CAST AUDITION INFORMATION

 

1.      When you attend the Dance/Sing Workshop you will be able to choose what you’d like to practice on.  Singing or Dancing or both.  You’ll get to sing your songs with other students and with the piano player.  You will work on some of the dance steps with the choreographer.  All of these things will be actually done in your audition.  This will be a very helpful time so make sure to attend.   This is a time where we get to help you and be teachers.  At your audition, we are judges and directors.

 

2.      For this show, EVERYONE will attend the dance audition together.  When you walk on stage you will sign in at the registration table, receive a big number sticker you put on your chest and then get ready to move.  You should plan on wearing clothes and shoes that allow you to move well in.  This is not the time to wear baggy jeans and sweatshirt.  No, you don’t need to wear leotards and tights.  It’s just that we need to see how you can move.  We will teach you a simple routine, you’ll have time to practice it several times with your group and then your group will dance for the judges.  Again, this dance audition will be in groups, not solo dancing.

 

3.      You will have a chance to sign up for your SINGING/ACTING audition time which will be held the second week of school!  At this audition, you will bring in the completed paperwork that you will receive at the September meeting.  This is very important as it will show the directors that you are organized enough to get it done and turn it in. 

 

4.       At your acting/singing audition you will start off with your acting piece.  It could be a prepared monologue which we will give to you, or you may choose one on your own.  Make sure that it fits the style of this show – comedy.  (Skip the teenage angst for this audition!!) 

 

5.      Next, you will sing.  You will choose one of the audition songs found in packet or you may choose your own song.  Choose the one that fits you the best.  Again, this is a pop musical comedy so it’s best to choose songs that fit our show.  Try and figure out what character you might be interested in, and then choose a song that would best show us your ability to be that character.  Please do not sing a song from Hairspray at this audition.  It could be a pop song from the 60’s.  It could be a Gospel song or an R & B song as well.  Yes, this song should be prepared ahead of time.  They must be memorized!!!!!!

 

6.      Mrs. Gleason is a professional piano accompanist.  You must bring in a copy of the sheet music for her to play for you.  You must have piano music for your song.  No Acappella singing at this audition since there are no Acappella songs in the show.  You can find all kinds of sheet music sites on line.  Mrs. Gleason is very talented and will follow you at the piano.  Don’t worry about following her.  

 

7.      Next, SING!!!!  Remember that you are not singing – but you are performing!  This is not just about your voice.  We want to see some acting as you sing it to us.  The words ARE THE DIALOGUE that tells the story.    Again, when you sing for us, we want to see how you handle character acting.  Remember: This is NOT Vocal festival.  We want to hear and see more than just a teenager with a nice voice.  ACT for us while singing! 

 

8.      If you are interested in a larger role that includes a vocal solo, you should also have at least ONE additional song to sing for us.  As a 9^th grader, this is not necessary at all.  But, if you are interested in pushing yourself more, you may choose your own song from another Broadway show.  Like in the real world of auditioning, please pick the BEST 16 measures of the song, and sing those for us!  We will not have time for you to sing the entire song for us. 

 

9.      BIG HINT:  Practice in your bathroom at home, in front of a mirror!!!  Watch what we will be watching!  Your face!!!

 

10.  CALL BACKS:  If you are invited to come to the CALL BACK audition, it means that we want to see and hear you again.  We still have questions concerning what part you would be best at in our show.  You will be expected to be sing songs from Hairspray.  We will give you some music, give you a few minutes of practice time with the piano player and then you must give us your best version of the character that we are asking you to play.  This is when it will really help you to be listening to the Broadway CD a lot this summer.  Get to know the songs as well as possible.  Also, remember that if you are not invited back to the call back audition, it does NOT mean that you will not be in the cast!

 

IDEAS FOR YOU:

 

1. The best character in the show is going to KNOW as much of the story as possible.  So spend time doing some research on Google.  Watch the movie.
2. If you are going to buy the soundtrack CD, buy the Broadway version and not the movie version.  They changed a few of the songs for the movie.
3. Try and find a 16 bar song that is more “pop” broadway than classic broadway.  And for this show, it doesn’t have to be a Broadway song.  You should seek out a song which fits a character that you are wanting to pursue.  Try and give us the character of what you have developed.
4. Remember that there are two ways that we will see your acting skills.  First, in your presentation of your monologue.  But most importantly, it should be the when you are performing your song. 
5. See below for the official AUDITION TIPS.  These are expectations of our directors, plus, for many casting agents and producers in the business.
   

