ARTARIA - Equity Principal Auditions
Producer: Artaria Development Company LLC Staged Reading Contract $478/week minimum.
Dir: Johanna McKeon
Book/Music/Lyrics: Raven Kane
Additional Music and Arrangements: David Campbell
Story Contributions: Judy Norton
GM: DR Theatrical Management, Seth A. Goldstein
Casting: Stephanie Klapper Casting
Will work with Broadway schedules, except for Wed matinee perf. 1st reh: 10/16/11. Daytime rehearsals; no more than 30 hours/week. Day off 10/22. Presentation(s):10/26 @ 3 (unconfirmed), 10/27 @ 7.
Equity Principal Auditions:
Saturday, October 1, 2011 Chelsea Studios
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM 151 West 26th Street, 6th Floor
Lunch from 1 - 2. New York City
and
Sunday, October 2, 2011 Pearl Studios NYC “519”
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM 519 Eighth Avenue, 12th Floor
Lunch from 1 - 2. New York City
If auditioning for Theresa, Henry, Laura, Alanna, Sophie, Joe, Mr. Highfield, Suit #2 or Suit #3, please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song and be prepared to read from sides, provided at the audition. A perusal copy of sides will be available at the Member Services Desk in the Equity Audition Center beginning at 9:30 AM on 9/26/11.
Those auditioning for all other roles should prepare a brief pop/rock song (no sides provided).
All should bring sheet music in the correct key; an accompanist will be provided, but may not transpose.
Please bring a picture & resume, stapled back-to-back.
Seeking (Note: Despite the proximity of EPAs to the first rehearsal, Producers and Casting Director confirm that all roles are available unless otherwise specified, and that no further offers will be made until after the EPAs are over):
Notes from casting personnel:
“All actors must read music. All of the kids should have a bright, contemporary sound. The
adults should have legit voices with controlled to little vibrato. Think more rock, less
Broadway.
“All of these characters should believably play WORKING CLASS factory workers. They are
rough around the edges, not slick. Additionally, we are creating an ethnically diverse
community.”
Young Dustin:
AVAILABLE ROLE. Age 9. Brunette. Sensitive budding musician who struggles to hold his own in his rough neighborhood. Having lost both his mother and his grandpa, he is especially close to his dad. Comes from a working-class family. Boy soprano who can sing low A well (A below middle C); 1 ½-octave range (low A to E). Should prepare an up-tempo emotional ballad.
Note: Dustin (see below), Theresa, Raphael and Eric went to school together, played in band together and formed a common bond as artists. Each felt like an outcast because of being “different”.
Michael (see below) taught them to create their own world through art, which he called “Artaria”, so they, too, formed a club in that name, and have been meeting secretly for years to explore their own art forms.
Theresa Vezina:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 19, any ethnicity. Edgy rocker; plays electric guitar and writes poetry and loves to be theatrical. Has a biting sense of humor. Intensely loyal to her friends. Aspires to be a performance artist and to move to NYC. Edgy voice -- alto with a rock edge and the ability to sing some soprano lines, G to high F. Must move well.
Eric Blumstein:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 19, Jewish. Geeky but lovable. A little overweight, with glasses. Plays tuba, and loves to break-dance. He is in Pre-Law at Princeton, being groomed to enter his dad’s law firm. He’d prefer to quit school and move to Greenwich Village. Baritone with a rock edge.
Raphael Rivera:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 20, Hispanic/African American. Former student at the Art Institute of Chicago. Works in the mill. Creates sculptures from scrap steel, and tags buildings with murals and artistic graffiti. Religious, upbeat and fun -- he’s always up for an adventure. Extroverted. Think the artist Diego Rivera. Lyric baritone with a rock edge (2 octaves -- low G to high F). Must move well.
