Auditioning for Seussical. Need Help!

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 1:59am

I need to know a lot about Seussical. I tried Stageagent.com but they don't have any information on it. I was hoping to find ranges of characters and such. I don't even know if I'd get in the chorus, but I was wondering what the Cat in the Hat's range was. I don't expect to get it because I have been told it is almost guaranteed to this other guy, but I want to try anyway. If you can think of a better role for a tall skinny red headed guy in seussical let me know. Hopefully I'll get in the chorus, but I want to go in and be as best prepared as I can. Anyone seen it/been in it? How much dancing does the Cat do, or other characters I would work in etc. (Lots of dancing would definately disqualify me. ) Thanks for any help you can give me, or PM me if you feel more comfortable. Also need a good audition song, having trouble deciding, i thought maybe something from Good Man Charlie Brown?

Updated On: 5/11/04 at 01:59 AM

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 2:13am

i did see it, and i cant tell you much as far as ranges go... i think the cat was a tenor, and i cant remember him having to do anything crazy, vocally speaking that is. the elephant who sits on the egg (sorry suess fans, cant remember the name right now) wouldnt be right for a "skinny red head", but i dont see why-physically- you couldnt do the cat. make sure you are very charismatic, the role calls for a lot of phisicality, but i suppose you could have guessed that. sorry im not much help, break a leg though!

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 2:32am

sing anything horrible and annoying and you should be just right for the show.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 3:41am

(sigh) anything constructive?

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 8:25am

If you have time, I recommend getting the CD and listening to it. It will give you a very good idea of the story and characters. Good luck!

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 10:38am

When i saw it with cathy rigby, she did a lot of tumbling and stuff. So i guess you have to be physically able to do that kind of stuff. I dont know about the range though...Good Luck Though!!

[BroadwayPer4mer03]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 11:07am

where r u auditioning

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 11:12am

Male roles:

CAT:
Baritone/Lower Tenor (estimate).
Should be a bit acrobatic. Has lots of energy. A fun role. In the recent scripts, they cut the song "A Day For The Cat in the Hat." That musical number required that the Cat do a lot of acrobatic tricks, he also jumped and did other tricks, such as balancing a chair on his chin. This number may have also been cut in your show. Depending upon your budget, you may fly as the Cat, so they might look for someone lighter in weight.

The Cat is more of a "host" to the show. He interects with the audience, immitates "Sally," an auctioneer, a Circus Ringmaster, and a Russian doctor. Honestly, the role should be played by someone who is a good dancer. The dancing isn't as hard as ballet, it is just a lot of movement and timing and lots of energy.

HORTON THE ELEPHANT:

High Baritone (guess)
Horton the Elephant doesn't really move a lot on stage, but he sings great songs and its just an awesome role. He believes there are people living on a dust speck, which landed on a small clover...but no one believes him. He is also tricked onto sitting on an egg, but he lost his clover and fears that the Whos are dead, but he can't desert his egg, or that may die. He is the hero of the story.

JOJO
Tenor (guess)

Jojo is a young kid who gets thrown into the Seuss stories. He "thinks too big" and so is sent to military school, where they are at war since the enemy eats their bread butter side down. He sings great songs as well. He dances, and depending upon the budget, flies.

WICKERSHAM BROTHER

Three brothers, a base, a baritone, a tenor.
They are monkeys. They dance around, they make fun of Horton.

THE GENERAL

High base (guess).
He is the leader of the military school Jojo is sent to. He is in two or three musical numbers, and about 5 scenes. He gets a lot of laughs. He criticizes one of the kids for not being able to color within the lines. No dancing, just marching. Listen to his songs on the CD.

You might want to go towards this character if you can't really dance.

CHORUS

Two choruses, me thinks. One is the Who Chorus. They are the Whos who live on the dust speck on the clover. They sing a lot, no dancing.

Other Chorus is many characters, all sing, of course, mostly all dance.

SEUSSICAL is a very touching musical and it is a shame that the show got its act together late in its Broadway run. The first National Tour with Cathy Rigby just was a HUGE improvement over the Broadway run.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 12:39pm

Thanks I've heard that the tour is better. It was up here at my school in February, but I was flat broke so I couldn't go. I was actually wondering about the General. I was in dance in when I was 4 and 5, and I was in show choir in high school. We also had dance in our musicals but even though it was an equity actor choreographing it, I wouldn't say it was very difficult. The General sounds maybe like a more realistic goal for me. Can anyone think of a good audition song, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 1:09pm

Oops, forgot a Male Lead.

