audition notice - BRIGHT STAR - Stage Left Productions - October 6

Audition Date: Saturday October 6th 9am-1pm

Bright Star is the story of one woman at two different points in her life: the first, when she is a wild young thing growing up barefoot and carefree in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina; the second, when she is a well-to-do magazine editor in Asheville, 22 years later. Her story is inevitably woven with that of an idealistic young man named Billy, with whom she shares a mysterious connection. As a young teen in Zebulon, NC, Alice Murphy is hopelessly in love with small town heartthrob Jimmy Ray, the mayor’s son. Although their love was pure, it falls victim to the interference of ambitious parents, and their infant son is whisked away before their happy ending could ever begin. More than two decades later, Alice is the successful editor of The Asheville Southern Journal, and meets a promising young writer named Billy. Eventually they realize that they share a hometown, and when Alice sees the handmade sweater she knitted for her baby twenty years before in his personal belongings, she realizes that he is the son she lost so long ago. Their happiness is compounded at the end of the story with a Shakespeare-esque double wedding.


Character Breakdown:

ALICE MURPHY:
Part Size: Lead
Vocal Range: Mezzo-Soprano High Note C5 Low Note F3
Vocal Technique: Belting, Folk, Country
Age Range: 30's to early 40's

Alice Murphy is the wild young girl growing up in the remote Blue Ridge Mountains, and also, 20 years later, the successful woman running The Asheville Southern Journal with a firm hand and a dry wit. She experiences the great tragedy of having her baby son taken from her, but manages to grow into a warm and well-adjusted woman nonetheless. She comes from an impoverished area but refuses to let that define her. As a young girl, she is in love with Jimmy Ray, the “handsomest boy in town.” Their love affair is passionate but sadly short-lived, due to the interference of their parents. Despite this, they manage to rekindle their flame two decades later, when they are reunited with their son Billy. The finale finds them happily returned to each other’s arms and ready embrace their happy ending.

BILLY CANE:
Part Size: Lead
Dancing: Mover
Vocal Range: Tenor High Note A4 Low Note C3
Vocal Technique:  Folk, Country
Age Range: Early-Mid 20's

Billy Cane, fresh from WWII, returns home a hero and ready to make his mark on the world. He is old friends with Margo, whom he does not realize carries romantic feelings for him. He moves to Asheville to try his hand at writing and finds some success when he sells his first story to Alice for ten dollars. He makes friends with his co-workers at the magazine Darryl and Lucy. They are a comfort to him in the second act, when he is suffering from acute writer’s block. Billy is plucky and determined, as well as warm and loving. He is a good friend and a caring son. Near the end of the play we learn that he is in fact Alice’s missing baby boy from 1923. After he was disposed of by Mayor Dobbs, Daddy Cane found him and took him home.

JIMMY RAY DOBBS:
Part Size: Lead
Dancing: Mover
Vocal Range: Tenor High Note A4 Low Note C3
Vocal Technique:  Belting,Folk, Country
Age Range: Mid 20's to Early 30's

Flirtatious and handsome, Jimmy Ray is the local heartthrob of Zebulon. He and Alice have a passionate love affair that ends in tragedy when their baby son is supposedly given up for adoption. Jimmy has a complicated relationship with his father, who is also the mayor of Zebulon. He loves his father but Josiah Dobbs, who considers himself bound by the expectations of society, does not approve of Alice. Ultimately, Jimmy Ray pities his father, who does show some remorse for his actions. The finale finds Jimmy and Alice happily reunited with their son Billy, and ready to embrace their happy ending.

MAYOR DOBBS:
Part Size: Supporting
Dancing: Non-Dancer
Vocal Range: Baritone High Note G4 Low Note A2
Vocal Technique:  Folk, Country
Age Range: 50's-60's

Mayor Josiah Dobbs is essentially the antagonist of this story. From the beginning, he disapproves of Alice Murphy and her wild ways, and (rightly) assumes that she is angling for his son--for whom he has big plans. He wants Jimmy to follow in his footsteps by becoming wealthy and powerful, and he sees Alice as an obstacle. Therefore, when he learns that she is pregnant with Jimmy’s child, he forces her to spend her pregnancy in an isolated cabin and pressures her into giving the baby up for adoption. Mayor Dobbs is cunning and manipulative; he plays on Alice’s emotions, convincing her that she cannot provide for a baby. When he has the child at last, he immediately throws it from a moving train to ensure that it will never interfere with Jimmy’s future again. Later on, he does feel remorse for his actions and confesses the truth to a heartbroken Jimmy.

