“Annie, Jr.” Musical Drama Camp
July 16-27, 2012, 10a-230p
Performance 7pm on Friday July 27
40 Hours plus Performance $355
Grades Rising 3rd-8th grades
Camp will be at FCT (4225 Aiken Drive, Warrenton – located in Vint Hill)
Kids: Do you dream of standing in the spotlight on opening night and hearing the applause of an audience? Then you’ll love sharing your dreams with kids just like you who love theater and the performing arts during FCT’s Summer Musical Theatre Camp!
The upbeat plot and flamboyant characters have made Annie one of the most beloved musicals in history. Students work together to put on the entire production. They will be leaning choreography and music, backstage techniques as well as be a part of set building and scenery design. Vocally they will learn diaphragm control, enunciation and diction, and breathing techniques. Memorization and home study required.
Placement Auditions Saturday, July 14th from 1-3p. Children should prepare a 16 bar song from a Broadway show and bring an audition form with them. Everyone who signs up for camp is guaranteed a part. This audition is for placement in the show. Director will be looking for ability to move and overall performance aspect of audition. Cast list will be announced on Monday morning.
About Annie, Jr. Below is a description from MIT about Annie, Jr. Auditioning for anything can be a challenging but exciting experience. As with each audition you go to, you’ll want to be prepared. Know the script, the songs, the characters. Each character has a breakdown, sides, and a small excerpt from the score with which to rehearse your audition.
Visit http://broadwayjr.com/audition/auditionlist.asp?ID=000170 for audition tips and script selections. As you can see below we need a large cast to bring this beloved story to life!
Cast Mr. Warbucks – This may be the most challenging role in Annie for a student in this age group. He must appear middle-aged, self-assured and confident. At first awkwardly affectionate toward Annie, he soon finds himself completely charmed by her. The student who plays Warbucks will need to be extremely focused throughout the show. His posture, walk and speech patterns are very important.
Grace- Grace is mature, calm, cool and “together.” She is classy and businesslike when dealing with Miss Hannigan and Warbucks, yet maternal toward Annie. The student playing Grace can set herself apart from the other characters simply by the sophisticated way she walks. Grace should seem ready with an answer for just about anything. Each dramatic situation should seem to come “under control” the moment she glides into a scene. The student playing Grace must be able to negotiate the challenging intervals in “N.Y.C.
Miss Hannigan – This woman is definitely a “has-been.” Her distaste for her job and the children that are part of it should be obvious in every line she speaks, every song she sings and every move she makes. The student who plays her must have an excellent sense of comic timing. The acrid delivery of her lines and the torch-like rendition of her songs must distinguish her from the other characters in the show.
Rooster & Lily – These two are quite the team — “team” being the operative word, as the characters play off each other constantly. You might consider casting students of contrasting heights. Rooster can even be shorter than Lily; after all, these two are not to be taken too seriously! Rooster is flashy and self-assured. His “moves” should be as smooth as a gambler’s, as should be the message he sells in “Easy Street.” Lily (airhead that she is) is always distracted, although she manages to pick up on any conversation involving money. She never acts as the leader, always bringing up the rear while tripping over her own feet (it is difficult to walk and check your makeup in a compact at the same time). “Easy Street” is the most challenging number in the show, in terms of vocal range. If the students playing Rooster and Lily are strong both vocally and visually, the audience will feel like joining them in “Easy Street”!
Others – Under the heading, “Others,” are many of Annie’s plum roles. The servants, orphans, Bundles, a NY Policeman and others should be cast with as much care as the leads. These ensemble roles are the key to making your production the best it can be! Not all these characters have audition scenes provided. Feel free to use other character’s scenes to audition these roles.
Orphans – These girls are gritty, neglected and vulnerable, yet basically honest and potentially lovable. The actors portraying them must be able to have mischievous fun with each other as well as “sibling-style” fights. Each student should be able to create and shape her own character. Children auditioning for these roles need to have vocal strength and be visually expressive. All of their blocking and movements must appear motivated and strong. Cast these characters well and you will have won over your audience by the end of scene one.
Annie – A complex little girl. She is a tough, streetwise urchin who is nevertheless vulnerable when she thinks she might lose what has become most important to her: a newfound “family” who loves her. She has to be motherly in scene one, independent in scene two, overwhelmed in scenes four and five, needy in scene seven, and hopeful for the future in scenes ten and eleven. The actor who plays Annie must be strong vocally and musically. She must be capable of vocal projection without strain. Although she is at times aggressive or crafty, the audience should never doubt Annie is a friendly and caring child; she will go to any extent to gain the love of a family to which she can belong