NEW LINE SEEKING DIVERSE CASTS
FOR TWO MUSICALS in 2024,
SWEET POTATO QUEENS,
and Frank Wildhorn's DRACULA
New Line Theatre will hold open auditions on two
Monday nights, June 12 and 19, 2023, for the musicals SWEET POTATO QUEENS and DRACULA. The auditions will start at 7:00 p.m. both nights,
at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive (63103), just three blocks east of
Grand in the Grand Center Arts District. Performers need to come to only one of the dates. No appointment is
necessary.
For directions to the theatre,
click here.
New Line is looking for a diverse, multi-racial cast of 8 for SWEET POTATO QUEENS and a cast of 16 for DRACULA, intelligent, fearless, strong singing actors, all ages, all body types, all ethnicities. We are very eager to cast actors of color, and we are open to cross-gender casting. We do not cast anyone under 17.
Performers should prepare a contemporary theatre song, in rock or pop style (no R&H, please), with printed piano music for our pianist (no karaoke tracks and no a cappella). We do not accept video auditions. Performers may also be asked to sing from the score. There will not be a dance audition. New Line is a non-union professional theatre company. Performers will share a guaranteed 10% of box office receipts, with a minimum of $150 per actor for the run.
No appointments for the audition are necessary. All performers should arrive
for the audition before 7:00 p.m. If we need to call actors back, it will be
on the same night. New Line continues its long-standing policy of considering people of all
backgrounds for all roles that are not ethnically specified. We are proud to
be part of a diverse community, and our stage represents that inclusivity. To read New Line's Diversity Statement,
click here.
THE SHOWS
SWEET POTATO QUEENS will run twelve performances over four weeks at the Marcelle, Feb. 29-March 23, 2024.
All roles are open.
You can find the character breakdowns and vocal ranges
here. And you can read more about the show on our
Sweet Potato Queens webpage.
DRACULA will run twelve performances over four weeks at the Marcelle, May 30-June 22, 2024.
All roles are open.
You can find the character breakdowns and vocal ranges
here. And you can read more about the show on our
Dracula webpage.
The other show in New Line's season, Jesus and Johnny Appleweed's Holy Rollin' Family Christmas, may also have a few open roles to be cast.
REHEARSALS
New Line rehearses on
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m., plus every night the week the show opens. Most rehearsals are at
First Congregational Church of St. Louis, in Clayton. Dance rehearsals are at the Big Muddy Dance Studio, around the block from the Marcelle on Washington.
Rehearsals begin in early January for SWEET POTATO QUEENS; and in early April for DRACULA.
NEW LINE'S 18-MONTH RULE
If you have performed with New Line Theatre during the last eighteen months, you don't have to audition for us, to be considered. As playwright James Kirkwood has said, "The audition system, especially for musicals, is the closest thing to the Romans throwing the Christians to the lions. It really is brutal." So instead of being thrown to the lions, New Line actors just have to contact artistic director
Scott Miller before the last night of auditions to tell him that you want to be considered. On the other hand, if you want to be considered for a role that's very different from what you've done for New Line before, then you are more than welcome to audition and show us how perfect you are for that role.
To learn more about New Line, read our
Statement of Philosophy and browse our
past shows.
For more information, call us at 314-773-6526 or
email us.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
All auditions for future shows will be announced on this page. All details will be posted here when they become available.
Do I need an appointment? No, just show up before 7:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted).
What should I bring? You should prepare a song (sometimes we have preferences about what kind of song, noted in the audition announcement), and you should bring a legible copy of the piano music for our accompanist, in the key you want.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: If you want our accompanist to play your music well, do NOT bring unattached pages of sheet music. Do NOT bring a lead sheet (music with only vocal lines, no piano part). You should either put your music in a three-ring binder or bring a published book. Mark clearly any cuts or changes. If you're bringing a published music book, please break the binding ahead of time so your music lies flat on the music stand. If you put your sheet music into plastic sleeves, make sure the sleeves have a matte finish, not shiny.
Can I sing something from the show? The answer is almost always YES at New Line. Other companies often have different preferences.
Do you want me to sing only 16 bars, or more than that? Our best advice is to find a great piece of music about 32 bars, so we don't have to cut you off if we're running late...
What if I have conflicts with the rehearsal schedule? If you have one or two schedule conflicts, we may be able to make accommodations in the schedule. If it's more than that, we will not cast you.
Can I submit a video audition if I can't make it to the scheduled auditions? No, we do not accept video submissions. We audition only in person, and only on the dates announced.
Do I need a picture and resume? If you have those, bring them. If not, it's not a problem.
I've never worked with New Line before -- can I still get a lead? Yes! We often give leading roles to actors who have not worked with us, and we regularly practice colorblind casting.