MARGO:
Part Size: Supporting
Dancing: Mover
Vocal Range: Soprano High Note F#5/Gb5 Low Note B3
Vocal Technique:  Belting,Folk, Country
Age Range: 20's

Margo is the childhood friend of Billy Cane. When he returns from the war, she is overjoyed to see him but her hopes of a romantic reunion are quickly dashed when she learns of his plans to move to Asheville. She resolves to be supportive of his career aspirations, however, and conceals her feelings. While he’s away, she misses him desperately. At the end of the play, he returns to Hayes Creek, declaring his love for her. The finale finds them engaged and ready to embrace their happy ending.

MAMA MURPHY:
Part Size: Featured
Dancing: Non-Dancer
Vocal Range: Mezzo-Soprano High Note C5 Low Note G3
Vocal Technique: Folk, Country
Age Range: Late 50's-Early 60's

Mama Murphy is Alice’s mother. When Alice returns home late from a date with Jimmy Ray Dobbs, she and her husband fear for Alice’s future. Mama Murphy despairs of not having raised Alice properly, and worries that she will get into trouble. Her fears are confirmed when she learns Alice is pregnant with Jimmy’s child.

DADDY MURPHY:
Part Size: Featured
Dancing: Non-Dancer
Vocal Range: Baritone High Note G4 Low Note A2
Vocal Technique: Folk, Country
Age Range: Late 50's-Early 60's

Daddy Murphy is Alice’s father. When Alice returns home late from a date with Jimmy Ray Dobbs, he and his wife fear for Alice’s future. Daddy Murphy despairs of not having raised Alice properly, and worries that she will get into trouble. His fears are confirmed when he learns she is pregnant with Jimmy’s child.

DADDY CANE:
Part Size: Featured
Dancing: Non-Dancer
Vocal Range: Tenor High Note A4 Low Note C3
Vocal Technique: Folk, Country
Age Range: 65-70

Daddy Cane is Billy’s father, In his first scene, he sorrowfully informs Billy that his mother passed away while he was at war. Daddy Cane is a gentle, sweet man, who loves Billy very much. He is not Billy’s biological father, but instead rescued him as a baby and raised him as his own. (Daddy Cane will double as Dr. Norquist)

LUCY GRANT:
Part Size: Featured
Dancing: Mover
Vocal Range: Soprano High Note D5 Low Note A3
Vocal Technique: Folk, Country
Age Range: 20's-Early 30's

Lucy Grant works for Alice in 1945 Asheville at The Asheville Southern Journal. She and Darryl are close friends. Together, they are very loyal to Alice and extremely proud to be working for her. They like to give Billy a hard time when he first arrives, but in time they welcome him into the group.

DARRYL AMES:
Part Size: Featured
Dancing: Mover
Vocal Range: Tenor-Baritone High Note E4 Low Note C3
Vocal Technique: Folk, Country
Age Range: 30's-40's

Darryl Ames works for Alice in 1945 Asheville at The Asheville Southern Journal. He and Lucy are close friends. Together, they are very loyal to Alice and extremely proud to be working for her. They like to give Billy a hard time when he first arrives, but in time they welcome him into the group.

ENSEMBLE-
(Looking for 2 men and 2 Women with strong voices to be in the ensemble and play the following roles)

Max-Young man who has a crush on Margo (Doubles as the Stationmaster)
Florence-Friend of Margo (Doubles as the Government Clerk)
Edna-Friend of Margo (Doubles as the  Well-Dressed Woman)
Stanford-Mayor Dobbs Assistant

What to Prepare:
Please prepare a 1 minute monologue and 16 bars of a song.

Run Dates: March 22-31 2019

Rehearsals Begin: January 7 2019

Compensation:
Lead Roles: $250 Stipend
Supporting Roles: $200 Stipend
All Other Roles: $150 Stipend

To sign up for an audition visit our website www.stageleftaz.com/auditions