Auditions
As a professionally based, not-for-profit and community-supported stock theatre, Mercury Summer Stock seeks local theatrical talent for performances of high-quality, premier or rarely performed works for Greater Cleveland audiences. Auditions are held during the calendar year, and our theatrical season comprises three shows which are performed in June, July and August.
Mercury Summer Stock
Announces 2012 Season Auditions
CATS: June 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS: July 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21
ALL SHOOK UP: August 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18
DATES/TIME:
Friday, February 17 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm (Dance Call* - 8:30 pm– 9:30 pm)
Saturday, February 18 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (Dance Call * - 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm)
Sunday, February 19 TeenStock Auditions 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Callbacks by appointment 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
*To be considered for Cats, you must attend one or both of the Dance Calls
LOCATION: Notre Dame College 1851 South Green Road South Euclid, OH 44121
Auditions will be held in the PAC, basement of Admin. Building.
NOTE: Main entrance is at 1851 South Green Road (the old Regina High School driveway). The current listed college address is: 4545 College Drive. Regina High School is now part of Notre Dame College. The theatre is located inside the old Regina High School building – to your left as you enter the driveway. All performances will be held in the Regina Auditorium.
APPOINTMENTS:
Audition appointments will be accepted starting Monday, January 16 at 9:00 am.
Call: 216.771.5862 Or email: mercuryss@mac.com.
AUDITION PREPARATION: Please prepare two short (32-bar) musical selections of contrasting styles in your key; bring sheet music in the correct key; an accompanist will be provided. You may be asked to sing only one selection as time permits. Headshots and resumes will be accepted at the audition. Talent interested in auditioning for CATS must attend one of the dance calls. For dance and movement auditions, bring flat dance shoes and wear dance clothes that show your body.
COMPENSATION: All non-AEA actors appear in Mercury Summer Stock productions on a volunteer basis. College credit is available where applicable.
CASTING REQUIREMENTS: Non-Equity. ONE Equity Contract is available for this 2012 Season; please email mercuryss@mac.com if interested for details.
Mercury Summer Stock is committed to non-traditional casting. Actors will be cast solely on the basis of talent, except in cases where age, race or physical ability are essential to a role. Ages listed in breakdowns are "character ages" not actor ages. Actors selected for casting may be cast in more than one production for the season.
CATS
Written By: T.S. Eliot
Music By: Andrew Lloyd Webber
There's no better way to introduce your family to the wonders of live theater than with the magic, the mystery, the memory of CATS. What began as a musical about cats after Andrew Lloyd Webber picked up a book of poems in an airport bookshop has become one of the longest running shows in Broadway's history. Winner of seven Tony® Awards including BEST MUSICAL, CATS features 20 of Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless melodies, including the hit song, "Memory."
Rehearsals begin May 23, 2012. Rehearsals will be weeknights 6:30-10:30 and Saturday afternoons 10:00-3:00. No Sundays.
Performances are: June 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30
All roles are open.
There are no children’s roles in CATS except for the possibility of Victoria or Sillabub.
SEEKING:
ALONZO – Male. Strong, sensual Tomcat. Tall, excellent dancer who sings. Good with lifts.
BOMBALURINA – Female. Tall, sexy, brassy woman with great body. Strong Belt, Low G to Mid-range C#. Sings “Macavity.” Must dance well. Triple threat.
BUSTOPHER JONES/GUS/GROWLTIGER – Male. “Opera, Theatrical Cat.” Strong tenor. Two octave range to B flat. Transforms from elderly to young actor/opera singer in his prime. Dance minimal.
CASSANDRA – Female. “The striking Abyssinian” or “Siamese Cat.” Long, sleek & proud. Excellent dancer with beautiful lithe body. Tall. Singing a plus, but not necessary.
DEMETER – Female. Sings “Macavity” with Bombalurina. Strong Belt, Low G to Mid-range C. Average to tall. Sexy with great body. Excellent dancer. True triple threat.
GRIZABELLA – Female. “The Glamour Cat.” Sings “Memory.” Excellent voice. Strong Belt, Low F# to E flat. Strong actress. Should be able to play 40’s but all age ranges are encouraged to audition. Dance not necessary, but must move.
