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| Falsettos
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 | Marvin: A strong singer and actor who portrays a Jewish man struggling with keeping his family together upon his divorce from his wife(Trina) and the development of a relationship with his gay lover (Whizzer). He has a strong sense of family and a strong need to keep all aspects of his life under control, including maintaining a relationship with his son. The age of the character (not the actor) is somewhere between 30 and 40. Voice Type: Baritone/Tenor - Vocal Range: low A to high A flat |
| Trina: A strong singer and actress who portrays a Jewish woman coming to terms with the leaving of her husband (Marvin) for a gay lover while trying to raise her son (Jason) and move on with her life. The moving on is complicated by the need to have Marvin involved in the raising of the child and her genuine like of the gay lover (Whizzer). She eventually falls in love with and marries Marvin’s psychiatrist (Mendel). The age of the character (not the actor) is somewhere between 30 and 40. Voice Type: Alto Belt/Mezzo — Vocal Range: low G to high E |
| Mendel: A strong singer and comedic actor who portrays a Jewish man that is a psychiatrist treating Marvin but falls in love and eventually marries Marvin’s ex-wife (Trina). Mendel often attempts to diffuse situations through comedy as laughter is considered the best therapy. The age of the character (not the actor) is somewhere between 35 and 45. Voice Type: Baritone/Tenor — Vocal Range: low G sharp to high G |
| Whizzer: A strong singer and actor who portrays a Jewish man that as Marvin’s lover struggles with the relationship. To complicate matters, Whizzer has a role to play in raising Marvin’s son (Jason) even when Marvin and Whizzer are no longer together. Whizzer dies from AIDS in the second act, however, given the time period, the disease is not known. The age of the character (not the actor) is somewhere between 25 and 35 but is a few years younger than Marvin. Voice Type: Tenor — Vocal Range low G sharp to high G sharp |
| Jason: A strong singer and actor who portrays Marvin’s son that struggles with not only the typical anxiety of growing up but also has to deal with his parent’s divorce and the wondering if he will be gay like his father, however, he is not. In addition, he turns for support to Whizzer who treats him kindly especially when his parents are fighting. He is intelligent and protective of his family which includes Whizzer. The age of the character (not the actor) is 11 in act one and 13 in act two. Voice Type: Tenor — Vocal Range low G to high C# |
| Charlotte: A strong singer and actress who portrays a Jewish woman who is a doctor that treats Whizzer and lives next door to Trina and Mendel with her lesbian lover Cordelia. She intensely loves those around her and is a dedicated physician. She struggles with the currently unexplainable trend she sees in her daily work as a physician as well as the struggle of all physicians who deal with death on a daily basis. The age of the character (not the actor) is 35 or older. Note: Character only appears in act II. Voice Type: Mezzo — Vocal Range: high E |
| Cordelia: A strong singer and actress who portrays a Jewish woman that is a kosher caterer living next door to Trina and Mendel with her lesbian lover Dr. Charlotte. She intensely loves those around her, but struggles with her self-esteem at times especially when comparing herself to her lover. The age of the character (not the actor) is 30 or older but is younger than Dr. Charlotte. Note: Character only appears in Act II. Voice Type: Soprano — Vocal Range: high E |
Rehearsal Calendar: Rehearsals will not start in earnest until January 5. If possible, maybe one or two music rehearsals may be held in December just to get a jump on the music.
Performance Dates: March 13 - April 5, 2009 (13 performances)
FAQs
| What should I sing at auditions? This show requires vocal versatility, but above all requires the ability to communicate a story on a lyrical line. It may be best to avoid songs from rock shows like Tommy, Rent, or Rocky Horror. However, we want you to do your best so choose 16-32 bars of a song that best suits your voice. |
| Will there be dancing at the auditions? There will be a small movement combination at the auditions. This show does require the ability to move. You do not have to have any sort of dance training to be able to perform this combination. Any movement style needed will be taught as needed during the rehearsal process. |
| Will there be an accompanist? Yes, there will be an accompanist. Please make it as easy on the accompanist as possible. Avoid bringing copied sheet music or music that contains multiple cuts or unclearly marked cuts. |
| Can I sing a cappella? Of course you can but it may not be in your best interests. We want you to do well and in our experience people tend to go flat or inadvertently change keys when singing a cappella at an audition due to nerves. |
| If I have a lot of conflicts, will that affect my chances of being cast?
When casting, we will take into consideration all factors including conflicts. This does not mean that if you have a lot of conflicts that you will not be cast. It does mean that if all else is even, it will factor into the decision. If you have a conflict with a performance date, then we will not be able to cast you. |
| Have any of the roles been precast? Absolutely not. All roles are open. We have never understood pre-casting shows. You never know when new talent will present it self, especially in an area that is as transient as the Washington D.C. area. To be cast, you will have to earn the role through the audition process. |
| If I’m not the age listed in the character descriptions, should I still
audition for the role? Yes. The character descriptions are guidelines you should consider when auditioning for a particular role. This is theater and often times we are able to play a variety of ages and characters that are not similar to our physical or emotional context as individuals. The only way to be considered for any role is to audition. We can’t consider you if you do not audition. |
| What will the young actor’s schedule be like? We will do our best to be considerate of the young actor’s schedule during the rehearsal process. During the early part of the rehearsal schedule, we will make sure that they are done between 9:15 and 9:30 at the latest (earlier if possible). With that said, when we start running the show closer to the end of the rehearsal period and throughout tech week, the child we need to be present for the complete rehearsal. |
| When are callbacks? Callbacks will be held on Saturday, December 13th. Callbacks will be held at the home of the music director in North Arlington. Please remember, if you are not called for callbacks, this does not mean that you are not cast. |
| When do rehearsals start? Rehearsals will begin in earnest on Monday January 5th. However, there may be a couple of music rehearsals before the first of the year to get us started. However, if you have conflicts with these, we understand, it is the holiday season. In general, rehearsals will be from 7:30 to 10:30 Monday thru Thursday and 10 to 4 on Saturdays. |
| Where are rehearsals? Rehearsals will primarily be held at the Town Shop in Herndon before moving into the theater. The initial musical rehearsals will be held at the home of the music director in North Arlington. |
| If I’m not asked to call backs, does that mean I not cast? You may be cast from the initial audition and may not be required to come to call backs. Please don’t fret if you do not hear from us about the callback. Everyone will be notified after the conclusion of the callbacks to let you know if you were cast or not. |
| If cast, what shall I be expected to provide? Cast members will be expected to provide their own undergarments as well as standard character shoes. In addition, we encourage the cast to provide their own makeup. Any needed specialty makeup will be provided. However, you will be required to provide your own eye-liner and lip gloss as it is best not to share these from a hygienic perspective. All other costumes, hair, etc will be provided by the production. |
| What about my hairstyle and haircuts? Please note that since the play is set in 1979 and 1981 that we will be asking men to grow their hair out and possibly grow facial hair. We don’t want to wig you but will if necessary. |
| If I have questions, who should I contact? Please contact the director at -- falsettos.info at gmail (dot) com |
The Elden Street Players (ESP) is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit, community
theater.
All roles OPEN, no pre-casting is allowed at ESP. All roles are un-paid,
volunteer positions.
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