Book by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse; Music by Richard Rodgers;
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
DIRECTOR/MUSICAL DIRECTOR – Rollin E. Wehman
Associate Artistic Director- Patrick A’Hearn
Sunday, Aug. 12th at 7:00pm
Sign-ups begin at 6:30pm
Monday, Aug. 13th at 7:00pm
Sign-ups begin at 6:30pm
CALLBACKS will be on Tuesday, Aug. 14th
Riverside Dinner Theater
95 Riverside Parkway
Fredericksburg, VA 22406
For auditions, please prepare 32 bars of a traditional Broadway style song. Please bring a headshot, or recent photograph, and a resume. Auditions will be seen in the order in which you sign up, so please do not contact Riverside for an audition time.
Rehearsals will begin on Sunday, August 19th at 7pm.
Rehearsals run Sunday through Tuesday nights, 7:00-11pm.
There will be some Saturday rehearsals from 10:00am-12:00pm.
Performances will run October 19, 2012 through January 6th, 2013.
The performance schedule is as follows:
Wednesday matinees at 1:30pm
Thursday through Saturday evenings at 8pm.
Sunday matinees at 3pm
Possible matinees on Tuesdays and Fridays
"THE SOUND OF MUSIC" CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
MARIA RANIER (21-28) – Mezzo Soprano with wide vocal range – Irrepressible, retaining a sense of childlike awe; exuberant in all she undertakes, albeit sometimes misguided; projects genuineness and goodness; admirable and lovable.
GEORG von TRAPP (35-50) – Baritone/Bass – Outwardly stern and aristocratic, with the aloofness of old European wealth; highly principled and patriotic; military bearing; not prone to displays of emotion; discipline is a priority; becomes more endearing as the story unfolds.
THE MOTHER ABBESS (55-70) – Mezzo or Lyric Soprano – Dignified but not stiff; wise yet not overbearing; the final arbitrator of issues at the Abbey; a benevolent matriarch of her domain, possessing a realistic understanding of life, with a special fondness for Maria since they both share common backgrounds.
MAX DETWEILER (40-55) – Baritone - A contemporary and longstanding friend of the von Trapp family; comedic, clever, and often opportunistic, but in a mostly likeable manner; must be able to convey a keen sense of humor and a bit of chutzpah in his dealings with both von Trapp and the Baroness Elsa.
SISTER BERTHE (40-60) – Mezzo Soprano/1st Alto – The Mistress of Novices, aware of her rank and a bit judgmental in personality; does everything “by the book” with little leeway; focuses on how things “should be”; but, let’s face it, it’s best to have at least one conservative in the group.
SISTER MARGARETTA (40-55) – Mezzo Soprano – The Mistress of Postulants, kindly and likeable; obviously fond of Maria and willing to give her a number of “second chances;” looks for the good in almost everything; full of laughter and exhibits a sense of joy in her duties.
SISTER SOPHIA (40-60) – 1st or 2nd Alto – Obviously a senior nun, since the librettists given her equal vocal participation (but sparse dialog) in the major Abbey scenes; seems to be neutral about Maria, sticking to the “facts” without exercising judgement; must be an adept singer to “hold her own” in the nun’s ensemble singing.
NOTE: All of the nuns, with the exception of the Mother Abbess, will “double” as party guests at the von Trapp reception for Baroness Elsa.
ELSA SCHRAEDER (35-45) – Soprano – Captain von Trapp’s intended, a wealthy and somewhat smothering widowed Austrian baroness, equal to von Trapp in class and wealth and determined to ensnare him in marriage; has longstanding friendship with Max; recognizes von Trapp’s attraction to Maria and “does the right thing” by returning the engagement ring; must be good singer and actress to portray scheming mentality without appearing wholly devoid of morals.
HERR ZELLER (45-65, non-singing role) - The “heavy” in this musical; an Austrian who has embraced the Nazi philosophy and has collaborated with the Nazis in the Anschluss (forced takeover of his country), becoming the Gauleiter (regional leader); the antagonist for von Trapp; portrayed as cunning and self-assured, yet contemptible.
FRANZ (45-65, non-singing role) – The von Trapp household’s butler, who, as the plot unfolds, is discovered to be a Nazi sympathizer; seems to have an Austrian military background; sardonic sense of humor; most of his dialog is with Frau Schmidt.
FRAU SCHMIDT (45-65, non-singing role) – The housekeeper, fussy and proper, but given to gossip; lets Maria know how things are and how the Captain commands things to be.
ROLF GRUBER (17 going on 18) - Tenor/High Baritone – Identity derived as somewhat reluctant suitor of Liesl, von Trapp’s oldest child; delivers telegrams, seeking purpose in life and mistakenly finding it in the Nazi youth movement; changes from endearing, if distanced, boyfriend in Act I to self-important, blustery puppet in Act II – must be convincing in both modes. Dance capability required.
THE VON TRAPP CHILDREN:
LIESL (16) - Mezzo-Soprano or 1st Alto – Innocent yet beginning to show independence; experiencing the dual confusion of growing up and first love; her siblings look to her for leadership and she relates well to each of them; after a rocky start, develops a combination mentor/daughter relationship with Maria. Must be both a good singer and accomplished dancer.
FRIEDRICH (14) – Boy Soprano with good highs – An early-teen boy wondering what manhood is all about.
LOUISA (13) – Soprano, can take Friedrich’s high notes if necessary – Mischievous and independent, probably a “tomboy.”
KURT (almost 11) – Soprano, capable of holding harmony part – not reluctant to explore and report back findings; honest with his feelings.
For more information, visit www.riversidedt.com/
