AUDITION NOTICE

*KING ISLAND* CHRISTMAS

Directed by Jennifer Dalby

Auditions:      Saturday, September 11   1-4 pm

                        Sunday, September 12     5-7 pm

Performances: Nov. 26 – Dec. 19, 2010

*King Island* Christmas, a heartwarming true story that took place in 1951 on a tiny island of 150 residents in the middle of the Bering Sea, is based on the book by Alaskans Jean Rogers and Rie Munoz.  The North Star freighter, carrying Father Carroll, is anchored in the Bering Sea on Christmas Eve, on its last arctic voyage before winter ice closes in around King Island. The storm waves are too high for the villagers to go out and fetch him and their winter supplies in their walrus skin boats (oomiaks); without him there will be no Christmas celebration.  King Island is a mountain of rock with a coastline so treacherous that villagers can’t even walk around it until the ocean freezes. In a communal effort, the villagers triumphantly carry their oomiak over the dangerous and icy mountain in the middle of the island to the calmer waters of the lee, and bring Father Carroll and the supplies ashore. Christmas is celebrated on King Island.  *King Island* Christmas is a musical celebration about overcoming adversity and achieving the impossible.

* Please come to the audition prepared to have a good time! Every attempt will be made to make your audition fun and painless.  Dress comfortably!  You will be asked to improvise on a certain situation that I will describe to you.  And, since this is a musical, I would like you to come prepared to sing one of the following songs unaccompanied:  My Country ‘Tis of Thee; America, the Beautiful; or This Land is Your Land.  We’ll do a few other small vocal exercises together.  I want to see how comfortable you are on stage and how much fun you can have!

* Rehearsals will begin in late September.  Depending on the role, most cast members will rehearse 3x-4x per week at the beginning, 6:30-9 pm, to include some Saturday mornings.  As the show dates approach, additional rehearsals will be needed.  Everyone will receive a rehearsal calendar by the first practice and I will make every effort to ensure your rehearsal time is well spent.  Please do your part to support the other members of the cast and crew by being on time to rehearsals.  Vacations or other conflicts with rehearsals must be taken into consideration prior to auditioning.

Cast List

All parts are “singing” roles.  There are NO speaking roles in *King Island* Christmas.

Solo Singing / Acting Roles for

            Men:   •Narrator (tenor/baritone)                                         

                        •Ooloranna, the village leader (baritone/bass)

                        •Father Carroll, Village priest   (tenor/baritone)     

                        •Walrus Story Man

•Captain Crawford, Captain of the North Star Ship (baritone/bass)

                        •5 Other Village Men have smaller solo roles

            Women:   •Little Eir’s Mother            

                             •Storytelling Woman              

                             •Diet Woman

                              •5 Other Village Women have smaller solo roles

            Little Eir – Boy between 6 -12

            Oomiak –  Girl between 9 -16 – very large role, includes some dance

            3 - 6 Children (either sex)

Chorus Members – Up to 16 people, balanced between soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

            These people MAY also double as the above listed “other” men and women soloists.

Orchestra – Up to 12-member pit orchestra.

Download an audition form here