River Valley Players is proud to announce the next production in the 2023 season will be “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” under the direction of RVP scholarship recipient Lauren Frawley with Jamie Wilson as Music Director and Mary Cornwall as performance pianist.

Auditions will be Friday, March 24 at 6:30pm and Saturday, March 25 at 10:00am, both at St. John’s Community Center, 1302 Second St., Henry. You will be singing a selection from the show provided at the audition, so come ready with a warmed-up voice. A dance audition will be included at auditions and callbacks, so please come dressed appropriately. Be sure to sign up for an audition slot by applying online at https://bit.ly/RVPSchoolhouseRockLiveAudition.

We are seeking a cast of six diverse and versatile young performers ages 16-26 who are dynamic singers and dancers with large personalities that feel comfortable singing in a variety of styles, including jazz, pop, and country. A willingness to improvise and interact with the audience is needed.

Roles
Tom
An elementary school teacher who has just received his degree. Nervous about facing his classroom on the first day of school, he turns to the cartoon series he dearly loved for inspiration. He’s skeptical at times, but never cynical. Sings the bottom line in the score; vocal range F2-A4.

George
The romantic character – caring and in control. The leader of the group of characters. He really wants Tom to succeed. Sings the top line in the score; vocal range G4-C5.

Dori
The goofy character – silly and unpredictable. Marches to her own drummer. Imaginative, sometimes wacky, sometimes thoughtful. Sings the bottom line in the score; vocal range F3-E5.

Shulie
The sweet/intelligent character – genuine and enthusiastic. She loves math. A delightful and nerdy ingénue. Sings the top line in the score; vocal range G3-B5.

Joe
The cool character – laid-back and fun loving. A little more grounded and mature than the rest, but still willing to be a goofball. Sings the middle in the score; vocal range G2b-A4.

Dina
The mature/sassy character – the most sophisticated, thoughtful, and savvy of the group. She will tell you like it is, but she loves her goofy friends. Sings the middle line in the score; vocal range F3-E5.

Show dates are June 9, 10, and 11.

We look forward to seeing you at auditions. If you have any questions, reach out to River Valley Players via our Facebook page (facebook.com/rvphenry) or contact Lauren directly at [email protected]

The Man in Chair, a musical theatre fan, greets the audience from his current-day NYC apartment, sharing that he is feeling a bit depressed. The best way to lift his mood, he decides, is to listen to his favorite cast album, The Drowsy Chaperone, a Jazz Age musical full of fun, clichés, and dancing from the Roaring 20s. The characters come to life in the Man’s apartment as he continues to narrate and interact with the cast and the audience. The show-within-a-show begins as guests arrive at the estate of Mrs. Tottendale for the imminent 1928 wedding of the famous Janet Van de Graaf to the wealthy Robert Martin. Janet’s decision to marry Robert means that she will stop performing, of course, so the producer and gangster investors plot to stop the wedding. Other guests include the overworked Best Man, a Latin Lover, a daring aviatrix, and the Drowsy Chaperone, who continually sips from a flask, smuggled in during Prohibition. Hilarious situations, off and on again marriage plans, and a happy ending bring the Man in Chair his antidote to his blue mood, and he shares his glee with the audience.

PRODUCTION DATES:July 14-22, 2023

AUDITION DATES:
Friday, April 14 @ 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturday, April 15 @ 12:30pm – 4:00pm
CALLBACKS (If Needed):
Sunday, April 16 @ 1:00pm-3:00pm

The Man in Chair, a musical theatre fan, greets the audience from his current-day NYC apartment, sharing that he is feeling a bit depressed. The best way to lift his mood, he decides, is to listen to his favorite cast album, The Drowsy Chaperone, a Jazz Age musical full of fun, clichés, and dancing from the Roaring 20s. The characters come to life in the Man’s apartment as he continues to narrate and interact with the cast and the audience. The show-within-a-show begins as guests arrive at the estate of Mrs. Tottendale for the imminent 1928 wedding of the famous Janet Van de Graaf to the wealthy Robert Martin. Janet’s decision to marry Robert means that she will stop performing, of course, so the producer and gangster investors plot to stop the wedding. Other guests include the overworked Best Man, a Latin Lover, a daring aviatrix, and the Drowsy Chaperone, who continually sips from a flask, smuggled in during Prohibition. Hilarious situations, off and on again marriage plans, and a happy ending bring the Man in Chair his antidote to his blue mood, and he shares his glee with the audience.

PRODUCTION DATES:July 14-22, 2023

AUDITION DATES:
Friday, April 14 @ 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturday, April 15 @ 12:30pm – 4:00pm
CALLBACKS (If Needed):
Sunday, April 16 @ 1:00pm-3:00pm

Based on the incredible true story, “Titanic The Musical” (not based on the movie) brings an epic show of history’s most tragic maiden voyage of the grand passenger liner, The Titanic. Thought unsinkable, this man-made, historical feat carried the individual stories of her passengers and crew. Discover the people aboard The Titanic with characters from all backgrounds and walks of life with joys and sorrows, pleasure and pain, some survived, but many perished. This Tony Award-winning Broadway musical features an epic score, live orchestra, and an ensemble cast that can double/triple roles if needed. This scaled down production uses 20 actors playing all of the roles, an abstract set design, projections of the actual ship and passengers, and new orchestrations designed to make the score sound as if it was being played by the ship’s band. Material that had been previously cut from the original Broadway production was put back into the show, and existing material was reordered and reassigned.

PRODUCTION DATES: August 4-12, 2023

AUDITION DATES:
Friday April 28 @ 6:30pm
Saturday April 29 @ 2:00pm
CALLBACKS (If Needed):
Sunday, April 30 @ 3:00pm

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, based on the popular 1988 MGM film, takes us to the French Riviera for high jinks and hilarity. Sophisticated, suave with a good dash of mischief, this hysterical comedy features a delightfully jazzy score by David Yazbek (The Full Monty) and was nominated for a staggering eleven Tony Awards.
Lawrence Jameson makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their money. Freddy Benson more humbly swindles women by waking their compassion with fabricated stories about his grandmother’s failing health. After meeting on a train, they attempt to work together, only to find that this small French town isn’t big enough for the two of them. They agree on a settlement: the first one to extract $50,000 from a young female target, heiress, Christine Colgate, wins, and the other must leave town. A hilarious battle of cons ensues that will keep audiences laughing, humming and guessing to the end!

PRODUCTION DATES: August 25-September 2, 2023

AUDITION DATES:
Saturday, June 3 @ 1:00pm-5:00pm
Sunday, June 4 @ 1:00pm-5:00pm

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, based on the popular 1988 MGM film, takes us to the French Riviera for high jinks and hilarity. Sophisticated, suave with a good dash of mischief, this hysterical comedy features a delightfully jazzy score by David Yazbek (The Full Monty) and was nominated for a staggering eleven Tony Awards.
Lawrence Jameson makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their money. Freddy Benson more humbly swindles women by waking their compassion with fabricated stories about his grandmother’s failing health. After meeting on a train, they attempt to work together, only to find that this small French town isn’t big enough for the two of them. They agree on a settlement: the first one to extract $50,000 from a young female target, heiress, Christine Colgate, wins, and the other must leave town. A hilarious battle of cons ensues that will keep audiences laughing, humming and guessing to the end!

PRODUCTION DATES: August 25-September 2, 2023

AUDITION DATES:
Saturday, June 3 @ 1:00pm-5:00pm
Sunday, June 4 @ 1:00pm-5:00pm