Theatre News

Children invited to audition for White Christmas and South Pacific

The wonderfully festive seasonal musical Irving Berlin’s White Christmas The Musical comes to the Liverpool Empire Theatre from 22 December 2011 – 7 January 2012 and the producers are looking for two girls to alternately play the part of Susan, the General’s grand-daughter.

On Sunday 4th September, the production team for the show will be at the Liverpool Empire Theatre, holding auditions for their glittery, greeting card of a show! Two girls will be required to rehearse in London for the part of Susan and perform during the run at The Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin and the Liverpool Empire Theatre and must be available between mid-October 2011 and Saturday 7th January 2012.

The production requires two girls aged between 8 – 12 years old, strictly no more than 5 ft tall and with no fixed braces. They will need to be undeveloped, with an excellent belt voice, have the ability to move well and speak in an American accent. All children must live within commutable distance of the Liverpool Empire Theatre, have a passport and be prepared to travel, stay and perform in Dublin and Southampton as well as at the Liverpool Empire Theatre.

Children will be required to sing and are advised to wear comfortable clothing and to bring a passport sized photograph along to the audition.

Children will be seen strictly in the order in which they arrive and only a limited number of children will be able to be seen on the day, as the auditions MUST be completed by 3pm.

The White Christmas auditions are to be held on Sunday 4 September at the Liverpool Empire at 9am.


Meanwhile, in Manchester the search is on for young people to star in the new production of South Pacific starring Samantha Womack.  Following its run in London at the Barbican Theatre from 15 August to 1 October, the production will embark on a nationwide tour from 12 October. 

The cast on tour will be headed by Samantha Womack as Nellie Forbush, Jason Howard as Emile de Becque, Alex Ferns as Luther Billis, Daniel Koek as Joseph Cable and Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary, with Paulo Szot playing the role of Emile in Oxford between 21-31 December. Samantha Womack and Loretta Ables Sayre leave the tour at the end of the Oxford run, on 31 December.

The roles needing to be played by local children on tour are Ngana and Jerome, the illegitimate children of Emile de Becque. Ngana (female) and Jerome (male) would need to be of a playing age between 8 and 10 years, black, mixed-raced Caucasian/black or similar skin tone, with some singing and movement skills. The producers also need to find a female child to play Bloody Mary’s native helper, who would have the same skills and appearance as, and understudy both the roles of, Ngana and Jerome.

To audition for any of the three roles for the performances of South Pacific at the Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 25th October – Saturday 5th November 2011, people need to send an email with name, photograph, age and contact details to stuartburt@theambassadors.com to arrange an audition, which will take place on Saturday 27th August 2011 in Central Manchester.

This classic Rogers and Hammerstein production is set on a tropical island during World War II, this is the sweeping romantic story of two couples, threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices.  Its portrayal of Americans stationed in an unfamiliar culture in wartime remains as relevant today as when it first thrilled audiences.

Featuring a cast and live orchestra of 50, the show is brought to the UK by the entire Lincoln Center creative team, led by director Bartlett Sher, with musical staging by Christopher Gattelli, sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Scott Lehrer, musical supervision by Ted Sperling and original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett. Musical direction will be by Jae Alexander.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of South Pacific is produced at the Barbican Theatre and on tour by Bob Boyett, Bob Bartner, Howard Panter for the Ambassador Theatre Group, and Genesius Theatrical Productions in association with Promenade Productions.