AUDITIONS FOR “BRIGHT STAR” & “HIGH FIDELITY”
AT FARMERS ALLEY THEATRE:

(INSTRUCTIONS, IMPORTANT DATES AND CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS BELOW)

SEEKING: Female and male actors/singers/dancers for available roles in Farmers Alley Theatre's upcoming summer musicals: “BRIGHT STAR” & “HIGH FIDELITY”

WHEN: Saturday February 15th from 11am - 6pm with a 30-minute lunch break from 1:30 – 2:00pm.

WHERE: Auditions to be held at Farmers Alley Theatre (221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo, MI 49007)

SALARY: AEA SPT Tier 3 $354/week Equity minimum actor salary. Non-Equity salary: Will be discussed upon offer - $150/week is our minimum. Salaries cover rehearsals and 4 performances per week. Equity and non-union contracts available. EMC points available for non-union actors.

HOUSING: Housing and travel provided for out of town talent. Our housing is limited, so if you have local housing, that will be an advantage.

REHEARSALS: Rehearsals may take place at various times during the week especially Saturdays and Sundays. Having an open and available schedule will be an advantage.

PREPARATION: Please sign up for a time slot here:

www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E45A8A622A4FD0-auditions2

VIDEO SUBMISSIONS: If you are unable to be in Kalamazoo for auditions, please feel free to submit a video audition to submissions@farmersalleytheatre.com.  

Then, choose the character you want to audition for and prepare the materials located on our website (www.farmersalleytheatre.com/auditions). Materials will be posted on Monday January 13th. There will be both song and scene selections. We only want to hear the materials posted from the shows. Be prepared to do at least one song and one scene selection. Please note: sometimes there are multiple scene and song selections for certain characters so please prepare all of them but be aware that we might only ask for one. Bring headshot and resume and print the selections for your character. An accompanist will be provided.

*NOTE: Farmers Alley Theatre is committed to presenting an Inclusive Narrative on our stage and we are dedicated to upholding an equal employment opportunity, designed to promote a positive model of equality and inclusion. We encourage performers of all ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend our auditions.

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BRIGHT STAR

Music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
Lyrics by Edie Brickell
Book by Steve Martin
First Rehearsal: May 18
Runs June 12 - June 28, 2020
Director: Kathy Mulay
Music Director: Cole Abod

SYNOPSIS:
Inspired by a real event and featuring the Grammy-nominated score by Steven Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and 1940s. When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past – and what she finds has the power to transform both their lives. An uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tight in its grasp, Bright Star is as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful.

SEEKING:
ALICE MURPHY, (*Role is cast - Seeking Understudy only.) Female, 35-45; the actress will play Alice at age 38; an editor of a southern literary magazine; intelligent, attractive, professional--but with an air of melancholy; the same actress will also play Young Alice at age 16; rebellious, high-spirited, sexually forward, adventurous; looking to break out of small-town life and experience the world; must be very strong singer and comfortable in folk and bluegrass styles with an incredible belt and a very wide vocal range.

JIMMY RAY DOBBS (*Role is cast - Seeking Understudy only) - Male, 30 – 40; the actor will play Jimmy Ray in his early 20s in flashbacks; Mayor Dobbs' son and young Alice's beau; handsome, boyishly charming, well-built, and intelligent; from a family of wealth and power and is being groomed by his father for a similar future in the family business; an independent thinker who is not afraid to stand up to his father for what he believes in; he has a sense of personal responsibility and morality as well as a deep reserve of passion and emotion; the same actor will also play an adult Jimmy Ray at age 40; vocal range: very strong singer in a pop-folk style. Vocal range: High Bari-Tenor.

BILLY CANE, Male, 20 – 25; a soldier returning home from WWII; an aspiring young writer; fresh, open, optimistic, charming, and a little naïve; seeking strong actor who is also a strong, athletic dancer, able to partner and lead a production number; vocal range: bright, natural Bari-Tenor.

