From the creative team that brought you Little Women: The Broadway Musical comes Emma: A Pop Musical! Stacey Bern, Bill Brown, and producer Ann-Marie Thomas are teaming up to audition actors ages 13-25* for this fun show that blends classic literature with well-known music from across the decades, like King of Anything, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and Chapel of Love.
We’re trying something new with this fully at-home musical extravaganza, reworked so that all the performers and crew members will rehearse and record from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Are you excited about flexing your creative muscles with us as we take on this challenge together? Details about the show and auditions are below!
ABOUT THE SHOW
Emma, a senior at Highbury Prep, is certain she knows what’s best for her classmates’ love lives, and is determined to find the perfect boyfriend for shy sophomore Harriet by the end of the school year. But will Emma’s relentless matchmaking get in the way of finding her own happiness? Based on Jane Austen’s classic novel, this sparkling new musical features the hit songs of legendary girl groups and iconic female singers from The Supremes to Katy Perry. Girl power has never sounded so good!
REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE DETAILS
REHEARSALS: Rehearsals will begin in November and continue until the recording dates in late Jan/early Feb (dates TBD by cast availability). Week of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years will be off.
STREAMING DATES: This show will stream online Thursday, Feb 11 through Sunday, Feb 14th. Both Saturday and Sunday will have matinee showings.
AUDITION DETAILS
DEADLINE: All materials must be received by October 30th.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Choose a song from the recommended list and prepare a verse and chorus. Record yourself singing (with a track or a capella) using Zoom. You may instead prepare a different song in a similar style, but the recommended list is strongly preferred.
- Select a short 1-2 minute monologue. Comedy or melodrama is preferred. This is fun show, so we recommend keeping it light! Record yourself performing the monologue using Zoom.
- Submit your videos via email to info@pumphouseplayers.com. For large files, please use the free large-file transfer service WeTransfer, which can be found at WeTransfer.com.
RECOMMENDED SONG LIST
Male Roles
- Marry Me (Thomas Rhett)
- Things That I Wanna Say
- King of Anything
- Lady (Kenny Rogers)
- Hello (Lionel Richie)
- Footloose (Kenny Loggins)
Female Roles
- Be My Baby
- Unwritten
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
- Eternal Flame (The Bangles)
- You’ve Got It All (The Jets)
- Our Lips Are Sealed (The Go Gos)
ROLES AVAILABLE
- EMMA (F) – Our title character. She is a senior at Highbury Boarding School and considers herself a matchmaker. Smart, fun, and engaged in the lives of those around her, Emma is blind to her own emotions.
- JEFF KNIGHTLY (M) – A senior at Highbury. Jeff is studious, serious, and finds Emma’s focus on matchmaking a frustrating distraction, but he has feelings for her nonetheless.
- HARRIET (F) – A sophomore at Highbury, a friend of Emma’s, and Emma’s focus for the show. Harriet is not as confident as Emma, and so relies on Emma for direction.
- MARTIN (M) – Attends public school. But he works as a Dishwasher/Busboy at this private high school. He has feelings for Harriet.
- PHILIP ELTON (M) – Mr. Popular at Highbury. He’s running for Student Council President and flirts to get votes. Note: this character doesn’t have any solos and would be a great role for a non-singer.
- JANE FAIRFAX (F) – A wealthy student from Ohio who is touring Highbury to potentially attend. She seeks fun in all circumstances.
- FRANKIE CHURCHILL (M) – Pop star who previously attended Highbury.
- ASHLEY (F) – Ashley is the arm-candy for Philip as he runs his Presidential campaign. Ashley dreams of being a famous singer.
- ENSEMBLE/WELCOMING COMMITTEE (F) – 1-3 student council-type girls. Eager, excited, and involved.
- MISS BATES (F) – Highbury’s Principal. She is frantic, eager to bring more students in, and provides a unique comedic element to our show. *May be cast older than 25.