JELLYLORUM/GRIDDLEBONE – Female. The “Opera Cat.” Legit Soprano I range, Low B to High C. Dance a plus, but not necessary. Must move well. Age range 20’s-40’s.
JENNYANYDOTS– Female. “The Gumbie Cat.” Character actress who taps & moves well. All body types, 30’s-40’s. Sings Low G to Mid-range C#.
MISTOFFLES – Male. “The Magical, Conjuring Cat.” Outstanding male dancer with strong ballet. Must have excellent solid turns. Short to average height. Young & playful. Singing a plus but not necessary.
MUNGOJERRIE – Male. Lovable juvenile delinquent. Excellent dancer/singer (Tenor) with lots of energy. Physical comedy a plus. Triple threat.
MUNKUSTRAP – Male. Narrator. Strapping man with good body & commanding presence. Average height to tall. Baritone with two octave range up to G. Must move well. Dance a plus.
OLD DEUTERONOMY – Male. Regal. Gentle, large, robust man. Strong Baritone with range to G. Dance minimal to none.
PLATO/MACAVITY – Male. Strong, Sexy & Athletic. Tall & strapping. Able to play the villain (Macavity). Excellent dancer who is good with lifts. Tumbling a plus.
RUM TUM TUGGER – Male. “Rock n Roll” cat. All types from young Elvis to David Lee Roth to Freddy Mercury etc… Must move well. Bring Rock song to audition.
RUMPLETEAZER – Female. Mungojerrie’s partner in crime. Excellent dancer/singer with lots of energy. Short & spunky. Acrobatics a plus, but not necessary. Triple threat.
SILLABUB – Female. The innocent young female kitten. Petite dancer/singer. Must sing well. Sings part of “Memory.” Childlike. Should have a pure innocent vocal quality.
SKIMBLESHANKS – Male. “The Railway Cat.” Quirky character actor plus singer/dancer. Physical comedy a plus. Tenor. Triple threat.
VICTORIA – Female. “The White Cat”. Outstanding, petite female dancer with excellent ballet training & strong/high extension. Should be able to play a combination of young & sexy. Singing a plus, but not necessary.
EIGHT PIT SINGERS- Four Male, Four Female. Soprano 1 to High D flat, Soprano II, Alto to F, Tenor to B flat and Baritone to G.
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
Written By: Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, Dean Fuller
Music By: Mary Rodgers
If you thought you knew the story of "The Princess and The Pea," you may be in for a walloping surprise! Did you know, for instance, that Princess Winnifred actually swam the moat to reach Prince Dauntless the Drab? Or that, in fact, it wasn't the pea at all that caused the princess a sleepless night? Carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS is a zany musical send-up of the beloved Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale of royal courtship and comeuppance that will provide for some side-splitting shenanigans. Chances are, you'll never look at fairy tales quite the same way.
Rehearsals begin: June 18. Rehearsals will be weeknights 6:30-10:30 and Saturday afternoons 10:00-3:00. No Sundays.
Performances are: July 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21.
All roles are open except Queen Aggravain.
SEEKING:
PRINCESS WINIFRED - Female, mid 20s/mid 30s, Newcomer to the Kingdom. Earthy, honest and quirky, she is completely comfortable in her skin and is motivated completely by her heart. Not afraid to take up space and go after what she wants, but with a genuine humanity and pure intentions. Feminine, but can roll with the punches and be one of the boys. Must sing well (Character Mezzo to F; strong belt to C#). Must be great with physical comedy and unafraid to look silly. A true character comedienne.
PRINCE DAUNTLESS THE DRAB - Male, mid 20s/early 30s, the unmarried Prince of the Kingdom. Sweet, naive and earnest, he is completely under the thumb of his domineering mother, but eager to learn about the world around him. He is childlike in his innocence, and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. A man of great simplicity and openness. Must sing well (Youthful 2nd Tenor to E).
KING SEXTIMUS - Male, early 40s/mid 60s, the King. Mute, henpecked, oversexed, but with tremendous heart and sensitivity. While he cannot use words to communicate, he is the most expressive person in the kingdom. Warm, paternal and sweet, he is the exact opposite of his domineering wife. Must be great with physical comedy and able to speak volumes without speaking. Should move well.
