The Marvelous Land of Oz

The Marvelous Land of Oz Audition Information Packet The Beverly Arts Center spring musical, The Marvelous Land of Oz, is an original musical premiering on the Beverly Arts Center stage. The show offers lead and supporting roles for students of both genders between the ages of 10 and 18. There are both singing and non-singing leads, as well as a number of small chorus groups and roles for dancers (see character descriptions on page 3 for more information.) About the Casting Process An audition is required to participate in the program. Please call 773.445.3838 x216 to reserve an audition slot. Auditions will be held: Tuesday, March 24, 5:30 to 7pm • Audition slots will be 5 minutes in length. • Audition Monologues are included at the end of this information packet. We ask that students memorize one of the four monologues included for their audition. • Students will be asked to sing 16 bars (one chorus or one verse) a capella (without musical accompaniment) of a song of their choice. • Students who are invited to callbacks may be asked to learn and short vocal selection and/or dance number from the production, as well as participate in cold readings. • Please take a look at the rehearsal, tech, and performance schedule on Page 2 and come to the auditions prepared to note any conflicts on your audition sheet. Callbacks will be held: Thursday, March 26, 5:30 to 7:30 pm Please Note: We call back about half of the actors who will be cast. If you are not invited to callbacks, you may still have a role in the production! The Cast List will be sent out via email and posted on the BAC School of Theater Callboard by Noon on Saturday, March 28. Casting Policy: • Students are cast in age-appropriate roles without regard for race, ethnicity, or physical appearance. Many roles are non-gender specific. Please see role descriptions for more information. • We try to cast everyone who auditions. However, we also need to maintain a cast size that fosters a positive learning environment and is appropriate for the needs of the show. For that reason, if over 30 students audition we may choose to make cuts when casting. 1 The Marvelous Land of Oz After the Cast List is Posted Contract Meeting All actors cast are required to attend our contract night on March 31 from 5:30 to 7:30pm. A parent our guardian must attend the meeting from 6:30 to 7:30pm only. Students accepted into the cast of The Marvelous Land of Oz will be working as if they are professional actors. As such, all students who are accepted into the program will be required, along with a parent or guardian, to sign a commitment to the schedule and behavior requirements of the program. On contract night we will also review the schedule, discuss rules and regulations in detail, and answer any remaining questions about the program. Rehearsals March 31 through May 14: Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30 to 7:30pm Actors will be called as needed during this time. Most actors will NOT come to every rehearsal. There will be some exceptions—lead actors will be called to most rehearsals, and students will be called more often as the production date approaches. All actors will receive a rehearsal schedule at the first rehearsal that indicates exactly when they are called for the full rehearsal period. Tech Rehearsals: (attendance mandatory for all cast members) May 18: 4:30-9pm May 20: 4-9pm May 21: 4-6:30pm May 22: 4-9pm? Performances: Saturday, May 23 at 2pm Sunday May 24 at 2pm Participation Fees The participation fee for The Marvelous Land of Oz is $150. Register for an audition before Mar 6 for a 10% early bird discount ($135) if accepted. Members who register by the early bird deadline pay only $122 if accepted! In order to participate in The Marvelous Land of Oz, students who are accepted must be paid in full by Friday, April 3. This includes: • Professional-level training in acting, vocal music, and dance from experienced performer/educators at the top of their fields. • Use of the spectacular Beverly Arts Center facilities, including our professional dance studio, spacious rehearsal rooms, and, of course, performances in our beautiful 400-seat mainstage theater. • Performance on a professional-quality set, with use of our recently improved sound and lighting systems. • Any specialty costume items. 