Audition Notice:

URIINETOWN

music & lyrics by Mark Hollmann; book & lyrics by Greg Kotis

Directed by Nathaniel Niemi
Musical Direction by Sarah Staebell
Choreography by Lani Toyama Hoskins

Auditions: Monday, May 18th from 6-10pm
Callbacks: Wednesday, May 20th from 6-9pm

***THE BLACKFRIARS THEATRE SUMMER INTENSIVE IS A PRE-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM—ALL ACTORS MUST BE FULL-TIME STUDENTS AGED 16-24 (UP TO RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES OF DEC ‘25 OR MAY ‘26)***

BTSI performers are UNPAID; we do not provide travel, meals, or housing.

THE AUDITION:
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY — please email info@blackfriars.org to schedule your appointment no later than Friday, May 15th at 12pm (noon); scroll to the bottom for video submission information if you’re unable to make the initial call.

Auditions will take place in two 90-minute groups with a dance call between them. Please arrive familiar with the musical and the characters. There is a link to a PDF of the libretto at the bottom of this page.

THE NITTY-GRITTY:

We will be scheduling auditions in two 90-minute groups with a dance call between them. Group A will sing from 6:00-7:30pm and then dance with Group B from 7:30pm-8:30pm. Group B will start with a combined dance call at 7:30pm, then sing from 8:30-10pm. You will be assigned to a group at the time of your appointment request—we will do our best to accommodate requests.

Please prepare two 16-bar cuts of contrasting musical theatre selections that show your range and strong character/acting choices. Come with sheet music in a binder and in the correct key. Please do not sing from the show, and do not sing a cappella. You may only be asked to sing one piece. Bring attire you can move in for the dance call (sneakers are fine); a dance audition prep video will be provided by Saturday, May 10th.

Please bring a headshot/photo, resume, and your calendar to complete the rehearsal conflicts (YOU MUST FILL OUT A COMPLETE CONFLICT CALENDAR AT AUDITIONS).

THE PROCESS:
Rehearsals: begin as early as June 14, 2026; Blackfriars rehearses 4-6 times/week on nights and weekends; final rehearsal schedule dependent upon cast/team conflicts
Tech: July 25-30 (NO WEEKEND/EVENING CONFLICTS)
Shows: July 31, Aug 1 (mat & eve), 2, 6, 7, 8, 9

*Blackfriars performs Thurs/Fri/Sat at 7:30 p.m.; Sun at 2:00 p.m. (scheduled matinee performance Aug 1st)
*hold date: Aug 8 at 2:00pm

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
Casting 16-18 actors of all body types and ethnicities, aged 16-24. All BTSI roles are unpaid.

OFFICER LOCKSTOCK - Male to play 35– 55; Bass/ Baritone; any ethnicity | Officer Lockstock is a corrupt policeman and serves as the tongue-in-cheek narrator of the show. He is bold, brash, and larger-than-life. The performer playing Lockstock needs strong acting ability and excellent comic timing.

LITTLE SALLY - Female to play teens; Mezzo Soprano; any ethnicity | Sally is a precocious and irreverent street urchin who serves as a quasi-narrator and joins the rebels. Sally often questions Lockstock and the play's logic. Sally’s performer needs strong acting and singing abilities as well as comic timing and dance skills.

BOBBY STRONG - Male to play 20– 30; true tenor; any ethnicity | Bobby is the assistant custodian at the poorest urinal in town. He becomes an unsuspecting protagonist and romantic hero when he starts a revolution and falls in love with Hope Cladwell. The role of Bobby requires strong acting and singing ability as well as good comic timing and dance skills.

HOPE CLADWELL - Female to play 18-22; Soprano; any ethnicity | Hope is the ingénue of Urinetown, torn between her father and her love for Bobby. She begins as Cladwell’s innocent, naïve daughter but becomes vengeful and determined after discovering her father’s evil. The role of Hope requires strong acting/vocal skills and the ability to move well.

CALDWELL B. CLADWELL - Male to play 50-65; Baritone; any ethnicity | Cladwell is the owner and President of Urine Good Company (UGC). He is greedy and villainous, exploiting the poor for his financial gain. The performer playing Cladwell will need strong acting and singing abilities, good comic timing, and be able to move well.