LADY LARKEN - Female, early 20s/early 30s, the Lady-In-Waiting. Earnest, gorgeous, not the sharpest tool in the shed, but what she lacks in brains she makes up for in beauty and grace. She is the classic ingénue foil to Winifred's character woman. Must sing well (legit soprano to G#).
SIR HARRY - Male, early 20s/early 30s, the Chivalric Knight. Like Lady Larken, he is earnest, gorgeous, and not the sharpest tool in the shed. Handsome, brave and upright, he is everyone's ideal of what a knight should be. An unerring upholder of the Knight's Code, he is committed to doing what's right. Classic leading man. Must sing well (legit baritone to F).
MINSTREL - Male, also a Newcomer to the Kingdom. Charming, warm, affable, he is our narrator throughout the story. A man of the world with a quick wit, a keen eye and an open heart. Should sing (song-and-dance tenor to G#, optional B) and move well.
JESTER - Male, The Court Jester. A longtime member of the court, he is a lovable goofball who tries to keep the mood light in spite of Aggravain's intrigue. A classic song-and-dance man, he loves his job and has a deep respect for the King. Must sing (song-and-dance baritone/2nd tenor to F#/optional G#) and dance.
WIZARD - Male, The Queen's Confidante. A yes-man to Aggravain, he is a master of palace intrigue and assists the Queen with her plots and schemes. Supercilious, uptight, haughty, he is the iron hand in the Queen's velvet glove. Must sing (character baritone). Might double as nightingale (sing to G).
Male and Female that are Comedic SINGERS THAT MOVE and DANCERS THAT SING, ages 15 and up, to play Lords and Ladies of the Court and various other roles. All vocal types; standard 1950s-60s Musical Theatre sound (i.e. legit, but not TOO legit). Sopranos should have strong Bb; baritones should have strong F.
ALL SHOOK UP
Music and lyrics by Various Authors.
ALL SHOOK UP is a new musical comedy built around a number of songs made famous by Elvis Presley. It takes place in 1955, somewhere in middle America, where one girl's dream and a surprise visit from a mysterious leather-jacketed, guitar-playing stranger help a small town to discover the magic of romance and the power of rock & roll. Among the 24 songs featured in the score are classics like "Heartbreak Hotel," "Love Me Tender," "Don't Be Cruel," "Can't Help Falling in Love," and, of course, the title tune. C'mon everybody! You can't help falling in love with ALL SHOOK UP. Put on your blue suede shoes, grab your teddy bear and follow that dream to Mercury Summer Stock!
Rehearsals begin: July 9.
Rehearsals will be weeknights 6:30-10:30 and Saturday afternoons 10:00-3:00. No Sundays.
Performances are: August 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18
All roles are open.
SEEKING:
CHAD (20 - early 30's) Roustabout, good looks, owns the stage. Must be able to move well. Rock voice. Baritone or Bari-tenor
NATALIE HALLER (18 - 30) Mechanic, somewhat of a tomboy. Great voice - high belt, or great power mix.
DENNIS (Early 20's-30's) Awkward, kinda geeky, He aspires to be a dentist. Loves Natalie. Tenor
SYLVIA (40 - 55) African-American. Smart, quick-witted, no nonsense. Alto/high belt
MISS SANDRA (Late 20's-Mid 30's) Sexy, sultry and smart. The caretaker of the town's museum. Vocal type- Alto w/ belt & mix
JIM HALLER (40+) Affable and good natured. Good voice (Natalie's dad). Vocal type- bass/ baritone
DEAN HYDE (18-25) Mayor's son. Never disobeyed his mother. Clean cut, great voice. Must dance well. Baritone
LORRAINE (17-25) African-American. Sylvia's daughter. Pretty, smart and total romantic. Must have great voice and dance well. Vocal type- Alto w/ belt and strong mix.
MAYOR MATILDA HYDE (40-55) Bossy and conservative. A comic actress. Strong vocals. Alto
SHERIFF EARL (40 - 65) Always at the Mayor's side. Hardly talks until the end. Must be good non-verbal actor. Baritone
ENSEMBLE (Male and Female) Late teens to early 30's.They play an assortment of Townspeople and must be strong dancers and singers.
For more information or questions call 216.771.5862 or email mercuryss@mac.com