OTHER SHOW DETAILS

 

1.     If you make it in to the show, you should just plan on spending almost every day after school, starting September 20^th through November 23^rd.  Each day you will spend time practicing dancing, singing and or acting.  You will receive a calendar as there may be some days you will not have to be at rehearsal.  Rehearsals will usually start at 2:30 pm and during the first few weeks, run till 5:00 pm.  Then we will start staying later as we get closer to the show opening.

 

2.    Show Dues.  This is a fact of life in a high school or community theater show.  100% of these dues go back to you.  We use the show dues so that we don’t have to keep asking you to turn in more money throughout the run of the show.  Show dues will go towards paying for your Hairspray tee shirt, rehearsal CD, cast meals and snacks, costume fee, make up fee, wig fee, etc.  If you need new dance shoes then we can help you get those as cheap as possible.   We are trying to keep the show dues at the same price they were last year, around $125.  You may pay it all at once or divide it up over several weeks and make payments.  We NEVER want money to stand in the way of someone being in the show, so if you need to talk to Ms. Paullin concerning this, please do.  There will also be some scholarship money available to those who need this.   More details to come concerning these show dues at the September meeting.

 

3.    You will need to be responsible for knowing your lines, songs and blocking.  You will have an area in the dressing room which you will also be responsible for.  We will try and treat you like young professionals, like they do in NYC, but that means you must do your part.  110% of the time.  This is hard work, but will be some of the best times you will ever spend in high school.

 

MONOLOGUE IDEAS

Yes, we will have copies of monologues at the Pre-Audition meeting in September.  But for those of you who are interested in starting now here is a good website.  Hints:  stay more towards comedic roles and stay far away from contemporary teenage angst.  Hope this helps.  Remember, no more than a minute long.

http://www.monologuearchive.com/

INFO ABOUT HAIRSPRAY THE MUSICAL (remember, check out info on the Broadway musical and not just the movie).  Try Googling, plus, visit wlwmusical.com for lots more info, facts and important details!

 

SONG LIST

1. Good Morning Baltimore (Tracy & Company)

2. The Nicest Kids In Town (Corny Collins & Council Members)

3. Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now (Edna & Tracy, Velma & Amber, Penny & Prudy)

4. I Can Hear The Bells (Tracy)

5. Miss Baltimore Crabs (Velma & Council Members)

6. The Madison (Corny & Company)

7. It Takes Two (Link & Tracy)

8. Welcome To The 60's (Tracy, Edna, The Dynamites & Company)

9. Run And Tell That! (Seaweed, Little Inez & Company)

10. Big, Blonde And Beautiful (Motormouth, Little Inez, Tracy, Edna, Wilbur)

11. The Big Dollhouse (Women)

12. Timeless To Me (Wilbur & Edna)

13. Without Love (Link, Tracy, Seaweed, Penny)

14. I Know Where I've Been (Motormouth & Company)

15. Hairspray (Corny & Council Members)

16. Cooties (Amber & Council Members)

17. You Can't Stop The Beat (Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, Edna, Wilbur, Motormouth & Company)

 

CHARACTER ROLES –

Cast size: approx. 50 high school students. 

Childrens cast size:  5 – 10 non-high school students.

Tracy Turnblad female alto 16

Edna Turnblad (male) baritone 41

Penny Pingleton female belt 15

Link Larkin male tenor/baritone 18

Corny Collins male tenor 26

Seaweed Stubbs male tenor 17

Velma Von Tussle female belt 38

Amber Von Tussle female belt 17

Motormouth Maybelle female alto 40

Little Inez female belt 12

Wilbur Turnblad male tenor/baritone 47

Gym Teacher female alto 38

Jail Matron female alto 32

Guard male baritone 40

Mr. Pinky male baritone 45

Principal male baritone 55

The Dynamites female various 21

Brad male all voices 17

Tammy female all voices 17

Fender male all voices 18

Brenda female all voices 18

Sketch male all voices 17

Shelley female all voices 17

IQ male all voices 18

Lou Ann female all voices 18

Duane male all voices 17

Lorraine female all voices 16

Gilbert male all voices 18

Louise female all voices 18

Thad male all voices 17

Peggy Sue female all voices 17

School Kids male/female all voices 15-18

Baltimore Neighbors male/female all voices 25-55

Baltimore Children male/female all voices 6 - 12

SUMMER PREP:

