AUDITION INFO FOR HAIRSPRAY
Familiarize yourself with the musical. There are many versions you can watch on Youtube... the soundtrack is there too. Here is the version we recommend:
Your audition appointment will last approximately 15 minutes and appointments are booked closely together, so please make every effort to arrive on time (or early!)
Here is what you should prepare for your audition:
SINGING PORTION
ACTING PORTION
Once you're familiar with the show, choose 1-2 different characters that you feel you are right for or who you feel excited about the challenge of playing. Prepare at least 16 bars of a song they sing in the show (be sure to include the most difficult part of the song.) You will be singing this acapella (no accompaniment).
You are permitted to bring a copy of your music in the room but we would really like you to be memorized!
It's very, very important that you make bold, exciting choices and give the character a strong personality - that is much more important to us than having you sing perfectly! We can always change the key of the song for the right actor. We want to see you act!
All of this music can be found online. If you are having difficulty, send us an email.
SUGGESTED VOCAL AUDITIONS
TRACY
“Good Morning Baltimore"
CORNY COLLINS
“The Nicest Kids in Town”
EDNA TURNBLAD, MR PINKY, or THE DYNAMITES
“Welcome to the Sixties”
PENNY PINGLETON
“Mama I'm A Big Girl Now”
AMBER VON TUSSLE
“Cooties”
VELMA VON TUSSLE
“You Can't Stop the Beat” Pt 2
LINK LARKIN
“It Takes Two"
SEAWEED STUBBS or LITTLE INEZ STUBBS
“Run and Tell That”
MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE
“I Know Where I've Been"
ALL OTHER CHARACTERS
"Mama I'm a Big Girl Now"
Choose 1-2 characters to prepare sides for.
You are permitted to bring a copy of your sides in the room but we would really like you to be memorized!
Make interesting choices with your character!!!
TRACY, CORNY, AMBER
CORNY
Yeah! And that was our dance of the week Peyton Place After Midnight, introduced to you by our brand new Council Member, Miss Tracy Turnblad. Cozy up to old Corny and tell us about yourself, Trrrrace.
TRACY
Well, I go to Patterson Park High, I watch your show, and I do absolutely nothing else. But someday I hope to be the first woman president of the world or a Rockette. You got to think big to be big!
CORNY
And if you were president, what would your first official act be?
TRACY
Well, I'd make every day Negro Day!
CORNY
I read you like tomorrow s headlines, Trace! Looks like we might just have a hot new candidate for Miss Teenage Hairspray.
AMBER
(trying to grab the mic)
No, she can t be Miss Hairspray!
CORNY
So, Tracy, tell us true, how would you like Link Larkin to sing a song just for you?
AMBER
(trying to grab the mic). No!
TRACY
Would I? Would I?
AMBER
(trying again to grab the mic)
You people are ignoring the laws of nature!
CORNY
Link Larkin, our own budding Elvis, will now sing, It Takes Two.
EDNA, TRACY
EDNA
(EDNA is frazzled from hours on the phone.)
Yes. Thank you so much!... I m sure Tracy appreciates your vote for Miss Teenage Hairspray. Yes! And she loves you too. Very much. Whoever you are. Good-bye!
TRACY
(bursting in excitedly)
Mama, did you see, did you see me?
EDNA
Of course I did. It was on television. The phone s been ringing like we was a telethon.
TRACY
So you're not mad?
EDNA
Mad? How could I be mad? You re famous! Are you happy, honey?
TRACY
Yes, Mama. And I think I'm in love.
WILBUR, TRACY
WILBUR
Tracy, this TV thing... You really want it?
TRACY
It s my dream, Daddy.
WILBUR
Then you go for it! This is America, babe. You gotta think big to be big.
PENNY, TRACY, AMBER, CORNY
PENNY
Plastic little spastic.
TRACY
Oh, no! Look! She s wearing Link Larkin s council ring!
AMBER
Hey, gang, I want to be your Miss Teenage Hairspray. Remember, a vote for me from you is a vote for me.
