I just heard the names of two kids who were cast as Michael and Jane. I don't know if it is appropriate to post them so if you want to know, PM me.

Hi Guys,

I just found out they're auditioning for Jane and Michael in Atlanta next weekend. I'm gonna take my daughter over for it. She's 13 and only 55", so she should be good heightwise. She doesn't grow very very fast and we're a small crew: I'm 5'1 and hubby is 5'3 :-)

DD has been doing LOTS of community musical theatre here in Alabama (23 shows 4 years). Her only other Broadway audition experience was last year's Annie and she made it through four callbacks.

I read the earlier advice - that this audition is more like Grey Gardens than Annie. But I don't know anything about Grey Gardens. How will this audition differ from Annie?

Thanks much for the advice!

~T

is this for new york or are they opening in atlanta???

Mary Poppins will be launching a tour. I believe they are starting to look for kids for the roles on tour.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/107906.html
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116731.html

http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/05/theater/main3577208.shtml

Thanks for the links, Kipmil.

At the auditions we attended this week they said they were casting for both Broadway and the tour. A couple of questions:

1. Broadway - did they cast all the Jane Banks in the NY auditions? And if not, how many more are open?

2. Tour - if they're not launching until next spring, how do they judge size now? Of the girls called back for the final Atlanta callbacks, most are at the top of the range. My DD is 56" and there are a couple more going back for CBs that are taller. Wouldn't they worry that they'd grow too much by next spring/summer?

~T

We've been through this a few times now. My DD was called back three times over the course of a year for Jane Banks. By the third times, she was too tall, or right at the limit. IMHO, I think casting directors like to keep an 'arsenal' to call on when needed, but they are continually looking.

Dancefever...I think that is an accurate assessment. Disney does keep kids in the pipeline and they are always on the lookout for kids to fill the roles. Many kids are on the radar for years and still never end up doing the show. They might not be right at the moment they are the correct age and size, they might get too tall or the kids might even be too busy when it's their time. So, if a kid is almost at the height limit now, there is a very good chance that they will be too tall by the time they would be needed for the show. It's happened before...kids were cast in a Disney show, did the preview performances and were replaced before the show officially opened on b-way because they grew too tall. There is no way around the height constraints. Either you fit the requirements or you don't.

dancefever & kipmil -- that's very good to know when we're trying to keep all this in perspective!

I think DD may have some more time on the height thing - only b/c I'm only 61" and hubby's only 63". But who knows!

Callbacks are tomorrow... we'll keep ya posted.

~Tanya

Fluff, how did you DD call back go today?

DD loved the whole thing! She said the assistant director was really nice and that the theatre games were a lot of fun. She thought she sang well and the scene reading was strong. She got to meet a great kid from Orlando who had also gone to NY for the Annie auditions last year - the had a blast hanging out and comparing notes.

She was surprised to see a couple more girls that weren't at Sunday's audition. She said she thought the girls had already been in Mary Poppins and were auditioning to get back in, though I don't know if that's accurate or not. All told there were 11 girls and 11 boys and they spent about 2 hours working with the assistant director and casting director.

Ellab - did you have a daughter (or son) there?

~Tanya

My DD was there early on, but was cut before the final callback. Good luck to your DD!

Good luck! This is so exciting!! Just curious, do you have to do a monologue or prepare a side for kid musical theatre roles like this?

Thanks ellab and GreenBean.

For yesterday's callback they played a bunch of theatre games. They also sang the 16 bars of their own song (my dd did Belle from Beauty and the Beast -- thanks everyone on the list for guidance on this) and then sang supercalifra (not gonna try to spell the rest!) solo as well.

They also had to perform a scene that was given to them at Sunday's audition. Most had it memorized, I believe.

There were several girls from Georgia, 2 from Birmingham (including my dd), one from Orlando and one from Denver. Not sure if any other locales were represented.

~T