ANNOUNCING AUDITIONS for "Emma, A Romantic Musical Comedy" by Paul Gordon
Directed and Choreographed by Shawn Cannon, Music Directed by Emily Stratton
Jane Austen's adored heroine gets the musical treatment in Emma from acclaimed composer and lyricist Paul Gordon (Daddy Long Legs, Jane Eyre). For centuries, Emma Woodhouse has charmed and delighted readers - and now she does so onstage. Emma is truly a timeless tale of love, making mistakes, and holding yourself accountable.
A carefree woman, Emma Woodhouse has "the very best blessings of existence" with "very little to vex or distress me." She is also a self-proclaimed matchmaker who thinks too highly of her abilities. When her attempts at matchmaking and romance go awry, Emma has to face herself and the people she has hurt.
And maybe... find her own match
in the process.
Show goes up May 15-31
Prepare a 32 bar song from the style of this musical, and be prepared for a cold read from the libretto. Please provide a backing track for your audition or you can sing acapella.
Any questions? Email the director, Shawn at
[email protected]
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Emma Woodhouse
A 19 th century English aristocrat. Vivacious and self-absorbed, her penchant for matchmaking leads to unwanted results and comic mishaps. With a lack of skill, she tries to arrange marriages for those around her, while remaining clueless as to her own heart. Must be a classically trained actress, with outstanding comic timing and skilled at English dialects. An extremely vocally demanding role, she must have a thrilling alto voice and incredible vocal stamina. Some pop sensibility welcome.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: D#5
Vocal range bottom: F#3
Mr. Woodhouse
Emma's father.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 50-60
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: A3
Harriet Smith
An awkward and shy girl, she is Emma’s make-over project as she tries to find the perfect husband for her new friend. She has a pure and innocent heart and takes Emma’s every word as Gospel. She is of a considerably lower class than Emma and her dialect and speech must reflect that inequality. It is essential that she be a superb comic actress with a quirky sensibility and an outstanding legit soprano voice.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Mr. Knightley
A local land owner and old friend of Emma Woodhouse and her family. A 19th Century English aristocrat with a strong moral center and a tendency to scold and lecture Emma on her lack of compassion for others. He must be a trained classical actor with a strong English dialect. He must possess outstanding comic talent and have a dry, dead pan wit. Vocally, he must have a thrilling Bari-tenor voice with some pop sensibility.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 25 to 40
Vocal range top: Ab4
Vocal range bottom: G2
Miss Bates
An old friend of Emma's.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20-30
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Mrs. Bates
Miss Bates's mother.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 40-60
Jane Fairfax
Emma’s nemesis. Quiet and reserved, she is everything Emma is not. Good-hearted and misunderstood by Emma, she remains slightly mysterious and hard to read. She must possess an extraordinary coloratura soprano voice with a sophisticated English dialect essential.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: B5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Mr. Elton
The vicar.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 35-45
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
Mrs. Elton
A snooty 19th Century English aristocrat who is oblivious to her own over the top manner. She annoys everyone around her and always manages to say the wrong thing. She needs to be the comic spark in the second act and therefore be extremely funny with a hilarious pompous upper class English dialect. She has no solo singing lines, but still must have a good voice. Either alto or soprano acceptable.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 35 to 45
Vocal range top: Eb5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Robert Martin
A simple farmer in 19th century England. Sweet and awkward he is almost unable to put two sentences together, but Harriet is smitten with him anyway by his gentle nature and puppy dog love for her. Must have an outstanding tenor voice with great comic ability.
Lower class English dialect essential.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: Ab4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
Miss Elizabeth Martin
Robert Martin's sister
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Mr. Weston
An early 19th Century English gentleman and long time family friend. A kind and sensible man, he is the only successful product of Emma’s match-making skills. Even tempered and distinguished with a slightly dead pan sense of humor. No solo sung lines, but still must be a good singer with a fine English dialect. Tenor, baritone or bass all acceptable.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 45 to 60
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Mrs. Weston
An early 19th Century English governess. Elegant and graceful, she is Emma’s former governess and the maternal influence in her life. Her only shortcoming is a tendency towards idle gossip. Now more friend than governess to Emma, she will always be Emma’s mentor. Outstanding English dialect needed with good comic timing. Has one duet,
great alto voice essential.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 45 to 60
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Frank Churchill
A 19th century English aristocrat. Smooth and elegant with a pervasive and winning personality. He ultimately has the nuances of a scoundrel, but in the end we understand that his motivations were not as ominous as they first appeared. He must have a beautiful and magnificent round tenor voice with an outstanding English dialect essential.
A vocal pop sensibility is a plus for this role.
