MIDWAY HIGH SCHOOL 2017 FALL MUSICAL

AUDITIONS – Tuesday, August 29, from 5:30 – 9:30 MHS Black Box Theatre

CALLBACKS - Thursday, August 31 6:00—9:30

Auditions are open to ALL Midway High School Students. Come on Tuesday prepared to sing and dance. Starting Wednesday, August 23rd, you can sign up for an audition time. You will sing solo during your time, then move to dancing. Dancing will be quick and will be seen as a group.

Those who wish to audition for larger parts may be called back on Thursday to read and be matched with others. Those who wish to be in the chorus only must sing and dance on Monday or Tuesday. ALL WHO WISH TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE MUSICAL MUST SING AND DANCE ON Tuesday. Even if you are auditioning for a non-singing part, you must audition.

Being a part of the musical is huge responsibility. You must attend all rehearsals for which you are called. If you have three unexcused absences, you will be dismissed from the show. A sample rehearsal schedule is coming soon – please review it carefully to determine at what level you are willing to commit. Please do not audition for a role that you know you will not be able to fulfill the time obligations. Be prepared for long rehearsals in November.

We are most interested in students who are willing to work hard than those who fly by on their innate talent. A combination of both would be most beneficial.

Fill out the audition form on the last page of this packet and return it to Mrs. Wilkinson as soon as you can. We must have this information before the actual auditions.

Please come to auditions on Tuesday prepared: song/words memorized, a smile on your face, ready to sing and move your body. Show us that you have put effort into preparing to audition.

Audition audio files can be found on this website: http://www.midwayisd.org/Page/17692

The available roles are as follows (in order of significance):

Female Male Rosie Alvarez (alto) - mid 20’s/early 30’s Albert Peterson (bari) - 20’s/30’s Kim MacAfee (soprano) - 15 Conrad Birdie (bari) - 20’s Mae Peterson (alto/mezzo) - 60’s Mr. Harry MacAfee (bari) - 40’s Mrs. MacAfee (mezzo) - 40’s Hugo Peabody (no singing solos) - 15 Helen (mezzo) - teenager Karle (bari) - teenager Nancy (mezzo) - teenager Harvey Johnson (bari) - teenager Margie (mezzo) - teenager Randolph (tenor) - 10 yrs old Mayor’s Wife—40’s Mayor—40’s Penelope (mezzo) - teenager Reporters (speaking role) Suzie (mezzo) - teenager Alice (mezzo) - teenager Ursula Merkel (mezzo ) - teenager Mrs. Merkel (no solos) - 40’s Gloria Rasputin (tap dancer) - early 20’s 2 Sad girls (good dancers) - teenagers Stage Manager (no solo) - 20’s/30’s

Show Plot: Bye Bye Birdie is a Broadway musical satire on American society written by Michael Stewart (book), Lee Adams (lyrics), and Charles Strouse (music). It was first performed in New York City's Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 14, 1960, directed by Gower Champion.

Story The fictional story takes place in 1958, centering around Conrad Birdie, a hip-thrusting rock and roll superstar akin to Elvis Presley, Conrad's agent and songwriter, Albert Peterson, and Albert's secretary and love, Rose Alvarez, who hails from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Albert finds himself in trouble when Conrad is drafted into the army, so he and Rose come up with a last-ditch publicity stunt to premier one last hit Conrad Birdie record before he is sent to the army. They plan to have Conrad sing Peterson's new song "One Last Kiss" on live television, and give one lucky girl from his fan club a real 'one last kiss' on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' before going off to war. The lucky girl is chosen randomly from Conrad's national fan club, and it happens to be Kim MacAfee. Rose, Conrad, and Albert set off to her house in Sweet Apple, Ohio to prepare for the event. However, things don't go quite as planned; Kim's father becomes obsessed with the prospect of being on The Ed Sullivan Show alongside his daughter, Kim's boyfriend becomes disastrously jealous of Conrad, and Conrad himself becomes tired of the show business life and tries to teach the kids how to party - ultimately getting himself in trouble with the law.

AUDITIONS

At auditions, please be on time, ready to go. You can choose the time on Tuesday to audition. Please be a polite audience (cell-phones off, no talking while someone is singing, only positive support, etc.) We will proceed in the order of sign ups, unless other arrangements have been made.

We may audition you in groups or as a solo performer.

