HIP HOP CINDERELLA

CHARACTERS

CINDERELLA - A.K.A. ELLA C - A passionate young woman whose mother passed away many years ago. Her father was a genius quantum computer scientist who remarried Lady Zurka before he, too, passed.

RUNKA - Constructed from video game computer parts, Runka is a robot made by Cinderella with her father. They are her sassy, human-like, hunk-a-junk companion and protector, and they have a real fondness for narrating Cinderella’s life over their live streaming Instahologram feed.

Runka is out of date and in need of a serious upgrade, but they still have a few tricks up their mechanical sleeve.

ZIG - Lady Zurka’s vain and somewhat vapid daughter, giving off distinct valley girl vibes. Her loftiest dream is to be an Instahologram “influencer.”

ZAG - Lady Zurka’s stuck up and selfish daughter, who fancies reading books cover to cover (though not any of the pages in between), and who inexplicably started speaking with a British accent at the age of five when she overheard it on the Great Galactic Bakeoff Show her mom used to watch at night.

PRINCE - Heir to the throne of the Galactic Empire, he is an ineffectual but charming prince who is good at little except cultivating Instahologram followers, throwing extravagant parties, and disappointing his mother. He lives in the Hip Hop Palace on the capital planet Zolla.

Setting

The action of the show takes place in Lady Zurka’s house on the planet Centra, and at the Hip Hop Palace for the Galactic Hip Hop Ball on the Empire’s capital planet Zolla.

Rehearsals: October 29

Show Dates November 20 thru December 1 PLEASE NOT THIS SHOW HAS 6 10AM STUDENT MATINEES

HAIRSPRAY (Will have a separate audition at the J. Please Sign Up below).

CHARACTERS

Tracy Turnblad - Female Role -Lead. A “pleasantly plump” teenager who dreams of fame and fights to integrate The Corny Collins Show racially.

Edna Turnblad - Female Role Tracy’s kind, plus-sized mother (This is a DRAG ROLE) Edna runs a laundry business out of her home.

Wilbur Turnblad - Male Role -Tracy’s goofy, loving, and encouraging father, who owns the Har-De-Har Hut joke shop and is still madly in love with his wife, Edna. He encourages Tracy to follow her dreams.

Motormouth Maybelle - African American Female Role - The sassy, strong-willed, and friendly owner of a downtown record shop and the host of “Negro Day” on The Corny Collins Show, self-described as “Big Blonde and Beautiful”

Velma Von Tussle - Caucasian Female Role - The villainess of Hairspray, Amber’s scheming mother and producer of The Corny Collins Show, pushes her daughter to seek the stardom that she never had.

Corny Collins - Caucasian Male Role -The glib, polished host of The Corny Collins Show, with one eye on social progress and another on his hair.

Link Larkin - Caucasian Male Role - A teenage heartthrob and on The Corny Collins Show Council Members, who unexpectedly falls in love with Tracy

Penny Pingleton - Caucasian Female Role - Tracy’s slightly dorky, devoted, and perky best friend who comes from a very strict home life. She has her own love story with Seaweed Stubbs.

Seaweed J. Stubbs - African American Male Role - A hip and kind-hearted “Negro Day&” dancer and the son of Motormouth Maybelle who falls in love with Penny

Amber Von Tussle - Caucasian Female Role - Bratty, selfish resident princess of the Corny Collins Show, despite her lack of talent. She is willing to do anything to win the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant.

Prudy Pingleton / Gym Teacher / Matron - Caucasian Female Role - Prudy

Pingleton, Penny’s overprotective and bigoted mother; the Gym Teacher, and The Matron guarding The Big Dollhouse.

Harriman F. Spritzer / Principal / Mr. Pinky - -Caucasian Male Role - Mr.Harriman F. Spritzer, the President of Ultra Clutch and Principal of Patterson Park High School, Mr. Pinky, owner of Mr. Pinky’s Hefty Hideaway who gives Tracy and Edna a makeover.

