Pirates of Penzance Auditions

Audition Dates: Monday February 7, Wednesday February 9, at 7:30pm

Callbacks Immediately following Wednesday’s audition

 

Performance Dates: April 1, 2, 3; 8, 9, 10, 2022

 

IMPORTANT:
Please bring a headshot and resume with you to the audition

Please prepare 1 song in the style of Pirates of Penzance (16-20 bars maximum) and have available sheet music in the key you wish to perform for our accompanist.

Please be prepared to dance at initial audition.

Please be prepared to cold read from the script if asked.

Proof of vaccination will be required to audition.

For any questions or audition inquiries please contact the director, Kerry White at kerrywhite@springlaketheatre.com

 

Synopsis:
Music: Arthur Sullivan
Lyrics & Book: William S. Gilbert

 

The Pirates of Penzance tells the story of a young pirate apprentice named Frederic who has come to the end of his indentured period. As it turns out, Frederic was indentured by mistake.
His half-deaf nurse had been instructed to apprentice him to a "pilot: but got it a little wrong.

 

At any rate, Frederic has decided to leave the pirate life forever and, though he loves his comrades dearly, devote his life to the extermination of their kind.

 

However, since he is until the stroke of midnight still one of them, he feels obliged to point out the pirates'; weakness-- they are too softhearted. Apparently, all a captive must do is plead to being an orphan and he is immediately released!

Once upon the shore, Frederic, who has never seen any woman other than his old nurse, stumbles upon a bevy of beautiful maidens. He immediately falls in love with the most beautiful of the bunch, Mabel, who graciously offers to reclaim the "Poor Wandering One". What Frederic has forgotten, however, is that there are pirates about! Suddenly his old comrades are upon them! The lonely pirates are delighted by the beauty of their captives and recognize the situation as a "first rate opportunity of getting married with impunity"". But the girls' father, Major-General Stanley, arrives just in the nick of time and claims untruthfully to be an orphan, thus winning a brief reprieve for his daughters. The General is terrified that the pirates will uncover his lie, but Frederic eases his fears, promising to apprehend the band of pirates and put an end to their plundering. However, when Frederic learns that, due to a technicality, he is still indentured to the pirates, the complications abound.

 

Character Descriptions

The Pirate King: Swashbuckling, athletic, sexy -leader of the Pirates of Penzance. 30s+Baritone

Major-General Stanley: Personifies “dignified respectability.” Quirky. 60s+Baritoneor Tenor.

Must be able to sing patter song –needs excellent diction.

Mabel: Young and beautiful. One of Major-General Stanley’s daughters. A bit of a diva, but sweet and funny. Early 20s. Lyric soprano (Range is two octaves up fromC4, i.e., C4 to C6, but with extra top notes)

Frederic: The Pirate Apprentice. Young, handsome, and genuine. For him, duty is before all. Early 20s (Age 21 per script). High Tenor

Ruth: She is a proper English nanny, who later joins the pirate ranks. 40s or 50s (Age 47 per script). Mezzo or Contralto–sings up to F#.

Sergeant of Police: Obeys his duty and the law, but is a coward at heart. 40s-60s Bass or Baritone.

Samuel: The Pirate King’s right hand man and Lieutenant, earnest and simple minded. Baritone, Bass, or Tenor.

Edith: One of Major-General Stanley’s daughters. 18 to early 20s. Soprano.

Kate: One of Major-General Stanley’s daughters. 18 to early 20s. Mezzo-soprano.

Isabel: One of Major-General Stanley’s daughters. 18 to early 20s. Soprano.

Chorus of Daughters-Teens, 20s. Sopranos, Sopranos 2, Mezzos, Altos, Contraltos

Chorus of Pirates–All Ages. Baritones, Tenors, Basses, or Altos

Chorus of Constables–Adults all ages. Basses, Baritones, Tenors, or Altos