Near West Theatre announces AUDITIONS for The Snow Queen The story that inspired Disney's Frozen July 27, 28 & 29 from 7:00pm-9:30pm Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday (Come one of these evenings.) Ages 9 to 15 The Snow Queen runs September 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 & 27, 2015 Rehearsals begin Monday, August 10, 2015 AUDITION SITE: Near West Theatre 6702 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44102 Questions? Call our office at 216-961-9750, M-F 11am-4pm or EMAIL info@nearwesttheatre.org<mailto:info@nearwesttheatre.org> ABOUT THE AUDITION: This is a group audition in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. No experience or preparation required. Dress for movement. Please plan to stay for the entire time specified, and arrive 15 minutes before audition time to register. Anyone arriving after the starting time will not audition that day. At Near West Theatre we encourage everyone to audition. People of all experience levels, races, ethnicities, neighborhoods, sizes, and backgrounds are needed. We use theater to build community and relationships. We're a great place to express yourself and make friends. Come try us! Bring a friend! ABOUT THE SHOW A friendship is tested by The Queen of Snow herself Be spirited away by this new musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fantastical coming-of-age adventure that inspired the hit Disney movie Frozen. Join Gerda on a dangerous and whimsical quest to save her best friend Kai before he is trapped forever in the Snow Queen's palace. With an original pop rock score, alluring ballads, urban steam punk flair, and the enigmatic Snow Queen, you'll soon see this is not your average bedtime story. This production offers multiple opportunities for powerhouse singers and actors who play instruments! "A fairy-tale that rocks!" -Anita Gates, Theatre Critic, New York Times "An exciting and fun show that left a thrilled audience of adults and children in its wake." -John Orr, Arts Critic, Regarding Arts.com CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: Gerda - A bright, precocious, adventurous girl. Her chronological age is less important than her emotional age, which will evolve from pre to post adolescence over the course of her journey. Clear soprano with a strong belt and rock feel. Kai - A bright, inquisitive boy. Sweet and innocent to start, he grows dark, self-possessed and obsessive as he goes deeper into the world of The Snow Queen. Like Gerda he evolves from pre to post adolescence. Sweet-voiced early, a rock tenor by the end. Snow Queen - A force of nature to be reckoned with. Powerful, mercurial, demanding and alluring. She is beautiful, cold and hard, just like her ice and snow. Soprano with a rock feel. Grandmother - Kind and caring, she tries to protect the children by keeping them ignorant of the dangers in the world. Mezzo. The Rose - The superstar of the floral world. She loves to be admired. The Troll - Mischievous, playful, amoral. He is not so much malevolent as he is unfeeling. Bari/Tenor. The River - An elemental force - swirling, powerful and unyielding. He has much to teach. Baritone. Garden Witch - Needy, cunning and a little dotty. She is powerful yet very scattered. Mezzo. Flowers - Vain, beautiful, simple-minded and competitive. They love the sun and crave attention. Each has their own unique qualities and they like to talk about them. The Old Crow - Noble, forgetful, and aged. He believes he's much younger than he really is. Speaks like a World War I British flying ace. He wants one more grand adventure. He has the IQ of a bird. Bari/tenor. Lady Crow - His devoted, besotted lady-friend. She also has the IQ of a bird. Mezzo. A Princess - An untraditional princess. Geeky and adventurous, she's always eager to know and learn more. No matter what time of day or night, she seems to be on way too much caffeine. Explosive energy, she is hopelessly in love with The Prince. Mezzo A Prince - See Princess. They are a perfect match. Robber Girl's Mother - Scary and demanding and the leader of the toughest, roughest gang in the woods. She always gets her way - except when her daughter is around. Robber Gang - Not bright, not well-kept, and awfully loud Robber Girl - She is the scariest tween you've ever met. Demanding, hormonal, volatile, half-princess and half-Oger. She confuses fear and love, and seems to know things way beyond her years about evil thing in the night. Punk rocker. Strong rock belt. The Reindeer - The most noble, honorable beast on the ice. From a royal reindeer family, he is the strong loyal friend you want beside you on any difficult journey. Tenor. Two Pigeons - They are birds from the San Fernando Valley. Not very bright and very self-absorbed. Woman of the North - Wise, powerful, spiritual - she is both of this world and not of this world. She can see beyond the things of the real world. Mezzo. Snowflake Soldiers - They are powerful fighters. After Gerda defeats them, we see the children trapped inside that she has released. Members of the Ensemble will take on multiple different characters, and act as the main vehicle of the production. They will create the environments and tell the story!