October 2021

Directed By: Selena Britz

Musical Director – Jesse Budell

Choreographer – Carmel Vistoli

Audition Information:

Info night – Monday May 31 at 7.45pm Maylands Church of Christ Hall cnr Nora St and Portrush road Maylands

Auditions – June

Sunday 20/06 from 2pm & Monday 21/06 from 7.30pm

DESCRIPTION:
Nice Work If You Can Get It is a new musical comedy by Tony Award Winning author Joe DiPietro (Memphis, All Shook Up). The script marries the screwball comedies of the 1920’s and 1930’s — the ones featuring bootleggers and playboys and chorus girls — with the classic tunes of George and Ira Gershwin.
Set in the 1920s, Nice Work If You Can Get It is the story of a charming and wealthy playboy (Jimmy Winter), who meets a rough female bootlegger (Billie Bendix) on the weekend of his wedding. Jimmy, who has been married three (or is it four?) times before, is preparing to marry Eileen Evergreen, a self- obsessed interpreter of creative modern and modern dance. Thinking Jimmy and Eileen will be out of town, Billie and her gang hide cases of alcohol in the basement of Jimmy’s Long Island mansion. But when Jimmy, his wife-to-be and her prohibitionist family show up at the mansion for the wedding, Billie and her cohort pose as servants causing hijinks galore.
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING ROLES:

MEN

JIMMY WINTER:
(30s) A wealthy and handsome playboy about to be married. Actor must have great charm, comic skills, must sing and dance (including tap) very well. BARI-TENOR.

COOKIE MCGEE
(40s – 50s): A fast-talking, wise-cracking bootlegger. He can talk anyone into or out of anything. He is mistaken for Jimmy’s butler and has to keep up the charade. Actor must understand old fashioned vaudeville style comedy a la Abbott and Costello. (Tony award winning role). CHARACTER BARITONE.

DUKE MAHONEY
(30s – 40s): Cookie’s sidekick. Not the brightest guy around. Very shy with women. By circumstance he must pass himself off as the Duke of England. He falls in love with the beautiful sexy chorus girl, Jeannie Muldoon. He is the dim but sweet stooge, paired with Cookie. BARITONE.

SENATOR MAX EVERGREEN
(late 50s – 60s): Eileen’s father. A humorless career politician. Stuffy, stern and judgmental. Very distinguished looking. In his youth was in love with Millicent Winter, Jimmy’s mother. NON-SINGING ROLE.

CHIEF BERRY
(40s): Chief of the Long Island Police Department. Fiercely, and to a fault, dedicated to his job. Seems gruff on the outside. BARITONE.

WOMEN

BILLIE BENDIX
(20s – 30s): A tough, clever, feisty and street-wise young woman. Partners in rum running with her best friends, Cookie and Duke. She has always lived in a man’s world until she meets Jimmy, a millionaire playboy and falls in love. Must be a skilled farceur. Very appealing, attractive and underneath her tough veneer, she must have a strong sense of vulnerability. Various differing accents required, (American, English, Irish) CHEST MIX. MUST MOVE VERY WELL.

ESTONIA DULWORTH, THE DUCHESS OF WOODFORD
(40s – 50s) An upper-class, bejeweled dowager. A fervent prohibitionist – but underneath there is a wild spirit just waiting to be freed. Great supporting role. (Tony award winning role). STRONG BELT AND MIX, LEGIT HEADVOICE IS A PLUS.

EILEEN EVERGREEN
(20s – 30s): Lush and lovely, she is the self-proclaimed finest interpreter of modern dance in the world – as well as being spoiled rotten and completely self-involved. Jimmy’s fiancée and Senator Evergreen’s daughter. A dish with great comic skills. STRONG BELT AND MIX, MUST MOVE VERY WELL.

JEANNIE MULDOON
(20s – 30s): A lovely, sexy, chorus girl from Brooklyn who falls in love with Duke, who she thinks is the Duke of England. She still loves him for who he is once she finds out the truth. They are the perfect couple, not too bright but winning. STRONG BELT. MUST BE A STRONG DANCER.

MILLICENT WINTER
(60s): Jimmy’s mother. She is ‘Auntie Mame’; full of life with absolutely no pretenses even though she is unbelievably rich. Lives life to the fullest. Has sex appeal. We find out she made all of her money as a rum runner. Great cameo role. NON-SINGING ROLE. 

 
THE CHORUS:
The Chorus will consist of strong singers/dancers. There are a lot of dance numbers in this show. Tappers will be required. Some non-singing Chorus roles may be available.