CORNY
Hey teenage Baltimore. Wanna be one of the nicest kids in town? Cut school tomorrow and come on down to station WZZT to audition!
TRACY
It s a dream of a lifetime. I have to go audition.
PENNY
It s a dream of a lifetime. I have to go watch you audition.
EDNA
(snapping off the TV)
No one is auditioning for anything.
PENNY
But Mrs. Turnblad...
EDNA
Penny, go tell your mother she wants you.
PENNY
She does? I better hurry. Bye, Mrs. Turnblad. Bye, Tracy.
PRUDY, TRACY, PENNY, EDNA
TRACY
Hurry, Penny, hurry the show's already started!
PENNY
I'm hurrying, Tracy, but my mother says I'm not allowed to perspire!
(PRUDY enters. She is picking up her laundry.)
PRUDY
Edna, is my laundry ready?
EDNA
Sure it is, hun. That'll be three dollars.
PRUDY
(digging in her purse)
That's pretty pricey for a few pairs of pettipants.
EDNA
I'm sorry, Prudy Pingleton, but ..(TRACY and PENNY enter.)
Four o'clock. Guess I don't need to ask who got detention again. Tracy Turnblad say hello to our guest.
AMBER, LINK
AMBER
Well, well, well, Tracy Tugboat, you finally found a title you could win: Miss Detention!
LINK
Knock it off, Amber.
(SCATTER DODGEBALL begins.)
(With a shrill whistle the game begins. AMBER gets the ball and throws it at TRACY.)
AMBER
Eat dodgeball, Tracy!
(AMBER viciously snaps the ball right into TRACY s head. TRACY crumples to the ground, knocked out.)
(The school bell rings.)
(The GIRLS and GYM TEACHER exit.)
AMBER
Poor Tracy. So tragic, I forgot to cry. Are you coming, Link?
LINK
Amber, that wasn't necessary.
AMBER
I said, are you coming, Link?
LINK
In a minute.
AMBER
I'll be waiting.
VELMA, AMBER, TRACY
(VELMA AND AMBER interrogate TRACY.)
AMBER
Tracy Turnblad! What are you doing here?
TRACY
I came to audition for Corny.
AMBER
Aren t you usually in detention about now?
TRACY
I cut school to come down here. Isn t that too cool? It s always been my childhood dream to dance on this show!
AMBER
Well, maybe you oughta go back to sleep!
VELMA
How many sweaters do you own?
AMBER
What color is your Princess phone?
TRACY
(confused, answering both questions at once)
Uh, three? Orange?
VELMA
Would you swim in an integrated pool?
TRACY
I sure would. I'm all for integration. It's the New Frontier!
VELMA
Not in Baltimore it isn't. You're free to go.
VELMA, LINK
VELMA
And we re off for network commercial. What is this?
MAN (WILBUR)
Product placement. The sponsor insists.
VELMA
Don t I know you?
WILBUR
Honest, Velma, I m a total stranger.
(VELMA whips off his hat and fake nose and glasses to reveal WILBUR.)
VELMA
You! Guard! Riot squad! I want everybody out of the lobby and up here pronto. (SEAWEED and three MOTORMOUTH BOYS dressed as GUARDS run in from the theater aisle.).
Ha! What is this? Some kind of Trojan Horse? And what s inside, your jailbird daughter? Guard, if anybody so much as touches that thing... open fire!
MOTORMOUTH
(dressed as a GUARD wearing a riot helmet)
Understood, Ma am.
(MOTORMOUTH pulls WILBUR off. SEAWEED exits up the theater aisle.)
VELMA
And coming back to Corny on camera one in 3...2....
LINK, TRACY
LINK
Tracy, you can t do this. You ll be thrown off the show for sure.
TRACY
That s why we re all gonna do it together.
LINK
Not me. I like these people. But whether or not they re on TV won t get me a recording contract.
(LINK realizes this sounds too shallow.)
That came out wrong. I ve been singing and dancing and smiling on that show for three years waiting for my break. Saturday night is everything I ve worked for. I m not gonna throw it away. C mon.
(LINK starts toward the door.)
TRACY
No! I want to do this, and so should you. Link, stay. Please.
