BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY — Principal Actors Auditions
Fireside Theatre
BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY - CHICAGO EPA
Fireside Theatre | Fort Atkinson, WI
Notice: Audition
AUDITION DATE
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Lunch 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
CONTRACT
CONTRACT
Dinner Theatre
$830 weekly minimum
SEEKING
Equity actors for roles in BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (See
BREAKDOWN
). All roles will be understudied. All Equity stage managerial positions have been filled.PREPARATION
Please prepare 60-seconds of a song from the show or something in a similar style. If you play an instrument, you may accompany yourself or play after your song. If you're not accompanying yourself, please bring sheet music for the accompanist. If you are unable to attend these in-person auditions, you may submit a video audition at:
buddyauditions@firesidetheatre.com. The deadline to submit a video audition is September 15, 2026, at 11:59pm CT.
LOCATION
Actors' Equity Association - Chicago Member Center
557 W Randolph St, 1st Floor
Chicago, IL 60661
PERSONNEL
Written by Alan Janes
Expected to attend:
- Director - Matt McClure
- Music Director - Sarah Godwin
- Choreographer - Natalie Herschman
- General Manager - Nate Stamper
- Accompanist - Cindy Blanc
OTHER DATES
1st Rehearsal: December 14th, 2026
No Rehearsals on December 22-25, 2026
Opening: January 7th, 2027
Closing: February 14th, 2027
OTHER
EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided.
Equity's
CONTRACT
s prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend every audition.
Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.
BREAKDOWN
- BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY
SEEKING:
BUDDY: Male, White, Age: Early 20s - Mid 20s, Plays electric and acoustic guitar. The young rock-and-roll trailblazer at the center of the story. Buddy is ambitious, confident, innovative, and determined to make music on his own terms. His partnership with Joe and Jerry creates The Crickets, and his songwriting and performances quickly propel him from a local Texas musician to a national star.
JOE B: Male, White, Age: Early 20s - Mid 20s, Plays upright and electric bass. Joe Mauldin, bassist for The Crickets and one of Buddy's closest musical partners. A talented musician and an important part of the band's signature sound, Joe becomes increasingly frustrated as Buddy's ambitions begin pulling him away from the group.
JERRY: Male, White, Age: Early 20s - Mid 20s, Plays drums. Jerry Allison, drummer for The Crickets and one of Buddy's longtime friends and collaborators. A driving force behind the band's sound, Jerry is a talented young musician who shares Buddy's excitement about the possibilities of their new music.
4TH CRICKET: Male, White, Age: Early 20s - Mid 20s, Plays electric and acoustic guitar. Tommy Allsup, known as the Fourth Cricket, is a talented guitarist who joins Buddy and The Crickets as their music career continues to grow. The role also functions as a featured musician within the larger world of the show.
VI PETTY / OTHERS: Female, White, Age: Early - Mid 30s, Plays piano. Vi Petty, wife and musical partner of record producer Norman Petty. A talented pianist and musician, Vi is part of the creative environment surrounding Norman's recording studio in Clovis, New Mexico, where Buddy and The Crickets develop their breakthrough sound. Doubles as additional ensemble roles.
BIG BOPPER / OTHERS: Male, White, Age: Late 20s - Early 30s, Instruments a plus. J.P. Richardson, better known as The Big Bopper, is a larger-than-life rock-and-roll entertainer known for his energetic personality and hit Chantilly Lace. He joins Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens on the Winter Dance Party tour and ultimately shares the stage with them at the final concert in Clear Lake.
RITCHIE VALENS / OTHERS: Male, Mexican American, Age: Early 20s - Mid 20s, Instruments a plus. Ritchie Valens is a groundbreaking young rock-and-roll performer whose recording of La Bamba becomes one of the show's major musical highlights. Talented, charismatic, and still very young, Valens joins Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper on the Winter Dance Party tour and performs alongside them at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.
MARIA ELENA / OTHERS: Female, Puerto Rican, Age: Mid 20s, Instruments a plus. Maria Elena Santiago is the young Puerto Rican receptionist at Buddy's music publisher who quickly captures Buddy's attention. Their whirlwind romance leads to marriage, and Maria Elena becomes one of the most important people in Buddy's personal life as his career begins to pull him in a new direction. Doubles as additional ensemble roles.
TYRONE JONES (APOLLO PERFORMER): Male, African American, Age: Late 20s - 30s, Instruments a plus. An Apollo performer who helps establish the energy and musical world of Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater. The Apollo sequence is one of the show's major turning points, as Buddy Holly and The Crickets win over an initially skeptical audience and demonstrate the power of their music.
MARLENA MADISON (APOLLO PERFORMER): Female, African American, Age: Late 20s - 30s, Instruments a plus. An Apollo performer who helps create the vibrant musical atmosphere of Harlem's Apollo Theater. She is part of the ensemble of performers who establish the contrast between Buddy and The Crickets' Texas rock-and-roll sound and the African American musical traditions surrounding the Apollo.
MALE ENSEMBLE / DANCERS / SWINGS AND COVERS: Male, Any Ethnicity, Age: 20s - 40s, Instruments a plus. Versatile performers who help populate Buddy's rapidly changing world, portraying musicians, DJs, dancers, concert performers, recording artists, and other characters throughout the story. Strong musicianship, movement skills, and the ability to quickly shift between characters are valuable assets.
FEMALE ENSEMBLE / DANCERS / SWINGS AND COVERS: Female, Any Ethnicity, Age: 20s - 40s, Instruments a plus. Versatile performers who help create the musical world surrounding Buddy, appearing as singers, dancers, musicians, DJs, concert performers, and other characters throughout the production. Strong musicianship, movement skills, and the ability to quickly shift between characters are valuable assets.
