Lucky Stiff

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty; Directed by Allison Beaver

Unassuming English shoe salesman, Harry Witherspoon, is thrown into a chaotic escapade when he learns that he has inherited $6,000,000 - with one unusual stipulation: He must take his uncle's corpse on the adventure of a lifetime, or the money goes to the dogs - literally! From the Tony Award-winning team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the brains behind Ragtime, Once on this Island, and Anastasia. Follow Harry, the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn, a near-sighted (and jilted) mistress, zany characters, and mistaken identities to Monte Carlo for this murder mystery musical farce.

Auditions

• Sunday, November 3, 2019 at 2:00 PM
• Monday, November 4, 2019 at 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 7:00 PM - Callbacks by invitation only

You only need to attend one of the above audition sessions in order to be considered. No appointments are necessary. You should plan to spend about 2 hours at the theater for auditions (perhaps a little more or less, depending on turnout).

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script and a vocal audition where you will be asked to sing a one minute selection of a prepared song that shows range and character with a provided accompanist. There will also be improvisational games and a dance/movement audition, so please dress comfortably and bring character shoes, tap shoes (if you have them), and/or other shoes you can move well in. Headshot and resume are not required.

If you have any questions about auditions, you may e-mail the director at allison.greet@gmail.com.

Cast requirements:

Number of Women: 4-8 (18-60-ish yrs)

Number of Men: 4-8 (18-60-ish yrs)

Character Descriptions:

Most characters have accents other than American--all are listed with the character. Please be prepared to try to speak in these accents at auditions.

HARRY WITHERSPOON (M, 20s-40s; Vocal Range: Bb2 - F#4): Harry is a young Englishman who is insecure, yet charming in a boy-next-door type of way. He works as an underpaid shoe salesman in a dreary London suburb. He lives in a boarding house that is overrun with dogs and prying neighbors. Harry hates dogs. He knows that life is passing him by, but is reluctant to step out of his comfort zone, even once he discovers that $6 million is at stake. Needs a British accent/dialect.

ANNABEL GLICK (F, 20s-40s; Vocal Range: F#3 - E5): Annabel is a quirky, but very practical young woman with a natural bent for causes. She dedicates all of her time to good works and takes life too seriously to spend time just enjoying herself. She is a representative of the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn and has been sent to follow Harry and make sure he fulfills the special requirements of his uncle's will; in all likelihood, she volunteered to go. She is determined and confident that she will be there to catch him making a mistake; in her opinion, the dogs would be the only deserving recipients of the inheritance. Because of her strong convictions, she can sometimes come off as aggressive, but it comes from passion for the cause, so she's still likable. (Think Sarah Brown from Guys & Dolls).

RITA LA PORTA (F, 30s-50s; Vocal Range: F#3 - D5): Rita is a hard-edged woman with an extremely volatile nature and a severe case of nearsightedness. She is passionate, impulsive, jealous, manipulative and very insecure about her looks. Things often get out of control when Rita is present, due to her erratic behavior. She is the high-strung former lover of the dead Tony Hendon, with whom she stole $6 million from her casino owner husband (who is most likely involved in the mob). Needs a character voice--New Jersey accent/dialect (Think Karen from Will & Grace or Fran Drescher from The Nanny)

VINNIE DI RUZZIO (M, 30s-50s; Vocal Range: A#2 - F#4): Vinnie is a nervous and conservative optometrist and Rita's brother. He is even-tempered, in contrast to Rita's erraticism. He is not one to take a risk and prefers the predictable. He is forced to travel to Monte Carlo with Rita when she admits that she has dragged him into her mess.

LUIGI GAUDI (M, 30s-50s; Vocal Range: B2 - F#4): Luigi is a quintessential yet enigmatic Italian. He is a tourist in Monte Carlo, but it's not his first time there and his charming personality allows him to make friends wherever he goes. Luigi keeps popping up everywhere Harry - and his dead uncle - seem to be. He is drawn to Harry, despite Harry's attempts to remain inconspicuous. Needs an Italian accent/dialect.
*The actor who plays Luigi also plays the recorded voice of Tony Hendon: Tony is Rita's lover from New Jersey. In life, he was a casino manager for Rita's husband, the casino owner. He is a gruff, tough-guy-type. Needs a New Jersey accent/dialect.

THE BODY OF TONY HENDON (M, 30s-50s): Harry's dead uncle who's been preserved by a taxidermist. This role relies on physical comedy throughout the show. Nearly all of the show is spent sitting still in a wheelchair. (Think Bernie in Weekend at Bernie's.) Non-Speaking, non-singing role.

At least 4 versatile men/women to collectively play the remaining 29 characters in the show:

THE "OTHERS" (18-60s; all vocal ranges and looks): We need excellent comedic character actors who can master multiple quirky and hilarious characters and accents. Some of these characters include:

CASINO EMCEE: A smooth talking greaseball of a Frenchman who is the emcee of a glitzy Monte Carlo nightclub.

DOMINIQUE DU MONACO: A seductive French nightclub star in Monte Carlo.

LANDLADY: A frumpy, mean-spirited cockney woman who runs the boarding house where Harry lives.

SPINSTER: A repressed, dried up woman with no social life, aside from gossiping with the Landlady.

THE LODGERS: A cohort of nosy neighbors.

SOLICITOR: An uptight, high-Brit lawyer who thinks very highly of himself.

MISS THORSBY: A mousy, nervous secretary to the Solicitor who wants nothing to do with Harry's case or his uncle.

SOUTHERN LADIES: A pair of American tourists who are excited to be anywhere out of the States.

DANCING ROULETTE WHEEL AND PORTRAIT: A pair of dancers to portray some of the excitement of Monte Carlo.

DRUNKEN MAID: A clumsy and inebriated woman who makes a lot of mistakes.

BELLHOP: A young, eager, enthusiastic entrepreneur who likes tips.

PUERTO RICAN NURSE: A sassy nurse in Vinnie's Optometry practice.

Accents/dialects needed: British, Italian, French, Puerto Rican, Southern.
Please be prepared to try to speak in these accents at auditions.

Please Note: Lucky Stiff requires a cast with vibrant stage presence that moves well, sings strongly on pitch, and has excellent comic timing. Since all of the "other" actors will be portraying multiple characters, we are looking for actors to make strong character choices to show their versatility.

Rehearsals for Lucky Stiff will be on Sunday afternoons, Mondays, and Wednesdays. Tech rehearsals are required and will be held on 3/1, 3/2, 3/3, and 3/4. Please bring a list of any conflicts you may have to auditions.

Performances will be held on 3/6, 3/7, 3/13, 3/14, 3/20, 3/21, 3/27, 3/28 at 8:00pm and 3/15, 3/22 at 2:00 pm.

Performances

Coming March 6th

March 2020
Su	M	T	W	Th	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4	5	6 8:00 pm	7 8:00 pm
8	9	10	11	12	13 8:00 pm	14 8:00 pm
15 2:00 pm	16	17	18	19	20 8:00 pm	21 8:00 pm
22 2:00 pm	23	24	25	26	27 8:00 pm	28 8:00 pm

Purchase tickets and select your seats on-line. Tickets are also available via our reservation line at 610-363-7075.

Staff
Director		Allison Beaver
Producer		Lindsay Franklin
Musical Director		Doug Pratt
Wheelchair/Dance Consultant		Rose Marie Turbessi

« Previous: Bang Bang You're Dead • Next: The Revolutionists »