Audition Info

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

Paramount Theatre
Stolp Island Theatre

Paramount Theatre is proud to announce the addition Stolp Island Theatre! Set to open in July 2024, the immersive 98 seat house will allow an experience like never before. The inaugural production for the space will be an intimate production of Million Dollar Quartet! Paramount Theatre is currently seeking actors for an open-ended run with contracts provided on a rolling basis. Character Descriptions are below.

PERSONNEL

Jim Corti (he/him) – Director of Million Dollar Quartet, Artistic Director for Paramount Theatre
Kory Danielson (he/him) – Music Director
Trent Stork (they/them) –Artistic Producer & Casting Director for Paramount Theatre
Elena Gerk (she/her) – Artistic & Casting Associate for Paramount Theatre

PRODUCTION DATES

First Rehearsal: June 11, 2024
Tech Begins: July 3, 2024
First Preview: July 10, 2024
Opening Night: July 19, 2024
Closing Night: TBD (Open Run)

Audition Preparation:

Please prepare a one-minute song cut in the style of the show to be SELF-accompanied on guitar for the roles of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins.

Please prepare a one-minute song cut in the style of the show to be SELF-accompanied on piano for the role of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Please prepare a one-minute song cut in the style of the show for the role of Dyanne. An accompanist will be provided.

Please submit a headshot and resume directly to casting@paramountarts.com for the roles of Brother Jay and Fluke.

Character Descriptions

Jerry Lee Lewis
Male, 20.
Rock ‘n’ Roll’s legendary piano prodigy and celebrated Last Man Standing. Superb piano player.

Elvis Presley
Male, 21.
The first and still undisputed King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Plays guitar.

Carl Perkins
Male, 24.
The first poet of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Lead guitar player.

Johnny Cash
Male, 24.
A giant of American music at the dawn of his epic career. Plays guitar.

Sam Phillips
Male, 33.
The Father of Rock ‘n’ roll and the founder of Sun Records. Discovered Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and many others including Roy Orbison and B.B. King. A towering and charismatic figure in American music.

Dyanne
Female, mid-twenties.
An aspiring singer who can hold her own among four legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Elvis’s girlfriend.

Brother Jay
Male, mid-twenties.
Brother of Carl Perkins. Plays bass.

Fluke
Male, mid-twenties.
Sun Record’s drummer. A superb drummer.

For questions of email submissions, please contact: Casting@paramountarts.com

CATS

Paramount Theatre Broadway Series

In Paramount Theatre’s upcoming production of Cats, the curtain rises on what remains of the Cirque du Chat. In addition to fabulous dancers and singers, Paramount Theatre is seeking acrobats, circus performers, contortionists, aerialists, and any other form of specialty physical performer to join the production. Many of the acts in the Cirque du Chat will be based around the performers we are able to find so please come audition or get in touch at: casting@paramountarts.com!

PERSONNEL

Trent Stork (they/them) – Director of Cats, Artistic Producer & Casting Director for Paramount Theatre
Sylvia Hernandez-Distasi (she/her) – Circus Choreographer
TBD – Choreographer
Kory Danielson (he/him) – Music Director
Jim Corti (he/him) – Artistic Director for Paramount Theatre
Elena Gerk (she/her) – Artistic & Casting Associate for Paramount Theatre

PRODUCTION DATES

First Rehearsal: March 31, 2025
Tech Begins: April 23, 2025
First Preview: April 30, 2025
Opening Night: May 9, 2025
Closing Night: June 15, 2025

Munkustrap
Mature, Male Cat
The Ringleader of the Cats and Lion Tamer to his wild-at-heart brother, Macavity. The sensible and responsible oldest brother of Rum Tum Tugger and Macavity.

Rum Tum Tugger
Mature, Male Cat
The middle Brother of the Brother Trio of Cats: Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, and Macavity. Happily domesticated and uses his Rock Star charm to get what he wants when he wants it. The mid-show vocal entertainment in this Cirque du Chat.

Macavity
Younger to Mature, Male Cat
Untamed, Lionesque, youngest brother to Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger. Has a heart of fire and refuses to be domesticated. His reputation for disruption makes him both infamous and seductive. He has two ex-lovers: Bombalurina and Demeter.

Grizabella
Older, Female Cat
Aging and broken hearted former Trapeze Artist Cat. Once upon a time she only had to reach out and be caught. She reaches still but no one is there. Her lover abandoned her many years ago, her mind deteriorated, and her community shunned her. Miss Havisham on a wire.

Mistoffelees
Young, Male Cat
The Magician Cat, of course! Uses his terpsichorean powers to find and bring back Old Deuteronomy. Confident, mysterious, and the most beloved of Cats.

Victoria
Young, Female Cat
The arial and contortion specialist in the Cirque du Chat. The most recent soul to be brought back to a new Jellicle Life. The Jellicle Ball is her coming-of-age party- she is now looking for a mate.

