What: Auditions for Cabaret, the Kander and Ebb musical set in the Kit Kat Club in 1929 Germany.
When: 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 17.
Where: Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Ave. NW, off Highway 22 about 6 miles west of downtown Salem.
Casting: Eight men; eight women able to play a variety of roles, genders and ages. All actors must be age 18 or older.
Things to know:
- Please arrive promptly by 1 p.m. and plan to stay as late as 5 p.m.
- Please prepare a song from a Broadway musical other than Cabaret that best fits and showcases your vocal range. Limit your selection to 1 minute (about 32 bars). It’s best to find a song that matches the character(s) you are most interested in auditioning for. An accompanist will be available, or you may provide your own. Please bring sheet music for the accompanist.
- Using a CD or iPod recording of your accompaniment is acceptable.
- Absolutely no A Cappella singing will be allowed.
- Please dress comfortably and be ready to move and dance.
- Plan to arrive early to fill out an audition form. We encourage you to download a copy at pentacletheatre.org/auditions and complete it in advance. Please write clearly, especially your contact information.
- Headshots and resumes are not required, but always appreciated.
- Please bring your calendar and provide a complete list of your conflicts through June 16.
Callbacks: 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18. Pentacle Theatre’s rehearsal studio, downstairs at 145 Liberty St. NE, in downtown Salem.
Rehearsals: 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Pentacle Theatre’s rehearsal studio, downstairs at 145 Liberty St. NE, in downtown Salem. Sundays through Wednesdays, Feb 25 through March 21. Mondays through Thursdays starting March 26. The directors will set weekend rehearsals and work sessions as needed.
Show dates: Friday, May 25 – Saturday, June 16.
About Cabaret: Book by Joe Masteroff, based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood. Music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.
Setting: Berlin, New Year’s Eve, 1929: A strange and garish master of ceremonies welcomes the audience to the Kit Kat Club — a seedy Berlin nightspot where “Life is beautiful” — and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. Through the emcee’s bawdy songs and wry commentary, Cabaret explores the dark, heady and tumultuous life of Berliners and expatriates alike as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Cliff Bradshaw, a young, newly arrived American writer, is immediately taken by English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, landlady of Cliff and Sally’s boardinghouse, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered Jewish fruit seller. Musical numbers in this revised 1998 version include “Willkommen,” “Cabaret,” “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Mein Herr.”
Cast of Characters:
- Master of Ceremonies: The strange, androgynous/gender-fluid emcee performer at the Kit Kat Club.
- Sally Bowles: A young, free-spirited singer at the Kit Kat Klub who lives in the moment and carefree.
- Clifford Bradshaw: A young American writer searching to find himself and his muse while traveling through Europe. Bi.
- Ernst Ludwig: A German businessman and apparent smuggler who befriends Cliff.
- Customs Official: Doubles as Herman, non-speaking, and Max, speaking.
- Fräulein Schneider: The middle-aged landlady of the boardinghouse.
- Fräulein Kost: Lives at the boardinghouse and “entertains” men in her rooms. Doubles as Fritzie, non-speaking.
- Rudy: A sailor who visits Fräulein Kost — often. Non-speaking; doubles as Hans, also non-speaking.
- Herr Schultz: A sweet, Jewish middle-aged fruit shop owner who courts Fräulein Schneider.
- Max: Doubles as Herman, non-speaking, and Customs Official, speaking.
- Gorilla: Non-speaking, doubles as Frenchie, also non-speaking.
- Boy Soprano: Non-speaking.
Chorus roles: we are open to non-traditional casting across genders for all chorus roles. The character descriptions below are a guide only (i.e. we made them up), and we encourage you to unleash your own special personas at auditions. Bring it on and have fun!
The Kit Kat Girls:
- Rosie: A cream-fed Austrian girl straight off the farm, but by no means innocent. Non-speaking.
- Lulu: Bored with men, women, everything — except performing! Non-speaking.
- Frenchie: “Oui-Oui!” is all the French she needs because she can’t say “Non!” Non-speaking, doubles as Gorilla, also non-speaking.
- Texas: Watch out you don’t get hogtied, you may never get loose!
- Fritzie: Loves combining leather, lace and dominance. Adores Marlene Dietrich. Non-speaking, doubles as Fräulein Kost, speaking.
- Helga: A real Amazon: Formidable, strong and can snap a partner like a twig.
The Kit Kat Boys:
- Bobby: Sweet, dreamy and very fluid with himself and others. He and Cliff first met in England.
- Victor: Loves attention from generous, older men.
- Hans: If his father found out, he would kill him! Non-speaking, doubles as Rudy, a sailor, also non-speaking.
- Herman: If his mother found out he was a dancer, she would a) not be surprised, and b) would be in the front row every night. Non-speaking, doubles as Customs Official and Max, both speaking roles.
Pentacle Theatre encourages actors of all abilities, genders and ethnic backgrounds to audition for its production of Cabaret.
For more information:
- Contact co-directors Ed and Susan Schoaps at [email protected] or by calling 503-881-7494.
- Or call the Pentacle Theater office at 503-485-4300 and visit pentacletheatre.org.