THE MAYOR

The Mayor of Whoville.
Doesn't dance. Just sings a lot. Baritone.

[DivaMommy]

Posted: 4/3/04 at 3:20pm

If you look young, I would go for Jo Jo - he has some great stuff and eventually saves the day! Get the cd - you'll love it! Something from Charlie Brown would probably be ok - just put lots and lots of character into it. The Wickersham brothers are also great!!!

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 1:40am

pulling this back up in case anyone else has advice. Sheesh I am asking for help left and right nowadays. I am becoming a mooch.

Updated On: 4/6/04 at 01:40 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 2:44am

Wonderful, wonderful show. I can't express to you how much I love this show. I saw the national tour with Cathy Rigby and if the Broadway production was ANYTHING like the tour, I just don't understand why it is not still running. A few set pieces aside, the sets were awesome the special effects were cool, the flying, the animals, the songs, the characters, HORTON! and JOJO! Mayzie LaBird and McFuzz were just all adorable and Mrs. Rigby stole the show hands down! She might have done more flying here than she does in Peter Pan...not sure, but it was just fantastic. Go for it! You'll love the show. Any part you get will be WELL worth it. It's a true gem of the musical theatre. And I'm only 17! It's a show for all ages. For all time.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 7:18am

...and it's by flaherty and ahrens! i loved "Solla Sollew"...

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 7:19am

The music in SEUSSICAL is really beautiful. I'm in it right now and am playing a Who.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 7:46am

who? LOL Updated On: 4/6/04 at 07:46 AM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 10:49am

The tour improved from the Broadway production. Sadly, Mrs. Rigby was the third (and final) "Cat" after David Shiner and Rosie O Donnell both wore the Hat.

On Broadway, there was no flying, and there was an added number, "A Day for the Cat in the Hat." (Cathy's favorite, but it simply slowed the story down.)

Maybe after PAN Cathy will revive SEUSSICAL again. The show was supposed to be videotaped in the final week of the tour, wonder what happened. The show deserved another shot. It got its act together AFTER Broadway, which was the problem.

The most recent tour with Peter Roman as the Cat (he was VERY good by the way) very recently ended. Didn't really care for this cast, but the show was still good. They had to cut out the flying again, since Cathy wasn't there, ZFX wasn't available (they were preparing WICKED).

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 1:22pm

A revival would be nice...I never had a chance to see it when it was on Broadway.

[CatinHat0304]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 4:02pm

Cathy Rigby was not the last Cat in the Hat... Thank you very much. I took over the role for the Non-Equity tour which ended recently. I'm proud to say we got decent reviews, and many people agree our production was the best to date.

I snagged the role mostly with physical comedy, but having a voice better than David Shiner didn't hurt either... highest note I sang by myself was an high F... ensemble numbers: high G. Also, be charming... kids and adults have to connect with you.. he's the narrator... lead the way...

Can you tell i'm back in NYC temping and I have nothing better to do than post messages on a subject almost a week old???

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 7:43pm

Hey, we do what we can, right? I hope you had fun on tour. Must have been a blast!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 8:14pm

Cathy Rigby was the last "Cat" on BROADWAY, yes.

"The most recent tour with Peter Roman as the Cat (he was VERY good by the way) very recently ended. Didn't really care for this cast, but the show was still good. They had to cut out the flying again, since Cathy wasn't there, ZFX wasn't available (they were preparing WICKED)."

Are you Mr. Roman?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 9:26pm

Sorry, double post.

Updated On: 4/13/04 at 09:26 PM

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 9:41am

Today's the day! I hope I do really well. Scratch that...I know I will do my best. I'm a little bit nervous but I find a little bit of nerves is always good. I am going to use part of Snoopy from YAGMCB, and this is the first audition I've ever had where there has been a dance audition for a musical. I'll do fine, all those years of show choir should help!

[mominator]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 9:56am

Woo Hoo!! And break a leg!! I'll be thinking good thoughts for you today!
B

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 10:52am

thanks, I can really use the boost beforehand. If it is good, i'll print this thread and take it with me for motivation!

Updated On: 5/9/04 at 10:52 AM