Each year the casting process gets harder and harder. We had an unbelievable amount of talent that came out. We want to thank everyone that took the time to audition. You all did a fabulous job and our choices weren’t easy. We hope that anyone who did not get a role this year will definitely keep trying and that we will see you back at auditions next year!! For those of you who are in the cast, congratulations!!! I am really looking forward to working with all of you!! Please request to be added to “Hard Road Frozen Jr. Cast & Crew” over the next few days. Please know that even though you are listed under one category, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will only be included in that one scene. Most characters are in multiple scenes or will be added to other musical numbers.
If you are NOT willing to accept your role, please send a private message on Facebook Messenger to the director, GENTRY FIFER NESSEL, no later than Thursday evening, April 18th.
Our mandatory parent meeting and script read-thru is going to be Monday, April 22nd at 530pm at the Highland High School Kennel – 12760 Troxler Ave Highland, Il 62249 Please park in the teachers parking lot and look for the balloons on the Kennel door. Bring your $45 fee with you that evening. Now, DRUM-ROLL please…….. Here is the cast list for 2019’s DISNEY’S FROZEN JR.!!!!!!!!
Anna – Julia McPhillips Elsa – Mikayla Smith Hans – Daniel Williams Jr Kristoff – Brandon Huntley Sven – Julia English Olaf – Christian Knobloch
King Agnarr – Talon Vrell Queen Iduna – Gabby Vazquez Pabbie – Drew Grotefendt Bulda – Addy Belford Weselton – Addyson Goodwin Oaken – Talon Vrell Young Anna – Emma Gualandi Young Elsa – Morgan Dressler Middle Anna – Abigail Scott Middle Elsa – Macey Golder Sven 2 – Amara Vrell Olaf 2 & 3 – Sophia Himsel & Taylor Dressler Bishop – Miles Noud Young Kristoff – Ayden D Mills
Snow and Ice featured dancers – Gabby Vazquez, Meagan Wieseman, Haleigh Perry, Ada Huelskamp, Mary-Elizabeth Benware, Macey Golder, Nora Kampwerth, Emma Gualandi, Morgan Dressler & Abigail Scott
Hidden Folk – Jayden Blackwell, Mya Thomilson, Cara Galligos, Marley McAtee, Naomi Soathoff & Clark Rembisz
We are excited to announce auditions for Mamma
Mia! Featuring songs from the band ABBA, Mamma Mia! has had audience members
dancing in their seats and singing along ever since its debut in 2001.
Details
—
Performance Dates: July 26-28 and August 2-4 at the Highland Middle School
Auditions: May 15 and 16 at
6PM
Callbacks:
May
16 at 7:30PM
Audition
Location: Highland
Elementary School, 1800 Lindenthal Ave., Highland IL
Read
Through: May
19 at 5PM (Location TBD)
Please prepare a song from a musical that shows your vocal ability and closely resembles the role you are auditioning for. No music from Mamma Mia! please. Music should be between 16 and 32 bars. Bring sheet music in the correct key, no recordings. Reading material will be provided for the role you are auditioning for. Everyone will be taught a short dance routine. Dress to impress, but please bring/wear appropriate shoes for the dance portion of the audition. All roles are open and no roles have been pre-cast.You must be at least 15 to audition.
IMPORTANT: Please fill out the ONLINE AUDITION FORM, then print it and bring it with you to the auditions. Headshots are optional but will help us remember your face when making casting decisions.
This is
a description of the characters specific to this performance.
Donna –
(Female, Pop Soprano/Belt, Age 36-46,
good mover)Owns the Taverna on the island.Sophie’s mother. She is the former
lead singer of “Donna and the Dynamos. Honest, straight and hard-working, she
is the most naturalistic and vulnerable of the characters. Delivers some of the
biggest solos in the show. (The Winner
Takes it All, Slipping Through My Fingers, Dancing Queen, Super Trooper, Money
Money Money, among others.)
Sophie
– (Female, Pop Soprano, Age 18-25, good
dancer)Sophie is rambunctious and eager to leave
the island seeking out what her mother never had, a traditional family. She’s
headstrong and thinks she’s in control, but when she invites all three of her
possible fathers to her wedding without her mother knowing, things get a little
too much to handle, especially when they all want to walk her down the aisle.
