Be Part of an ACT Production
We want you! The Argenta Community Theater exists to provide dramatic storytelling that illuminates our collective human journey. We are a community theater that welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds.
All auditions will take place at:
Argenta Community Theater
405 Main St
North Little Rock, AR 72114
Billy Elliot
Billy Elliot is a musical based on the 2000 film of the same name. The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall, who wrote the film’s screenplay.
Billy Elliot tells the story of a young boy from Easington, a coal mining village in northeast England, who transcends class and circumstance to become a ballet star. The musical is set against the backdrop of the 1984-5 miners strike, which tragically affects the whole village. After his mother’s death a few years earlier, Billy is cared for by his father, brother, and grandmother. His family is not well off, and they have no experience with, or tolerance for, the arts. His dad and brother are totally against the idea of him learning to dance, but Billy finds himself drawn towards the ballet world. As a result, Billy is forced to take his boxing lesson money and use it secretly for dance lessons from local dance teacher Mrs. Wilkinson. She quickly notices that Billy is a prodigy and takes him under her wing. Soon, despite his family’s resistance, Mrs. Wilkinson manages to get Billy an audition with The Royal Ballet School in London. The village learns to overcome their ill-founded prejudices and, along with Billy’s father, come around to support Billy’s dream to become a dancer.
Production Department Heads
Director: Heather Norris
Choreographer: Case Dillard
Vocal Director: Ellen Wiles Westerman
Music Director: Michael Heavner
Technical Director: Sara Cooke
Costume Designer: Shelly Hall
Stage Manager: Trystan Benson
Lighting Designer: Dena Kimberling
Photography and Social Media: Warren McCullough
Prop Master: Lauren Nicholas
Set Construction: Jimi Brewi
ACT’s Executive Director: Laura Grimes
Producer: Vincent Insalaco
Audition Information
Auditions: Saturday, January 25th, 2020 from 5 PM-9 PM
-and- Sunday, January 26th from 2pm-6pm
All Auditions will be held at the Argenta Community Theater, 405 Main Street, NLR
Performances: April 22 – May 2, 2020
Table read will take place on March 22. A complete schedule will be sent out via email before rehearsals begin.
PLEASE NOTE THAT CAST PRINCIPLES WILL BEGIN DANCE/VOCAL REHEARSALS PRIOR TO MARCH 22 WITH THE CHOREOGRAPHER AND VOCAL DIRECTOR.
All persons interested should email casting@argentacommunitytheater.org for an audition appointment.
Audition Notes
*Auditions are open to all genders, races and ethnicities; see character breakdowns for more specific information. Note that age is only a range and actors are often cast that are younger or older depending on their audition.
*All ethnicities are encouraged to audition.
*All roles require some singing.
*Sides for cold readings will be available at auditions.
*Please be ready to perform 16 bars of a song that showcases your vocal range. Music can be performed from the actual show, but is not necessary. However, it should have the same feel as music from the production.
*There will also be a dance call at the audition.
Measurements will be taken at auditions regardless of if you are cast. If you have a current measurement form from a recent production, please bring a copy with you.
Character Breakdown
Character Descriptions:
NOTE TO ALL ACTORS: WE WILL ONLY READ FOR 12 CHARACTER ROLES. HOWEVER, WE WILL BE CASTING 24-27 ACTORS/SINGERS. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT WHILE YOU MAY AUDITION FOR ONE ROLE, YOU MAY BE CAST IN ANOTHER. IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THIS, PLEASE NOTE THAT ON YOUR APPLICATION DURING AUDITIONS. ENSEMBLE ACTORS MAY BE CAST IN MULTIPLE ROLES. PLEASE NOTE ANY CONFLICTS YOU MAY HAVE ON YOUR AUDITION APPLICATION.
*All characters in Billy Elliot the Musical will have regional accents from County Durham, Northern England.
Billy Elliot
A boy who stumbles upon a ballet class and develops a passion for dance. To him, dance is a way to feel whole and free himself from the problems of life. He finds himself stuck between appeasing family and chasing his newfound love.
Gender: Male
Vocal Part: Treble / Boy Soprano
Age: 12 to 16
Michael
Billy’s carefree and fun-loving best friend. He lives in the realm of expressing oneself, going so far as to commonly dress in women’s clothing.
Gender: Male
Vocal Part: Treble / Boy Soprano
Age: 12 to 17
Mrs. Wilkinson
The local ballet teacher who eventually becomes Billy’s mentor. Hardened and mouthy, she actually has capacity for caring when she sees promise in Billy. Believes in the power of personal expression through dance.
Gender: Female
Vocal Part: Mezzo / Alto
Age: 30 and up
Dad
Billy’s stoic father. A widowed miner struggling with maintaining a household in the middle of a work strike, he is still deeply scarred by the death of his wife. Billy’s dancing initially sends him into a rage, but he learns to support his son.
Gender: Male
Vocal Part: Baritone
Age: 35 and up
Billy’s Mum
Billy’s mum, who died two years previously, and who appears to him in a dream-like setting several times during the show.
Gender: Female
Vocal Part: Mezzo-Soprano
Age: 30 and up
Tony
Billy’s brother. A miner with a passion for winning the strike. Hotheaded and scrappy with seemingly no regard of respect for his father, although he shares his disapproval of dance.
Gender: Male
Vocal Part: Baritone
Age: 20s -early 30s
Grandma
Billy’s eccentric grandmother. She is forgetful and a little aloof. Despite her inattention, she harbors a bitter resentment towards her dead abusive husband, but has found solace through dance.
Gender: Female
Age: 60 and up
Vocal Part: Mezzo / Alto
Mr. Braithwaite
The comedic piano accompanist and overall “right hand man” to Mrs. W at the dance school. He also possesses a hidden talent as a dancer.
Age: 30 and up
Vocal Part: Baritone
Debbie Wilkinson
The ballet teacher’s daughter. A bit stand-offish and argumentative, her childhood crush on Billy leads her to constantly discourage him.
Gender: Female
Age: 9- 13
Vocal Part: Soprano
George
A miner, who is also the town’s boxing coach and the MC at the Christmas party
Gender: Male
Age: 30 and up
Vocal Part: Any
Small Boy
Watches everything and wants to be like the older boys.
Gender: Male
Age: 4-6 years old
Vocal Part: Any
Ballet Girls
Several young girls who make up Mrs. Wilkinson’s dance class.
Gender: Female
Age range: 10-16 years
Vocal Part: Any
Ensemble:
* Please audition for one of the above roles. However, ACT will cast an additional Actors in both Featured and Ensemble roles. All actors cast will participate in the many group numbers in “Billy Elliot”. Miners, Police Officers, Miner’s Wives, Police Officers; Royal Ballet School Members, Clipboard Woman, Posh Boy, Posh Son, Glasgow Male Dancer, Royal Ballet Administrators
Age: All Ages
Vocal Parts: Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass