Audition and Performance Information

Audition Dates

• • Friday, February 21 – 5:00pm (Sign-in at 4:30pm) – Mary, Colin, and Mrs. Medlock
  • Saturday, February 22 – 1:00pm (Sign-in at 12:30pm)
  • Sunday, February 23 – 1:00pm (Sign-in at 12:30pm)
  • Call Backs – Sunday, February 23 – 6:00pm

Audition Location
315 Fisher Road, Grosse Pointe, MI 48230

Required Dates

• • Tech Dates: April 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, May 1
  • Production Dates: May 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2025

Performance Location: Parcells Middle School

Rehearsal Schedule:
Rehearsals will generally take place 2 to 3 nights a week, with some Sundays. An exact schedule will be determined once the cast is finalized, based on cast members’ availability.

Final Notes

• • Casting Policy: All roles are open to all qualified performers regardless of race, gender, or background.
  • For accent references: The TV show Downton Abbey or the Movie Gosford Park are excellent guides. They show the aristocrats and the servants in both of them.  In Downton Abbey, the character Daisy and Alfred are great references for Martha and Dickon, Mrs. Hughes for Mrs. Medlock and the family who lives upstairs for Archie, Neville, Lily, Rose, etc.

Production Staff

Director: Michael A. Gravame
Music Director: Dennis Penney
Producer: Nick Marinello
Stage Manager: Arlene Schoenherr
Choreographer: Laura Ver Beek
Apprentice Director: Dominic Aldini

Character Descriptions and Song Cuts

(The ages listed are the characters’ ages and not necessarily the ages of the actors.)

Cast Size: 21-25

Mary Lennox – 10-14. Young, strong voice. Recently orphaned girl who lost her parents to cholera in India and is sent to live with her uncle. Stubborn to a fault (worthy of the “Mistress Mary quite contrary” nursery rhyme). She is sullen, grieving, out of control, and mischievous. Over time, Mary changes drastically, becoming loving, open, curious, affectionate, and strong. Though the character’s age is 11 or 12, we will consider girls of any age if they can convincingly portray this age. Strong stage presence is required. British accent (RP) required.
Audition Song: The Girl I Meant to Be and Wick

Archibald “Archie” Craven – 30-40. Tenor. Mary’s uncle, Colin’s father, and the brooding master of Misselthwaite Manor who suffers from a crooked spine and is considered a hunchback. Haunted by the past and afraid of the future, he locks himself away both physically and mentally. Throughout the musical, he learns to let go of his wife Lily’s memory and embraces his son Colin due to a drastic change in spirits and health through his connection with Mary. British accent (RP) required.
Audition Song: A Bit of Earth

Lily Craven – 25-40. Soprano. Archibald’s deceased wife. She appears throughout the show in flashbacks and as a loving spirit who haunts Archie and other characters. Though she still loves Archie, she understands that he must learn to let her go and move on. She is gentle, loving, and headstrong, embodying all that was good in Archie’s life and possessing the most beautiful of souls. British accent (RP) required.
Audition Song: Come to My Garden and I Heard Someone Crying.

Dr. Neville Craven – 30-50. Baritone. Archibald’s bitter younger brother. Neville held an unrequited love for Lily and is therefore haunted by her death in a different way. He holds a grudge that Lily loved Archie and not him. He is cold, aloof, curt, outspoken, manipulative, and lost in his own way. British accent (RP) required.
Audition Song: Disappear

Martha – 18-30. Mezzo/Belt. A novice housemaid at Misselthwaite. She is kind, spunky, outgoing, boisterous, down-to-earth, and wise beyond her years. Martha is distinguished by her charming frankness and levelheaded approach to life. She doesn’t take any guff from Mary and is the first person to call her out on her bad behavior. Yorkshire accent required.
Audition Song: Hold On

Dickon – 18-30. Tenor. Martha’s younger brother. He’s friendly, soft-spoken, adventurous, and helps with the plants and animals on the Misselthwaite grounds. Serving as Mary’s connection to the natural world, he plays a crucial part in her transformation. There might also be something magical about him. He’s spunky, earthy, slightly rebellious, and excited about life. Yorkshire accent required.
Audition Song: Winter’s On The Wing

Colin Craven – 8-12. Boy Soprano. Mary’s cousin. He is spoiled, sullen, angry, rude, and stubborn, with a bad temper. He believes his father hates him for causing Lily’s death. Despite this, he has a deep love for his mother and father. Over the course of the show, Colin transforms—both physically and emotionally. Though the character’s age is 10, we will audition boys of any age if they can convincingly portray this age and sing the part. British accent (RP) required.
Audition Song: Come to My Garden

Ben Weatherstaff – 50-70. Baritone. A gruff, ornery, comical, elderly gardener with a tender disposition. Secretly entrusted to care for the garden after Lily’s death, he knows much about its history. Despite his rough exterior, Ben’s essential kindness is central to his character. Yorkshire accent required.
Audition Song: It’s a Maze

Mrs. Medlock – 40-70. The strict housekeeper of Misselthwaite Manor. Efficient, traditional, orderly, stern, impatient, and cold, Mrs. Medlock runs the house with an iron fist and has no time for nonsense. Non-singing role. Irish or British accent required.

Mrs. Winthrop – 40-60. Headmistress of a private school. She prides herself on nurturing girls with tempers and is strict, off-putting, and abrasive. Mary seems to be more than she can handle. Non-singing role or could double as The Dreamer or a member of the Household Ensemble. British accent (RP) required.

Ensemble of Dreamers

The memories and ghosts of people Mary loved:

Rose Lennox – 25-35. Mezzo. Mary’s uncaring mother. Cold, opinionated, stubborn, and outspoken, Rose is more concerned with her place in society than with being a wife or mother. She often flirts with other men and never understood how Lily could love Archie.
Audition Song: There’s a Girl – 1

Captain Albert Lennox – 30-40. Tenor. Mary’s loving, caring father. Tender and sorrowful, he deeply loves his wife and daughter.
Audition Song: A Bit of Earth – Reprise

Fakir – 20-40. Tenor. Itinerant Hindu ascetic and a mythical being in Mary’s life, who served in the Lennox household. Actor of South Asian descent needed.
Audition Song: Opening

Ayah – 20-40. Alto. Mary’s Indian nanny. Loving, caring, ethereal, and more of a mother to Mary than her biological mother, Rose. Actor of South Asian descent needed.
Audition Song: There’s a Girl – 1.

Lt. Peter Wright, Lt. Ian Shaw, Major Holmes, Major Shelley – 20-50. Tenor to Bass. Officers in Mary’s father’s unit in India, now deceased. They appear in flashbacks and as ghosts throughout the musical. These roles involve tight harmony singing.

Alice, Claire Holmes, Mrs. Shelley – 20-50. Soprano to Alto. Wives of the officers and society friends of Rose, now deceased. They appear in flashbacks and as ghosts. These roles involve tight harmony singing.
Audition Song: There’s a Girl – 1.

Household Staff Ensemble – 20-50. All vocal ranges. A small ensemble representing the household servant staff at Misselthwaite Manor, including ladies, maids, butlers, and footmen. They will be featured in several group numbers and utilized during scene changes. 2 males and 2 females.
Audition Song: There’s a Girl – 1.

Audition Files