HANDS ON A HARDBODY
– Equity Principal Auditions / Understudies
Developmental Lab ($1,000/week) and Broadway ($1,754/week minimum).
Producer: Broadway Across America
Music: Amanda Green & Trey Anastasio
Lyrics: A. Green
Book: Doug Wright
Dir: Neil Pepe
Choreo: Benjamin Millipied
Mus Sprvsr: Carmel Dean
GM: Alan Wasser Associates
Casting: Telsey + Company, Rachel Hoffman
Developmental Lab: 10/1 – 10/13/12. Broadway 1st reh: On/about January 2013. EPAs are for both productions.
Equity Principal Auditions:
Wednesday, August 29, 2012 Telsey + Company
Thursday, August 30, 2012 315 West 43rd Street, 10th Floor
10 AM - 6 PM both days. New York City
Lunch from 1:30 – 2:30.
Please prepare a short country/folk, pop or gospel song. Bring sheet music in the correct key; an accompanist will be provided, but may not transpose. Please bring a photo and resume, stapled back-to-back.
Musical based on the documentary film of the same name, about a truck competition in rural East Texas. In the contest, hardscrabble contestants are invited to a local car dealership, to place their hands on a new Nissan truck. The contestant who can stand the longest without removing his or her hand from the vehicle gets to drive it off the lot. What initially seems like a frivolous, even kitschy stunt becomes a true test of wills.
Seeking Understudies (all Understudy tracks are available):
Notes:
- Actors should have authentic, skilled country/folk voices and genuine acting chops. It is a strong ensemble piece.
- Actors who are not available for the one or the other of these productions should still audition. Casting Director states, “If you feel you are right for one or more roles, you are encouraged to attend.”
- All onstage roles have been offered to actors who participated in a recent production of the piece at a regional theatre. At this time, it is anticipated that there will be seven offstage understudies for the Broadway production. The exact breakdown of those covers will be determined throughout the audition process. A possible breakdown is:
o Male Cover #1 – u/s JD, Don, Frank
o Male Cover #2 – u/s Benny, Mike, Frank
o Male Cover #3 – u/s Chris, Greg, Jesus
o Male Cover #4 – u/s Ronald
o Female Cover #1 – u/s Virginia, Janis, Cindy
o Female Cover #2 – u/s Heather, Kelli
o Female Cover #3 – u/s Norma
Understudy for Benny Perkins (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Benny is Caucasian, 35-45. The “ringmaster” of the piece, and a returning champ who won the contest a few years earlier. He’s a self-proclaimed expert on the contest, not to mention All Things Texas and most other matters besides. He can spin tall tales with the best of ‘em. In Benny’s hands a game of darts at the local dive bar can become a mythic story, a regular“High Noon”. He’s always got a twinkle in his eye and a ready joke, but underneath his “good old boy” demeanor, he’s ferociously ambitious. He won the contest three years ago, and he’s back to triumph again. He’s recovering from a failed marriage, a non-existent career and an alcohol problem, and currently he lives in the garage apartment behind his mama’s house. But if he can win, he’ll prove that he’s still got what it takes to compete in the world. In an ensemble show, Benny is our lead. Needs a lived-in, earthy baritone voice.
Understudy for J. D. Drew (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
J. D. is Caucasian, 55-70. The oldest contestant. He’s got a weathered, Gary Cooper handsomeness, and he’s a real man’s man. Plays things close to the vest – he’s not a touchy-feely type, not at all – but can still win you over with a well-timed grin. An injury on an oil rig has forced him into early retirement. He’s a proud man who’s always pulled himself up by the bootstraps, and the loss of his job makes him secretly ache. Voice should have a lived-in, conversational, gritty, earthy singing quality.
Understudy for Mike Ferris (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Mike is Caucasian, 35-55. Floor manager at Floyd King Nissan. NASCAR fan and motorcycle enthusiast. Has the slick, slightly coercive air of a diehard car salesman. But the current economy has frayed his nerves, leading to lightning strikes of anger and a feeling he’s suddenly under siege from the big boys in Tokyo. Good country rock voice.
Understudy for Frank Nugent (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Frank is Caucasian, 30-50. Lead disc jockey at KYKX in Longview, Texas. Has his own garage band too, that aspires to a ZZ Top sound; they’ve played mall openings and a few weddings, but haven’t yet made it down to South-by-Southwest. Has shaggy hair, maybe a ponytail, and the kind of “good old boy” nature that befits a Texas DJ. Needs a gritty, Southern Country Rock voice.
Understudy for Ronald McCowan (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Ronald is African American, 35-45. From the Louisiana bayou, with an accent that’s as thick as gumbo. Compulsively good-natured, and a self-styled ladies’ man, with girlfriends in three states. He’s a big, expansive talker, with a touch of braggadocio, but sometimes undermines himself with fatalistic doubts: Suppose there’s a thunderstorm? Suppose his knees give out?What if he wore the wrong shoes? Like the Cowardly Lion, Ronald can pivot from cocksure to crumbling with dizzying speed. Strong baritone or baritenor voice.
