Open call auditions by appointment Seussical will be:
Saturday, June 10, 2023 from 10:00am - 5:00pm
Callback auditions will be:
Sunday, June 11 from 3:00pm - 8:00pm and
Monday, June 12 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
SHOW DATES:
Friday, October 13 -- Opening night (7:00pm)
Saturday, October 14 - 7:00pm
Sunday, October 15 -- 2:00pm
Thursday, October 19 -- 7:00pm*
Saturday, October 21 - 2:00pm*
Sunday, October 22 -- 2:00pm
*Note that we do not have a 2nd Friday night performance, and the 2nd Saturday is a matinee.
Auditioning for Woodside Musical Theatre is easy and fun and (relatively) painless.
Step 1: Sign up for an audition slot HERE. (To make an appointment on this website, click the checkbox on the time slot you want, and then click "Submit and Sign Up" at the bottom of the page. Just clicking the box alone doesn't do it!)
Step 2: Download audition materials HERE. These include songs from Seussical that you are welcome to sing at your audition.
Step 3: Practice!
Step 4: Show up 15 minutes prior to your audition time slot. Bring 2 copies of your resume and headshot, if you have them. Bring your calendar so you can notify us of your potential conflicts between August 15 - November 1.
Step 5: After your audition, check back to THIS PAGE for callback lists and further information
And, just so you know, everybody is nervous at auditions -- even those people who don't look it!
Relax, have fun and don't forget to breathe!
If you cannot make it to the open call, we will gladly accept your VIDEO AUDITION by midnight on June 9, 2023. Click here for some suggestions on auditioning by video.
Artistic Team for Seussical
Stage Director/Choreographer: Tanika Baptiste
Music and Vocal Director: Justin Pyne
Choreographer: Sara K. Dean
About Seussical
The show was written and composed by Lynne Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who also authored Ragtime and Once On This Island. Based on the works of Dr. Seuss, it is, at once, light-hearted while also addressing serious social issues. More information about the show, including roles and vocal ranges, can be found HERE. While it's often produced by school groups and targeted at a children's theatre audience, WMT's production will be very much "grown-up" -- to quote the Cat In The Hat, "this ain't Mother Goose!"
To Answer Your Questions...
All of the appointment slots are filled, what do I do?
If you find, when you CLICK HERE, that all of the slots are filled, DO NOT WORRY.
Check back in a day or so -- we may open up more appointment slots. Regardless, we will make every effort to accommodate everyone who comes to audition, appointment or not. If you show up at auditions, but don't have an appointment, you will be seen. You may just have to wait a bit.
What if I can't make it to any scheduled auditions?
If you can't make it to auditions on June 10, email us at auditions@woodsidetheatre.com and we'll work something out. We can accept a video audition in this situation, but we'd really rather see you in person.
What are your COVID protocols?
For everyone's safety, we require auditioners to show proof of vaccines and boosters as they check in for auditions. Please bring a mask; depending on how the pandemic is going, we may ask you to wear it in the waiting area.
Do I HAVE to sing from the provided materials?
Unlike previous years, this year we are providing auditioners with selections from the show to sing for their appointment vocal auditions. However, you do not HAVE to sing a song from the provided materials.
If you choose to sing something other than what we've provided, please be prepared to sing 16 to 32 bars of a song from a Broadway musical that you know very well. Bring sheet music, in your key. No recordings or lead sheets, please, and the accompanist will love it if the music is well-organized, easy to turn pages, with the beginning and end point clearly marked. Experienced musical theater performers will have a repertoire of these, and we're happy to hear anything that demonstrates your range, capability and technique.
If you're new at this, and have a little mishap with your song, don't worry. Our audition team will help you determine and demonstrate your singing range.
The directors may ask you to change something and repeat part of it; if that happens, it's good news, because it means they're imagining you doing so in rehearsals!
Bottom line: we want to help you show us the best you have to offer!
Who are we looking for?
All roles will be cast by audition, and all roles are available. WMT has no contract with Actors Equity Association, so if you're with AEA and we cast you, you could get in trouble with them (we do not). Other performing arts unions, such as SAG, are no problem. We do not pay salary to our performers, but offer expense reimbursement for transportation.
Woodside Musical Theatre intends to be expansive in our vision to tell the story of Seussical by casting the show without regard to actor ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. We are committed to casting performers as diverse as the greater San Francisco Bay Area community we serve.
Can children audition?
Please note: Woodside Musical Theatre is a community theater that involves adult actors, and occasionally child actors depending on the show (like Seussical). WMT is not a children's company or conservatory, so the children in the show will be just a small portion of our cast.
There are a few roles for children in Seussical. "Jojo" is a central character, and represents the reader of Seuss's books. The show requires a small chorus of small people as the "Whos" and jungle animals of Nool.
Children interested in auditioning need to be 9 or older.
What is a callback, and do I have to be called back to be cast in the show?
Callback auditions are just a 2nd chance for the artistic staff to see what an auditioner has to offer. The callback auditions are by invitation; invites will be sent by email as soon as we know them, and posted to THIS PAGE. We only call back people we need to see again -- if you are not called back does not mean you're not in the show. Really!
We may hold a dance audition at callbacks; the choreographer will teach you a brief routine, and then you'll perform it for the directors a couple times.
Cast Announcement
We usually announce a cast list within 10 days after the callbacks. We post a note on our Facebook page, post the list HERE on our website, and send an email to everyone who auditioned, whether they were cast or not. So, if you auditioned and haven't heard from us, check your spam folder, and this web page.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will begin in early August, and are normally Monday through Thursday evenings, 7:00-10:00 PM. We make every effort to effectively use our cast members' time; you'll be called for (e.g.) one-hour time slots depending on which songs and scenes you will be in. Not everyone will be called every night until we start run-throughs in late September.
Performance Dates
Performances will be in mid-October at the (fabulous) Woodside Performing Arts Center.
REMEMBER:
Questions?
Feel free to ask questions about the audition process by emailing auditions@woodsidetheatre.com .