Bombalurina and Demeter
Mature, Female Cats
Sisters who used to have a double act. Both used and spurned by Macavity, they revile but long for his embrace.

Bustopher Jones
Older, Male Cat
The jolly Happy Clown of the Cirque du Chat. Loves to eat but constantly forgetting and misplaceing what he was just snacking on!

Asparagus (or, just Gus)
Older, Male Cat
The star of yesteryear who has sadly aged out of his former Circus Glory Days. He can still remember the good times when all eyes were on him. He is now a bit of a Sad Clown type who the Cats still adore. The Cats love to hear his stories!

Old Deuteronomy
Older, Gender TBD
Maybe the Strongman Cat or the Strong-Woman Cat or maybe the Bearded Lady Cat. In any form, Deuteronomy’s progeny make up the Cirque du Chat.

Skimbleshanks
Mature, Male Cat
Skimblehsanks is the Manager cat in charge of loading and unloading the Circus on and off the train as the Circus travels from town to town. He’s a bit much but you gotta love him. Every group needs a Skimble, but not everyone in the group can be a Skimble, ya know?

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser
Younger, Male and Female Cat Respectively
Bouncy pair of naughty Acrobatic Cats who star in the Cirque du Chat when they aren’t causing mayhem and mischief.

Coricopat and Tantomile
Mature, Twin Cats of any Gender
Psychic Twin Cats who are rarely if ever seen apart. Or are they one cat altogether? No one really knows…

Tumblebrutus
Younger, Any Gender Cat
The Tumbling Star of the Cirque du Chat. Can fly through the air with greatest of ease.

Jellyorum
Older, Female Cat
The Mother Figure to the younger Cats and Caretaker of all the Cats. Loves Gus most of all.

Jennyanydots
Mature, Female Cat
A Gumby Cat that thinks that her special skill… tap dance! …should be a main attraction in the Cirque du Chat. Munkustrap is in support but the other Cats are not so sure…

Sillabub
Female Cat
Last year’s Jellicle Choice and heart of the Cats. Can see through, and relate to, Grizabella’s pain. Currently the Trapeze Act in the Circus.

Cassandra
Female Cat
The Mysterious Seductress of the Cats. Often used to memorize the audience as a point of distraction for the Magic Acts. Best friend and cohort to Mistoffelees.

Carbuckety, Alonzo, Pouncival, Electra
Four Cats of any Age and any Gender
Other Acts in the Cirque du Chat- maybe: trapeze, wire walking, tumbling, contortionist, etc.

Ensemble Cats
Cats of any Age and any Gender
Other cats that serve as ensemble Cats and back up performers to the Main Attractions in the Cirque du Chat.

Cat Chorus
One voice of each of the primary voice types: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass
Offstage Singing Cats that make the music in the Circus of Cats sound great!

For questions of email submissions, please contact: Casting@paramountarts.com

PETER and the STARCATCHER

Paramount Theatre Bold Series

Synopsis

A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by an evil King. On board, they know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. While at sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates their fearsome leader Black Stache is determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own.

From the director

I believe in the power of stories. In the power of our imaginations. More than anything else, this show is about reclaiming that potential for ourselves. Our goal is to create a world that challenges the imagination of our audience and reminds us of the power of story. Shadow-play, puppets, quick-changes, mermaid dances, sword fights, pirate dialects, twinkle lights, ropes and planks and starstuff. I want us to remember what it felt like to believe that we could fly, and the only reason we haven’t yet was because we just haven’t quite figured out how.   – Nate

PERSONNEL

Nate Cohen (he/him) – Director
Trent Stork (they/them) –Artistic Producer & Casting Director for Paramount Theatre
Jim Corti (he/him) –Artistic Director for Paramount Theatre
Elena Gerk (she/her) – Artistic & Casting Associate for Paramount Theatre

PRODUCTION DATES

First Rehearsal: June 24, 2024
Tech Begins: July 17, 2024
First Preview: July 24, 2024
Opening Night: August 1 and 2, 2024
Closing Night: September 1, 2024

Character Descriptions

A few important notes on characters:

All actors in the show have baseline Narrator tracks they are playing, who then assume the roles of the characters listed below. Because of this, while the genders of the characters is important, the gender of the performers playing those characters only matters in a few cases, which are designated below. All other role tracks are open to actors of any gender identity/expression. We invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender and non-binary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with. We are seeking actors of all races and ethnicities for all roles.

All performers save for the actors playing Molly, Peter, and Black Stache will at times play ensemble roles like Pirates, Sailors, etc. This show is deeply rooted in communal story-telling and event, so most performers will be onstage for the majority of the show, whether they are in-scene or helping to build the world around the characters!

