The Boy from Oz

The Boy From Oz is a musical biography/tribute to the late great Peter Allen. Peter Allen was born in the outback Australian town of Tenterfield in 1944 and made his entertainment debut at the age of five. As a teenager he became a pop star and then toured Asia, where he met Judy Garland and become engaged to her daughter, Liza Minnelli.

In the US, Peter enjoyed the highs of success by winning an Oscar, selling out performances in Radio City Music Hall, and receiving adulation when he returned to Australia. There were also plenty of lows – breaking up with his wife, staging a Broadway flop, the death of his partner and his own battle with illness. Peter Allen had an extraordinary life which has become a magnificent musical, and we look forward to staging it at Altona in July.

Audition Dates:

Monday 20^th February 7.00pm – 10.00pm Tuesday 21^st February 7.00pm – 10.00pm Thursday 23^rd February 7.00pm – 10.00pm Saturday 25^th February 10.00am – 3.00pm Compulsory dance call: Sunday 26^th February 10.00am - 1.00pm (Venue: MDX Studios, 2/1 Akuna Drive, Williamstown)

Auditions will be held at the Hobsons Bay Community Workshop facility 280 Queen Street, Altona (former EPA vehicle testing site, opposite Kooringal Golf Course)

Performances will be on the weekends from July 6^th - 28^th at the Altona Theatre

To book an audition please call (03) 9398 5508 (24 hours) and follow the prompts (Please note that some delays in returning your call may be experienced due to the anticipated volume of calls)

Audition Requirements

Vocal:

You will be required to prepare two songs, with one being from the show. Please consider the style of the show and the character(s) you are auditioning for when choosing a song - it should highlight your vocal range and acting ability! Due to time restrictions you may only be asked to sing the song of your choice, so not everyone will be asked to sing the song from the show. Please bring sheet music and our multi-talented piano player will play it for you. The sheet music must be in the desired key (we will not transpose), and please write in any slight edits you may need. Please note that a’capella singing and backing tracks will not be accepted.

Dancing:

There will be a dance call for all auditionees on Sunday 26th February 10am - 1pm (Venue: MDX Studios, 2/1 Akuna Drive, Williamstown). When attending the dance audition please wear comfortable clothing and appropriate footwear: runners or jazz ballet shoes/boots. No thongs, high heels, open toe or slip on shoes are allowed to be worn at the dance audition.

Age:

All auditionees are required to be 15 years of age or older at the time of audition, with the exception of the Young Peter boy role (see character descriptions below).

Lastly:

Don’t be nervous – we will try and make the process as enjoyable as possible. Relax. Enjoy. Don’t worry if you mess up – we want to see what you CAN do, and we will conveniently ignore any mistakes you make. PS Learn your song off by heart! Extra points are always awarded for people who are prepared! :)

Character Descriptions

When auditioning please know the character you are presenting to the panel. The characters are based on "real" people, so we want to see your characterisation, not impersonation. Please be aware that the show also has many smaller roles and a chorus that will be cast through the audition process, but only the lead roles are listed below. Peter Allen (Male, Low A - Top A / Bb in falsetto) Character: Actor/Singer/Dancer, Oozing charisma and energy. The ultimate 'showman", very ambitious. Confident, charismatic stage performers. Good vocal strength must be able to learn choreography, piano skills not mandatory. Due to the show time transitions the character ages from mid 20's onwards; the time transitions are achieved using appropriate costuming where needed. However age to look on stage is late 20's to 40 years old. Must be a triple threat. Judy Garland (Female, Low E - Top Ab) Character: Memorable, charismatic Movie Star and Stage Diva. Age to look on stage mid 40's. Strong singer/actress. A sensitive and very vulnerable character. Liza Minnelli (Female, Low G - Belted E) Character: A rising star (Judy Garland's daughter) marries Peter Allen. Las Vegas Cabaret Artist. Dancer, singer, actress. Age to look on stage around mid 20's. "Brash" alto voice. Must be able to learn choreography Young Peter Boy (D - D octave above) Character: Peter Allen as an Australian youngster. Singer with good dancing and tapping ability. Clean cut kid with a lot of bravado. To look and sound on stage 10 to 11 years. Marion Woolnough (Female, Low D - B) Character: Peter Allen's Mother, down to earth mother type. Stereotypical Australian 50's mum. Strong actress with singing ability. Character shows a good sense of humor. Age to look on stage in her fifties The Trio - Karen (Female, Low A - Top B) / Shena (Female, Low B - Top Ab) and Linelle (Female, Low Eb to C) Back - Up Girls for Peter Allen on stage. The 3 Characters: Karen, Shena, Linelle: Singers/Dancers/Movers: Must be able to harmonise and learn choreography. The Trio will sing on and off stage Greg Connell (Male, C to D) Character: Peter Allen's long term companion. Greg was from Texas and was a fashion model. He designed Peter Allen's shows' sound and lighting after they met. Warm lovable character, quiet with a very dependable personality. Age on stage to look mid 30 to 40 years old. Strong vocal abilty Chris Bell (Male) Character: Chris was the other half of the Allen Brothers. Chris had established himself before Peter joined him. Clean cut easy going character and not an overly ambitious person. Age on stage to look mid 25 to 35 years old. Wally Bell (Male) Character: Chris Bell's father, Australian, Peter's first manager. Age on stage to look mid 40's. Non singing role, however Wally will join in with the Company in some scenes.