Gender: Male identifying
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: G#4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
Directed and Choreographed by Shawn Cannon, Music Directed by Emily Stratton
Jane Austen's adored heroine gets the musical treatment in Emma from acclaimed composer and lyricist Paul Gordon (Daddy Long Legs, Jane Eyre). For centuries, Emma Woodhouse has charmed and delighted readers - and now she does so onstage. Emma is truly a timeless tale of love, making mistakes, and holding yourself accountable.
A carefree woman, Emma Woodhouse has "the very best blessings of existence" with "very little to vex or distress me." She is also a self-proclaimed matchmaker who thinks too highly of her abilities. When her attempts at matchmaking and romance go awry, Emma has to face herself and the people she has hurt.
And maybe... find her own match
in the process.
Show goes up May 15-31
Prepare a 32 bar song from the style of this musical, and be prepared for a cold read from the libretto. Please provide a backing track for your audition or you can sing acapella.
Any questions? Email the director, Shawn at
[email protected]
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Emma Woodhouse
A 19 th century English aristocrat. Vivacious and self-absorbed, her penchant for matchmaking leads to unwanted results and comic mishaps. With a lack of skill, she tries to arrange marriages for those around her, while remaining clueless as to her own heart. Must be a classically trained actress, with outstanding comic timing and skilled at English dialects. An extremely vocally demanding role, she must have a thrilling alto voice and incredible vocal stamina. Some pop sensibility welcome.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: D#5
Vocal range bottom: F#3
Mr. Woodhouse
Emma's father.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 50-60
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: A3
Harriet Smith
An awkward and shy girl, she is Emma’s make-over project as she tries to find the perfect husband for her new friend. She has a pure and innocent heart and takes Emma’s every word as Gospel. She is of a considerably lower class than Emma and her dialect and speech must reflect that inequality. It is essential that she be a superb comic actress with a quirky sensibility and an outstanding legit soprano voice.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Mr. Knightley
A local land owner and old friend of Emma Woodhouse and her family. A 19th Century English aristocrat with a strong moral center and a tendency to scold and lecture Emma on her lack of compassion for others. He must be a trained classical actor with a strong English dialect. He must possess outstanding comic talent and have a dry, dead pan wit. Vocally, he must have a thrilling Bari-tenor voice with some pop sensibility.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 25 to 40
Vocal range top: Ab4
Vocal range bottom: G2
Miss Bates
An old friend of Emma's.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20-30
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Mrs. Bates
Miss Bates's mother.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 40-60
Jane Fairfax
Emma’s nemesis. Quiet and reserved, she is everything Emma is not. Good-hearted and misunderstood by Emma, she remains slightly mysterious and hard to read. She must possess an extraordinary coloratura soprano voice with a sophisticated English dialect essential.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: B5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Mr. Elton
The vicar.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 35-45
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
Mrs. Elton
A snooty 19th Century English aristocrat who is oblivious to her own over the top manner. She annoys everyone around her and always manages to say the wrong thing. She needs to be the comic spark in the second act and therefore be extremely funny with a hilarious pompous upper class English dialect. She has no solo singing lines, but still must have a good voice. Either alto or soprano acceptable.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 35 to 45
Vocal range top: Eb5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Robert Martin
A simple farmer in 19th century England. Sweet and awkward he is almost unable to put two sentences together, but Harriet is smitten with him anyway by his gentle nature and puppy dog love for her. Must have an outstanding tenor voice with great comic ability.
Lower class English dialect essential.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: Ab4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
Miss Elizabeth Martin
Robert Martin's sister
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Mr. Weston
An early 19th Century English gentleman and long time family friend. A kind and sensible man, he is the only successful product of Emma’s match-making skills. Even tempered and distinguished with a slightly dead pan sense of humor. No solo sung lines, but still must be a good singer with a fine English dialect. Tenor, baritone or bass all acceptable.
Gender: Male Identifying
Age: 45 to 60
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Mrs. Weston
An early 19th Century English governess. Elegant and graceful, she is Emma’s former governess and the maternal influence in her life. Her only shortcoming is a tendency towards idle gossip. Now more friend than governess to Emma, she will always be Emma’s mentor. Outstanding English dialect needed with good comic timing. Has one duet,
great alto voice essential.
Gender: Female Identifying
Age: 45 to 60
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Frank Churchill
A 19th century English aristocrat. Smooth and elegant with a pervasive and winning personality. He ultimately has the nuances of a scoundrel, but in the end we understand that his motivations were not as ominous as they first appeared. He must have a beautiful and magnificent round tenor voice with an outstanding English dialect essential.
A vocal pop sensibility is a plus for this role.
Gender: Male identifying
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: G#4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2