MARGO CRAWFORD, Female, 20 – 25; small-town bookstore owner; a childhood friend of Billy's who now harbors romantic feelings towards him; a natural beauty with a keen intellect. Vocal range: a sweet, warm folk voice with great mix/belt.

LUCY GRANT: Female, 20 – 25; strong actress with great comedic timing, who is a dynamic and sexy dancer; she has to have complete ease with dancing and partnering; leads a production number; Vocal range: Alto with strong belt.

DADDY CANE, Male, 60-65; a warm, loving country man; loves to read; has kept a secret for many years for all the wrong reasons; Vocal range: Baritone.

DADDY MURPHY, Male, 55 – 65; Alice's father; an authoritative and a stern disciplinarian; devoutly religious, hard-working, a poor but proud farmer. Vocal range: Baritone.

MAMA MURPHY: Female, 50 – 65; Warm and strong, the center of her family; a fierce protector of her daughter, who she knows is deeply gifted, but a handful. Vocal range: Alto.

MAYOR JOSIAH DOBBS: Male, 55 – 65; The mayor of Zebulon; he’s a political and financial powerbroker; distinguished, even elegant; an imposing and controlling presence; has a genuine interest in protecting his son's future and his family name, but in doing so, is ultimately pushed to a point of extreme and irrevocable cruelty. Vocal Range: Bass-Baritone.

DARYL AMES, Male, 20 – 35; an assistant at a literary magazine, officious with a sardonic and dry manner; idiosyncratic; some singing required but not a major singing role.

DORA MURPHY, Female 20 – 25; Alice’s married sister; sensitive and good hearted, if irresponsible; endeavors to do the right thing for the well-being of her family.

ENSEMBLE, Men and Women of various ages and voice types will be cast locally. Roles will include:
County Clerk, Max, Dr. Norquist, Edna, Station Master, Florence and Stanford Adams

BRIGHT STAR MUSIC CUTS:

Daddy Cane: "She's Gone" - m. 61-108

Mama Murphy/Daddy Murphy: "Firmer Hand" - m. 24-59 (Daddy Murphy sings an octave down)

Mayor: "A Man's Gotta Do (Reprise)" m. 104-140

Margo: "Asheville" m. 14-46

Billy: "Always Will" m. 10-45

Lucy: "Another Round" m. 31-80

Ensemble: "Bright Star" m. 101-119

BRIGHT STAR SCENE SIDES

Billy Monologue: Start on Page 9 with "Mama, when I was in mud..." End on Page 10 with "...now and forever."

Billy/Margo: Scene 1: Start on Page 11 with "Margot. Sorry, it took me a while to make it in." and End on Page 13 with "...until I get it published."

Scene 2: Start on Page 94 with "Happy to see me?", skip the song lyrics and End on Page 97 with "...like I was that day."

Alice/Dr. Norquist: Page 49

Mayor Dobbs/Jimmy Ray: 1. Pages 51 - 52

2. Start at top of Page 74 and end on Page 77 with the line "I flung it high into the air." 

Lucy/Billy: Start on Page 81 with "You are a modern woman, Lucy." End on Page 82 with "Another round!"

Alice/Clerk: Pages 88 & 89

Alice/Daddy Murphy: Pages 98 - 101 

Daddy Cane Monologue: Start at bottom of Page 105 with "Billy, one evening I was out frog gigging." End at the bottom of Page 106.

Daryl/Lucy/Alice: Start at top of Page 110 and end on Page 112 with "I wouldn't know him if I saw him."

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HIGH FIDELITY

Music by Tom Kitt
Lyrics by Amanda Green
Book by David Lindsay-Abaire
Based on the novel by Nick Hornby
First Rehearsal: June 29
Runs July 24 - August 16, 2020
Director: Rob Weiner
Music Director: Cole Abod

SYNOPSIS:
When Brooklyn record store owner Rob finds himself unexpectedly dumped, his life takes a music-filled turn toward the introspective. Based on the popular novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity follows Rob as he struggles to discover how his relationship went awry and strives to change his life in order to win back his sweetheart Laura. With memorable characters and a rock-and-roll score, this homage to music geek culture explores love, heartbreak, and the power of the perfect soundtrack.

