Open Auditions for Flight of the Lawnchair Man
Book by Peter Ullian, Music & Lyrics by Robert Lindsey-Nassif
Based on a concept by Robert Lindsey-Nassif
Stage and Vocal Direction by David Shough. Music Direction by Sarah Lingg.
Monday and Tuesday, January 15 & 16, 2014, 7-9:30pm, Dayton Theatre Guild.
You need only attend one night, but are welcome at both. If you cannot attend either audition date, contact the director at davids@pbstudios.com or 937-626-2674, and we will make time or permit a video audition. Performance dates: March 22 – April 7, 2024; Friday – Sunday. Rehearsals will generally be Monday through Thursday evenings, subject to cast schedules.
Seeking:
2 male and 3 female principals and 6-8 ensemble (at least 3 men) with featured roles – see descriptions below. All characters are adults, with some specific age ranges listed in the role descriptions.
Race is not relevant to any role. All races & ethnicities are encouraged to audition.
Yes, this is a musical comedy at the Dayton Theatre Guild, and because the house is intimate we are not planning to use microphones. So we are looking for strong singing voices, especially for Jerry and Gracie, who have big anthem numbers. It doesn’t have to be “pretty” but it has to be strong.
The Play:
The title is not a metaphor. Jerry Gorman is a regular guy from New Jersey who just wants to fly. The neighbors think he’s nuts. His mother disapproves. Big Jack and Blaire scoff. But Gracie believes in him. When Jerry soars to 16,000 feet with nothing but a lawnchair and helium balloons, this funny tuneful musical reminds us that the air is free and dreams can come true if only you believe in yourself.
The Audition:
Prepare at least 32 measures of one musical theatre standard to sing fearlessly. An accompanist will be provided, or you can bring a track to play via Bluetooth. Acappella auditions are discouraged. In addition, everyone will be asked to read scenes. Sides will be made available online in early January. There may also be a short minimal dance audition.
Please being a resume and a list of all conflicts through April 7, 2024.
The Roles:
JERRY GORMAN (34; tenor or lyric baritone): Extremely likeable, but the kind of guy whose likeability never seems to get him anywhere in life. A dreamer who until recently never felt he had a right to his dreams. You’d almost call him a loser, if he didn’t have such a great girlfriend.
GRACIE, Jerry’s girlfriend (32-35; soprano/mixed belt): embraces life and all that it offers, including her job as a toll booth operator on I-95, and Jerry, whom she adores despite what others see as his shortcomings, and his sometimes frustrating hesitation to allow their relationship to progress to the “next level.” A nice New Jersey accent is a plus.
BIG JACK PRESTON (35-37; high baritone): is the kind of guy uniforms were created for. He looks really good in one. He is all man, a man’s man, a manly man, an exemplar of manlitude. He’s also quite tall. He exudes self-confidence and never (until later in the show) lets the cracks show.
BLAIRE (mezzo soprano or soprano/mixed belt): a flight attendant who exudes a bubbly, ditsy enthusiasm that masks a competence and ability that no one has ever imagined, but which will become apparent to us later in the show.
MOTHER GORMAN, Jerry’s mother (late middle age; lyric soprano/mixed belt): can be a bit of a steamroller and a nag where her son is involved, but she does it out of love – and fear. She’s a suburban working mother trying to maintain an upper middle-class lifestyle with a lower-middle class income. She has been hiding what, to her, is a terrible, terrible secret. A nice New Jersey accent is a plus.
ENSEMBLE members will each play one or more of the following roles in addition to neighbors, Walmart shoppers and employees, commuters, flying mechanics, etc.:
MR. FRANKEL: Jerry’s boss. High strung, often angry, he nevertheless has a heart that starts to pump warm blood when he spends time with Jerry’s Mom later in the show.
FAA AGENT: a Federal Aviation Administration Agent of indeterminate gender. Takes his (or is it her?) job very, very seriously.
LEONARDO DA VINCI (tenor or high bari – one solo song): the great painter, inventor, and all around Renaissance Man of the Italian Renaissance. Speaks and sings with an alarming similarity to Chico Marx.
CHARLES LINDBERGH (baritone – one solo song): the great aviator who made the first solo flight across the Atlantic. Speaks and sings with an alarming similarity to Jimmy Stewart.
AMELIA EARHART (mezzo soprano/mixed belt – one solo song): the great aviatrix who almost became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by air. Speaks and sings with an alarming similarity to Katherine Hepburn.
FRENCH BOY (mezzo soprano – one solo song; played by a woman): a classic little French boy from classic French movie.
NASA OFFICIAL (an official from NASA): he’s all business, but hates to have to be the bearer of bad news.
TV REPORTER: a handsome, serious, callow reporter from a major cable news organization.
