We hope you get it.
AUDITION DATES: Monday, February 2 & Tuesday, February 3 at 6:00pm
AUDITION LOCATION: Biloxi Little Theatre, 220 Lee Street, Biloxi
PRODUCTION DATES: April 17-19 & 24-26
DIRECTOR: Cliff Thompson
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS: All roles are available for performers ages 16+. Please prepare a one minute selection of a song from the show or any similar Broadway musical. Please provide your own digital accompaniment with no vocal track.
NOTE: There are two juvenile roles available, one male and one female ages 8-12. Auditions for these two roles only will be at 5:00pm, Monday, February 2. Strong singers and actors with some previous stage experience required.
THE SHOW
Ragtime, the award-winning musical by Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, and Terrence McNally, intertwines the stories of an upper-class white family, a Jewish immigrant father and daughter, and a Black Harlem musician at the turn of the 20th century. Set against a rapidly changing New York where anything seems possible, their journeys illuminate America’s contradictions—wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair. As Coalhouse Walker Jr.’s quest for justice propels the narrative, each character confronts the limits of their beliefs and the realities of the American dream. Bursting with pageantry and a Tony-winning, stylistically diverse score, Ragtime offers a powerful, hopeful, and deeply human portrait of a nation in transition.
ROLES TO BE FILLED
Ragtime requires a large, diverse cast so we excitedly extend our invitation to performers from every corner of our community!
Coalhouse Walker, Jr.: A proud and talented pianist. A Black man who believes that he can take part in the new America and will be treated fairly.
Gender: Male
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range: G2/A4
Mother: The consummate wife and mother. A kind woman with incredible moral fiber. Refined, intelligent, graceful and open minded.
Gender: Female
Age: 30 to 40
Vocal range: G3/F#5
Tateh: A Latvian immigrant. He wears the trials and tribulations of his past on his sleeve, but remains optimistic that he will be successful. Full of genuine drive and heart. He lives for his little daughter.
Gender: Male
Age: 35 to 45
Vocal range: Bb2/F#4
Sarah: A washwoman. Sarah is a young Black woman, beautiful and filled with a strong will to live, fueled by an innocent spirit. Falls deeply in love with Coalhouse after much resistance.
Gender: Female
Age: 20 to 25
Vocal range: G#3/F#5
Father: Mother's professionally successful husband. Fancies himself an amateur explorer, he is commanding and attractive. Enjoys being the family breadwinner, a traditionalist.
Gender: Male
Age: 30 to 45
Vocal range: A2/F4
Younger Brother: Mother's younger brother. He is an erratic and passionate soul, a firework waiting to be lit. Influenced greatly by Goldman's teachings.
Gender: Male
Age: 20 to 25
Vocal range: B2/F#4
Grandfather: Mother's patrician father. He is a retired professor, and easily irritated by nearly everything.
Gender: Male
Age: 60 to 70
Little Boy: Mother and Father's son. He is open-hearted and curious with inexplicable clairvoyance. Never passes judgement on others.
Gender: Male
Age: 8 to 12
Vocal range: E4/D5
Little Girl: Tateh's daughter. A vulnerable child in a brand-new home, she has lost her mother and is guarded and shy. She clings to her father.
Gender: Female
Age: 8 to 12
Vocal range: C4/Bb4
Sarah's Friend / Ensemble: Passionate, soulful, sings the gospel number for Sarah's funeral
Gender: Female Age: 16 to 96
Vocal Range: Gospel Lyric Soprano or Alto, low G to stratospheric scat top note
Booker T. Washington: Brilliant Black social activist. He is an eloquent gentleman with no patience for Black Americans leading less than exemplary lives.
Gender: Male
Age: 45 to 55
Vocal range: D3/Eb4
Emma Goldman: Social activist. Originally from Russia, she is a leader, a fearless advocate for the oppressed.
Gender: Female
Age: 35 to 45
Vocal range top: B3/D5
Evelyn Nesbit: Beautiful vaudeville performer. Thrust into the limelight after the high profile murder of her lover, the entire world is her stage.
Gender: Female
Age: 18 to 21
Vocal range: B3/D5
Harry Houdini: The famous magician, originally from Hungary. With notable physical ability, he stands as a symbol of the 'American Dream.'
Gender: Male
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range: E3/G4
Ensemble
Henry Ford, JP Morgan, Admiral Peary, Willie Conklin, Judge, Kathleen, Brigit, Attorneys, Bureaucrats, Baseball Fans; Coalhouse Supporters; Firemen; Immigrants To America; New Rochelle Citizens; Reporters; Vacationers.
Played by Black actors: Coalhouse's Lawyer, Harlem Citizens, Matthew Henson