LINK
Sorry.
TRACY
But you and me together...I was just starting to think....
LINK
Sure. Me too. But I don t know. See ya, little darlin .
(LINK exits.)
SEAWEED, TRACY
TRACY
Detention! Is there no pity for a teen just trying to fit in?
SEAWEED
Maybe you oughtn t try so hard?
TRACY
Excuse me. You get detention just about every time I do, and I ve never seen you complain.
SEAWEED
Oh, but I do. This is my way of complaining.
(SEAWEED turns on a small transistor radio. begins. The music starts and he does a soulful little dance.)
TRACY
Hey, that moves swift.
SEAWEED
(another move)
Here s a little something-something signified to say, Hello, my name's Seaweed J. Stubbs, and what s yours, baby?
TRACY
That s unbelievable. Can I do that?
SEAWEED
I don t know. Can you?
(TRACY and SEAWEED dance together.)
LITTLE INEZ
LITTLE INEZ
Hey, you're Tracy. You're my favorite dancer on "The Corny Collins Show."
SEAWEED
This is my sister, Little Inez.
TRACY
Sure. I saw you at the auditions.
LITTLE INEZ
Well, you're the only one who did, 'cause they kicked me out on my young and gifted behind.
MOTORMOUTH
MOTORMOUTH
(switching off the TV)
Lord have pity, it s a crazy city.
(SEAWEED enters with PENNY.)
Seaweed. And...Penny, is it?
PENNY
Yes, Ma am.
SEAWEED
Is it okay I brought her home? I had to get her away from her mama.
PENNY
I hope you don t mind?
MOTORMOUTH
I never mind love. It s a gift from above. But not everyone remembers that. So you two better brace yourselves for a whole lot of ugly comin at you from a never-ending parade of stupid.
PENNY
That s okay. My mother s gonna kill me anyway.
(There is a knock at the door.)
LINK
(entering with TRACY)
Hey, Miz Motormouth. We broke Tracy out of jail.
MOTORMOUTH
Well, we all gotta get busy. Only twenty-four hours til Miss Hairspray, we ll never get another chance like this nationwide TV. And you re gonna be on it, honey.
MR PINKY, EDNA
(TRACY and EDNA hit the streets of Baltimore for a fashion and hair makeover. They arrive at The Hefty Hideaway.)
TRACY
Hello, Mr. Pinky. I'm Tracy.
MR. PINKY
There's my shining star! Television doesn't do you justice.
EDNA
Oh, Mr. Pinky, you certainly picked a lovely girl to put the plus in your plus-sizes.
MR. PINKY
Now, Tracy, this can't be your agent. She must be your gorgeous, big sister.
ENSEMBLE
MATRON
OK, Ladies, welcome to the big dollhouse! For those of youse new to the penal system I'm letting you know now that I don't stand for no cussing, gambling, fighting or any other sort of unladylike behavior.
PRINCIPAL
Tracy Turnblad, once again your monumental hair-don't has seriously obstructed everyone's view of the blackboard. As Principal of Patterson Park High I condemn you, to three more days of detention!
GUARD
(A GUARD enters with a clipboard.)
Von Tussle, Velma? Von Tussle, Amber? Ladies, you re free to go with the sincere apologies of the state of Maryland and the personal compliments of the Governor himself.
NEWSCASTER (V.O.)
...Elsewhere in local news, teenage TV personality and rabble rouser, Tracy Turnblad, has escaped from the Baltimore Women s House of Detention. If sighted, citizens are asked to notify police or, if phone service is not available, simply shoot to kill. In entertainment news, Eva Marie is no saint...
PLEASE NOTE:
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We may ask you to dance, so dress comfortably.
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Auditions are competitive and roles are limited. Knowledge of the music and the show is required. Show us what role you deserve.
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We are looking to see you act a character through song and dance, as well as your musical proficiency and competency.
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Be familiar with the style of the show and make clear choices.
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Please do not merely imitate other actor's performances.
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The key to comedy is timing, being in the moment and making fresh choices!
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Break a leg! We are rooting for you.