Category Archives: On Stage

Footlighters Inc. announces AUDITIONS for THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE.

Auditions:

• Friday, September 22, 6:30-9:30pm
• Sunday, September 24, 1:00-4:00pm

Callbacks: 

• Tuesday, September 26, 6:30pm 

Stained Glass Theatre, 802 York St, Newport KY

Click this link to make an audition appointment. Walk-ins are welcome.

Music and Lyrics by William Finn Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman Additional Materials by Jay Reiss

Directed by Nick Horton
Choreographed by Jerry Wiesenhahn
Music Direction by Alan Masters

Please prepare 16 bars of a song, preferably musical theatre. Callbacks will include learning a short dance combination and performing cold readings from the script.

Performance dates: March 1 – 17, 2018

Synopsis: An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake.

Cast of Characters:

• Rona Perretti: Rona has hosted the Bee for a number of years and was the 3rd annual Putnam County spelling champion. She has made it her job to keep everything at the Bee running smoothly and takes it upon herself to make the audience aware of crucial information both about the spellers and about the Bee. Strong Belt/Soprano: C#4-Ab5. Age: mid 30s to mid 40s (ad lib/improv abilities a plus)
• Vice Principal Panch: Panch is frustrated with his life and the lack of progress he hasmade in his career, endlessly waiting for a promotion that is never coming. He does notunderstand the importance of the Bee to the Spellers and was not at all happy to get the call that he needed to fill in at the competition. However, Panch desires to redeem himself for past mistakes and wants to impress Rona. Non-singing. Age: Mid 30s to early 50s (ad lib/improv abilities a plus)
• Mitch Mahoney: Mitch has been assigned to be the comfort counselor for the Bee's eliminated competitors as part of his community service assignment. Mitch has little idea of how to comfort the kids and questions the wisdom of putting them through this stressful process. Mitch does want to help the kids feel better and tries to do so by placing the Bee into perspective. High Baritone/Tenor: E3-A4. Age: mid 20s to 40s

Spellers:

• Chip Tolentino: Chip was the winner of the spelling bee last year and is relatively athletic and social. He expects things to come easily to him. Chip finds that puberty, however, can be a real distraction.Tenor: C3-B4. Age: 18 to 30s
• Leaf Coneybear: A second alternate, Leaf is just happy to be at the Bee. Leaf is homeschooled and so everything about the Bee is both absolutely foreign and absolutely amusing to him. He has no expectation of winning and little expectation of spelling a word right, however, Leaf is determined to make the most out of the experience. Leaf may have severe ADD, but takes delight in his wandering focus. High Baritone: A2-G4. Age: 18 to 30s
• *** Logainne Schwartzandgrubennierre: the role of Schwartzy has been cast ***
• Marcy Park: Marcy is the ultimate over-achiever, but over-achieves not out of a sense of a desire to succeed, but because of the high expectations of her family. Perfection is expected from her by her family and because of her parochial school education, she believes from God as well. Marcy understands her talents and knows she can beat the other spellers. Marcy tends to keep to herself. Soprano/Mezzo-soprano: B3-E5. Age: 18 to 30s (ability to play piano well a plus)
• Olive Ostrovsky: Olive loves words and grew up reading the dictionary. She has lived a relatively quiet life with two largely absent parents and has found solace not in friends, but in her dictionary. Olive is very shy but begins to blossom under the lights of the Bee. Strong Belt/Soprano: B3-F#5. Age: 18 to 30s
• William Barfee: The runner up in the Bee last year, Barfee has returned to take the title. Outwardly confident, Barfee uses his “magic foot” to help him spell the words. Barfee is often loud and combative, however, this appears to be a defense mechanism as a result of being bullied. Barfee has come to expect little kindness from people and so when faced with an offer of friendship, it takes him by surprise. High Baritone/Tenor: Eb3-Bb4. Age: 18 to 30s