When you audition, let us know what selection you will be singing and accompaniment will be pre-recorded for you. When you are called to the stage, walk to the center of the stage and introduce yourself loudly and clearly:

“Hello, my name is ______, I am in (_____) grade, and I am auditioning for (Albert, Rosie, Conrad, Kim, Ensemble, etc.). I will be singing (Put on a Happy Face, English Teacher, How Lovely to Be a Woman, One Last Kiss, A Lot of Livin’ to Do ).”

If you are auditioning for certain parts, you should sing the following songs: Albert: Put On a Happy Face Rosie: English Teacher Kim: How Lovely to Be A Woman Conrad: One Last Kiss Ensemble/Any Part: A Lot of Livin’ To Do

For the spoken and acting audition, please refer to the dialogue cuts included in your packet.

Do your best. We cannot stress this enough. The ONLY thing you can do is prepare well and DO YOUR BEST at an audition. The casting shows is never an easy chore because feelings always get hurt. Your staff have auditioned for far more shows than they have been in (and they have been in a LOT.)

The staff of this year’s show firmly believe and have seen over and over that high school kids are capable of doing amazing things. We will do our absolute best to cast this show appropriately. Any casting decisions are about casting the characters in the show, not decisions about you as people.

Please be honest on your audition form. It will not hurt your audition placement if you choose “lead only” or “chorus only.”

Have more questions? You know you do. Attend the Audition Information Session: Thursday August 24, from 3:45 – 4:15 PM in the HS Black Box Theatre Attendance is NOT mandatory.

Bye Bye Birdie Auditions — Fall 2017 Name: ______Age:______Year (Circle One): Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Role(s) Preferred: ______Preference (Please circle one) I will accept any role. I will accept only a lead role. I prefer chorus-only Parent Name(s): ______Parent Phone: Home: ______Cell:______Parent email: ______Student Phone: ______Student email: ______Previous Experience (use back if necessary):

Title of Show Role(s) School or Community Theatre Year

Please list any special skills (dance, gymnastics, etc.) Use back if necessary: ______Most rehearsals will take place from 6:30—8:30 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Weekend rehearsals will begin in mid-September and run through the performances. Wednesday and other specific rehearsals will begin in October. A full rehearsal calendar is available on this webpage. http://www.midwayisd.org/Page/17692 Please list any conflicts you have from now until October 30th. ______

Dialogue Cuts for Audition

ROSIE

Kim MacAfee, Albert, is what’s going to send you back to college with the biggest hit song this business has ever seen! It’s called “One Last Kiss”... I know you’ve never heard it, because you haven’t written it yet! But when you do and when that one last kiss is from Conrad Birdie on his way to the big cold Army for two long years and when he gives that kiss to one of his fans chosen at random from one million two hundred thousand hysterical teen-agers, it’ll make Mr. Birdie the hottest soldier since Joan of Arc!

KIM MACAFEE

You were silly to worry, Hugo. Conrad Birdie may be a great public figure but he doesn’t make me feel all dizzy and faint when I think of him. Only my steady does that. Why even when I say his name I don’t feel a thing...Listen. Conrad Birdie. Conrad Birdie... (it hits her) Conrad Birdie!!

MAMA aka MRS. PETERSON

(Albert’s Mother, speaking to him) Don’t worry about me, sonny... I’m just a little faint from taking the subway....(he asks why she didn’t take a taxi) Taxi! What do I need with taxis?... I’ll leave the taxis for my successful son. A mother can ride crowded in a dirty subway full of people who wouldn’t give you a seat if your life depended on it – but what’s the difference; nowadays a mother is lower than dirt, anyway! Here’s the money I saved from not taking the taxi; buy some candy with it.

MR. MACAFEE

I have tried to run this house on a democratic basis. I have extended the privilege of self-determination to both the woman I married, and the children I have sired... the vote has been denied no one for reason of age, sex, or political affiliations. There has been no taxation without representation, and open covenants have been openly arrived at! Last night I gave up my room to a guest who repeatedly referred to me as ‘Fats’.. Telephone calls were made on my phone to New York, Chicago, Fairbanks Alaska and Hong Kong! Outside my window three harpies shrieked We Love You Conrad four thousand seven hundred and twenty-three times... and now, I have just lost two fried eggs...Gentlemen, the democracy is over!

CONRAD – Will just sing “One Last Kiss”

ALBERT - … Rose, I’ll make a deal with you! Stay with me, help me get the money to pay Conrad’s guarantee, and as soon as I’m out of the red . . . . I’ll dissolve the company and go back to the academic life! Of course it may take a while, but I’m sure that by 1973 or ’74 at the latest…