So you think that you need to be working on some or all of your skills this summer, before the auditions in September.  Great idea.  The better YOU are in September, the better the show will be in November.  And remember, our musical productions draw audience members from all around the state of Michigan and beyond.  There will be bus loads of students from other schools who will be coming to see our performances of HAIRSRAY.  We’ve got to be the best possible!!

 

DANCE IT:  We are making contact with some dance studios in the area.  We hope to let you know about some fun 60’s dance classes that will be offered at all of these local dance studios. See the ads on this website.

If you are really feeling like you need some extra help, then feel free to contact any of these studios and ask to set up a private class.

Then, in August, we’d like to host a DANCE CLINIC at school on our stage.  It will be taught by our choreographer.  You will learn specific dance moves that go into the show.  You will just get your body moving in the style of the early 60’s.  Again, Facebook messages will be sent out, as well as emails will be sent out letting you know the details.  Also, it will be posted on www.wlwmusical.com.

 

SING IT:  There are two voice teachers that are offering private voice coaching sessions this summer, all with the purpose of auditioning.  If you want more information, please contact Mrs. Kim Swan at  kswansing@yahoo.com  or Mr. Ray Shuster at  rayshuster@gmail.com to see if they have any time to include you in their teaching sessions.

 

In August, we will be having a SINGING CLINIC day as well if interest is shown.  Again, info will be sent out, or check the show website.

 

Look on the website for some KARAOKE tracks for all the songs in the show.

 

Get ready for the fun and excitement of putting on a world class professional production of HAIRSPRAY at Walled Lake Western High School!!

 

TRICK TO PLAYING EDNA

By Dean Poling:  NY Times

Playing Edna Turnblad in the touring musical production of “Hairspray” has been a source of endless wonders for actor Jerry O’Boyle.  He has seen audiences who might not accept a drag performance of a man playing a woman in other venues in their towns embrace his portrayal of Edna.

He has seen audiences not realize a man is playing the show’s famed mother role until several minutes into the performance.  And he’s seen perceptions change from town to town and show to show.

 “It’s so rewarding,” O’Boyle says during a recent phone interview with The Los Angeles Times. “Not only playing this wonderful character with such a physical presence, but I feel very responsible to the idea of this character.”  Since the character of Edna was first introduced she has been played by men. First, Divine had the role in the non-musical yet very musically influenced John Waters’ 1980s movie “Hairspray.”   Harvey Fierstein made the role of Edna his own when Waters’ movie was adapted into a live Broadway musical. John Travolta played Edna in the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical.

The trick to playing Edna is delicate. The character is not a man pretending to be a woman. Instead, it’s a man playing a woman’s role. The character of Edna Turnblad is very much a woman. She just happens to be traditionally played by a man.

While the “Hairspray” production coming to Los Angeles began several weeks ago, O’Boyle has been playing Edna Turnblad regularly since June 2006, performing across the U.S., Canada, and in Tokyo and Beijing. The trick for him isn’t just playing Edna as a woman but as a character who is not weighed down by the past performances of Divine, Fierstein, or Travolta.   “I told producers early on, I’m not interested in doing Harvey Fierstein as Edna,” O’Boyle says. “As unique as Harvey was, I wanted to bring my own interpretation to the character.”

Even with years of experience, it is still a process transforming Jerry O’Boyle into Edna Turnblad. It takes him and two assistants about 45 minutes to prepare him for the role.   “To create that illusion, it takes a village,” O’Boyle says.

In addition to loving the character, O’Boyle loves the message of “Hairspray.” The show is set in the big-hair days of the 1960s, when an overweight, teenaged girl, Edna’s daughter Tracy Turnblad, defies conventions concerning looks and race on a TV rock ’n’ roll dance show.   “It is a unique story that people can relate to because it is an underdog story that addresses so many issues in a fun and uncompromising way,” O’Boyle says.