(I Have a Dream, Honey, Honey, Lay All Your Love on Me, among others)
Tanya –
(Female, Age 36-46, Mezzo-Soprano,
good/big mover)One of Donna’s oldest and best
friends, Tanya has married several millionaires and discovered a lot more about
plastic surgery than love – to the extent that she was ever looking. Wild,
fun-loving and a big character, she flirts mercilessly with young men, happy to
play, but not to stick around. (Chiquitita, Dancing Queen, Super Trooper, Does
Your Mother Know, among others)
Rosie –
(Female, Age 36-46, Alto, uninhibited
dancer) A former member of the Dynamos; unmarried,
free-spirited and a renowned author of cookbooks. A character who has developed
a confident, funny and self-deprecating exterior which masks her inner
vulnerability. Mostly comic, yet one of the most poignant moments in the show
in the heart of Act 2. Dances like nobody’s watching. She’s ready to take the
bull by the horns. (Chiquitita, Dancing Queen, Super Trooper, Take a Chance on
Me, among others)
Sam
Carmichael – (Male, 40-50, Baritone,
mover) One of Sophie’s potential fathers and a
wealthy architect. Sam has regretted leaving Donna all his life and now finds
himself divorced and back in her presence. He is straight-laced, confident and
composed. At times he is perhaps a little over-bearing, but he is determined
not to mess up the second chance he has been given… a very true and honest
character within the chaos. (S.O.S., Thank You for the Music, Knowing Me
Knowing You, among others)
Harry
Bright – (Male, 40-50, Tenor/Baritone,
mover) Another of Sophie’s potential fathers and a
respected London banker. Once a head-banging, partying musician who went down
the straight road – at least with his career. He is quirky, in the closet and
something of a romantic nostalgist. A nice guy, determined to make up for some past
regrets and full of singing. (Thank You for the Music, Our Last Summer, among
others.)
Bill
Austin – (Male, 40-50, Tenor/Baritone,
mover) Another of Sophie’s potential fathers, a
well-known travel writer, Bill has visited the far reaches of the earth, but
never found what he’s really looking for. A real character, Bill has generally
avoided the complexities of a relationship and now wonders if it’s too late.
Lots of comedy and a golden heart within. (Thank You for the Music, The Name of
the Game, Take a Chance on Me, among others)
Sky – (Male, 18-25, Tenor/Baritone, good dancer) Sophie’s fiancé; a former stockbroker who moved to the island in a
young version of a mid-life crisis. He is older than Sophie, but smitten by her
exotic charm. Perhaps he is too eager to please and has not quite found all the
answers he had hoped for on the island. (Lay All Your Love on Me, among others)
Ali – (Female, 18-25, Soprano-Alto, good dancer) Sophie’s friend who has traveled to the island for the wedding. A
supporting act of bubbly, bridesmaidy excitement. (Honey Honey, among others)
Lisa –
(Female, 18-25, Soprano-Alto, good
dancer) Sophie’s friend who has traveled to the
island for the wedding. A supporting act of bubbly, bridesmaidy excitement.
(Honey Honey, among others)
Pepper
– (Male, 18-25, Tenor/Baritone, good
dancer/mover) A flirty waiter at the Taverna. Has
a VERY brief relationship with Tanya. Hot, energetic and fun-loving, makes a
great double-act with Eddie. A VERY good mover. (Take a Chance on Me, among
others)
Eddie – (Male, 18-25, Tenor/Baritone, mover) A waiter, boatman and handyman at the Taverna. Other half of double-act with Pepper. Fairly nonspecific. Opportunity for a good young character actor to create something interesting. (Full Company numbers)
Father Alexandrios – (Male, 45+, Tenor/Baritone) The minister who officiates Sophie’s wedding. Often a heavyweight Greek Orthodox priest, this is a potentially delightful little role for a character actor. (Finale Numbers)
Auditions for DISNEY’S FROZEN JR. (sponsored by Bradford National Bank) are scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 13th and Sunday, April 14th at the Highland Elementary School Auditorium, 1800 Lindenthal Ave., Highland, IL.
