Attention aspiring musical theater professionals: This Saturday, NETworks is holding an open call for immediate and future replacements for its 2009 National Tour of Hairspray, playing the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Jan. 13-18 as part of the new Atlanta Broadway Series. The tour is currently scheduled to run through June 2009.
Auditions in Atlanta will be held Saturday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m. at the Woodruff Arts Center’s Rich Theatre at 1280 Peachtree Street. Participants should plan to bring appropriate musical theater songs or tunes from the late ’50s or early ’60s. Pop music is preferred. Performers are welcome to sing numbers from the show for this call, but should have another selection as well. Performers should also be prepared in case they are asked to stay and dance. Performers should bring a picture and resume.
Some callbacks for immediate replacements will be flown to New York. All ensemble members must sing well enough to cover a principle role. All roles are paid. The call is for Non-Equity performers.
Any questions prior to the casting call should be directed to [email protected].
Performers are needed in the following roles:
- TRACY TURNBLAD Female, Caucasian, 5’3″ or shorter, to play high school age. Must be heavyset. Outgoing, unstoppable, goodhearted with a vibrant, lovable, spirited personality. Loves to dance. Becomes a teen heroine. Strong pop belt singer and great mover.
- EDNA TURNBLAD Male to play female, Caucasian, 40s – 50s. Tracy’s mother. A working class, devoted, loving housewife with dreams of her own. Sincere, not campy. Needs a funny, grand character actor with singing ability who can convincingly play a woman. Large physique. COMEDIAN.
- SEAWEED J. STUBBS Male, African-American, to play high school age. Cool, sexy, street smart, goodhearted. Son of Motormouth Maybelle who becomes Penny’s boyfriend. His dance lessons help Tracy get chosen for the local TV teen dance show. Strong, soulful tenor pop singer and great mover.
- WILBUR TURNBLAD Male, Caucasian, 40s – 50s. Tracy’s father. A working class inventor. Sweet, goofy, childlike personality. Adores his family. Needs a thin, funny character actor. Good character singer.
- LINK LARKIN Male, Caucasian, to play high school age. Handsome, sexy, clean-cut, goodhearted, down-to-earth. The heartthrob of the local TV teen dance show. Amber’s boyfriend at first, but he soon falls for Tracy. Strong pop singer and great mover.
- AMBER VON TUSSLE Female, Caucasian, to play high school age. The ice princess of the local TV teen dance show. Attractive snob. Very funny, with good physique. Strong pop belt singer and great mover.
- PENNY PINGLETON Female, Caucasian, to play high school age. Ditzy, neurotic, devoted best friend of Tracy. Very funny, with good physique. Strong pop belt singer and mover.
- CORNY COLLINS Male, Caucasian, 30s. Host of the local TV teen dance show. Handsome, charming, engaging, smooth. Strong pop singer.
- MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE Female, African-American, 40s – 50s. Seaweed and Little Inez’s mother. Queen of Baltimore Soul, a radio DJ. Powerful and inspiring, with an infectious, brassy personality. Large physique. Strong, soulful gospel/pop singer.
- VELMA VON TUSSLE Female, Caucasian, 40s – 50s. A former beauty queen, Amber’s mother, and producer of the local TV teen dance show. Upscale, attractive, prejudiced snob who always wants her daughter in the spotlight. Funny, biting, manipulative. Good character singer.
- LITTLE INEZ Female, African-American, 5’1″ or shorter. SEEKING ADULT ACTRESS TO PLAY EARLY TEENS. Spunky, tough, streetwise, outgoing, older than her years. Seaweed’s lovable little sister. Strong Broadway/pop singer and mover.
- MALE AUTHORITY FIGURE Male, Caucasian, 40s – 50s. One actor plays various zany roles including a nervous businessman; a condescending high school principal; a flamboyant fashion boutique owner; a cop; and a corrupt prison guard. (Think “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.”) Also understudies Edna Turnblad and Wilbur Turnblad. Must be a heavyset, sharp, funny, inventive character actor with good singing voice.
- FEMALE AUTHORITY FIGURE Female, Caucasian, 40s – 50s. One actress plays various zany roles including Prudy Pingleton, Penny’s uptight and small-minded mother; a sadistic high school gym teacher; a cop; and a sardonic prison matron. (Think “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.”) Also understudies Velma Von Tussle. Must be a sharp, funny, inventive character actress with strong singing voice.
- ENSEMBLE DANCERS WHO SING and SINGERS WHO DANCE Male and female dancers with strong pop singing voices and great personalities, to play high schoolers, To play various roles in the ensemble and have to sing well enough to cover principal roles.
- THE DYNAMITES–3 sexy African-American female singer/dancers inspired by the Supremes. Should have glorious pop/gospel singing voices. Should move well. They are featured in the showstopper “Welcome to the ’60s”. ENSEMBLE
