Anastasia Auditions
PLEASE READ MY LOVE LETTER TO YOU ;)
We don’t get to be labeled “the best” without working the hardest and earning it. Part of learning is asking questions. If you don’t know something ask.
I HAVE DECIDED THERE WILL STILL ONLY BE 15 POSSIBLE POINTS FOR YOUR AUDITION. YOUR ESSENSE AND ENERGY WILL HELP PLACE YOU IN THE ROLE THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU WITHIN THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WE HAVE, but is not a quantifiable trait. Please, though, do not spend time worrying about what I think will give you the most points. GETTING A 15 DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOU A LEAD ROLE AND NOT GETTING A 15 DOES NOT KEEP YOU FROM GETTING ONE. I want you to learn how to prepare for something that is important to you, but I don’t want you to pin everything that matters on this one 3-minute audition you have with me. That is not a good use of your heart, mind and soul.
Remember the acronym P A V E
In an audition I am looking at Preparation, Acting, Voice and, now, Essence/Energy
At this point you all should be very familiar with what I mean by each of those. But as the newest member of your theater vocabulary I’ll explain further: Essence is you and what you bring to the table as your authentic self, but energy is the act of infusing your essence into the character. Learning how to combine those two things is an important part of learning what makes a great actor. An actor is a spotlight. You shine so the audience can feel through you. Think of yourself as a superhero and your body throws it’s light out to the back wall of the hall.
Please do not equate Acting with choreography. Acting is directly related to essence and energy. If you have given a song and the character some thought (using the Actor’s Checklist) and understand their point of view in the song you are singing it will show in your acting. Do not TELL us through busy choreography what the character feels. Let us feel it through you. Remember, there is strength in stillness. Try reading your solo as a monologue first- as if you are speaking it to someone. Who are you talking to? Why are you saying it and what’s so important about it that it MUST be sung?
ALL OF YOU will find this musical challenging in one way or another. You will need to work the hardest you’ve ever worked. You all know I could cast this show right now. I don’t NEED to see you audition and I will not base my decisions solely on how your auditions work out.
You are here to learn. You are here to get better. Presumably, you are here because you WANT to be and you want to continue this theater journey outside of PDC. So that’s why auditions are important to learn how to master. You may not be in the position again to automatically get a part.
I do base casting on past experience: YOUR past experience in PDC and MY past experience working with you. I remember your attitude. Your effort. Your behavior and habits. I base it on how - or whether- you take a note and apply it in scene study, in auditions, and in past musical rehearsals. It is a cumulative decision and I do not make them lightly. You all deserve the part you want, but you will not all get it.
YOU MAY CHOOSE WHICH PART TO SING FOR:
DESCRIPTION OF ROLES BELOW
Here is a quick link to our music again: Vocals and Accompaniment (or download tracks to your device)
click the links by each role for THE SHEET MUSIC
There is a START and END to the portion of the song you will sing
Anya Journey to the Past
Dmitry My Petersburg
Vlad Paris Holds The Key
Dowager Prologue: Once Upon A December
Lily Land of Yesterday
Anastasia: The Musical (Youth Edition) — Cast List
(In order of appearance)
YOUNG ANASTASIA – a precocious royal princess!
THE DOWAGER EMPRESS – True royalty, and she knows it. The Dowager Empress sings “Once Upon a December.”
TSAR NICHOLAS II – Not quite as serious as his mother The Dowager Empress, especially with his young daughter Anastasia.
TSARINA ALEXANDRA FYODORONVA – A good role for a dancer who can portray the Tsarina’s regal bearing, and excel during the Romanov family’s various appearances throughout the show in Anya’s memories.
The RUSSIAN COURT, including the PHOTOGRAPHER, Anastasia’s THREE SISTERS, her BROTHER, and other members of the COURT – appear throughout the show as figments of Anya’s lost memories.
ANYA – Anya’s journey is what the show is all about: her bravery, tenacity and perseverance make her the hero of the story, even though she’s also the princess. A street-smart lost princess. Anya sings “Learn to Do It,” “Once Upon a December,” Journey to the Past” and “In a Crowd of Thousands.”
GLEB VAGANOV – The strait-laced Soviet officer with a softer side who is tasked with locating Anya. Though Gleb is the antagonist of the story, in his mind, he’s the hero – he truly believes in the Soviet cause and is doing his best to be a good soldier.
DMITRY – A street urchin turned con artist. Though his career choices aren’t necessarily honest, Dmitry has a heart of gold and ultimately chooses what’s best for Anya, despite what he might want for himself. If Anya is the lead of the show, Dmitry is a close second. Dmitry sings “Learn To Do It,” “My Petersburg” and “In a Crowd of Thousands.”
LUDA, GALINA, ALEXEI, SASHA, NIKOLA, MIRA, MIKHAIL and the MARKETEERS – These roles require featured lines and solos
VLAD POPOV – A charming, jovial, intelligent character who should be played by an actor with great comic timing. Vlad serves as friend to Dmitry, the trio’s “in” with Lily, and as the buffer between Dmitry and Anya’s budding romance.
COUNTESS IPOLITOV – The Countess Ipolitov sings “Stay, I Pray You.”
COUNT LEOPOLD – A featured acting role.- he has to stand up to Lily. Count Leopold sings “Land of Yesterday.”
LILY – The life of the party! She is the Dowager Empress’s lady-in-waiting, and former royalty herself. She loves everything 1920s Paris has to offer. Lily sings “Land of Yesterday.”
ENSEMBLE
The MARKETEERS, GORLINSKY, the EXILED RUSSIAN and ANNOUNCER . The PEOPLE OF PARIS and PEOPLE IN THE NEVA CLUB , POLICEMAN 1, POLICEMAN 2, the RUSSIAN COURT and PEOPLE OF RUSSIA .