Wheaton Drama announces auditions for SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, directed by Randall W. Knott, with production management by Elyse Willis, musical direction by Bryan McCaffery, and choreography by Katy Smith.
WHEN: Sunday, March 3 or Monday, March 4, beginning at 7 p.m.. Callbacks will be held on Wednesday, March 6, beginning at 7 p.m..
WHERE: Wheaton Drama’s Playhouse 111, located at 111 N. Hale St., Wheaton, IL
Auditions will be by appointment (see below). Please prepare 32 bars of a piece in the style of the show. There will be no movement/reading at the preliminary auditions, just singing. Callbacks will include some movement. Please plan to arrive as early as you need to prepare for your audition time. Note: we intend to be on time, if you are late, your spot will likely be forfeited. See below for character descriptions.
To schedule an appointment:
Audition appointments have been filled and a waiting list has been started. Please email below to be added to the waiting list for an audition!
Please email toddwdi2019@gmail.com with a preferred audition night, NOT a preferred time. With the demand we expect, we will not be able to accommodate requests for appointment time. Audition appointments will be scheduled in 5 minute increments, and the Production Staff reserves the right to fill the slots as requests arrive. Please indicate that in the event your preferred night is not available, if you are available the other night as well. Auditions will be first come, first serve, and limited to the 72 slots we are creating. Audition appointments will close on March 1, 5:00 pm.
SWEENEY TODDwill run May 24 through June 16, 2019. Performances will take place Thursdays/Fridays/Saturdays at 8pm & Sundays at 3pm. All performances are staged at Wheaton Drama’s Playhouse 111, located at 111 N. Hale Street in downtown Wheaton.
Non-Mandatory Q&A with Production Staff
There will be a non-mandatory Q&A with the Director and Assistant Director on Saturday morning, February 9th, at Playhouse 111, 10:00-11:00 a.m. Audition expectations, a brief description of the vision of the show, and any questions from those attending will be the topics of the day. There will be doughnuts, coffee, etc. Mostly, it’s a way to break some of the tension before the auditions. As stated, attendance is not mandatory, but we might have some fun.
Character Descriptions:
Age ranges mean WHAT CAN BE VISUALIZED ON STAGE age ranges, not necessarily actual ages of actors.
Sweeney Todd– Baritone (Age 35-45) Primary male lead. A man out for revenge following his 15 year false imprisonment in Australia. Will learn small amount of stage combat.
Mrs. Lovett– Mezzo (Age 45-55) Primary female lead. Opportunistic owner of a failing meat pie shop. Comedic, for sure, but with an edge.
Judge Turpin– Baritone (Age 55-75) Supporting male lead. Sanctimonious “honorable” man responsible for Todd’s imprisonment.
Anthony Hope– Tenor (Age 20-25) Supporting male lead. Wide-eyed romantic ingénue.
Johanna– Lyric Soprano (Age 16) Supporting female lead. Romantic ingénue who is perhaps not so wide-eyed.
Beggar Woman– Mezzo (Age – 35-45) Supporting female lead. “Crazy” beggar woman with a tragic story to tell.
Tobias Ragg– Tenor (teenager-early 30s) Supporting male lead. Mentally challenged, put-upon young man. Will consider teenagers, but bear in mind that the role is demanding, vocally.
Beadle Bamford– Tenor (Age 45-55) Supporting male lead. Turpin’s lackey. What Bill Sikes would be if he’d had someone spot his talent and groom him. Must have a high falsetto range.
Adolfo Pirelli– HIGH, crisp tone, tenor (Age 25-35) Pirelli is a theatrically comic Italian(?) barber with a soaring voice…and a secret.
Ensemble– We NEEDbetween 5-16 ensemble members to act as a Greek Chorus throughout the play. Stage time will be plentiful, and ALL will be featured, at least visually, at some point. The Ensemble will be balanced based on strength of vocalists, it may be divided equally SATB, it may not. We will be casting at least 3 males and 2 females in the ensemble. We would prefer a larger ensemble, as we want to fill the stage with sound. This is a show that absolutely depends on its ensemble.
This production is non-equity & there is no pay.
SWEENEY TODD is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIshows.com
