Auditions

Auditions for main parts - from June 10th to June 27th

We're holding audition evenings in lots of locations over the month of June - at each partner school and additional venues.
Everyone is very welcome to attend ANY of the sessions - we're trying to make it as flexible and accessible as we can.
We're trying to create a very relaxed atmosphere. Here's what to expect:
• Everyone who would like a main part will need to present a short (<3min) 'own choice' item (song, poem, skit, etc. - as an individual or with a friend.)
• We'll sing together a section from the opening chorus "Oh the thinks you can think" - and we'll read a bit of the script turn and turn about.
• Everyone will need to be there in the middle of the session - for the chorus and script reading - but it will be OK to arrive a bit late or leave early.
• You'll need to indicate which parts you'd be most interested in - but you won't need to learn or audition for a specific part.
• Each evening will be recorded on video so that we can compare participants from all of the audition evenings before we are make offers.

Audition evenings - venues, dates and times

Gin Gin 1 - Gin Gin State School Hall - 13 May Street,  Gin Gin - Tuesday 10th June - from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Dallarnil - Dallarnil State School Library - 3 Main Street, Dallarnil - Wednesday 11th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Goodwood - Goodwood State School Library - 1802 Goodwood Road, Goodwood - Thursday 12th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Wallaville - Wallaville State School Music Room - Grey Street, Wallaville - Friday 13th June - from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Childers 1 - Uniting Church Hall - 36 Macrossan Street, Childers - Monday 16th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Coalstoun Lakes - Coalstoun Lakes State School Library - 3 Main Street, Coalstoun Lakes - Tuesday 17th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Childers 2 - Childers State School Music Room - Mungomery Street, Childers - Wednesday 18th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Cordalba - Cordalba State School Music Room - 1A Cemetery Road, Cordalba - Thursday 19th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Childers 3 - St Joseph's Primary School Hall - 38-44 Churchill Street, Childers - Friday 20th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Childers 4 - Isis District State High School Drama Room - 3 Ridgway Street, Childers - Monday 23rd June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Gin Gin 2 - Gin Gin RSL Memorial Hall - 32 Milden Street,  Gin Gin - Tuesday 24th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Booyal - Booyal Central State School Library - 31620 Bruce Highway, Booyal - Wednesday 25th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Biggenden - Biggenden State School Libraryl - Frederick Street, Biggenden - Thursday 26th June - from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Major characters (NOTE: Nearly all parts can be played by males or females of any age)

Horton the Elephant – The main character. While the Cat gets top billing, Horton is the heart and soul of Seussical, described as a thinker and an outsider, almost a blue-collar worker. Horton tries to protect the Whos and care for the egg Mayzie leaves behind even though the animals think this is crazy. He and Gertrude become the parents of the elephant-bird in the final scene.
Gertrude McFuzz – The loyal bird-neighbor of Horton, she loves him but is shy due to having only one feather for a tail. Horton eventually falls for her and she becomes the adoptive mother of the elephant bird in the end.
The Cat in the Hat – The mischievous, imaginative, comedic narrator of the show. The Cat's main role is as a mentor to Jojo throughout the play. The Cat can also play several other characters in the story if they are not cast separately*, including the Bailiff in "The People vs. Horton The Elephant," Mr. McGurkus, who runs the circus, Jose the pool boy in "Mayzie in Palm Beach," Doctor Dake in "Amazing Gertrude," a piano player imitating Louie Armstrong, an auctioneer, and others. Some productions have also had The Cat play Yertle the Turtle, Vlad Vladikoff, and The Grinch. The script allows for the Cat to be played by a male or a female as well, with only minor script changes.
* Please note that, if we have sufficient people interested, we hope to cast many of these additional roles separately.
Jojo – A thinker, the child of The Mayor and Mrs. Mayor, gets into trouble for thinking. He/she and Horton bond over the fact that they are outcasts because of what they do (Horton protecting the Whos and Jojo's "thinks"). He/she is appreciated in the end. Jojo can be played by either a boy or a girl with no script changes.
Mayzie LaBird – A vivacious and vain bird who tells Gertrude to take pills so her tail will grow longer, forcing Horton to love her (Gertrude). She is the mother of the elephant-bird Horton and Gertrude adopt but she abandons the egg when she goes to Palm Beach.
The Sour Kangaroo – The main antagonist of Seussical. She thinks that Horton is a fool for thinking that there is life on a speck of dust. She may also play the Young Kangaroo as a puppet.

Supporting characters

Mr. Mayor - The Mayor of Whoville, Jojo's father.
Mrs. Mayor - The Mayor's wife, Jojo's mother.
General Genghis Khan Schmitz – The general of the Whos' military. He leads Jojo to war against the Butter-Side-Downers.

The Young Kangaroo – The Young Kangaroo can be played by a puppet attached to the Sour Kangaroo's costume or a person. Does everything Sour Kangaroo does.

The Grinch - The Grinch is a notable member of Whoville, known for organizing their Christmas pageant.
Yertle The Turtle - Yertle is the judge of the jungle, appearing at the beginning of the show and in "People vs Horton the Elephant"
Vlad Vladikoff - A cameo role. Vlad is a vulture who is hired by the Sour Kangaroo to steal Horton's clover.

The Wickersham Brothers – Some mischievous monkeys who steal Horton's clover from him. They work as henchmen for the Sour Kangaroo. The number of Wickershams can vary.
The Bird Girls - The Bird Girls are a type of Greek chorus who are Mayzie's friends. They act as the narrators when the Cat in the Hat is not around. The number of Bird Girls can also vary and the group can be replaced or expanded by specific jungle creatures who can be either male or female. Some alternate characters:
• The Eagle is a precise and fierce mover.
• The Eaglet is a hatchling who is a flapper and leaper.
• The Zebra is a proud equine with a precise footing.
• The Gazelle is a graceful balletic mover who is fleet of foot.
• The Lizard is a languid mover & sometimes slithers on the floor.
• The Leopard is a supple mover who moves with deliberateness.
• The Tamarin Monkey is a frisky leaper who lopes & scampers.
• The Poison Dart Frog is a small animal who hops and jumps.

Ensemble characters

The Whos - Citizens of Whoville, idealistic citizens of a "pleasantville" - type town. Each Who has their own unique character and role, but share some features.
The Cadets, young soldiers in Schmitz's military.
The Jungle Creatures - Flexible movers who appear as dancers and singers in jungle scenes.
Hunches - These are representations of Jojo's thoughts, and are controlled by the Cat in the Hat.
The Hunters - They hunt Horton and take him to auction, often being doubled with the Wickersham Brothers.
Circus Performers - Acts in the Circus McGurkus. Clowns, animals, gymnasts - they also sing backup in "Solla Sollew".

So how many parts are available?

We chose Seussical because it is so flexible. We can cast any number of parts from 10 to 200. Nearly all of them can be played by males or females of any age. Some of them can even be modified to be larger or smaller roles, while some roles can be combined together.

If you would like to play a character in this event, we can guarantee that we have a role available for you. It's just a matter of matching your performance style to a particular character.

A few roles have much more singing than others, and we obviously need to fill these roles with people who are comfortable doing this.

On the other hand, some parts have no need for solo singing at all.

For this show, we're just looking for that fun "Seuss" factor!