Tred Avon Players will be hosting auditions for its production of THE FANTASTICKS which will be performed Oct 26 – Nov 5, 2023, at the Oxford Community Center in Oxford, MD.

AUDITION DATES

Auditions will be held at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 100 Peachblossom Rd, Easton, MD on:

• Wed, August 2, 6-8 pm

• Thu, August 3, 6-8 pm

• Sun, August 6, 2-4 pm

PLAY SUMMARY
THE FANTASTICKS is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud. The fathers hire traveling actors to stage a mock abduction, so that Matt can heroically seem to save Luisa, ending the supposed feud. When the children discover the deception, they reject the arranged love match and separate. Each then gains disillusioning experiences of the real world, seen in parallel fantasy sequences. They return to each other bruised but enlightened, and they renew their vows with more maturity.

CASTING

TAP will be casting eight roles. All ethnicities, body types, abilities, skill levels, etc. are welcome to audition and will be considered for parts.

• THE NARRATOR/EL GALLO Male, 35 to 50, vibrant, full-bodied baritone, low A to high G. As the narrator, he is our guide through the musical. As El Gallo, he is a rugged and masculine leading man who is a mysterious and magnetic Zorro/Puss In Boots character.

• LUISA, ‘THE GIRL’ Female, age 16-25 to play age 16, legit but youthful-sounding soprano that can sing both very simply and with operatic flamboyance, low B to sustained high C, strong musicianship required. Luisa is an imaginative daydreamer and a romantic idealist.

• MATT, ‘THE BOY’ Male, age 18-30, to play 19, sweet-voiced bari-tenor, low A to high G, strong musicianship required. He is an innocent young man searching for love and adventure. Bright, but naïve and foolish at times.

• BELLOMY, ‘THE GIRLS FATHER’ Male, 40’s-50’s, character baritone, low A to high G. He is Luisa’s father, a button salesman. He is fastidious and tidy. (This character may be played as a father or mother.)

• HUCKLEBEE, ‘THE BOYS FATHER’ Male, 40’s-50’s, character baritone or bari-bass, stronger in low range, low A to high F. He is comical and a curmudgeon, also a bit sloppy and boisterous. (This character may be played as a father or mother).

• HENRY, ‘THE OLD ACTOR’ Male 40 + (English or Irish accent) The stage is his world and he knows no other reality. Henry was once a famous Shakespearean actor, but is now an aging thespian that is down-on-his-luck.

• MORTIMER, ‘THE MAN WHO DIES’ Male, 40+ (Cockney accent) A clownish and goofy character who specializes in dying— comically elaborate death scenes.

• THE MUTE Male/ Female, any age. The Mute is a speechless presence who watches and helps tell the story with his/her body or fades into the background unnoticed, when needed. Please note, this role is more than a glorified props person. The Mute is an agile physical performer with adept mime skills and dance abilities.

David Cherry will be directing THE FANTASTICKS. Please come prepared to:

• Read selected scenes (sides) from THE FANTASTICKS script provided during the audition.

• Sing a song from a musical of your choosing. Please bring sheet music for the accompanist. Ideally, you will choose music that is in keeping with the character and vocal range of your preferred role.

You can reach David by text at 410-310-6603 or by emailing [email protected] for any special accommodations.

PRODUCTION CREW

THE FANTASTICKS also needs a production crew – sets, lights, sound, costumes, and stage crew.  If you are interested, come to any audition to find out more information, or send an email to [email protected].