Lakeland Civic Theatre
Auditions
for
Freaky Friday
Book by Bridget Carpenter
Music by Tom Kitt
Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Directed by Martin Friedman
Musical Direction by Matthew Dolan
Sound Designed by Eric Simna
Lighting Designed by Marcus Dana
Costumes Designed by Kelsey Tomlinson
We are seeking men and women, boys and girls of various ages and ethnicities.
The Play: I saw this play at its initial tryout at the Signature Theatre in Washington DC (actually Shirlington, Va.) two years ago with my family. I was bowled over by the changes to this already wonderful book (by Richard Rodgers’ daughter Mary Rodgers) and films. Instead of an almost slap-stick story about a mother and daughter exchanging minds and coming to grips with the change of bodies; the new musical instead takes on something more important; body shaming and the trials and tribulations of being a high school student. I found the story down-right profound and the music wonderful.
And perhaps most importantly, FREAKY FRIDAY is no longer a book and movie about a homogeneous family and the school they attend, but rather it is about the real world and it features a cast of true diversity. Based on the beloved 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers features a book by Bridget Carpenter, and music and lyrics by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey - the Pulitzer Prize-winning composers of Next to Normal and If/Then.
Audition Information and Dates:
Auditions will take place on Saturday and Sunday, November 10 and 11, between 1:00pm and 4:00pm, in Room D1078 (the Music Room) in Building “D” on the campus of Lakeland Community College. This is the same building as the Performing Arts Center.
This is an open audition. Please bring a 16 to 32 bar cut in the style of the show. The process is this: we will have you sing your song and then will give you a side from the play to read. You need come only once. I will try to expedite the auditions as quickly as humanly possible. We will have callbacks only if necessary. All roles are paid except if you are under 18 years of age; sorry.
Production and Rehearsal Dates: Freaky Friday will open on Friday, February 1 and run through Sunday, February 17, 2019. There will be nine (9) shows; that is THREE (3) weeks of performances. Rehearsals will begin in early December (with a few periodic rehearsals to teach the music.) We will begin rehearsals in earnest on January 3. Rehearsals will most probably run seven days a week with the Saturday and Sunday rehearsals during the day and the weekday rehearsals beginning at 7:00pm.
THE ROLES. There will be doubling and tripling of characters. I plan to have a cast of 15 to 17. We are seeking versatile actors and actresses.
The Family:Ellie Blake: 16 years old; smart, funny, baggy, rumpled clothes and messy hair that hasn't seen a comb in a while. Ellie is decidedly the antithesis of her mom. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 16 and 25 but still look 16.]
Katherine Blake: Ellie's mother-- 40's, decisive, lovely, punctual. A workout maven. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 35 and 45.
Fletcher Blake: Ellie's brother-- 10 years old, eccentric, naive; obsessed with his puppets, especially Angry Bob, an enraged purple hippo and Caspian, a proper British starfish. [The actor we are seeking should be between the ages of 10 and 14 but still look 10.]
Mike: Katherine's Fiance-- confident, charming, kind. [The actor we are seeking should be between the ages of 35 and 50 but still look like a youthful late 40’s early 50’s.]
The Students: Gretchen: Ellie's best friend-- lacks confidence. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 16 and 25 but still look 16.]
Hannah: also Ellie's best friend-- hacker-geek, nerd girl. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 16 and 25 but still look 16.]
Adam: the Listmaster-- a paragon of adorable cool [The actor we are seeking should be between the ages of 16 and 25 but still look 16 to 17.]
Savannah: the villain-- brilliant, aggressive, a winner. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 16 and 25 but still look 16 or 17.]
Parker: Ellie’s friend—completely average, best friends with Wells. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 16 and 25 but still look 16.]
Wells: Ellie’s friend—dorky but not meek, best friends with Parker [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 16 and 25 but still look 16.]
Laurel: random teen—unimpressed [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 16 and 25 but still look 16.]
The Adults : Torrey: Katherine’s assistant—a high-strung perfectionist. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 20 and 30.]
Grandpa Gordon: Katherine’s father—grumpy, stubborn, old-school. [The actor we are seeking should be between the ages of 55 and 65.]
Grandma Helene: Katherine’s mother—fiercely opinionated, because she can. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 55 and 65.]
Danielle: Weddings Magazine journalist—polished, grimly cheerful. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 25 and 35.]
Louis: Weddings Magazine photographer—seen it all, loves his job [The actor we are seeking should be between the ages of 20 and 30.]
Dr. Ehrin: School counselor—test-obsessed, overworked [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 30 and 45.]
Mr. Blumen: Biology teacher—a cynical lifer [The actor we are seeking should be between the ages of 30 and 45.]
Pastor Bruno: [The actor we are seeking should be between the ages of 30 and 45.]
Mrs. Luckenbill: English teacher—empathetic [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 30 and 45.]
Senor O’Brien: Spanish teacher—pugnacious [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 30 and 45.]
Ms. Meyers: gym teacher—extremely intense [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 30 and 45.]
Officers Sitz and Kowalski: Police officers who never received sensitivity training. [The actress and/or actors we are seeking should be between the ages of 30 and 50.]
Mrs. Time: antique shop owner—apathetic, doesn’t much like teenagers. [The actress we are seeking should be between the ages of 30 to 55.]
For more information please feel free to contact me, Martin Friedman at martinfriedman98@gmail.com or at 216/233-5441.