Beauty & The Beast - JUNIOR

Williamstown Musical Theatre Company Inc is proud to announce auditions for their August 2011 production of Beauty & the Beast Junior, which will be performed at the Williamstown Mechanics Institute from Friday 12th to Saturday 21st August 2011. The WMTC junior program will provide children and teens with high quality creative learning experiences in the theatre arts. A positive, supportive and fun environment will promote and develop self-respect, confidence, awareness, imagination, creativity, determination and social skills in young people. Cast members will also develop discipline, memorization techniques, motor skills, coordination, and many other crucial foundation skills through creative dramatics and, in doing so, enhance self-esteem, grace, and poise, both onstage and off. WMTC wants to share its passion for musical theatre with children and teens so that they, in turn, can continue this creative tradition as teachers, performers and arts patrons for generations to come. The brainy and beautiful Belle yearns to escape her provincial life...and her brute of a suitor, Gaston. However, Belle gets more adventurous than she intended when she becomes a captive in the Beast's enchanted castle! Dancing flatware, menacing wolves, and singing furniture fill the stage with thrills in this beloved fairy tale about very different people finding strength in one another and learning how to love. PRODUCTION TEAM Production Manager: Marco Fusco Artistic Directors: Ang Cuy & Stuart Dodge AUDITION DETAILS Auditions will be held at the Williamstown Mechanics Institute (cnr Melbourne Road and Electra Street). All auditionees are required to make an audition booking by calling 1300 881 545. AUDITION DATES • Monday 9th of May from 7.30pm • Wednesday 11th of May from 7.30pm Auditionees are required to be available for a dance audition and / or call back on Monday the 16th of May 2011 at the Newport Substation, 1 Market Street, Newport The Production Team will inform you if you are required to attend a callback or dance audition. Please keep these dates and times free. AUDITION REQUIREMENTS • Auditionees must be between the ages of 8 - 19 at the time of the performance. • Please prepare one song (preferably not from the show) that demonstrates your vocal ability, range and strengths as a performer. • If auditioning for a particular role please take note of the vocal range required and ensure that your selection covers this range. • Either sheet music or backing tracks may be used. All sheet music should be in the correct key. • No transposition or acapella singing will be accepted. • Auditionees may be asked to do a reading. • Performers from all ethnic backgrounds are invited to audition. OTHER REQUIREMENTS • Rehearsals will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7.30pm to 10pm and on Sundays from 1pm to 5pm starting Sunday the 5th of June. • Performance dates are from Friday 12th to Sunday 21st August 2011. • All auditionees are required to complete the standard audition form. • All auditionees under the age of 18 must have signed Parent/Guardian permission to audition and be part of WMTC’s Junior Program. CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS BELLE (Female 14-19) Mezzo-Soprano: Low A - High F BELLE is a smart, confident young woman from a small village. Must be a strong singer and actress. Belle needs to be able to stand up to Gaston (and the Beast!) as well as those who don’t seem to understand her, while being able to show compassion for her father, the servants, and eventually the Beast. BEAST (Male 16-19) Baritone: A – High F The BEAST is the master of the castle who was transformed by the Enchantress’s spell. A complex character: a dictator, a hurt child, a hero, a defender and a smitten prince. While the Beast does sing a small bit during “Something There” and the “Finale”, this is truly an acting role with no demanding singing required. GASTON (Male 14-19) Baritone: A – High F GASTON is pompous and dim-witted and will do whatever it takes to win Belle’s hand. Gaston has all the confidence in the world, but lacks the humility to balance it. A strong singing and speaking voice and acting ability are more important than size and stature for this role. MAURICE (Male 10-19) MAURICE is an eccentric, older inventor, yet more importantly, the adoring and protective father of Belle. This non-solo singing role is perfect for an actor who can have fun interpreting this “crazy old man” while conveying some very strong emotions: fear and fatherly love! COGSWORTH (Male or Female 12-19) Baritone/Alto: A – High E COGSWORTH is the English major-domo of the castle who is becoming a mantle clock. He, like all of the castle’s servants, shows a fatherly compassion for Belle yet is perfectly submissive to his master, the Beast. Cogsworth has two sides – he is a wee bit of a baby at times yet has no problem “getting into it” with Lumiere. Looking for a strong actor and singer who enjoys acting “in charge” and is willing to try a British accent. MRS. POTTS (Female 14-19) Mezzo-Soprano: Low F sharp – High G MRS. POTTS is the castle’s endearing cook who has been enchanted to become a teapot. Mrs. Potts needs a strong, sweet voice and should be able to convey comforting, maternal qualities amidst the chaos that is breaking out at the castle. Cockney accent preferred. LUMIERE (Male 14-16) Baritone: A – High F sharp LUMIERE is a self-confident, charming, French mâitre d’ who (under the Enchantress’s spell) is becoming a candelabra. He has a never-ending give-and-take with Cogsworth. Lumiere should be a strong singer who can “light up” the stage in “Be Our Guest.” A French accent would be fantastic! This role covers a range of emotions (from charming entertainer to brave soldier) and requires strong song and dance ability. CHIP (Male or Female 8-12) Tenor/Soprano: D – B CHIP is Mrs. Potts’s son, who is becoming a teacup. Chip has a wonderful naïveté that endears him to all of the servants. Chip should win the hearts of the entire audience. NB. Chip appears in most of his scenes inside a tea trolley with just his head showing. BABETTE (Female 14-19) Soprano: C - High C BABETTE is the maid and “resident flirt” of the castle who is turning into a feather duster. She misses the finer things in life as well as just being a girl. Babette is happy to be at Belle’s service at a moment’s notice, but her true heart comes through in “Human Again.” Looking for a good actor with solid vocal skills to handle Babette’s harmonies with a French accent. MADAME DE LA GRANDE BOUCHE (Female 14-19) Mezzo-Soprano: C sharp – D MADAME DE LA GRANDE BOUCHE is an opera singer who is becoming a wardrobe. Madame is almost larger than life in everything she does, including her singing and dancing. Must be the ultimate “diva with a heart” with a big personality and a big voice. Madame has some harmony lines with Mrs. Potts and Babette, so looking for a singer who can hold her own, but also knows when to pull back in order to sound good with the others. LEFOU (Male/Female 10-19) Baritone/Alto: B – High F sharp LEFOU is Gaston’s equally dim-witted lackey. Lefou is Gaston’s foil and should double the laughs for them both. Lefou should be able to sing, act and dance with physical comic ability or acrobatics an advantage. MONSIEUR D'ARQUE (Male/Female 12-19) MONSIEUR D’ARQUE is the dark, creepy proprietor of the lunatic asylum who adds more tension to the story. While Monsieur does have a few lines of solo singing in “The Mob Song,” this is primarily a non-singing role. As Monsieur D’arque is only featured in Act 2, this actor will also be part of the ensemble for Act 1. SILLY GIRLS (Female 14-19) Alto/Soprano The SILLY GIRLS are in love with Gaston and will do almost anything just to be near him. The Silly Girls sing together in three numbers so must be strong harmony singers. Must also be competent movers/dancers. DOORMAT (Male/Female 8-19) Gymnastic ability desired. ENSEMBLE (Male/Female 8-19) Ensemble members will be required to play a variety of roles including townspeople and an array of dancing enchanted utensils! Will need strong singing and dance/movement ability. To secure your spot or for any further information, please phone us on 1300 881 545