Henry Burke:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 45. Laura’s husband and Alanna’s stepfather. Handsome, athletic and “slick”. Married Laura, hoping that her father would help him climb the corporate ladder of A. M. Steel. Now he finds himself stuck in the role of glorified “lacky” and chief hatchet-man, with his marriage on the rocks. Lyric baritone – low A to F. Moves well. Strong singer/actor with range.
Laura Miller Burke:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 47. Alanna’s mom. Grew up in Joliet with Michael and Sophie. Together, they were the original Artarians. Moved to the East Coast when her dad was promoted up the corporate ladder. Graduated Carnegie Melon as an actress, and had a budding career in New York. But she got pregnant, had Alanna, and later married Henry as a solution to life. He in turn pushed her to give up acting and to get a law degree. Now at a crossroads in her life, she seeks to rediscover her roots and who she really is. Mezzo soprano (2 octaves, low G to high G). Moves well.
Alanna Miller:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 20. Ballerina with an edge. Must look like a dancer. In the corps of the Pittsburgh Ballet, but longs to break free and discover herself. Poised and talented but lacking in confidence, Alanna blossoms in the unlikely environment of the steel town where she discovers her roots, deep love, true friendships and the freedom to dance with passion. Daughter of Laura. Soprano with a pop sensibility; low G to G. Must also belt to C. Strong dancer.
Sophie:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 47. Comedic. Zaftig. Earthy. Loud, warm and fun. Owns and operates Sophie’s Bar and Burgers, a hangout for mill-workers. Loves the arts, particularly opera. Brash, outspoken, hard-working and always there to support both workers and kids. She and Laura were best buddies, and have kept in touch over the years. She’s the local bartender. Has a big strong voice that can dominate a room. Salt-of-the-earth type, brash. Has a substantial presence. A contrast to Laura. Alto, low F to C, strong belt. Moves well.
Joe:
AVAILABLE ROLE. African American or Caucasian, 50. Big. Incredible warmth. Nicknamed “Hawk Eye”. Salt-of-the-earth guy. A “mill rat” for 30 years. Michael’s best friend. Amateur musician, and usually the life of the party. Blue collar, working class. Wide range, presence. Tenor with a big voice to match his personality. Great voice. “Hinton Battle” timbre. Full rock/R & B sound, 2-octave range (low A to high A). Moves well.
Grandpa Sikorsky / Narrator:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 70s. Warm baritone speaking voice. Warm, dignified presence. Grandpa: Was a premier violinist in the old country. Silent role. Actor reads Narrator and sings with ensemble.
The Suits:
Mr. Highfield:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 50s. Baritone. Owner of A. M. Steel. Major stockholder. Strong personality. No nonsense. Voice: Low G to high E. Shows strong character.
Suit #2:
AVAILABLE ROLE. 40s. Corporate lawyer, Senior Exec of A. M. Steel. Never stepped foot in a mill. Bass-baritone (1 ½-octave range, low F# to C).
Suit #3:
AVAILABLE ROLE. Late 40s. Manipulates the money. Controls the market. Brilliant. Has no concern for the workers. Lyric baritone/tenor, low F# to high A.
The following roles are cast. Auditioning performers will be considered as possible (emergency) replacements, should any become necessary.
Michael Sikorsky:
CAST. 48, of Prussian descent. Dustin’s father. A composer. Struggling to balance his musical aspirations with his position as union leader at the mill; life has forced upon him the compromises necessary to support his family. Loves his son, but feels he can’t talk to him anymore. Doesn’t know how to support Dustin’s dreams, while his own are disappearing with the demands of reality. Baritone/tenor with a rock edge—2-octave-plus range, low G to A in full voice.
Dustin Sikorsky:
CAST. 19. Handsome and intense. Romantic. Progressive electric violinist and composer. Sensitive and moody, he is struggling to find the passion of his own voice in love and in music. Works part- time in the mill. Tenor with a rock edge -- 2-octave-plus range, low A to high A. Able to sing falsetto. Moves well. Should prepare a song with a rock edge and an emotional ballad.
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