (In the script, the actor who plays him also plays A Voice not unlike God’s, Wino #2, Customer, Radio Announcer, Mr. Bernstein, Mrs. Luce, Skip Snip and Patrick Martin..) (Vocal range = low C to high G)

THE PLANT ("AUDREY II")  An anthropomorphic cross between a Venus flytrap and an avocado. It has a huge, nasty-looking pod which gains a shark-like aspect when open and snapping at food. The creature is played by a series of four increasing large puppets, manipulated by Puppeteers. (Who also plays derelicts in the first scene.) The first time we see The Plant, it is less than one foot tall. The last time we see it, it fills the entire stage. The voice of the plant is provided by an actor on an offstage microphone. It is important that this actor have clear visual access to the puppets onstage, so that he can provide accurate lip-synch. The sound is a cross between Otis Redding, Barry White, and Wolfman Jack. Think of The Voice as that of a street-smart, funky, conniving villain - Rhythm and Blues’ answer to Richard the Third. (Vocal range = low B-flat to high G)

CRYSTAL, RONETTE & CHIFFON three female street urchins who function as participants in the action and a Greek Chorus outside it. They’re young, hip, smart and the only people in the whole cast who REALLY know what’s going on. In their "Greek Chorus" capacity, they occasionally sing to the audience directly. And when they do, it’s often with a secret smile that says: "we know something you don’t know."

4 ensemble members to play various roles (derelicts, skid row occupants, Audrey II manipulators)

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

- Music: Neil Sedaka
- Lyrics: Neil Seaka
- Book: Erik Jackson and Ben H. Winters
- Director:  Lisa Belcher Vorreiter
- Choreographer: TBD
- Music Director: TBD
- Stage Manager: Susan Haldeman
- First Rehearsal: July 4th, 2011
- Opening: July 22nd, 2011
- Closing: August 21st, 2011

SHOW SYNOPSIS
Neil Sedaka’s back—again—in Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, the entertaining new musical which features his most famous hits from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. This enduring story presents over nineteen of Neil Sedaka’s greatest hits, spun together in a light-hearted tale of mistaken identity, friendship and love.

MARGE GELMAN (early to late 20's; mezzo soprano, comfortable to an E and possibly beyond, preferably a legit sound): Abandoned at the altar, Marge is an aspiring dentist from Brooklyn who finds herself in the Catskills on what would have been her honeymoon weekend. (Think Jennifer Grey in DIRTY DANCING) Duped into falling for the suave band leader, she ultimately finds self-esteem, learns the value of honesty and friendship and finds love where she least expected it.

LOIS WARNER (early to late 20's; alto with some mezzo soprano ability, comfortable to a C and possibly beyond, preferably a pop sound): An aspiring nightclub singer, Lois lives her life as if in a Betty Grable movie. She brings her best friend Marge up from Brooklyn to the Catskills for Labor Day Weekend. In trying to help her friend Marge recovers from heartbreak, she inadvertently puts her in the line of fire with Del, the hotel's suave but manipulative bandleader. With Marilyn Monroe simplicity, Lois is a sweet young girl with more heart than brainpower.

DEL DELMONACO ( 20's to 30's; tenor, comfortable to an A—the higher the better): An Elvis wannabe, Del is not the brightest bulb on the tree. (Think Conrad Birdie or Joey from FRIENDS). Del will do anything to get ahead, including misleading Marge into thinking he loves her and stealing his cousin Gabe's songs for his own use.

GABE (20's to 30’s; tenor, Bb-C range): The clumsy, brainy and terribly shy Guy Friday at the hotel, Gabe is on a fast track to joining his father's orthodontia practice. Lacking the self-confidence to perform his own music, Gabe he is secretly the songwriting genius behind the music Del claims as his own. When Gabe meets Marge, he is compelled to take action to win her heart and, ultimately, to reveal himself as the true musician, performing his own songs in front of the whole resort.

ESTHER (30's to 50's; alto, comfortable to a C, or at least a Bb, but should really be rich in her low to mid register): The owner of the mid-size hotel named after her (Esther's Paradise), Esther is a survivor. Since the death of her husband, she has single-handedly kept the hotel afloat using crafty solutions, boundless energy and creativity to keep guests happy. She is fiercely independent, refusing help or support from anyone, and she's always there with a quip or smart remark.

HARVEY (30's to 50's; baritone, should have range to an F# or a G): The resident "tummler" (comedian/social director) at Esther's Paradise, Harvey is old-school Catskills. He is all about the punch line (and the set-up). A confirmed bachelor, Harvey spends most of his life cracking wise and avoiding any show if genuine emotion or vulnerability. When he witnesses the extreme lengths to which Marge will go to make love work for her again, he is inspired to take a leap of faith with Esther, the one person who truly appreciates the man behind the jokes.

STEEL MAGNOLIAS

- Script: Robert Harling
- Director:  TBD
- Stage Manager: TBD
- First Rehearsal: August 8th, 2011
- Opening: August 26th, 2011
- Closing: September 25th, 2011

SHOW SYNOPSIS
Truvy’s Beauty Salon is the unofficial hub of Chinquapin, Louisiana. It is here that these softhearted “magnolias” with the steely disposition come to chitchat with, counsel, criticize and comfort one another. Steel Magnolias is alternately hilarious and touching. The play focuses on the camaraderie of these six Southern women who talk, gossip, needle and harangue each other through the best of times - - and comfort and repair one another through the worst.

ANNELLE DUPUY-DESOTO (Female, early 20s) Truvy’s simple, yet enigmatic, assistant.