Some doubling is possible and is listed below. We will make final decisions about how that will work after auditions have concluded, but are aiming to cast between 12 and 15 performers. If there are any questions about this feel free to reach out!

Molly Aster (Female): a true leader at a time when girls weren’t often allowed to lead. Will risk everything for the sake of Doing Right. Curious, intelligent, beginning to feel things she doesn’t understand – because, after all, she’s a thirteen-year-old kid.

Boy (Peter) (Male): A boy who doesn’t miss much. Nameless, homeless, and friendless at the beginning of the play and a hero by the end. A survivor. More than anything in the world, he wants a home and a family. If he could grow up, he’d fall for Molly in a big way. But it’ll never happen.

Black Stache: Long after everyone else got out of the pirate business, Black Stache continues to terrorize the seven seas in search of a hero worthy of his villainy. Heartless and hirsute, suspiciously well read, partial to the poetical and theatrical, and given to a ferocity from which no good shall ever spring. Also still getting his sea legs under him a bit, which is ironic.

Prentiss: Ambitious, hyper-articulate, logical; yearns to be a leader, even as he knows in his heart that he never shall be one. A bit of a blowhard with just the teeny-tiniest touch of cowardice. An orphan.

Ted: Obsessed with food: the eating of, the fighting over, the dreaming about. A natural actor, an easy wit, perhaps a future poet. An orphan.

Lord Leonard Aster (Male): The very model of a Victorian English gentleman, loyal subject to the Queen, devoted father, faithful friend. Also, and not irrelevant to our story, Lord Aster is a Starcatcher – dedicated to protecting the Earth and all who dwell thereon from the awesome power of starstuff.

Mrs. Bumbrake (Male): Molly’s nanny. British to the bone. Still has enough of her girlish charm to turn a sailor’s head and leaven his dreams.

Captain Robert Falcon Scott: Captain of Britain’s fastest frigate, the Wasp. Years later, he will lead an expeditionary team to the South Pole, freeze to death, and become the iconic British hero, Scott of the Antarctic.

Grempkin (may be doubled with Fighting Prawn): The mean and malodorous schoolmaster of St. Norbert’s Orphanage for Lost Boys. Keeps the boys from ever even seeing the sun.

Bill Slank (may be doubled with Hawking Clam): The Neverland’s vicious captain. A greedy bastard who’d sell his own mother for a ship to command. Probably afraid of the dark but would sooner throw you over-board than admit it.

Alf: A salty old sea dog. Something about him appeals to the feminine sensibility – might be his bowlegs, his saucy gait, or his kind heart.

Mack (may be doubled with Sanchez and/or The Musician): A very bad sailor who wants to be anywhere but under the thumb of Bill Slank. Can’t tell left from right.

Smee: First mate to Black Stache. Single-mindedly dedicated to his captain’s every whim. His motto: “’Tis good to be busy.”

Sánchez (may be doubled with Mack and/or The Musician): A hardworking Pirate having an identity crisis.

Fighting Prawn (may be doubled with Grempkin): King of the Mollusks. Kidnapped by British sailors and brought in chains to England, where he learned Italian wines and mastered Italian cuisine.

Hawking Clam (may be doubled with Slank): Son of Fighting Prawn. One day, he will ascend the Clam throne as head of the Royal Clam Clan. Desperate to please his father.

Teacher (may be doubled with Mrs. Bumbrake or others): Formerly a salmon, now an ancient, knowledgeable mermaid.

Violence and Intimacy

Intimacy: There are three moments of intimacy in the show. Two are kisses between Molly and Peter. The first is short and quick, the second slightly longer, but still relatively brief. The characters are 13 year olds and experiencing love for the first time, it’s tender and sweet rather than sexual. The other moment is a brief moment between Alf and Mrs. Bumbrake that would probably best be described as comedic heavy petting. None of the intimacy involves any undressing. If there are any questions please reach out!

Violence: There are several large fight scenes in the show. All of the violence is intended to be fun/entertaining/exciting. They are not meant to be gory or particularly violent feeling. These fights will likely involve a variety of props, but we are not anticipating using real swords at this time.

• Melee between The Wasp and The Neverland: A massive brawl on the deck of the Neverland in the midst of a hurricane. Will likely involve the entire cast.
• Duel between Slank and Stache: The brawl above ends with a one-on-one verbal and physical duel between the captains of the two crews.
• Fight between Stache/Smee and Peter/Molly/Ted/Prentiss – The climax of the show involves another brawl like fight between the pirates and our child heroes. Think headlocks and jumping on backs and chucking pineapples much more than anything gruesome.
• Stache accidentally cuts off his hand – Again, meant to be more comedic than gruesome. Terrible for the character, but a delightful hammy moment for the performer.

For questions of email submissions, please contact: Casting@paramountarts.com

AN ACT OF GOD

Paramount Theatre Bold Series

AN ACT OF GOD is a comedic evening with God, in which the mysteries of the Bible will be revealed and the greatest questions that plague humankind will be answered.

