"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" Seeks Teenagers
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is looking for performers ages 15 and above. Please see the details below. ONLY LOCAL TALENT WILL BE ACCEPTED. About the project: 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. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves! At least the losers get a juice box. Additional info: Please prepare 32 bars of music from a song in a similar style to the show that best shows your voice and range. Legible sheet music must be provided for the rehearsal pianist/music director. Recorded accompaniment or acapella auditions are not allowed. A reading will be provided. Please wear or bring appropriate clothes and shoes for the dance portion of the audition. If you are invited to callbacks, music cuts and sides from the show will be provided. Please print and complete the audition form attached ahead of the audition to save time. Have your conflict calendar handy when completing these. Please note! No conflicts are allowed during tech week or for any of the performances. If you are under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian will need to also sign your audition form. Please bring proof of COVID vaccination status for directors to view: directors do not need to make or keep a copy. Callbacks will be held on Sunday, March 26, 2023, by invitation only. If interested, please apply.
6 roles
Tenor with easy (and frequent) high notes (C3 to B4), somewhat athletic, very social, and outgoing. He expects things to come easy to him, but some changes are causing him to lose control. He will “double” as the character of Jesus.
Baritenor (low A to high G/optional high A); he has ADD but delights in his wandering focus. Home-schooled and the underdog among his siblings, Leaf is amused by everything but has no expectations of winning. He wears homemade clothing and a protective helmet.
Tenor (C3 to Bb4); the “fat” kid who becomes a bully to avoid being picked on (which happens anyway). He has several health problems and a lot to prove, but he expects no kindness from anyone but his mother. Friendship and coming to care for someone else take him completely by surprise and shake him profoundly. He spells words on the floor with his foot and has a featured “showbiz” number, so movement/dance skills (or potential) is a must.
Alto with belt (G3 to F5); the youngest contestant and the daughter of two gay fathers, whom she very much wants to please. She is driven by pressure and speaks with a lisp. She is uncomfortable in her body but has a strong sense of political awareness and a keen sense of justice.
Alto with belt (A3 to D5); the ultimate achiever because she feels her family expects it. She sees herself as a mass of problems but keeps them to herself. NEEDS SEVERAL SPECIAL SKILLS: possibly including dance (tap/ballet/jazz), playing piano (or another musical instrument), martial arts, baton twirling, juggling, gymnastics, etc. PLEASE NOTE ANY ADDITIONAL SKILLS YOU HAVE.
Soprano (A3 to C6) with strong middle range; starts out very shy, but later shyly blossoms. She lives a quiet life with her parents often absent. She loves words and reading the dictionary.
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