Steve Schultz
Tusculum University is issuing a call for auditions by anyone age 10 through adulthood who seeks a role in “Newsies,” a Disney film that was adapted to a stage musical and will be performed on campus in the spring.
Auditions for this Theatre-at-Tusculum production are held Sunday, Jan. 14; Monday, Jan. 15; and Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 6 p.m. in Behan Arena Theatre. Steve Schultz, the director of “Newsies” and Tusculum Arts Outreach, is seeking to cast about 60 people. No prior performance experience is necessary to audition.
“This will be an outstanding production that will showcase the performers’ talents in song, dance and acting,” Schultz said. “It will be a terrific opportunity for people to gain lifelong friends by working as an ensemble for three months and nurture one’s love for the stage. Theatre-at-Tusculum is blessed with a rich tradition of serving the community with high-quality entertainment, and ‘Newsies’ will delight its audiences with stellar performances.”
Those who come on any of the three evenings will first be asked to perform a song. They should email Schultz at sschultz@tusculum.edu to receive the six selections from “Newsies,” from which they will pick one to perform at the audition. They will sing alone at the audition for about 30 seconds.
Next, prospective cast members will work with a choreographer on the moves needed for “Newsies” and then audition for one of those roles as part of a group. Finally, they will demonstrate their acting abilities by performing within a group.
Schultz said an extremely small number of cast members will have singing, dancing and acting roles. The vast majority will have one of those three types of parts. About 20 cast members will have speaking parts. Schultz is particularly interested in potential cast members who have tap dancing abilities.
Set in New York City about 1900, “Newsies” is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what is right.
This musical is based on the 1992 Disney motion picture and inspired by a true story. It features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein.
“Potential cast members should be prepared to have a great time as they pursue a part in this wonderful, family-friendly production,” Schultz said. “We look forward to seeing veterans of our productions as well as new faces as we prepare to embark on the next chapter of theater excellence at Tusculum.”
“Newsies” will be held in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre inside Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center April 12, April 13, April 19 and April 20 at 7 p.m. and April 14 and April 21 at 2 p.m. Additional details about the production are available at bit.ly/3RHMTEL. To learn more about the university, visit www.tusculum.edu.