Though he loves the acceptance which audiences give the character, his biggest moment is when he realizes the audience has completely forgotten that he is a man playing a woman’s role, when audiences accept Edna as Edna.

 

REHEARSING YOUR SONGS:

Here's the location of some helpful karaoke tracks for you to rehearse the songs from the show.  This will be helpful for you to know these songs, in case you are invited to the Call Back audition. 
Remember, your original audition is a song which is NOT FROM Hairspray.  It could be another Broadway song, a Gospel song, a Disney movie song, an R & B song.  Think about the styles that you hear in the show and find something similar.

AUDITION TIPS:      July 18, 2010   Greg Cleveland

1.       You are ON STAGE at your audition as soon as you walk in the door.  Many times, the directors will start to make their choice just by watching you walk in and prepare.  You’ve not even sung a note yet, and we know whether or not you have stage presence.  Posture is SO important!  Oh yes, don’t come over and shake hands.  Don’t expect that we will ‘socialize’ with you.  Instead, turn in any paperwork.  Talk to your accompanist.  Go to your ‘spot’ and show us you are ready.  Don’t forget to breath!  We want you to do your best…so take a breath and enjoy this time.

2.       The WOW FACTOR!  What is yours?  Find it somewhere.  Can you make the directors sit forward in their chairs rather than settle down for a nap?

3.       Singing musical theater is simply ACTING ON PITCH!  Do it as a monologue.  Don’t try and show us your “wonderful voice”.  

4.       Reveal your sense of humor and your ability to TAKE THE STAGE.  We’ve got to see how easy this will be for you.  (And how hard it will be to train you, if you need our help).

5.       Be prepared so you don’t have to worry about the “high notes”.  Plan your breaths within the song and practice them.  Pretend everyone in the room is deaf, so think about your pronunciation of the words.   IF YOU PREPARED WELL, then you can be concentrating on showing us who you are and what you can do as this character, not just as a singer.

6.       Sing ABOVE the heads of the people auditioning you.  Imagine there is a video camera above the heads and you want to stay in that frame.  Not too far right, left, up or down.  But learn to work the areas.  Do all of your acting in that frame.  Fill it.

7.       Always choose an ACTIVE song for a 16 bar audition, not a passive song.  It’s good to have the word ‘ME’ or ‘I’ in the first 4 bars, so that we can see YOU as this character.

8.       Yes, know the song’s background and the storyline of where it came from.  BUT, in a 16 bar audition song, consider doing a completely different interpretation of the song. 

9.       Make us BELIVE YOU as this story teller.  We don’t care if you are a fantastic singer!  We DO care if you are a fantastic storyteller!

10.   Can we see that you have made up in your mind that there is a beginning, middle, and an end to the story of the song?  We will be looking for this.

11.   What is the SUBTEXT of the song’s story?  In other words, what has happened 3 sentences before the song starts in the life of this character?  (Yes, make it up).

12.   Make choices with your character.  A boring actor makes no choices.  An actor who we want to see over and over is someone who makes a choice about WHO their character is.  We might not even agree with your choice, but we will know that you DID make a choice.

13.   Nerves will kill everything, so get them under control.  They will make you rush, drag, and for sure, kill your spark which gives you your WOW factor.  If you mess up, forget it, we want to see the whole package of you.  We DON’T CARE about mistakes…we care about the rest of YOU.  Never apologize for anything.  Just take control.

14.   If the director stops you and gives you some direction, don’t argue about it.  Just do it.  We want to see HOW EASY and QUICKLY you can take direction. 

15.   We want to surround ourselves with positive people.  Yes, be honest in your audition, but be positive.  If you are bitter and negative, ask yourself, why would we want to work with you for 8 weeks?  Find a way to show us your positive side.

16.   When you are done, don’t stand there with a look of “how did I do” in your eyes.  Just pick yourself up, say THANK YOU, and then leave with fantastic confidence.  Once you turn and walk away, we will still be watching you.  Many actors forget about what a powerful exit can be to seal the deal.   If we have any questions, we’ll stop you and talk, otherwise, get out now.  And be fabulous about it.