Casting Call for "Something Rotten" New Musical
Auditions for "Something Rotten" show. Looking for cast. ONLY LOCAL TALENT WILL BE CONSIDERED. Please see the breakdown below. About the project: "William Shakespeare is London’s hottest playwright—much to the chagrin of his unsuccessful rival, Nick Bottom. With his marriage on the rocks and his career in jeopardy, Nick needs his next play to be a sure-fire hit, so he pays the Soothsayer Nostradamus to predict the next big money-making trend in theater. Nostradamus divines that the future of theater will involve tap dancing, belting, and jazz hands…and soon enough Nick and his brother Nigel are writing the world’s first musical. But the brothers soon disagree about how to execute this new form. Should they follow Nostradamus’ confounding prediction as closely as possible? Or should they stay true to their own artistic impulses? And when Nigel falls in love with Portia (a young Puritan) and Shakespeare himself tries to steal the Bottoms’ ideas, hilarity, mayhem (and more dancing, belting, and jazz hands) ensue!" Additional info: Looking for a large cast of diverse and passionate performers to bring this over-the-top musical to life! Absolutely no experience necessary! However, because of the adult content of the show, the cast will be limited. What to Expect: Please arrive at 6 and expect to stay for the duration on either night. Auditions will include a vocal, dance, and cold read portion. Please prepare around 16 bars of a musical theater style song and bring sheet music with you to auditions. An accompanist will be provided. You’ll receive a video of a short dance combo about two weeks in advance. They’ll also quickly teach the combo during the audition. Overall, directors are looking for character and personality rather than perfection! Callbacks will be held April 15 - please hold this date or list it in your conflicts. Performance dates are July 27, 28, 29 and August 3, 4, 5 at 7 PM and July 30 and August 6 at 2 PM. If cast, you would be expected to be available for all performance dates and the week leading up to the show. Rehearsals will be Monday-Friday and some Saturdays beginning May 8, but not all performers will be required at every rehearsal. Conflicts are expected, so please be thorough in listing your commitments. When applying, please include your information. Directors encourage you to fill out the audition form in advance if possible, but please only complete the audition form if you plan to attend.
16 roles
The brightest star in Elizabethan theater—and he knows it. His Rock Star confidence hides a gnawing fear that his talent doesn’t merit the accolades thrust upon him. Ballsy, sexy, and arrogant; seemingly sure-of-himself, but ultimately insecure. Vocal range top: Ab4 Vocal range bottom: Ab2
A struggling writer who resents Shakespeare’s success. Weighed down by his obligations to his younger brother, Nigel, and his wife, Bea, Nick goes to desperate, even amoral lengths to create a hit show. Neurotic, jealous, insecure, deeply loyal, a concrete thinker. Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: A2
Nick’s imaginative, and innocent younger brother. Incredibly talented, but unsure of his abilities, Nigel is emboldened when he falls in love with Portia. Sensitive, tender, poetic. Vocal range top: A4 Vocal range bottom: Eb3
Nick’s wife. She loves Nick deeply, but is unafraid to call him out on his stubbornness (and sexism). Poverty forces her to dress up like a man to join the Elizabethan workforce, but she finds herself liberated rather than constrained by this necessity. Smart, resilient, unflappably positive. Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: G3
A young Puritan woman who loves poetry, theater, and ultimately Nigel. Shy, imaginative, and repressed, Portia’s rebellious and passionate spirit blossoms when she stands up to her father, Brother Jeremiah. Vocal range top: F#5 Vocal range bottom: G3
(35+) Only a semi-talented soothsayer, Nostradamus is a born salesman and showman. Kooky and showy; desperate for cash and approval.
(35+) Portia's father. A Puritan who thinks theater and literature are sinful.The more he tries to control the desires of others, the more his own bubbles up in double entendres. Officious, tightly-coiled, rigid. Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: G3
(30+) A posh patron of the theater. Foppish, snobby, vain, and status-obsessed. No singing or dancing if desired.
(30+) A Jewish investor to whom Nick and Nigel are in debt. An outcast in English society whose greatest love is the theater; being excluded from the art form he loves so deeply gnaws at him. Passionate, witty, driven. No singing or dancing if desired.
Our narrator and gateway into the world of Something Rotten. An entertainer out to please the audience. Seductive, insouciant, fun. Vocal range top: A4 Vocal range bottom: C#3
An actor in Nick Bottom’s troupe. Sassy, sarcastic, at his wit’s end.
An actor in Nick Bottom’s troupe. Skeptical of Nigel’s flowery writing and hungry for more accessible scripts.
An actor in Nick Bottom’s troupe, Robin plays the female roles in Nick and Nigel’s plays and relishes the (otherwise forbidden) opportunity to dress in drag and flirt with men that his profession allows him.
Backup dancers and singers for William Shakespeare. Featured in two numbers.
Other unnamed members of Nick and Nigel’s theatre troupe. Comedic and vocally challenging roles with a lot of stage time.
A very involved and comedic ensemble that are present in most numbers. Most dance intensive, but non-dancers welcome.
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