A second round of auditions for Footlighters Theatre Society’s spring musical, Annie (a co-production with Adam Robertson Elementary School), will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Snoring Sasquatch. This time, the production team will be looking for the show’s adult characters and chorus members of all ages.
“We held separate auditions for Annie and the other orphans,” said director Brian Lawrence. “We anticipated a lot of interest in those roles.”
On Sunday, Lawrence and music director Geri Buchanan — the pair previously staged The Music Man, The Sound of Music and last season’s non-musical, Deathtrap — will be looking for three women and two men for principal roles, and about a dozen more (including at least five men) to fill out the chorus.
Besides Annie, the main characters are New York City Municipal Orphanage matron Miss Hannigan (who hates children but is fond of alcohol), billionaire Oliver Warbucks (who opens his home and heart to Annie), Grace Farrell (Warbucks’ faithful secretary), Rooster Hannigan (Miss Hannigan’s shyster younger brother) and Lily St. Regis (Rooster’s seemingly dimwitted girlfriend).
Vocally, Warbucks is the largest of those roles, singing solo or taking part in five numbers (including N.Y.C., You Won’t Be An Orphan For Long and Something Was Missing). Grace takes part in five, while Hannigan sings two, including the solo showstopper, Little Girls. Rooster and Lily sing one song, Easy Street, and its reprise.
The rest of Annie’s roles are designed to be played by a dozen chorus members, with simple costumes changes allowing them to transition from homeless Hooverveille-ites to Warbucks’ servants to New York residents in Act I and from NBC Radio personalities to Warbucks’ servants to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his staff in Act II.
“The ensemble has a lot to do in this show,” said Lawrence. “Our last few musicals have been rather light on costume and character changes for the chorus, and I think this will be a nice change for anyone involved.”
Some of the ensemble roles don’t require singing, so non-singers are more than welcome to get involved. And because the only roles specifically designed for girls were either orphans or Annie, boys interested in the show can auditions for chorus roles, in which they can take part in at least two numbers.
“There really is something for everyone in this show,” said Lawrence.
For more information contact Brian Lawrence at 250-428-2266 ext. 103 or editor@crestonvalleyadvance.ca, or Geri Buchanan at 250-428-5562.
—FOOTLIGHTERS THEATRE SOCIETY
