TYA Snow Queen
Hello and welcome from Marriott Theatre!
Please read all audition information before submitting!
Click the character name(s) to view all scenes and music. These will be due on Tuesday, Feb 7th, 2023 by 11:59pm CST. Please submit via our google form: https://forms.gle/6npBMhaDXj4HrXdL7. Videos must be received as an unlisted Youtube link or Vimeo link. We are looking for understudies for every role.
In-person callbacks will be in Lincolnshire, IL during the day of Tuesday, February 21st, 2023. Please indicate on the form if you are not available during that day. All cast members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to appear at an in-person callback and be cast in the show. “Fully vaccinated,” as defined by the CDC, is more than 14 calendar days following receipt of a final dose of an FDA or World Health Organization authorized or approved vaccine.
If you have questions, please email Sana Selemon at Sana.Selemon@MarriottTheatre.com.
Local Chicago actors strongly encouraged to audition!
First day of rehearsal: October 30th, 2023 (rehearsals are typically between Mondays-Saturdays with a 29 hour rehearsal week but calendar is subject to change)
Previews: November 17th - November 24th, 2023
Opening: November 25th, 2023 (Show schedule: typically Wednesday-Sunday with two shows on Saturday. Visit https://www.marriotttheatre.com/show/the-snow-queen for full calendar *subject to change*)
Closing: December 31st, 2023
Director: Landree Fleming
Musical Director: TBD
Choreographer: Katie Johannigman
Artistic Director: Peter Marston Sullivan
Executive Producer: Peter Blair
Associate Artistic Director: Katie Johannigman
Artistic Assistant: Sana Selemon
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
How do we determine what’s good? What’s evil? Should you play it safe and live in a world of order and analysis, or take risks, be brave, and jump headfirst into the adventures life and love offer? Based on the original and incredibly popular Hans Christian Anderson tale of the same name, The Snow Queen follows the adventures of a tenacious and gutsy little girl, Gerda, who embarks on a perilous quest to rescue her best friend, Kai, from the icy grip of the Snow Queen herself. This show blurs the already blurry line between fantasy and reality, and with its edgy pop rock score and quirky, winsome characters, this centuries old story remains relevant today. We’re looking for artists to experiment, explore, create, and get weird with us!
Though specific pronouns are used in the descriptions below, character’s genders and the way they are referred to in the show are open to conversation, so please feel comfortable discussing that with the team.
A note about casting (adopted from language with consent originally created by Kevin Kantor and Emily Trarquin of Actors Theatre of Louisville):
Most characters we encounter currently are on the binary and are written with he/him or she/her pronouns and you will see that in the following character descriptions. However limiting the descriptions are, our casting seeks to be inclusive as possible and we invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with. We will also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities. Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns, or if there are any accommodations we can provide.
We are currently not able to transpose audition music at the moment but are open to performers singing the role that they’re most vocally comfortable with. If the song doesn’t showcase you at your best, you can submit another song in the world of the show.
We also welcome performers with disabilities to submit. Please reach out to Sana Selemon at Sana.Selemon@MarriottTheatre.com or 847-465-1326 ex. 1 if you have any questions or access needs.
GENERAL MUSIC AUDITION NOTICE:
Please prepare a 32 bar or one minute Contemporary Musical Theatre or pop/rock selection in the style of the show (a la Spring Awakening, Lizzie, Hedwig, American Idiot, Passing Strange, Bare). See link to sound cloud for an idea: https://soundcloud.com/haddonkime/sets/the-snow-queen-a-new-musical-1
Here are two tracks to sing if you do not have access to your own songs: "Into the Unknown" and "Don't Do Sadness".
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jaxo4bjq2ihloa3/AAC-u7q4VamvFXZIQ4px4cBca?dl=0
ROLES (YP roles do not have to do the dance combination)
12-15 years old. Strong movement a plus. Gerda is bright, friendly, inquisitive, and determined. She’s a thoughtful and playful kid who is thrust into an adventure to find and save her best friend. Despite the seemingly unbeatable odds, she reaches deep inside herself for strength she didn’t know she had and perseveres with the help of compassionate companions she meets along her journey.
12-15 years old. Curious, kind and imaginative at the start of his journey, he transforms and becomes cold, obsessive, and practical to a fault. He foregoes play and friendship for what he feels is a safer world devoid of emotions and imagination. Through the tireless efforts of his best friend, his icy facade melts away and he returns to his former self, having learned that love wins and that “the journey is the end, and the end is the beginning.”
ENSEMBLE
(All sides located here, not every Ensemble role has a side, so choose whichever you prefer. We are looking to cast 4 actors to play a combination of the characters listed below)
SNOW QUEEN: Ageless. She craves order and the freshness, perfection, and unspoiled qualities of the stark cold. She hungers for the deepest possible understanding of the universe, and tasks herself with creating balance. She is powerful, driven, and unsentimental about anything but the beauty of snow and ice.
GRANDMOTHER: 40s to 60s. Tender-hearted and attentive, she protects her granddaughter and her granddaughter’s best friend by shielding them from the knowledge of a frosty menace that threatens their safety.
GARDEN WITCH: 40s to 60s. A delightful combo of manipulative and dotty. She desperately wants a daughter of her own.
CROW: 30s to 60s. Bound by honor, blusteringly positive, and charming as all get out, Air Marshall Reginald Hieronymous Stilton Du Croix doesn’t shy away from an adventure, especially when someone needs his help!
THE PRINCESS: 20s to 30s. The princess is a glass over-full kind of gal, incredibly cheerful and high on life. She’s completely enraptured with the Prince.
THE PRINCE: 20s to 30s. The prince is a glass over-full kind of fellow, incredibly cheerful and high on life.He’s completely enraptured with the Princess.
REINDEER BAAK: Any age. Honorable, gentle and gracious, the reindeer Baak helps Gerda reach the Snow Queen’s realm.
THE TROLL: Any age. A rambunctious and mischievous ascriber to emotional anarchy.
THE ROSE: Any age. She’s gorgeous and she knows it.
LADY CROW: 30s to 60s. In a committed relationship with Air Marshall Reginald.
ROBBER GIRL: 20s. The Veruca Salt of our story. She’s a demanding, entitled, spoiled bully at first but is quickly taught kindness and manners by Gerda.
WOMAN OF THE NORTH: Any age. She is wise and hospitable and has the ability to see the future.
FLOWERS: Any age. They have many winsome qualities despite their competitive spirits and love to extol them.
ALL DANCE CALL (Except Grandmother)
Please see the attached videos for the movement call. We are looking for strong movers who are willing to create, get weird and funky, and use their bodies to become the many locations of our magical land. Actors will play flowers, trolls, crows, rivers and more! Please bring yourself to the movement and be as inventive as you want. Please watch the introduction video to learn more about what we are looking for.
People who are auditioning for the "Grandmother" track are not required to turn in a dance video.
There are two tempos of the music. Please do whatever you prefer! The combo starts at 2:41 into the track.
