Auditions for Bright Star
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BRIGHT STAR
Inspired By A True Story
Music, Book and Story by Steve Martin | Music, Lyrics, and Story by Edie Brickell
Directed by Julie Ewing
Music Directed by Ashley Jones
Auditions
Saturday, July 6, 2019 | 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Auditions are drop-in, last auditioners accepted at 4 pm
Callbacks
Sunday, July 7, 2019 | 1:00pm – 5:00pm
You will be notified by 8 pm July 6 if you are to attend. Come prepared for a short dance audition, cold readings and to sing from the sides provided.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will kick-off with a Music/Dance Sunday Song Slam, Sunday August 4 from 1-10pm. After that the schedule will be Sun-Thurs until opening. Refer to the rehearsal conflict sheet for details
PRODUCTION DATES
Aug 30 – Sept 15, 2019
Fri/Sat at 8:00pm | Sun at 2:00 pm
EXPECTATION AND PREPARATION
Please fill out the Audition Form and Rehearsal Conflict sheets and bring them with you to auditions. Due to the short rehearsal schedule we ask that you be honest with your conflicts. A headshot and resume will be added to these sheets but not necessary.
Note from the Directing Team | We have included vocal sides from the show and encourage all of those interested in a particular part to sing from the show from the given sides. Or you may choose to sing 18 bars of music written for musical theatre. You need to bring a copy of your music. A pianist will be provided
Downloadable Forms
Audition Form
Rehearsal Conflict Sheet
Song Sides
Alice | If You Knew My Story
Alice w/Ensemble | Way Back in the Day
Billy | Bright Star
Daddy Cane | She’s Gone
Jimmy Ray | Whoa, Mama
Lucy & Daryl | Another Round
Mama & Daddy Murphy | Firmer Hang / Do Right
Margo | Asheville
Mayor | A Man’s Gotta Do
SYNOPSIS
Inspired by a true story and featuring the Tony®-nominated score by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Broadway’s BRIGHT STAR tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ’40s. When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past—and what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives. With beautiful melodies and powerfully moving characters, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion. An uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tightly in its grasp, BRIGHT STAR is as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Alice Murphy | (Plays both 16-17 and 36-37 ) Alice at age 36-37 is an editor of a southern literary magazine; intelligent, attractive, professional – but with an air of melancholy. Young Alice at age 16-17 is rebellious, high-spirited, adventurous – looking to break out of small-town life and experience the world. She must be very strong singer and comfortable in folk and bluegrass styles.
Billy Cane | A young soldier returning home from WWII; an aspiring young writer; fresh, open, optimistic, charming, and a little naïve.
Daddy Cane | Billy’s father. A widower. Spry, good looking. Kind hearted, if a bit lonely.
Margo Crawford | A small-town bookstore owner; a childhood friend of Billy’s who now harbors romantic feelings towards him; a natural beauty with a keen intellect.
Max | A customer at Margo’s bookstore, at first, he has a crush on Margo, but later becomes Edna’s beau.
Florence | An employee at Margo’s bookstore and a childhood friend of both Billy and Margo.
Edna | An employee at Margo’s bookstore.
Daryl Ames | An assistant at a literary magazine. Funny, with a dry and officious sense of humor. Insecure, and perhaps a bit socially awkward, but endearing and innately likeable.
Lucy Grant | A junior editor at a literary magazine. An ambitious, professional young “modern” career woman of the 1940’s. Strong, forthright and provocative with a sharp sense of humor.
Mama Murphy | Alice’s mother. A caretaker to her family and her rural community. A warm, loving, sensible woman. Hardworking, with great inner strength and compassion.
Daddy Murphy | Alice’s father; an authoritative and a stern disciplinarian; devoutly religious, hard-working, a poor but proud farmer.
Mayor Josiah Dobbs | The Mayor of Zebulon; a political and financial powerbroker – distinguished, an imposing and controlling presence; has a genuine interest in protecting his son’s future and his family name, but in doing so, is ultimately pushed to a point of extreme and irrevocable cruelty.
Jimmy Ray Dobbs | Plays both age 18-20 and 38-40. Jimmy Ray in his early 20s in flashbacks is Mayor Dobbs’ son and young Alice’s beau; handsome, boyishly charming, well-built and intelligent; from a family of wealth and power and is being groomed by his father for a similar future in the family business; an independent thinker who is not afraid to stand up to his father for what he believes in; he has a sense of personal responsibility and morality as well as a deep reserve of passion and emotion. The same actor will also play an adult Jimmy Ray at age 38-40.
Stanford | Loyal assistant to Mayor Josiah Dobbs
Dr. Norquist | The local family doctor in Zebulon
Government Clerk | A clerk at the Office of Records in Raleigh
Well-Dressed Woman | A woman (38-40) living in Raleigh.*This tight ensemble will stay on stage for most of the show.
Additional Notes
Cast members are required to assist with strike following the final performance on September 23. Cast members may also be asked to assist with costume pieces.
QUESTIONS
Please direct questions to director Julie Ewing at julieewing@hotmail.com.
*OCTA celebrates our cultural and intellectual richness and is committed to promoting diversity in all aspects of our organization. Non-traditional and equal-opportunity casting is encouraged.
ABOUT US
OCTA is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization producing theatre in Olathe since 1974. Performing in the Buddy Rogers Family Playhouse, OCTA produces five high-quality, engaging, and thought-provoking theatre productions a year. Through the generosity of volunteers, season ticket holders, donors, the city, and the community, in addition to a dedicated board of directors, OCTA has grown into one of the most progressive community theaters in the entire Kansas City metropolitan area.