Season 2006

26, 27, 28 May

at Karralyka Theatre, Ringwood

AUDITIONS

Auditions are by appointment only. Please call Diane on 9876 1926 for an appointment. Show synopsis and role information is provided below.

Sun 20 Nov from 1pm

At Park Orchards Community Centre

Aviemore Avenue Carpark

Park Orchards (Melway Ref: 35 D/E 10/11)

Wed 23 Nov from 7.30pm

At 37 Granard Avenue

Park Orchards

Auditionees are required to:

- Prepare one audition song in the style of the show (not from Mame). Please bring along your own sheet music (consisting of more than just chords) in the correct key.

- Prepare a short reading (eg: monologue, poem, etc)

- Provide one small non returnable photo of yourself.

REHEARSALS

Friday nights (excluding Good Friday) at Park Orchards Primary School (POPS). Additional principal rehearsals as arranged by the Director. It is anticipated that some weekend rehearsals will be required as we move towards opening night. Regular attendance at rehearsals is a condition of participation in this show.

SYNOPSIS

It’s the height of the 1920s and newly orphaned Patrick Dennis is brought by nanny Agnes Gooch to New York to live with his only living relative – Auntie Mame Dennis. Mame, a flamboyant, high-living, liberal minded party gal, is overjoyed at Patrick’s arrival and begins to open new windows for the young boy by enrolling him in the unorthodox ‘Laboratory of Life’ school. Straightlaced Dwight Babcock, trustee for the Knickerbocker Bank and joint guardian of Patrick, is appalled at Mame’s approach. As Patrick’s father’s will stipulated a conservative education, Patrick is removed from Mame’s care and packed off to boarding school.

To make matters worse for Mame, the stock market crashes leaving her penniless. She tries a string of jobs but fails at all to great comical effect. Finally her prince in shining armour appears in the form of the wealthy southerner Beauregard Jackson Picket Burnside. He sweeps her off her feet and the two are married after a hilarious trip ‘down south’ to meet his family.

Time moves on. Beuregard is killed in an unfortunate accident and Mame returns to her old friends and home in New York. Patrick, meanwhile, is now in college and becomes engaged to the vacuous Gloria Upson. When Mame meets her family she finds them not only kitsch in taste but extremely bigoted. Their plan to buy up an adjoining plot of land for the newlyweds to prevent the ‘wrong kind of people’ from moving in leaves her cold. Mame tries to convince Patrick that Gloria and the Upsons are all wrong for him but he’ll hear none of it. Mame however decides to hold her own engagement party for the couple which is attended by all her flamboyant friends and the now pregnant and unmarried Agnes. Mame drops the bombshell that she has purchased the Upsons’s adjoining land to establish the ‘Burnside Memorial Home for Single Mothers.’ The Upson’s, including Gloria, storm out and Mame and Patrick are reunited. Patrick soon finds love with decorator Pegeen Ryan and story concludes with Mame about to open a new window for Stephen, their 10 year old son.

CAST

•Mame – strong actress, good strong voice, dances well. (30 – 50 years) (Alto/Mezzo)

•Patrick – aged 10, large part, sings.

•Agnes – comedienne, sings. (20 – 30 years) (soprano)

•Vera – character actress, sings and dances. (40 – 50 years) (alto/mezzo)

•Ito – male servant, sings. (baritone)

•Babcock – good character man.

•Patrick (adult) – good actor/sings/charming (baritone)

•Beau – accomplished actor who sings well. (baritone)

Plus:

A number of smaller straight roles

Chorus

Dancers

SONGS

St. Bridget (Agnes), It’s Today (Mame and Ensemble), Open A New Window (Mame and Ensemble), The Moon Song (Vera and Girls), My Best Girl (Patrick and Mame), We Need A Little Christmas (Mame, Agnes, Ito, and Patrick), The Fox Hunt (Uncle Jeff, Cousin Fan and Ensemble), Mame (Beau and Ensemble), Bosom Buddies (Mame and Vera), Gooch’s Song (Agnes), That’s How Young I Feel (Mame and Ensemble), If He Walked Into My Life (Mame).