The Cameo Theatre Company

The Cameo Theatre Company will be staging "Calamity Jane' in 2011

Audition notes for Calamity Jane

Director: Dawn Strauss; Musical Director: Ric Tester

This musical Western is adapted from the celebrated stage-play and film.
Calamity Jane dresses like a man, totes a gun and drives the Deadwood City stagecoach. Well-meaning, but disaster-prone, she tries to help the local saloon proprietor out of a jam by promising to fetch a music-hall star from Chicago. A hilarious comedy, it nevertheless has many tender moments and some very famous numbers, including "Secret Love", "Black Hills Of  Dakota, "Deadwood Stage" and "Windy City".

Principal performers: 4 female, 7 male

Storyline:

Deadwood City's two most famous peace officers, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock, get involved in saving the neck of Henry Miller, the local saloon operator. It seems that "Millie" has been promoting a beautiful actress named Frances Fryer, but Frances turns out to be a boy, Francis. Millie's attempt to cover up is soon unmasked by the angry miners, and only Calamity can cool the crowd with her trusty pistols.
To keep the peace, Calamity sets out for Chicago to bring back the miner's real heart-throb, Adelaide Adams. In Chicago Calamity mistakes Adelaide's maid, Katie Brown, for the actress and hauls her back to Deadwood. Onstage Katie is greeted warmingly, but breaks down and confesses that she is not the famous star. Calamity once more has to restore order and persuades the audience to give Katie a chance. They do, and she wins the heart of every male in town including Calamity's dashing love hope, Lt. Danny Gilmartin. Calamity reluctantly overcomes her jealousy over losing Danny and discovers her true love for Wild Bill.  

CHARACTERS

Calamity Jane (Low G (Opt. F) to D Flat (Opt. E. Flat) The hard-bitten, gun-totin' heroine, who tries to behave like a man but can't help loving like a woman. In order to hold her own in a man's world, she dresses, speaks, rides and shoots like a man ; groomed and dressed in proper feminine fashion, she is revealed as a beautiful girl-and the transformation is quite startling.
Audition songs: Secret Love and Windy City


Wild Bill Hickock ( B Flat to E Natural) - Aged about 35, and a handsome figure of a man, he is an ex-peacc-officer turned professional gambler. Good-natured, with a sense of humour. In love with Calamity Jane, but doesn't know it.
Audition songs: Higher than a Hawk and Adelaide


Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin ( B Flat to E Flat) - A young officer attached to the nearby fort. He is the man Calamity Jane dreams about, but he falls in love with somebody quite different.
Audition song: I Love you Dearly OR any song that covers the required vocal range


Katie Brown(Low F Sharp to C Sharp) - A stage-struck city-girl who poses as a famous actress, but has good looks and talents of her own.
Audition song: Keep it under Your Hat OR any song that covers the required vocal range


Henry Miller (Non-singing) - Proprietor of " The Golden Garter ", Deadwood City's saloon-hotel-theatre. Aged about 50, he is nervous and erratic-giving the impression that he is constantly only one jump ahead of a nervous breakdown.


Susan (Non-singing) - Miller's young, friendly and pretty niece.


Francis Fryer ( B Flat to D) - A song-and-dance man more at home in the vaudeville theatres of the Eastern States than in the Wild West.
Audition song: Hive full of Honey OR any song that covers the required vocal range
 


Adelaide Adams (Low F Sharp to B (Opt. D)) - A highly-paid vaudeville star and celebrated " beauty " of the period ; off-stage, a selfish and conceited woman.

Audition song: Any song that covers the required vocal range
 

Rattlesnake (Non-singing) - A bewhiskered old fossil who drives the stage-coach.

"Doc" Pierce (Non-singing) - Deadwood City's doctor/undertaker, with doubtful qualifications but considerable experience. A poker-playing pal of Hickock's.

Joe (Non-singing) - Bartender of "The Golden Garter"

Hank and Pete - Two Scouts.

Colonel of Fort Scully.

Cowpunchers, Bullwhakers, Prospectors, Trappers, Drunks, Indians, Women of the town, Chorus Girls, Officers, Soldiers and their Wives, Stage Coach Passengers, etc

MUSICAL NUMBERS:

  1. Deadwood Stage
  2. Adelaide
  3. Everyone Complains About the Weather
  4. Weather Dance
  5. Men
  6. Careless with the Truth
  7. A Hive Full of Honey
  8. Adelaide's Ballet
  9. Weather Dance lesson
  10. I Can Do Without You
  11. 'Tis Harry I'm Planning to Marry
  12. Windy City
  13. Keep It Under Your Hat
  14. Exaggeration Ballet
  15. Higher Than a Hawk
  16. A Woman's Touch
  17. Love You Dearly
  18. The Black Hills of Dakota
  19. Secret Love

 

Audition Tips

By Ric Tester

Auditioning for a part in a show is usually exciting - it can be both scary and fun at the same time!

Tip 1
Think of the audition as a great opportunity to show what you are capable of, but don't make the mistake of showing what you can't do by attempting something that is out of your range. Remember, show your talent and not your limitations.

Tip 2
Look at the roles that you could possibly do in the show, and write out a list. Arrange the roles in your order of preference with your most favoured role at the top. When you fill in the form at the audition, copy your list onto the form. This will give you a much greater chance of getting a role in the show...and remember - sometimes second place can pay more than the winner!

Tip 3
If you have never been for an audition before and just want to get some audition experience, go for it. Everyone has to start somewhere and remember that even the experienced folk on the audition panel were beginners themselves once (and most would even trade their experience to be doing it all over again). The folk in amateur societies are very supportive of future stars.

Tip 4
Look closely at the demands and requirements of a role when you are considering auditioning. The more you fit the criteria, the greater your chance of success - and vice versa. All roles will require a mix of acting, singing and movement - in a proportion that fits the role. A star dancer who has trouble singing outside of one octave would be unlikely to score a role which demanded five solo vocal pieces.

Tip 5
Prepare thoroughly for the audition. Select a song that your chosen character would sing from the show. Learn it and practise it in the same key as it is written in the score. Sometimes the panel will ask for the particular song that is the known song from the show. Check the audition notes to avoid any rude surprises at the auditions.

Tip 6
When it is your turn to audition, perform the song. Project yourself into the role and sing the song as your character would sing it. Use movement and body language as appropriate - sell the song.

Tip 7
The auditions will include a reading. Prepare for this by studying the character you intend to portray. If an accent is required, practice speaking with the accent. As in tip 6, act the part and sell yourself as being the actor that can bring that character to life.

After the auditions

Whatever the outcome of the audition, accept the decision in good grace. If you are offered the role you have tried out for, you are receiving quite a compliment, and naturally the expectation would be that you accept the role and fulfil all the demands and responsibilities of the role throughout the production period.
If you are offered a role other than your first choice, the panel will understand if you ask for a day or two to consider it. Remember though that when you accept any role, irrespective of whether or not it was your first choice, that role becomes yours to perform to the highest standard you can.
It can be disappointing if you are not offered any of the roles of your choice, but one thing is certain - how you deal with this situation will be noticed. Folk who behave as if they have been insulted by the result will do nothing more than convince the audition panel that they decided correctly.

On being a member of the chorus

A strong chorus is an essential part of any musical play. Most choruses will sing at least a two part harmony. The musical opportunities that exist in the chorus are very often overlooked and amost always underestimated. The beautiful harmonies that a good chorus can generate is well worth the price of admission on its own. A chorus that has been properly coached is every bit as important to the success of the show as the principal players.