First and foremost I would like to say that I am very excited about this summer production of Frozen Jr! That being said, it is going to be a very busy summer. This production is going to be more work than past shows. This is a two weekend – 8 performance – (Shows on June 20th – 23rd & June 27th – June 30th) production. The performances will be done in the Highland High School Kennel. The practices will be longer and the absence rules throughout practices will be stricter. Starting Sunday, June 9th through the final performance, any practices on the calendar are MANDATORY. However, I know it will all be worth it in the end for everyone. My team and I have been working on ideas since the beginning of the year (Olaf is already in the works)!
Due to the amount of kids we anticipate at auditions, we will be more careful and strict in casting. Please, if there is a role you are interested in, come out and audition. Some absences can be worked around. If you are only auditioning for a specific speaking role/roles and are not interested in anything else or are only interested in the ensemble, please make sure we know that on your audition form. I promise you, I NEVER hold that against someone when casting. I would hate to cast someone in a role they are not interested in and then have them quit. A role you are not interested in could be an opportunity for someone else.
Also, please keep in mind, with cast
numbers being limited, it is possible that even though your child has been in
past shows, they might not be cast in this one. There are so many factors that
come into play when my team and I are casting a show. It takes us many hours trying
to find the right fit for each and every character.
WHAT
TO EXPECT THE DAY OF AUDITIONS
Please arrive prior to the 11am audition
time (doors will open at 10:30am) to fill out the audition form, get your
number, and have your picture taken. The auditions start promptly
at 11:00am. First, those auditioning will learn the dance number and review the
songs. After children have reviewed the music numbers and done the dance
numbers with our choreographers, we will start the song and lines (reading)
portion of the auditions. We will start with #1 and go in order. Please have your
children be prepared with the following:
– SHORT joke – It
is just a way to get them comfortable on stage. Plus we get to laugh a little!
– Lines – please select
one of the Readings found in the link below. There are only 3 to choose from. Even if the
character you are auditioning for isn’t one of those characters, that is ok. Pick the one where you can best show off your
personality and character. And have fun with it!
– Song – Please
select one of the Songs found in the link below. – There are only 3 to choose
from. Even if the character you are auditioning for isn’t one of those
characters, that is ok. Pick the song that
best shows off your voice and personality. And, again, have fun with it!
It is possible that you will be asked to
come back for a callback later in the day on Sunday, April 14th. We
will post and give you a call prior to 3:30pm on Sunday if we would like to
hear you again. Please, don’t read too much into the callback list. Sometimes
we call someone back because we don’t feel we heard enough of their voice or
their range. Sometimes we want to hear a different song. Sometime we are in
between a few kids for a role or want to see what they look like with others.
There are so many reasons why someone might be called back. And don’t think you
aren’t cast in a role because you didn’t get a callback. That might not be the
case at all! It’s possible that you came in and gave us everything we needed
out of the audition for a specific role and don’t need to hear you again. At
the callbacks, we will bring you back in and review the song/songs we would
like you to sing and review the lines if we want you to read again. We might
even take a few more character pictures.
Age limit – 1st grade going into 2nd through Freshman going into Sophomore
UPDATE: A copy of the audition form can be found by following the link below. Feel free to print it off and have it filled out for the day of auditions. It will give you a chance to review your home calendar and update the absences on the form. Please be honest on the audition form about absences. A few absences can be worked around but any absences added could cause them to have to forfeit their role.
o
If there is a day they can NOT be at practice, please mark it with an
“X”.
o
If they need to miss a portion of practice, please list the time you would
NOT be there and an “X” EX: “530-6pm-X “ OR “7pm-730pm –
X“
o
If there is a practice that they have something
scheduled (swim team, soccer, dance, etc) but are willing to miss if
they are required at practice, please mark that down with an ”X-M”
.
– Auditions will be Saturday, April 13thOR Sunday, April 14th (you only have to attend one day of auditions unless you receive a call back). Auditions begin at 11:00 am and will go until they are done. The location is the Highland Elementary School Auditorium, 1800 Lindenthal Ave., Highland IL. (You only need to come to one audition day)
– There will
be call backs later in the day on Sunday, April 14th at 4:30pm at the
Elementary School.
– The cast
read-thru and MANDATORY PARENTS
MEETING will be on Monday, April 22nd from 5:30pm-7:30pm. The location is TBD.
Practices begin on Tuesday, April 23rd.
I am very excited to be working with some
of you guys again and look forward to adding new faces to our group. I can’t
wait for the summer to start. See you soon!!
-Hard
Road Theatre Productions Director – Gentry Fifer
