Audition Notice

WHO CAN AUDITION:
Anyone aged 16+
2 Child Roles aged 8-13

SYNOPSIS:
From Tony winners Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, creators of such Broadway classics as Ragtime and Once On This Island, this dazzling show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.

Audition Sign Up Link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/.../10C0B4EADAA29AAFAC25...

Audition Dates (please pick one 30 minute time slot and arrive at the selected time):
Monday, November 4th, 2024 6:30PM - 9:30PM
Tuesday, November 5th, 2024 6:30PM - 9:30PM

Please Note: Your audition may take up to an hour to complete both the singing and dancing portions. Please plan accordingly. 

Video auditions will be accepted for those that are unable to attend in person auditions. 

Be prepared to:

Sing a selection in the style of the show. Songs should be 1 minute or less and use a karaoke/instrumental track.  No accompanist will be provided and no a cappella auditions. If you need us to play a backtrack for you, please provide the link and include the precise time (minute;second) that you would like to begin. Otherwise, please provide your own device and backtrack.

Complete a dance audition, taught by the show choreographer (dress appropriately). While not all cast members will be required to dance, there is a fair amount of dance in the show, and agility is essential. Dance combination to be provided prior to audition to allow auditioner preparation.

Call backs will take place on the evening of Wednesday, November 6th, 2024, from 6:30-9:30pm and will be by invite only, arranged via email with the director.

AVAILABILITY FOR PRODUCTION DATES: Performers must be available for all of tech week, the full week prior to opening: February 1st - 6th, 2025, and all scheduled performance dates February 7th - 23rd, 2025. 

Please make sure you can fully commit to the rehearsal period and performance schedule before auditioning.  You must be willing to make the show a priority.

REHEARSALS will begin November 11th, 2024 and will run all the way through tech rehearsal February 6th, 2025. Rehearsals will take place at Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St, Kenosha, WI 53104.

LOCATION:
Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th Street, Kenosha, Wisconsin

REHEARSAL SCHEDULE:
Read Through Thursday, November 7th, 6:30-9:30pm. Rehearsals will start Monday November 11th and run through Thursday, February 6th, 2025. Rehearsal schedule will be provided at read through.
Please Note: Holidays will be planned for accordingly in the schedule. 

DIRECTING TEAM

Director - Alex Ebert
Assistant Director - Katie Gordon
Music Director - Bryan Chung
Vocal Director - Chynna Chung
Choreographer - Jamie Fry

Questions?
Alex Ebert - alexebert@rhodecenter.org
Katie Gordon - katiegordon@rhodecenter.org

Performers Needed:

Performers 16 and older are welcome to audition. Experienced or first time performers who enjoy singing, dancing, and acting are invited to audition. In addition, there are two roles that are specifically open for child auditioners.

Please Note: Unless strictly and specifically mandated from the playwright, all roles are open and available to anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, or body type. 

Roles Available (all ages listed are suggested playing ages and will be adjusted to fit the needs of our casting):

Anya
Age: 16+
Range: G3-F5
Anya is brave, fiery, witty, and above all determined. With no memory of her life before age 17 and having lived through the horrors of the Russian Revolution, Anya jumps at the sound of gunshots and is distrustful of strangers, but there is steel hiding just beneath the surface. Anya is strong-willed and compassionate. Her mantra, “Home, love, family” is her goal. All she knows is her family is in Paris and she will find them however she can. Is she the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov? Only time will tell. 

Dmitry
Age: 16+
Range: A2-G4
Dmitry is a scoundrel with a heart of gold. A street rat who grew into a con man, Dmitry does all he does to get out of poverty and is not above lying, cheating, and stealing to do so–that is until he meets Anya. What starts as just another scheme (albeit much bigger than anything he’s tried to pull off before) turns into the adventure of a lifetime that requires Dmitry to look inward and figure out how to put the one he loves before himself. 

Vladimir “Vlad” Popov
Age: 30+
Range: A2-F4
Vlad is Dmitry’s partner in crime (literally) and surrogate father. Before the revolution he scammed his way through society pretending to be a count. Vlad is dramatic, crafty, and a big softie at heart. While he, like Dmitry, is not above lying, cheating, and stealing, he cares greatly for his loved ones and is generally affable, though he can be calculating when he needs to be. 

Deputy Commissioner Gleb Vaganov
Age: 30+
Range: A2-Gb4
Gleb is the villain of the show, though not a bad person. He fully believes in the Communist ideals he follows. Loyal, honest, and hard working, Gleb almost has the potential to be a hero (he’s very much the hero of his own story). A deeply conflicted person, Gleb’s infatuation (and borderline obsession) with Anya leads to his battle with the idea of doing one’s duty vs. doing what is right.

Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch
Age: 30+
Range: G3-C5
Lily is the lady in waiting to the Dowager Empress. She has been by the Dowager’s side since before the revolution. Lily is clever, dutiful, and above all fun (when not working for the Dowager). She deals with her exile from Russia with a sort of resigned dark humor...and a LOT of vodka. She and Vlad were once an item (unbeknownst to her oblivious husband) and rekindle their romance upon re-uniting. 

Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna
Age: 50+
Range:F3-Bb4.
The Dowager Empress has lost everything she once held dear and must now put up with imposter upon imposter who claims to be Anastasia, never allowing her to grieve in peace. She is icy, proud, and regal (not to mention intimidating) to all but her family. Though she has a very sharp wit, she has a warmth and deep love for Anastasia. She commands authority and attention the minute she enters a room.

Little Anastasia
Age: 8-13
Range: C4-C5
Young Anastasia is the willful, brave, proud, and precocious youngest daughter of the Tsar. She has a special bond with her grandmother (whom she calls Nana).

Little Alexi
Age: 8-13
Range: C4-C5
Alexei was the Tsarevich (Heir to the throne) and only boy of the Romanov siblings. He suffered from debilitating hemophelia  that often left him bed-ridden. Anya mentions that he was her best friend.

Featured and Ensemble Roles Include: 

The Romanov Family - (Tsar, Tsarina, Three Romanov Sisters, Other Servants and Family Members)
Citizens of St. Petersburg - (Gorlinsky, Count Ipolitov, Black Marketeers, Marfa, Paulina, Dunya, Comrades, Drunks, Policemen, etc)
Parisian Citizens - (Reporters, Neva Club Guests, Count Leopold, Sergei, Count Gregory, Countess Gregory, Ballet Dancers, etc)