Understudy for Chris Alvaro (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Chris is a Caucasian man, 19-25. Newly returned from yet another tour of Iraq, Chris has an angelic, baby face, but the physique of a high school sports star. He’s taciturn and keeps to himself. Tightly coiled, he’s working hard to keep the demons he acquired in the Marines at bay. Like many soldiers, in his heart, he knows that – for better or for worse – he’s more at home on the battlefield than he can ever be in this sterile land of strip malls and burger joints. Tenor.
Understudy for Greg Wilhote (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Greg is Caucasian, 20-28. Sweet, lanky, freckle-faced kid whose counter-cultural, Beastie Boys instincts make him an outsider in this land of cowboys. He’s the only resident of Longview who drives a VW Bug…and it’s his mother’s used one at that. Underneath his “freak flag” façade, Greg would dearly love to fit in. Around town, he just feels like an oddball. Currently, Greg is unemployed. Sweet, pure tenor voice.
Understudy for Don Curtis / Dr. Charles Stokes (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Don is Caucasian, 40-55. A true card; he works as a long-haul trucker, but you might mistake him for a rodeo clown. He’s come to the car lot to support his wife, Janis, complete with hand-made posters and a giant piece of cardboard strapped to his head that says “Go, Baby, Go!” He, Janis and their eight children live in a trailer park community on the outskirts of Gladewater, Texas. They may be the poorest competitors, living hand to mouth, but they may well be the most spirited, too. Good singer. Actor in this track also plays Dr. Charles Stokes, Psychology professor at the local university and expert on sleep deprivation.
Understudy for Jesus Peña (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Jesus is Latino, 19-25. First in his family to aspire to college. He’s a sweet looking, soft-spoken kid with a big heart. He hopes to win the truck so he can sell it and pay his tuition. Tenor.Comfortable with dance.
Understudy for Norma Valverde (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Norma is Latina, 30-50. Stout fire-plug of a woman, but with a serene face and a beatific smile. A woman of faith, she’s impervious to irony: she knows her love of God is both sincere and true. Other contestants are tempted to ridicule Norma as a bona-fide Jesus freak, but by the third day of the competition, when they’ve fallen off the truck and she’s still standing proudly listening to hymns on her MVP, they pause: maybe she’s got something they don’t, after all. Should have a big voice with a high belt.
Understudy for Cindy Barnes (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Cindy is Caucasian, 30-50. Marketing director at Floyd King Nissan. She’s got lacquered Texas hair and a penchant for theme sweaters, but underneath her exterior, she’s one tough lady. She’s a single mom working in a man’s world, so she’s had to sacrifice her vulnerability. The car lot has been steadily losing sales, and this contest is “make or break” time for Cindy. Good actor with some singing skills.
Understudy for Kelli Mangrum (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Kelli is Caucasian, 20-26. Pretty brunette with a tomboy toughness and a gritty ambition that belies her years. She works sorting packages on the night shift at UPS so she can save up to split town; she knows small-town America is going the way of the dinosaur, and she wants out. A young Sandra Bullock, with even more grit. Warm, earthy alto voice with a belt to a D.
Understudy for Heather Stovall (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Heather is Caucasian, 24-30. Still derives her glory – and her reputation – from her days as head varsity cheerleader at Spring Hill High. Heather is an unashamed “girly girl”, and her biggest fear about the competition is her inability to shower and re-apply her makeup. Every man she meets is the Daddy she always wanted. Good singer comfortable singing in alto/beltand soprano range.
Understudy for Janis Curtis (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Janis is Caucasian, 40-55. Married to Don Curtis. She’s a tough old bird with a mane of grey hair, and a face ravaged by hard luck. She’s birthed a brood of children, and weaned and washed the first three without running water. What Janis lacks in polish she makes up for in pure horse-sense. Some might write her off as a hick, but we think she stepped full-blown and wild out of an Ansel Adams photograph. Character, lived-in, low alto singing voice that can also belt a bit higher.
Understudy for Virginia Drew (and possibly others, see “Notes” above):
Virginia is Caucasian, 50-65. Aging but still very attractive wife of contestant J. D. Drew. After three decades of marriage, she’s more worried than ever about the future. She sees her beloved husband at loose ends, out of his job, his very purpose in life, frittering his evenings on the couch and his Saturdays out hunting, coming home distracted and empty-handed.More than anything, she wants him back. It’s her turn to see his well-being for a change; but she fears his stubborn pride will cause him to turn on her instead, and that this contest will wreck his already fragile health. Alto/soprano.
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