2 The Marvelous Land of Oz The Marvelous Land of Oz Role Descriptions Tip/Ozma: At the risk of ruining the ending of the book, Tip is a feisty, sometimes sarcastic but good-hearted boy who is later discovered to be the real Princess Ozma of Oz, disguised by Mombi's magic spell. This role was originally written for a female actress to play both roles, but double-casting the role is possible as well. Tip could be between 10-14 (roughly). Must sing, dance and act. Mombi: A cantankerous woman who lives in Gillikin country with her young ward Tip. Though it is forbidden, Mombi practices magic secretly. A role written for an adult actress, could be played by a teen as well. Must sing and be a great witch. Ethel Merman and Agnes Moorehead (Endora from Bewitched) have both played this role in other incarnations of the story. Jack Pumpkinhead: Tips creation intended to scare an unsuspecting Mombi, who decides to use him as an experiment in magic. He becomes Tip's very first best friend. They run away from Mombi together as the story really takes off. Jack will be one of the characters played by an actor dressed in black controlling a life-sized puppet. Jack sings, dances and acts. A fun role. General Jinjur: A feiry young woman who leads a revolt to take over the Emerald City with her All-Girl Army and take control away from all the men. The men are helpless in their battle, as no man in Oz would dare hit a lady. A funny and boisterous role who will sing big and loud. Sacrecrow: The same one. Now he rules over the Emerald City but is ill-prepared and wishes he were no longer burdened with this huge responsibility. The scarecrow will be one of the characters played by an actor dressed in black controlling a life-sized puppet. He sings, dances and acts. Another fun role. Saw-Horse: A wooden saw-horse that is brought to life with the Powder of Life to transport the Pumpkinhead and Tip on their journey. Ornery and funny, the Saw Horse is one of the characters played by an actor dressed in black controlling a life-sized puppet. He sings, dances and acts. The Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated Wogglebug: Or just the Wogglebug. A very intellengent Professor who becomes human-sized after a class-room accident. The Wogglebug is one of the characters played by an actor dressed in black controlling a life-sized puppet. He sings, dances and acts. Jellia Jamb: A young chambermaid in the Emerald City who becomes an interpreter for the Scarecrow and the Pumpkinhead, who do not realize that they speak the same language. She later impersonates Mombi in a failed attempt to fool Glinda. She sings, dances and acts. Tin Woodsman: The same character from the original novel. He now rules over the Winkie Country after the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. He is one of the characters played by an actor dressed in black controlling a life-sized puppet. He sings, dances and acts. The Gump: A collection of furniture and other assorted items, including the mounted head of a Gump. He is thrown together and quickly brought to life with the Powder of Life, as a means of escaping the approach of the All-Girl Army. He is one of the characters played by an actor dressed in black controlling a life-sized puppet. He sings, dances and acts. Glinda: The Good Witch of the South. She sings, and acts, She does not dance much. Chorus Roles (All chorus actors will play several parts): Gillikins, JinJur’s All-Girl Army, Emerald City Citizens, Glinda's attendants, and Puppeteers 3 The Marvelous Land of Oz Plot Synopsis Set two years after the events in the first book, The protagonist is a boy named Tip who for as long as he can remember has been under the guardianship of a witch named Mombi in Gilllikin Country. As Mombi is returning home, Tip plans to frighten her with a scarecrow he has made. Since he has no straw available, Tip instead makes a man out of wood and gives him a pumpkin for a head, naming him Jack Pumpkinhead. Mombi is not fooled, and she takes this opportunity to demonstrate the Powder of Life that she bought from another sorcerer. She sprinkles the powder on Jack, bringing him to life and startling Tip, whom Mombi catches and threatens with revenge. Tip leaves with Jack that night and steals the Powder of Life because Mombi plans to turn him into a marble statue in the morning. As they head for the Emerald City, Tip uses the Powder to animate the Saw-Horse so Jack can ride him – for even though his wooden body does not tire, it can get worn away from all of the walking. Tip loses them as the tireless Saw-Horse gallops faster and he meets with General Jinjur's all-girl Army of Revolt which is planning to overthrow the Scarecrow, who has ruled the Emerald City since the end of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

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