The Company Theatre to Hold Auditions for Avenue Q

The Company Theatre announces auditions for Avenue Q the musical on Wednesday, December 9 and Thursday, December 10 from 7 to 10:30 pm at The Company Theatre Center for the Arts, 30 Accord Park Drive, Norwell. Callbacks are scheduled for Monday, December 14 from 7 to 10:30 pm. Avenue Q music and lyrics are by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, with book by Jeff Whitty, based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. The production is directed by Kevin Mark Kline.

Initial Avenue Q auditions are held by appointment. To register, please email Director Kevin Mark Kline at kevin.mark.kline@gmail.com with 2-3 times of availability during the audition schedule. You will receive a confirmation email. Walk-ins will be accommodated as time becomes available.

Singers should prepare two 16-32 bar selections from the musical theatre repertoire. Contrasting selections (uptempo/ballad) preferred. Songs written after 1980 and in the style of the show are encouraged. Please show your personality and ability to portray comic characters. You may sing a selection from the show (a score will be made available). There will NOT be a dance call. An accompanist will be provided. Please bring sheet music in your own key. No a capella singing or karaoke. Prior puppet experience favored but not required. Please list any prior puppet experience on your audition forms. You may be asked to sing your audition selection(s) with a different character voice.

Callbacks will consist of song and scene selections from the musical. Selections will be provided after the general auditions. Please be familiar with the show prior to callbacks.

Actors of all ethnicities are encouraged to audition. Please bring a headshot or other clear photo as well as a resume with you to the audition. If you have any questions, contact director Kevin Mark Kline at kevin.mark.kline@gmail.com, or call 617-413-9433.

Character Descriptions:

Princeton/Rod – (Male) - Princeton: Sweet, charming, cute and sincere, recently moved to Avenue Q, loveable and appealing. Rod: A conservative, uptight investment banker, closeted homosexual, best friend and roommate to Nicky (think Bert of Sesame Street’s Ernie & Bert). Strong singer/actor with great comedic timing and the ability to distinguish these two characters with specific voices and characterizations. Should be able to sustain a High G comfortably.

Kate Monster/Lucy The Slut – (Female) - Kate Monster: A Kindergarten teaching assistant who has dreams of opening a monster school. Outside is sweet, conservative and “put-together,” but deep down has a wild side. Lives on Avenue Q and falls quickly for Princeton. Lucy The Slut: A vamp with a dangerous side who sings at a local bar. Strong singer/actor with great comedic timing and the ability to distinguish these two characters with specific voices and characterizations. A mezzo-soprano/belt that can comfortably sing to a D in a pop style.

Nicky/Trekkie Monster/Boy Bear – (Male) - Nicky: An unemployed, undeniably cute, twenty-something slacker, charming, best friend and roommate to Rod (think Ernie of Sesame Street’s Ernie & Bert). Has no problems with Rod being gay. Trekkie Monster: An odd monster with a big heart and a penchant for internet porn. (think Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster). Boy Bear: A cute and charming little boy bear who, with the help of Girl Bear, becomes a very bad influence on Princeton. Strong singer/actor with great comedic timing and the ability to distinguish these two characters with specific voices and characterizations. Should be able to sustain a High A comfortably.

Gary Coleman – (Female) – African American, 20s-40s, former child star who now lives and works on Avenue Q. Funny, sardonic, sarcastic. Strong singer/actor with great comedic timing. Should be comfortable singing Low D to a B Flat belt.

Brian – (Male) – 20s-30s, laid back, unemployed, wannabe comedian, a good guy with a relaxed attitude, the guy everyone would like to have a beer with, an everyman type, married to Christmas Eve. Strong singer/actor with great comedic timing.

Christmas Eve – (Female) – Asian, 20s-30s, an aspiring therapist who lives on Avenue Q with her husband Brian. Smart, blunt, edgy, nurturing, kind. Strong singer/actor with great comedic timing. Should be able to belt an E Flat.

Mrs. Thistletwat/Girl Bear – (Female) – Mrs. Thistletwat: An old spinster teacher who is bitter and conservative, Kate Monster’s boss. Girl Bear: A cute and charming little girl bear who, with the help of Boy Bear, becomes a very bad influence on Princeton. Acts as right hand puppeteer for many other characters at various moments in the show. Strong singer/actor with great comedic timing and the ability to distinguish these two characters with specific voices and characterizations. A mezzo-soprano/belt that can comfortably sing up to a D in a pop style.

ABOUT AVENUE Q

Avenue Q is a gut-busting and hilarious modern musical focusing on a group of unique 20-somethings making their way in the big city, seeking their purpose in life. Although the show addresses humorous adult issues, it is similar to a beloved children’s show; a place where puppets are friends, Monsters are good and life lessons are learned. Anyone who grew up watching Sesame Street on public television will quickly be able to identify the inspiration for Avenue Q. Most of the characters in the show are puppets, and the set depicts several tenements on a rundown street in New York City. Several characters are parodies of Sesame Street regulars: for example, the roommates Rod and Nicky are based on Bert and Ernie, while Trekkie Monster is based on Cookie Monster. However, these characters are in their twenties and thirties and face adult problems; despite the fuzzy faces, this is not a children’s show. After a run lasting more than six years and 2,534 performances, the Broadway production of Avenue Q ranks in the top 25 longest running shows in Broadway history and continues to have productions run worldwide. Winner of the Tony “Triple Crown” for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Avenue Q is part flesh, part felt, and packed with heart. Avenue Q is a laugh-out-loud musical that tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. He soon discovers that although the residents seem nice, it’s clear that this is not your ordinary neighborhood. Together, Princeton and his newfound friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

REHEARSAL INFORMATION

Avenue Q will rehearse according to the following schedule:

• Rehearsals begin December 16, 2015

• Rehearsals are held Sundays from 12pm-6pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 7pm-10:30pm, Friday December 18 from 7pm-10:30pm, Saturday December 19 from 12pm-6pm

• Tech Week begins January 29, 2015

All rehearsals will be held at The Company Theatre, 30 Accord Park Drive, Norwell.

Depending on your role, you may not be required to be present at every rehearsal. The schedule will be planned with care to ensure that you are only called when needed for that particular night’s scene work.

Please be sure to list all conflicts on audition forms. No conflicts will be accepted after casting.

PERFORMANCE DATES

February 5, 2016 at 8:00pm
February 6, 2016 at 8:00pm
February 11, 2016 at 7:30pm
February 12, 2016 at 8:00pm
February 13, 2016 at 8:00pm
February 14, 2016 at 3:00pm

Tickets for Avenue Q are available for $41.00, advance purchase is highly recommended as an early sell out is likely. For more information, a complete performance schedule or to order tickets, please visit www.companytheatre.com.