PERSONNEL

Keira Fromm (she/her) – Director
Trent Stork (they/them) –Artistic Producer & Casting Director for Paramount Theatre
Jim Corti (he/him) –Artistic Director for Paramount Theatre
Elena Gerk (she/her) – Artistic & Casting Associate for Paramount Theatre

PRODUCTION DATES

First Rehearsal: September 2, 2024
Tech Begins: September 25, 2024
First Preview: October 2, 2024
Opening Night: October 10 and 11, 2024
Closing Night: November 10, 2024
Character Descriptions

GOD
Ageless (but looks 30s-40s).
All-knowing, all-powerful, and funny as hell. High status, full of confidence & verve, capable of both tremendous love and cruelty.

MICHAEL
20s-40s.
An angel of God’s. Intelligent, curious, impulsive, and as irreverent as an angel of God’s can be.

GABRIEL
30s-50s.
An angel of God’s. A team player, does everything by the books, pragmatic, no-nonsense.

For questions of email submissions, please contact: Casting@paramountarts.com

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Paramount Theatre Bold Series

PERSONNEL

Stephen Schellhardt (he/him) – Director
Morgan DiFonzo (she/her) – Choreographer
Kory Danielson (he/him) – Music Director
Trent Stork (they/them) – Artistic Producer & Casting Director for Paramount Theatre
Elena Gerk (she/her) – Artistic & Casting Associate for Paramount Theatre

PRODUCTION DATES

First Rehearsal: February 10, 2025
Tech Begins: March 5, 2025
First Preview: March 12, 2025
Opening Night: March 20 and 21, 2025
Closing Night: April 27, 2025

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

NOTE: While many actors will play preteens/teens, ALL actors need to be over the age of 16

Chip Tolentino
Male, Preteen
An athletic, social, boy scout and champion of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, he returns to defend his title, but he finds puberty hitting at an inopportune moment.

Logainne Schwartzandgrunenierre
Female, Preteen
Also known as “Schwartzy”, Logainne is the youngest and most politically aware speller, often making comments about current political figures. Schwartzy is driven by internal and external pressure, but above all by a desire to win to make her two fathers proud. She is somewhat of a neat freak, speaks with a lisp, and regardless of the outcome this year, she will be back next year.

Leaf Coneybear
Any Gender, Preteen
The second runner-up in their district, Leaf gets into the competition on a lark and finds everything about the bee incredibly amusing. Leaf is home-schooled and comes from a large family of former hippies. Leaf has severe Attention Deficit Disorder and spells words correctly while in a trance.

William Barfee
Male, Preteen
A Putnam County Spelling Bee finalist last year, William was eliminated because of an allergic reaction to peanuts and is back for vindication. His famous “Magic Foot” method of spelling has boosted him to spelling glory, even though he only has one working nostril and a touchy, bullying personality. He develops a crush on Olive.

Marcy Park
Female, Asian, Preteen
A recent transfer from Virginia, Marcy placed ninth in last year’s nationals. She speaks six languages, is a member of all-American hockey, a championship rugby player, plays Chopin and Mozart on multiple instruments, sleeps only three hours a night, hides in the bathroom cabinet, and is getting very tired of always winning. She is the poster child for the Over-Achiever, and attends a Catholic school called “Our Lady of Intermittent Sorrows.” She is also not allowed to cry.

Olive Ostrovsky
Female, Preteen
A young newcomer to competitive spelling. Her mother is in an ashram in India, and her father is working late, as usual, but he is trying to come sometime during the bee. Having found comfort in its words and vastness, Olive made friends with her dictionary at a very young age, helping her to make it to the competition. She starts enormously shy, and shyly blossoms.

Rona Lisa Peretti
Female, 30s-40s
The number-one realtor in Putnam County, a former Putnam County Spelling Bee Champion herself, and the returning moderator. Rona is a sweet woman who loves children, but she can be very stern when it comes to dealing with Vice Principal Panch and his feelings for her. Her commitment to the competition is unflagging and always drives it forward.

Douglas Panch
Male, 30s-60s
Vice Principle Panch is frustrated with his life and finds the drive of the young spellers alien to him. After five years’ absence from the Bee, Panch returns as judge. There was an “incident” at the Twentieth Annual Bee, but he claims to be in “a better place” now, thanks to a high-fiber diet and Jungian analysis. He is infatuated with Rona Lisa Peretti, but she does not return his affections.

Mitch Mahoney
Any Gender, 20s-40s
The Official Comfort Counselor, Mitch/Midge is an ex-convict performing community service with the Bee, and hands out juice boxes to losing students. Mitch/Midge has no idea how to offer comfort, but wishes to find a way to make the kids feel better.

For questions of email submissions, please contact: Casting@paramountarts.com