AUDITIONS

With auditions just around the corner we thought you guys might like a little insider knowledge, so we have thrown together a few hints and tips for auditioning as well as a little character description to get you geared up for the roles on offer.

Also get yourselves along to Bedlam Theatre on Monday at 8:30pm for our workshop, all the production team will be there and is the best opportunity to meet us before the audition room. It’s also sure to be a great evening of singing, acting, and having fun so don’t miss out!

The First Audition

First things first, this audition should not be scary, we are a friendly bunch (we hope) and all we’d like to see is what you can do.We have all been on your side of auditions as well so know exactly what it is like. For this audition we ask you to sing a song (acapella) of your choosing and prepare a short monologue. NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!

Pick a song you have rehearsed, that shows off your range and most importantly that you are comfortable singing. Don’t go out of your way to learn a song with crazy high notes and mental riffs because you think that’s what we want to see, show us what you’ve got but don’t strain yourself.

As for a monologue, pick something you can learn comfortably, even if it’s just a few lines. What we’d like to see is how you use the language, convey a character and how you respond to direction.

Callbacks

The callbacks are when we get to see what you can bring to the characters that we will be casting; each auditionee that makes it to this stage will receive an info packet specifically for the roles they are called back for. We also will be hosting a callback workshop where you will have the opportunity to run through the music required for the callback and talk to us about the characters in more detail.

The callback auditions will be open; anyone who makes it to this stage will be performing not only for the panel but for the other auditionees called for the same role. This will of course be quite nerve racking but try your best to transmit that pressure into positive energy and produce a great performance! From these final auditions we will pick our cast.

A bit about the Characters...

Anatoly Sergievsky

Societ Chess Grandmaster and the musicals romantic male, but that is far from a definition of the man. Anatoly is presented to us as a man who really cares about his game. He hates the political ideals that surround the game he loves; it has left him unsatisfied with his position in the Chess World. In his song  “Where I want to be” we get a glance into what it was like for him to rise the ranks, and how he feels little more than a Soviet pawn in the struggle for small political victories during the Cold War. He plays by their rules and does as he is told, but when he falls for his opponents second, things begin to change in Anatoly. Seizing his life in his hands he upstages his victory at the championship by defecting to the UK to live a life with Florence. In an attempt to make more of his life he begins to worry more about his love of Florence and avoiding his life as he once knew it in Russia rather than on the game.

This role is a tenor role with some incredible vocal high points including the Act 1 Finale “Anthem” in which he acknowledges that though he has left his country he carries it with him in his heart. He challenges the political ideas of both delegations with the notion that love is what ought to matter more than what borders surround you.

Frederick Trumper

Freddie is a particularly challenging role for a performer to tackle. On first listen you will recognise that he has the most demanding tenor part in the show, ranging up to a high C#, on top of this there is the task of presenting a difficult character development as the show plays out.

Throughout most of the show Freddie is presented to the audience as a very skin deep character with a swollen ego, a stark contrast to the deep and thoughtful Anatoly. However, as Act 2 unfolds, the complexities of Freddie's character are unveiled, culminating in the emotional high point of the act, "Pity The Child", revealing a guarded young man haunted by the abandonment of his parents who found comfort and hope in his discovery of chess, but whose success in the game has made him proud and arrogant. His final appearance in "Talking Chess" completes his journey and the audience is left with the satisfaction of a fabulously written character, one that has passed through pain, rejection, triumph, corruption and redemption.

In preparation for this role we would of course advice auditionees to study the vocal part in great detail but to also recognise that Freddie is not just a show off part for a singer but also a wonderful challenge for an actor.

Florence Vassy

Our Female protagonist, Florence is introduced to us as Freddie’s Chess Second and lover. She works to keep Freddie’s ego from swelling too far and prevent him from stepping into serious trouble with his delegation and the press. She loves him dearly, but Freddie’s temper often causes for him to lash out at her. Soon disillusioned with Freddie she begins to fall for Anatoly and when Freddie goes one step too far she seizes a moment and runs off with Anatoly.

On top of all this we discover that her Father was taken as a Soviet prisoner of war during the Budapest Uprising of 1956. She presumes him to be dead, but this piece of information does not go unnoticed by the politicians surrounding her.

Florence provides us with many excellent musical moments, a highlight being “Nobody’s Side” when she establishes herself as her own woman, not to be pushed around by any of the drama and politics surrounding the game. She is passionate, intelligent and devoted

Alexander Molokov

Scheming Russian delegate Molokov always has his Soviet ideals on his mind; he will always do what is necessary to win for his country. We see this right from the start as he tries to convince Anatoly that the only way to make certain of their victory is if Anatoly takes Florence’s love from Freddie, and later it becomes a little darker as he blackmails Svetlana to bring her husband down.

A Baritone role, this diplomat presents an opportunity for an actor to give us a bit of a villainous character. Vocal highlights include the “Soviet Machine” number which is reminiscent of “To Life” from Fiddler.

Walter de Courcey

Walter is the representative from Global Television who is broadcasting the Championship, and is a member of the American Delegation. Similarly to Molokov he is always pulling strings to get the best outcome for his country.  Also a baritone role

Svetlana Sergievsky

Anatoly’s wife and the mother of his children, she is blackmailed by Molokov to bring Anatoly down in the closing scenes of the play. She joins Florence in singing “I Know Him So Well.” She is feisty and passionate, she wants nothing more than to guarantee her families safety and bring Anatoly home.

Arbiter

The President of the World Chess Federation, the Arbiter is a tenor and acts as referee for the Chess matches. He is an experienced player and referee and sees through any ploys or gambits played by both sides, he remains impartial throughout and is very proud of his position. He has a fantastic number in the show with some excellent chess related puns thrown in. Although this role is fairly small, it provides an actor with a classy, fun role with heaps of attitude.

The Choir

Our choir will be 20 strong, and will provide the excellent choral sound that gives this score such a great depth of sound and harmony. The choir will multirole, playing a variety of characters throughout the show including; delegates, press reporters, and Chess pieces among others. There will be an amount of movement involved in playing a chorus role however dance experience, although desirable, is NOT essential.

And that’s everyone.

Hope this has been helpful and got you excited about the auditions. We can’t encourage you enough to audition, no previous experience required,  it is sure to be an absolute blast and we cannot wait to get started. To sign up for an audition, contact auditions@eusog.org to get a time allocated.

See you there!

CHESS TEAM 2014