All enquires are to be directed to:

LYNNE RUTHVEN CASTING
Lynne Ruthven
35 Ivanhoe Parade, Ivanhoe VIC 3079
T: (03) 9497 3999 F: (03) 9499 5993 E: Ruthven@bigpond.net.au

JERSEY BOYS is produced in Australia by Dainty Consolidated Entertainment, Newtheatricals and Dodger Theatricals, Joseph J. Grano, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group in association with Latitude Link, Rick Steiner and Michael Watt.

GENERAL MANAGERS- Newtheatricals, Suite 201, 127 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000
T: (02) 9261 0541 F: (02) 9264 6451 E:info@newtheatricals.com

CASTING TEAM

Producer: Rodney Rigby; Newtheatricals
Director: Des McAnuff
Book Writer: Rick Elice
Composer: Bob Gaudio
Frankie Valli
Choreographer: Sergio Trujillo
Broadway Musical Supervisor: Ron Melrose
Musical Director: Luke Hunter
Assistant Producer: Lauren Mitchell
Casting Director: Lynne Ruthven
U.S Casting Director: Merri Sugarman/Tara Rubin Casting
Production Supervisor: Richard Hester
Assistant Choreographer: Kelly Devine

PRODUCTION BACKGROUND

JERSEY BOYS is the winner of four 2006 Tony Awards® Including Best Musical. Other Tony Awards® include Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical and Best Lighting Design of a Musical. Drama Desk Awards for 2006 include Outstanding Actor in a Musical and Outstanding Sound Design. Outer Critics Circle Awards for 2006 include Outstanding Broadway Musical, Outstanding Actor in a Musical and Outstanding Lighting Design. JERSEY BOYS also received the 2006 Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical.

Current productions include Broadway, Chicago, U.S. National Tour, London (March 2008), Las Vegas (May 2008) and Toronto (August 2008).

THE STORY

JERSEY BOYS is the story of how four boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi – The Four Seasons – wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were thirty. JERSEY BOYS features their hit songs “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Rag Doll”, “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”, among others.

THE AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION

The Australian production of JERSEY BOYS is being directed by Des McAnuff with the original Broadway team, and will open in Melbourne in March 2009, with rehearsals commencing in January 2009.

AUDITION PROCESS

1. The audition process will involve three rounds commencing 31 March through to the final round in early September.
2. All artists are required to attend the first round of auditions. The only exception could be for those artists performing in other productions if their performance times clash with audition times. This is because there is specific information/direction that artists will be required to work on between the rounds should they be recalled. Between each stage of the audition process artists may be required to attend working sessions in order to prepare them for the next stage of the audition process.
3. Between the second and third round of auditions, there will be a workshop programme for artists who are potential candidates for the role or Frankie Valli and Frankie Valli’s understudies. These artists must attend these workshops if they have been called back to the third round.
4. Artists who are potential candidates for the role of Frankie Valli and the alternative Frankie may be required to work with Bob Gaudio and the Broadway Musical Supervisor following the third round of auditions in September.
5. Artists may be asked to prepare scenes for call back auditions and may be required to do a New Jersey accent. Click here for reference material

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

1. Artists are required to prepare three songs from the era that demonstrate their musical range, but they may not be called upon to perform all of them at the audition. Artists are not to prepare material from JERSEY BOYS unless specifically requested by the casting director.
2. Click here for a list of sample songs from the era
3. Artists must bring with them legible sheet music in the correct key.
4. Artists will not be seen if they do not prepare the appropriate requirements.
5. Artists will not receive auditions if they do not meet the physical and vocal requirements of JERSEY BOYS.
6. Groups will not be auditioned. All artists must attend auditions individually. There are no exceptions

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. This is a Melbourne based production and all artists and production staff will be required to relocate to Melbourne under the provisions of the appropriate Industrial Instrument.
2. The Producers will only be issuing Run of Play contracts or Fixed Term contracts in accordance with the provisions of the relevant Industrial Instrument.
3. All artists and representatives of artists are advised that there are no billing arrangements for any role other than what will be accorded on the title page of the programme, in line with all international productions of JERSEY BOYS. If billing is a contentious issue for an individual artist they should not audition. Click here for a sample of the title page billing
4. The artist playing the role of Frankie Valli will play six performances per week and artist playing the role of the alternative Frankie will play two performances per week. The performance schedule will be nominated by the producer.
5. These auditions include casting for potential replacement artists, so artists currently under a contract which conflicts with our initial Melbourne season are encouraged to audition for future opportunities.

CAST BREAKDOWN

Character: Frankie Valli
Age: 20s-early 30s
Height: Must be 5’9” or shorter
Vocal requirements: Must have strong tenor with sweet and strong falsetto and be able to sing in the style of Frankie Valli. Strong tenor to high A or Bb plus strong falsetto up to treble G.
Details: Must be a very strong actor (comfortable with narrative text) and have gritty side as well a polished veneer. Must be very comfortable with traditional four-part harmonies. Leading role.

