Brassroots District LA ‘74, An Immersive Concert Experience - Jami Rudofsky Casting

Brassroots District LA '74 is an immersive theater & concert experience about a funk band on the rise in Los Angeles in the early 70s.



SELF TAPES - Due by Wednesday Dec 10th



CALLBACKS IN-PERSON - Friday December 12th Location TBD



WHO: Producers / Brassroots District - Ari Herstand and Andrew Leib



Producer: Jeff Crocker



Director: DeMone Seraphin



Casting DIrector: Jami Rudofsky



WHAT: Brassroots District LA ‘74, An Immersive Concert Experience



WHERE: Catch One, 4067 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019



WHEN: Rehearsals + Promo Early January



Tech Week Feb 1-4;



Preview Performance Feb 5;



Performance dates, Feb 7, 13, 20, 28; March 7, 14, 20, 28; (2) shows each night;



Extension hold for April – June



WHY: Because who doesn't want to be part of an awesome 70's inspired immersive Funk Concert Experience?



HOW MUCH: $3,450 + royalties



There will be a shared royalty pool, in the event of smashing success, we’ll be able to share a little extra with the cast and the band.



THE STORY: It’s 1974, and Brassroots District is finally celebrating the release of their debut album. The band has continued to build a rabid fanbase in LA and tonight they get their break and sign with a big record label — live, in front of their friends and fans. But fame isn’t simple. For Copper and Ursa, the band’s lead singers and newly reunited lovers, the night is a test: can they balance stardom, their values, and their relationship without losing themselves — or each other?



ROLES:



*PLEASE NOTE: Roles of Copper and Ursa are cast U/S for Copper and Ursa (they will also U/S for other roles). They will join the main ensemble and perform nightly as Perry and Lola and fill in as needed.



*Copper Jones – The exuberant frontman of Brassroots District, Copper is riding high on love and music, but wondering how far he’ll bend to the temptations of fame. Hailing from New Orleans, Copper exudes the effortless cool and laissez faire attitude of the Big Easy, sometimes to the point of missing cues from his lover and frontwoman, Ursa Major. Onstage, he’s a live wire. Plays rhythm guitar and sings lead. (30s White, Male)



*Ursa Major – BRD’s fearless frontwoman is a fiercely loyal, compassionate, powerhouse of a performer. Ursa came up in the church and a tight-knit family; while dancing on the edge between her dreams and the compromises of the industry, her deep connections to her roots are tested in ways she’s never encountered. (20s, Black, Female)[1]



Cassie the Brassie – Radiant, free-spirited #1 fan of Brassroots, embodying magic, mystery, and heartbreak in equal measure. Beneath her confident, bohemian glow lies a tender vulnerability and a fierce desire to believe in the purity of music and connection. Cassie is the cool girl who makes you feel cooler by being in her presence.(20s, Open race, Female)



Jewel – Soulful club owner and guardian of community, Jewel welcomes guests into a sanctuary of love, music, and togetherness that she tends with vision and patience. Jewel is based on the real owner and founder of Catch One, Jewel Thais-Williams, a pioneering LGBTQ leader in LA. (30s-40s, Black, Female)



Donny Davis – A desperate Columbia Records executive whose recent signings have all flopped, Donny Brassroots as his last shot at salvaging his reputation (and his job). Slick, money-minded, and seeing dollar signs wherever Brassroots goes — Donny is charisma incarnate, but beware the wolf in sheep’s clothes. (30s-40s, White, Male)



Barry/Barri Bangs – A young concert reporter from Creem Magazine, Barry is hungry for the story that will be their big break. With notebook at the ready, Barry is attuned to detail, and uses every tactic at their disposal to coax info out of everyone in the club.(20s, Open race, Open gender)



Gil – Ursa’s activist big brother and creator of For The People Records, ready to protect his sister, call out the Man, and shake up the party if necessary. Gil has taken more than a page out of his preacher dad’s book - he is prone to speaking in poetry and knows that his words have the power to sway a crowd. (30s, Black, Male)



Lola – Student at USC that works at the club; Swing #1 for Ursa, Nancy, Jewel, Cassie, Barri or Gil (Black, Female who can swing for Female characters)



Perry – Queer aspiring fashion designer who also works at the club; Swing #2 Copper, Donny, That Guy, or Barry (White, Male who can swing for Male characters)
Salary: $3,450 + royalties