Casting:

 

Jean Shepherd: 50s-60s, the narrator (Ralphie is him as a boy) plays several roles in and out of the story as well. Midwestern, charming, warm, excellent story teller. Non-singing role.

 

RALPHIE: Principal. 9-12 (to play 9, going on 10) Caucasian. His voice must be UNCHANGED. MUST on the short side. Possibly a bit pudgy; a regular kid – cute but not handsome, winsome but not precious. He wouldn’t be lost in a crowd, but he wouldn’t stand out either. Bright, but not precocious; a kid you wouldn’t mind living next door to. Seeking a young kid who is comfortable on stage but real. Must be an excellent singer and able to carry a show. VOICE: Boy’s unchanged voice. High belter, low F# to high D. Must be able to tap. *Please prepare an uptempo Broadway belt song that displays range, personality and strong lyric interpretation.

 

The Old Man: 30s-40s. Genius comic actor who sings and dances. Untight, fuss-budget, flawed. Humorously “terrifying” dad with a heart somewhere. Range is high baritone.

 

The Mother: 20s-40s. Pretty, warm, funny, wonderful expressive singer, contemporary mid-range mix-belt, with some soprano. Must be a truly great actress as well as a great singer. Subtle real, genuine and truthful sense of humor, a bit on the "quirky" side.

 

RANDY: Principal. 8-9. Caucasian. Ralphie’s younger brother. Smaller than Ralphie; the cuter the better. Can be a bit awkward and offbeat; admires his big brother, Ralphie but won’t admit it. Seeking a young kid who is comfortable on stage but real. VOICE: Boy’s unchanged voice. High belter, low F# to high C#. Must be able to tap. *Please prepare an uptempo Broadway belt song that displays range, personality and strong lyric interpretation.

 

Miss Shields: 40s-50s. School teacher. Not a stick-in-the-mud, she’s sassy. Funny musical comedy belter who taps. MUST TAP.

 

SCUT FARCUS: Principal. 12-14. A meanie – the bully; lean, taller than the other kids; there’s nothing about him you want to like. He’s that kid you always made sure to avoid in school. Gruff character voice. Must be able to tap.

FLICK: 10 to 13. Children’s chorus with chorus part of Flick. He’s the kid who gets his tongue stuck to the pole. In this version, he will sing a song with his tongue “stuck” to a flag pole. Must also carry one or two production numbers. Tough on the outside but a little boy on the inside. Not cute but not evil. He should be funny – has a lot of laugh lines – and he sings a lot. VOICE: Belter (unchanged voice) low B to high C#. Must be able to tap.

SCHWARTZ: 10 to 13. Children’s chorus with chorus part of Schwartz. Seeking a young kid who is comfortable on stage but still real. He’s the kid who “double dog dares” Flick to stick his tongue to the flag pole. Tough on the outside but a little boy on the inside. Not cute but not evil. He should be funny – has a lot of laugh lines – and he sings a lot. VOICE: Belter (unchanged voice) low B to high C#. Must be able to tap.

GROVER DILL: 10-12. Children’s chorus with chorus part of Grover. Farcus’s sidekick. He is smaller than Scut and has a "Napoleon Complex." He compensates for his shortcomings with extreme meanness. Like Farcus, a bad egg. VOICE: Belter (unchanged voice) low B to high C#. Must be able to tap.

MARY BETH (ENSEMBLE GIRL 1): 9-12. Children’s chorus. Must be a high belter. Sings from a low B to high D#. Must be a strong/engaging performer. Must be able to tap.

ESTHER JANE (ENSEMBLE GIRL 2): 9-12. Children’s chorus. Must be a high belter. Sings from a low B to high D#. Must be a strong/engaging performer. Must be able to tap.

ENSEMBLE GIRL 3: 9-12. Children’s chorus. Must be a high belter. Sings from a low B to high D#. Must be a strong/engaging performer. Must be able to tap.

ENSEMBLE GIRL 4/Asian Waitress: 9-12. Children’s chorus. Must be a high belter. Sings from a low B to high D#. Must be a strong/engaging performer. Must be able to tap.

ENSEMBLE BOY 1: 9-12. Children’s chorus. Must have an unchanged voice. Sings from a low B to high D#. Must be able to tap.

 

Ensemble Men (must look 25+ years old): Seeking all ethnicities, interesting off-beat, singer/dancer/actors with bright contemporary voices to play a multitude of roles and some to play featured roles. Roles in ensemble: Santa, fathers, neighbors, delivery people and elves…etc…SEEKING WARM AND INTERESTING TYPES. Vocal ranges include tenors to high A. High Baritones to F#.

 

Ensemble Women (must look 25+ years old): Seeking all ethnicities, interesting off-beat, singer/dancer/actors with bright contemporary voices to play a multitude of roles and some to play featured roles and some to cover the principals. Roles in ensemble and mothers, neighbors, and elves…etc…SEEKING WARM AND INTERESTING TYPES. Vocal Ranges include strong altos, legit sopranos to high A and legit sopranos to high C.

 

Specifically looking for these featured roles from ensemble:  Santa (solo musical number) &                  Asian American Actor (classic comic scene)