PENELOPE PENNYWISE - Female to play middle aged; Alto with massive soprano pop-ups; any ethnicity | Pennywise is the proprietor of the poorest, filthiest urinal in town. She is a tough, jaded character who harbors a secret—that she is Cladwell’s former lover and Hope’s mother. The performer playing Pennywise needs to be a strong actor and singer who moves well.

HOTBLADES HARRY - Male to play 45-60; Tenor; any ethnicity | Hot Blades Harry is a psychopath, dangerous and unpredictable. One of the poor, he frequents Public Amenity Number #9. The role requires strong acting, vocal and dance skills.

LITTLE BECKY TWO-SHOES - Female to play teens/20s; mezzo-Soprano; any ethnicity | One of the poor who frequents Public Amenity Number # 9, Little Becky is impulsive and foul-mouthed. The performer playing Little Becky needs strong acting, vocal, and dance skills.

SENATOR FIPP - Male to play 40– 60; Bass; any ethnicity | Fipp is a corrupt Senator who hides all his crimes through politics. He’s creepy and a lurker. Fipp needs to have strong acting/vocal skills and move well

MR. MCQUEEN - Male to play 30– 45; Tenor; any ethnicity | McQueen is Cladwell’s head lackey. The performer playing McQueen needs strong acting/vocal skills and to be able to move well.

TINY TOM - Male to play 20– 50; Bass or Baritone; any ethnicity | Tiny Tom is a confused man-child who frequents Public Amenity Number #9. The performer playing Tiny Tom requires strong acting, vocal, and dance skills.

ROBBY STOCKFISH - Any gender, any ethnicity to play 18-20; bari or alto | One of the poor who rebels, Robby frequents Public Amenity Number# 9. The role requires strong acting and singing ability with comic timing and solid dance skills.

BILLY BOY BILL - Male to play any age; open vocal range; any ethnicity | A poor rebel who frequents Public Amenity Number # 9. The role requires strong acting, singing, and dance skills.

JOSEPH “OLDMAN”STRONG - Male to play 50– 65; Tenor; any ethnicity | Bobby’s rebellious father who refuses to pay the Public Amenity fee and gets sent to Urinetown. His act ultimately launches the revolution. The actor playing Old Man Strong needs strong acting/vocal skills and have the ability to move well. This role will likely double with another character.

DR. BILLEAUX/UGC EXECUTIVE - Male to play 25– 50; Bass or Baritone; any ethnicity | A stereotypical “mad” scientist type, Dr. Billeaux is the Head of Research and Development at Urine Good Company. The performer playing Dr. Billeaux requires strong acting and vocal skills and has to move well.

SOUPY SUE - Female to play middle aged; vocal range open; any ethnicity | Soupy Sue is an excitable, and easily panicked poor woman in the gang. Soupy Sue needs strong acting, vocal, and dance skills.

JOSEPHINE “OLD MA” STRONG - Female to play middle aged; Mezzo Soprano; any ethnicity | Bobby’s strong-willed mother. She is a strong-willed woman with a bite, able to withstand the hard hand life has dealt her. Old Ma’s performer will need strong acting and singing abilities and be able to move well.

ENSEMBLE: many roles doubled (The Cops, the Poor, and the UGC employees , etc.)

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VIDEO SUBMISSIONS:
For those who cannot make the initial call on May 18th, please submit a video including two 1-minute cuts of contrasting contemporary musical theatre pieces. Please include a video of you performing the dance audition form the prep video or any videos you have of previous dance/movement performance are also acceptable. All video submissions should be sent to info@blackfriars.org and must be received by 12:00pm (noon) on Friday, May 15th (late submissions will not be accepted).

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THIS PRODUCTION IS PART OF OUR BLACKFRIARS THEATRE SUMMER INTENSIVE: all other actors are students aged 16-24, or rising high school juniors through December 2024-May 2025 college graduates.

There can be no conflicts during tech week or performances. If you are involved in another show that overlaps with any part of this process, please email us the conflicts at info@.org prior to signing up for auditions. Questions? Please email us at info@blackfriars.org.