Little Shop of Horrors

Williamstown Musical Theatre Company Inc is proud to announce the auditions for their May 2007 production of “Little Shop of Horrors”. The production will be performed at the Williamstown Mechanics Institute from Friday May 11th to Saturday May 26th 2007. For years now, Little Shop of Horrors has made New York audiences scream with laughter. In this gleefully gruesome musical, Seymour, a poor young man working at a rundown flower shop on Skid Row, encounters a miracle; he discovers an alien plant after a total eclipse of the sun. After bringing the plant to the store, he gains fame, fortune, and love. The only defect is that the plant feeds on human blood. Seymour and the plant make a deal that if the plant continues to bring Seymour positive attention, he will in turn continue to feed the plant human bodies. Eventually, the evil plant brings Seymour and his closest friends to their demise. PRODUCTION TEAM Production Manager: Jenny Koch Director/ Choreographer: David Parsons Musical Director: Julia Szondy Production Design: Sarah Douglas & John Azzopardi AUDITION INFORMATION Auditions will be held at The Williamstown Mechanics Institute (Corner Melbourne Road & Electra Street, Williamstown). Entry via the Meeting Room entrance on Electra Street. All auditionees are required to make a booking with the Audition Secretary on 1300 881 545. Audition bookings will open on Tuesday January 2nd 2007. AUDITION DATES Sunday 21st January from 11.00am Monday 22nd January from 7.30pm Wednesday 23rd January from 7.30pm Please note: Auditionees may need to attend callbacks and must be available on Sunday 28th January from 1.00pm. AUDITION REQUIREMENTS · Auditionees must be over the age of 16. · Rehearsals will be on Monday & Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons. · Rehearsals will commence on Sunday February 4th. · Please prepare one song that demonstrates your vocal range and strengths, “conveying to the direction team your complete abilities as a performer.” · Sheet music must be provided to the accompanist and all sheet music must be in the correct key. No transposition, backing track or A Cappella singing will be accepted. · Part of the audition may involve the singing of scales and other technical exercises. · Dialogue will need to be prepared by auditionees wanting to go for the roles of Seymour, Audrey, Mr Mushnik, Orin, Audrey II (the voice) Chiffon, Ronette & Chrystal. Dialogue is available at WMTC’s website http://www.wmtc.org.au CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS Seymour Vocal Range: Tenor - Low A below stave – High G Mid-twenties. Our insecure, naive, put-upon, florist’s clerk hero. Above all, he’s a sweet and well-meaning little man. Has a Clark Kent look and personality about him, an unsuspecting hero who is loved by all. This character will not be played ‘over the top’. Audrey Vocal Range: Mezzo - Low G below stave – High D (belt) The bleached-blond, secret love of Seymour’s life. If you took Judy Holiday, Carol Channing, Marilyn Monroe and Goldie Hawn, removed their education and feelings of self-worth, dressed them in spiked heels and a low-cut dress, and then shook them up in a test tube to extract what’s sweetest and most vulnerable, that would be Audrey. Will be played every bit as you think she is, squeek a must! Mr. Mushnik Vocal Range: Baritone - Low G below stave – High E flat Their boss. A failure of an East Side florist. His accent, if he has one, is more that of middle class New York Jew than of Eastern Europe. He seldom smiles but often sweats. Will suit seasoned performer. Orin Vocal Range: Baritone - Low G below stave – High E 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. The actor for this role must have the ability to play several convincing characters with different voice tones including falsetto. The Plant ("Audrey II") Actor 1 - Voice of Audrey II Vocal Range: Baritone - Low G below stave – High E The Voice - Is provided by an actor on an offstage microphone. 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. Will also be in opening number. Actor 2 - Puppeteer of Audrey II (puppetry training will be included but you must be fit to do this role) The Puppeteer - 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 one Puppeteer. (Who also plays Wino #1 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. Crystal, Ronette & Chiffon Vocal Range: Indicative range between three parts provided. Vocals will vary between Soprano, Mezzo and Alto. Low B (alto) – High F (soprano belt) 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." Ensemble (2 males, 2 females) We are also looking for a vocally strong quartet ensemble. Will have cameos throughout the show and possible puppetry work as well, don’t think you’ll be getting bored during this production. To make your audition booking please call the Audition Secretary on 1300 881 545. Audition bookings will open on Tuesday January 2nd 2007. For more information please visit our website or send an email to perform@wmtc.org.au wmtc.org.au