Man with a Load of Mischief *Casting Notice*
Directed by: Rick Simas
First Rehearsal: August 6th
Opening: September 7
Closing: September 29th Possible Week extension
North Coast Repertory Theatre
987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Suite D
Solana Beach CA 92010
Audition by appointment only
Please submit a photo and resume to casting@northcoastrep.org
Character Breakdown
The musical takes place early in the 19th century at a wayside inn in England.
The Innkeeper: A good-natured, unschooled, frisky sort who likes his drink (like Alfred P. Doolittle in Pygmalion). He’s working-class Cockney in his late fifties/early sixties. He sings two solos in a character voice: “Wayside Inn” and “What Style!” and a couple of duets with his jolly Wife: “The Rescue” and “Any Other Way,” and a counter-point quartet with his Wife, the Lord, and the Lady: “Romance!” The songs are well within the speaking range: middle C to E flat.
The Wife: A jolly woman with more drive than her husband who often has to chase after him to put down the bottle and get his chores done (like Mrs. Bumble who sings “I Shall Scream!” in Oliver! or Hermione Baddely as “Mrs. Naugatuck” on Maude). Like her husband, she’s working-class Cockney in her fifties or sixties. She sings “The Rescue” and “Any Other Way” in a character soprano, and also several group numbers. She should sing in a character soprano that bottoms out into her speaking voice. The vocal range is low F to E flat.
The Man: Quiet, enigmatic, with a more cultured British accent than one might expect from a valet. He’s the Lord’s manservant in his thirties or forties. Charismatic but not conventionally handsome, he ends up (unexpectedly) with The Lady. He should almost go unnoticed when he first enters, as The Lord should seem the obvious partner to the Lady. But he’s surprising smart and charming, as he reveals during the course of the play. He should have a solid lyric baritone voice as he sings three of the show’s most striking songs: “Hullabaloo Balay,” “Come to the Masquerade,” and “Make Way for My Lady.” (The role was originally played in 1966 by 42-year-old Reid Shelton, who 11 years later played “Daddy Warbucks” in the original Broadway production of Annie.) The vocal range is low B to F sharp.
The Lady: Beautiful, cultured, and a bit arrogant—in late twenties to thirties—a former actress and current mistress of the Prince. She is like a Jane Asuten heroine—articulate with flawless speech and an upper-class British accent. She is fleeing London to break off relations with the Prince. She should have a strong soprano voice as she sings four of the show’s loveliest songs: “Goodbye, My Sweet,” “Lover Lost,” “Man with a Load of Mischief,” and “A Wonder.” (The role was originally played in 1966 by 27-year-old Virginia Vestoff, who three years later played “Abigail Adams” in the original Broadway production of 1776—a role she again played in the 1972 film version.) The vocal range is low A to high B flat.
The Maid: A pretty but flighty, superficial girl in her early twenties, who resents work-ing as maid and aspires to better things. She is well aware of her charms and their effect on man but is naïve in reading their intentions. She sings two songs in a youthful mezzo voice: “Once You’ve Had a Little Taste” and “Little Rag Doll.”
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