Little Inez - African American Female Role - middle school student who has an incredible voice - Seaweed’s little sister.

Nicest Kids in Town - Caucasian Female and Male exceptional singer/dancers Brad, Tammy, Fender, Brenda, Sketch, Shelly, IQ, LouAnn, Joey, Mikey, Vickie, Becky, Bif, Jeff, Jess, Darla, Paully, Moreen, Doreen,

(Amber & Link)

African American Ensemble exceptional singer/dancers 4 male 4 female

SETTING

Set in 1962 Baltimore, MD, the production follows teenage Tracy Turnblad’s dream to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight, leading to social change as Tracy campaigns for the show’s integration.

Rehearsal being: December 29th

Show dates 1 thru 23rd

MAHALIA JACKSON, the musical

Featuring music by various gospel composers, as well as hymns and spirituals made famous by Mahalia Jackson, Mahalia is a joyous

celebration of the life and music of the world's greatest gospel singer: a humble, deeply religious woman whose expressive, full-throated voice carried her from a three-room shanty in New Orleans to appearances before presidents and royalty. The joy and inspiration of Mahalia’s heartfelt songs counter the urgent messages her friend, Rev. Martin Luther King, delivered. Jr. Standing at his side, Mahalia Jackson became the musical voice of the civil rights movement. Mahalia uses simple staging, only three actors, and piano and organ accompaniments to showcase 20 great gospel numbers in a moving, often humorous musical

tribute.

CHARACTERS

Mahalia - titular character African American Female 30’s to 60

Man - African American Male Role 40’s to 60 plays organ

Cousin Fred, The Rev. Lawrence, Pastor, Thomas Dorsey, Francis, King

(MLK)

Woman - African American Female Role 30 ’s to 60 plays piano

Aunt Duke, Mildred Falls, Woman Reporter

Rehearsal begin: March 4th

Show Dates March 20th thru April 6th

Location: TBA

Thoughts of a Colored Man

The show uses slam poetry, prose, and songs to tell the story of Black life in America through the stories of seven multi-generational men living in the same Brooklyn neighborhood. The play is the first Broadway show written and directed by Black men with a Black man in the lead role.

LOVE, 18, college student. Poet by trade. Young in every sense of the word. He’s a sneaker head and dresses like the youth of now, he cares about his clothes. Shy in certain situations. Needs to be well versed with the language of poetry

LUST, 20, retail worker. Heavy New York accent. Charming and naturally flirtatious. Purehearted. As carefree as he is reckless. His words are unrefined, and he has no filter. He is highly sexual and addicted to women

and has enough confidence to go around.

ANGER, 25, youth coach/part-time barber. A former collegiate basketball player who is an academic in disguise. He carries a chip on his shoulder. Has a rawness to him. Must have the energy of SLAM poetry during poetic scenes.

DEPRESSION, 28-30, grocery store clerk. An astute survivor. True neighborhood guy at heart. He is highly intelligent and steady, equally comfortable in multiple environments, and can adapt to his surroundings, but at times he exposes himself to socially awkward.

PASSION, 35, teacher. A scholar from the inner city. A seasoned guy who has seen a lot in his life and is very in tune with the world around him. He has an articulate buddy presence. He possesses the spirit of ancestral orators. Must be rhythmically inclined and fluent with poetic verse.

HAPPINESS, late 30’s - 40’s, financial director. An upper-middle-class man originally from the South. A man who happens to be gay, but his sexuality does not rule his life, nor does he wear it on his sleeve. He has a polished look and demeanor with Ivy League schooling. A dressed-down casual. Brooks Brother’s man. He’s externally unapologetic but deeply caring

internally.

WISDOM, 60-65, shop owner/entrepreneur. A man of dark complexion, African-born. An emigrant to the United States, His accent has weakness over time. Heavy thinking, man. Regal and confident but equally humble. He has a calm presence and possesses a strength only age can bring.

Rehearsals: April 22

Show dates: May 8 thru 25th

Location: TBA