[Capdist-auditions] Auditions for City of Angels at Troy Civic Theater

[Michael Ciaravella]

Auditions for Troy Civic Theater's “City of Angels”  will take place Sunday. Aug. 28, sign-in at 3 p.m., and Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 30 and 31,  sign-in at 7 p.m. , at the Arst Center for the Capital Region on River Street in Troy. Roles will be cast for at least 12 men and 6 women. Call-backs will be scheduled only if needed.
The Tony Best Musical with a book by Larry Gelbart (TV's “MASH”, “Mastergate”) and score by Cy Coleman (“Sweet Charity,” “Barnum”) and David Zipfel, follows Stine, a novelist-turned-Hollywood screenwriter of the 1950's as he struggles to hang on to his love life and his sanity while adapting his witty detective story into a film under the heavy-handed “collaboration” of a pushy producer. Stine's film-noir private-eye Stone teases out a mystery amid the intrigue of 1940's L.A. that plays out in parallel with – and sometimes interacts with – the travails of its screenwriter creator.
Performances Nov. 17-20 at the Meader Little Theater on the campus of Russell Sage College in Troy. Rehearsals start after Labor Day. The show is directed by Joe Phillips, with Frank Leavitt as musical director.
Auditioners should prepare a brief musical piece, preferably traditional-Broadway or American songbook (Cole Porter?) or upbeat vocal light-jazz; and should be prepared to read from the script and participate in a brief movement audition. Please bring detailed schedule conflicts to auditions!
Principals
Stine, the novelist turned screenwriter, spends more time on his work than his life, and isn't quite sure what he's gotten into ”selling out” to Hollywood. Has a certain something, a leading-man quality, but perhaps a bit on the naïve and nebbishy side. Needs to have solid baritone-tenor,
Stone, a film-noir man's-man private gumshoe and Stine's fictional creation and perhaps alter ego. Should bear a resemblance to Stine but clearly he's the more macho, hunky, hard-fisted and hard-bitten version, smart-alecky and streetwise. A baritone who sings quite a bit in the show.
All other characters double, in Stone's film noir but also an opposite number in Stine's world:
Buddy, the malapropping, pushy, overbearing, funny but crass producer of Stine's movie; and Irwin Irving, the sleazeball Hollywood mogul in the film. Has a key character song – about himself, naturally – and needs to be able to sell it.
Gaby, Stine's long-suffering, whip-smart, patient but brassy wife, longing for his attention but prepared to walk out if she can't have it; also plays Bobbi, a needy chanteuse, Stone's lost-soul love interest. Lots of singing over a broad range of styles reflecting this split personality: ballads and also up-tempo; needs a strong vocal range built on a very solid mezzo-soprano low end.
Donna, Buddy's sharp-tongued, sharp-witted, alluring assistant; and Oolie, Stone's smart-ass, plucky gal-Friday-with-a-heart-of-gold; sings several sassy songs; similar vocal range to Gaby/Bobbi.
Carla, Buddy's movie-star-glamorous wife, plays Alaura Kingsley, rich, glamorous femme fatale in the movie. Shares a double-entendre duet with Stone.
Avril, a young and ripe casting-couch starlet, is Mallory Kingsley, the randy ingenue bad girl of the film, with a vampy solo to match.

Pancho Vargas, the flamboyant Latin movie star, plays Munoz, a vengeful flatfoot cop and Stone's bitter rival. Has a gleefully peppy bossa nova number.

If not already cast, the roles of Jimmy Powers, a handsomely reedy little baritone crooner (think a young Sinatra), and his backup act, the Angel City Four, a mixed male-female quartet of singers (a la Manhattan Transfer) may be drawn from this audition. A ton of singing, including the Overture.

For more specific information on vocal ranges, contact Frank Leavitt at 915-5890 or leavitt.frank at gmail.com.

Other roles all sing a little in the finale and one other scene but are primarily non-musical:

Gerald Pierce, the actor who plays Peter Kingsley, Alaura's boy-toy stud stepson.

Werner Krieger, the character actor who plays iron-lung-bound billionaire Luther Kingsley.

A mismatched pair of studio cops who double as in-the-movie goofball gangsters Big Six, a giant thug, and his little weaselly partner Sonny.

An ensemble of probably four more men and two women who play a plethora of other parts, including several key speaking parts in the film – Yamato the coroner, Pasco the cop and Mahoney the studio flack (these three sing comic backup to Munoz at one point); Mandrill the guru; Margie the brothel-keeper; Margaret the maid.

An onstage piano-player who is also film score-writer Del D'Acosta – may be cast from the pit orchestra.
Contact Joe Phillips (at 464-2698 or joepdrew at aol.com<mailto:joepdrew at aol.com>) for more information.




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