SEEKING (all roles available):
ROB: Male, 26 – 36; Vocal Range: Low A – High Bb (belt) with Strong Falsetto to High D. Strong singer (rock tenor); late 20s-early 30s; the show's protagonist and narrator, Rob is a former DJ who is now the owner of Championship Vinyl, a cramped, messy, failing record store; Rob is arrogant, selfish, incapable of change, and desperate to cling to whatever remains of his youth; he understands the world around him through music and his record collection, and moreover, he most likely knows more about music than he does about himself. The whole show ostensibly takes place within Rob's head. (Played by John Cusack in the 2000 film.)

LAURA: Female, 25 – 35; Vocal Range: Low F – High F# (strong rock belt with great mix) - a lawyer and, when we meet her, Rob's ex-girlfriend. Laura is a former punk rocker who has since settled into a more stable way of life; she is mature, smart, strong, sexually alluring, capable and focused, and she is quite clearly fed-up with Rob's inability to settle or grow up in general; in fact, she is leagues above him in many respects, and both she and Rob know this.

DICK, Male, 25 – 35; Vocal Range: Low B – High A, tenor with strong falsetto; originally started working for Rob as a temp at Championship Vinyl, but that was four years ago, and he never left; hugely knowledgeable about all things music, Dick is painfully shy, awkward, and incapable of talking to or dealing with women.

BARRY: Male, 25 – 35; Vocal Range: Low E – High Bb. Barry used to be a temp at Championship Vinyl, but now works for Rob full-time; he is a hipster and effectively what Rob might have been in his younger years: abrasive, cocksure, vicious, and unjustifiably arrogant in his love of music; Barry is also a failing musician looking to start his own band. (Played by Jack Black in the 2000 film.)

LIZ/JACKIE: Female, 25 – 35; Vocal Range: Low F – High F#, mezzo belter; a longtime friend of both Rob and Laura's, she effectively acts as an older sister to both of them; Liz has a sharp wit and wisdom beyond her years, unafraid to call it as she sees it or speak her mind.

IAN: Male, 30 – 40; Vocal Range: Low B – High F, high baritone; Laura's new partner: a new-age interventionist and gross cultural appropriator with an affinity for Eastern culture and Sandalwood incense; he prides himself on being highly spiritual and level-headed in conflict.

MARIE/CHARLIE, Female, 25 – 35; Vocal Range: Low F – High D

ENSEMBLE ROLES BELOW TO BE CAST BASED ON THESE AUDITIONS:

PENNY, Female, 25 – 35; Alto
ANNA/ALISON, Female, 25 – 35; High Mix/Soprano
PATHETIC MAN/BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, Male, 30 – 45; Baritone
HIPSTER/NEIL YOUNG, Male, 35 – 45; Vocal Range: Baritone
SARAH, Female, 25 – 35; Mezzo
GUY WITH MOHAWK, Male, 25 – 35; Tenor

Rob
“Last Real Record Store” #1 m.202-218
"Desert Island Top Five Breakups" #2 m. 35-60
“9% Chance of Your Love” #11 m. 5-31
“Crying in the Rain” #17 m. 2-31

Laura
“Number 5 with a bullet” #7 m. 9-22 and m. 103-126
“I Slept with Someone (Who Handled Kurt Cobain's Intervention)” #14 m. 3-40

Barry
“9% Chance of Your Love” #11 m.56-86
“Turn the World Off” #24 m.34-70

Dick
“It’s No Problem” #4 – m.1-32
“9% Chance of Your Love” #11 m. 110-141

Ian
“Ian’s Here” #6 – m.38-68

Liz
“She Goes” #5 – m. 3-37 plus m. 63-77

Marie / Ensemble Women
“Ready to Settle” #8 m. 5-25

Bruce / Ensemble Men
“Goodbye and Good Luck” #19 m. 36-90

Questions? Please email submissions@farmersalleytheatre.com or call us at 269.343.2727 and someone will get back to you ASAP.