Character: Bob Gaudio
Age: 20s-early 30s
Height: Preferably tall, must be taller than 5’9”
Vocal requirements: Strong tenor/baritenor voice.
Details: Must be very comfortable with traditional four-part harmonies. Also needs to be comfortable with narrative text. Ability to play piano is preferred though not necessary. An intelligent, sensitive, and introspective musical prodigy. Leading role.

Character: Tommy De Vito
Age: 30s
Height: Must be taller than 5’9”
Vocal requirements: Strong tenor/baritenor voice. Must be very comfortable with traditional four-part harmonies.
Details: Needs to be comfortable with narrative text. An ability to play guitar would be a very strong plus. A natural-born leader with an appealing bad-boy quality. Leading role.

Character: Nick Massi
Age: 30s
Height: Must be taller that 5’9”
Vocal requirements: Strong bass/baritenor voice. Must be very comfortable with traditional four-part harmonies.
Details: Needs to be comfortable with narrative text. An ability to play a bass guitar would be a plus, though not a necessity. A quiet dreamer who longs for life after The Four Seasons. Leading Role.

Character: Gyp DeCarlo
Age: 45-65
Vocal requirements: Strong Baritone/Bass voice
Details: Tough, Mafioso type. Must be a good actor and strong singer. Ability to play guitar would be a plus, but not required. Supporting role.

Character: Bob Crewe
Age: 35-45
Vocal requirements: Strong voice, range non-specific.
Details: Intelligent and flamboyant-genius music producer and lyricist. Bob is an integral part of creating the magic of The Four Seasons. Supporting role.

Character: Joey
Age: 20s- early 30s
Height: Must be 5’10” or shorter
Vocal requirements: Strong tenor to high A or Bb plus strong falsetto up to treble G.
Details: Young, energetic. Must be a good actor and a strong singer. Ability to play a guitar would be a plus, but not required. Ensemble role. May understudy the role of Frankie Valli, featured Ensemble role.

Character: Mary Delgado
Age: 20s -30s
Vocal requirements: Strong belt useful. High straight tone soprano also useful but not required.
Details: Frankie Valli’s wife; tough, “seen it all”. Italian, Jersey girl. She has a killer sense of humour. This artist also plays a variety of other roles, including a member of a 60s style girl group.

Character: Lorraine
Age: 20s-30s
Vocal requirements: Strong, high belt useful, belt to high F extremely useful. High, straight tone soprano also useful but not required.
Details: Frankie’s girlfriend; educated, NOT from Jersey, a real career girl- aka young Diane Sawyer. This artist also plays a variety of other roles, including a member of a 60s style girl group and tough-as-nails Jersey girl.

Character: Francine
Age: 20s-30s
Vocal requirements: Strong, high belt useful. Belt to high F extremely useful, high straight soprano also useful but not required..
Details: Frankie Valli’s daughter, named for, doted on and deeply loved by Frankie. She is a Jersey girl-vulnerable, lost and acts out to make up for the lack of attention from her father. This artist also plays a variety of other roles including a member of a 60s style group and as a tough-as-nails Jersey Girl.

Character: Barry Belson
Age: 20s-40s
Vocal requirements: strong tenor to high C, with a strong falsetto and the ability to riff in rhythm-and-blues style.
Details: African American. Strong actor/singer to play various roles (including French rap star).

Character: Three Men
Age: 20s-40s
Vocal requirements:
Details: Strong actors/singers to play various roles (friends, producers etc). One track requires a baritone/tenor voice down to a strong low G. A second track includes playing guitar, and a third track includes playing drums or possibly both guitar and drums.

AUDITIONS

First Round

Sydney- from Monday, 31 March
Brisbane- from Thursday, 3 April
Auckland- from Saturday, 5 April
Melbourne- from Monday, 7 April
Perth- from Thursday, 10 April
Melbourne recalls- from Sunday, 13 April
Sydney recalls- from Wednesday 16th April

Casting Panel- Producer; Rodney Rigby, Casting Director; Lynne Ruthven, Musical Director; Luke Hunter and U.S. Casting Director; Merri Sugarman

Second Round

Sydney- from Monday, 16 June
Melbourne- from Monday, 23 June
Sydney- from Thursday, 3 July

Casting Panel- all of the above plus U.S Production Supervisor; Richard Hester, U.S Musical Supervisor; Ron Melrose and U.S Associate Choreographer; Kelly Devine.

Final Round

Sydney- from Thursday, 28 August
Melbourne- from Monday, 1 September

Casting Panel- All of the above plus U.S. Producers; Michael David and Ed Strong, Director; Des McAnuff, U.S. Author; Rick Elice, and U.S Choreographer; Sergio Trujillo.

REHEARSALS

1. The roles of the Four Seasons and all understudies for the role of Frankie Valli- from Monday, 12 January 2009.

2. Full Company- from Monday, 19 January 2009.

3. Previews Commence- Saturday, 7 March 2009