With Medea Macbeth Cinderella coming up as Roosevelt’s fall musical, many students fail to remember that it’s not the only musical Roosevelt puts on. In spring, Roosevelt drama is putting on a musical called Nice Work, If You Can Get It, and is a 1920s jazz musical.
Scout Smissen, a sophomore and prospective auditionee, says, “it’s about booze smugglers in the 1920s just when the prohibition started.” The musical is filled with tap routines and jazz songs, and “awesome costumes all inspired by the era” says Smissen. This years’ auditions are December 8 and 9, right after school in the theater.
Phillip Solheim, a junior who’s very involved in theater and has done musicals in the past, says, “you audition and then you have callbacks, and you find out in two or three days.”
After auditions, certain students get called back. During the auditions, Solheim states that students are “given material to learn, and sides, which are cuts from scenes, and [directors] give you songs to learn.” After the directors (Mr. Stuart and Katie Greve) decide who to call back, the students who go on to the next step do a similar process.
Both Smissen and Solheim say that Nice Work, If You Can Get It seems to be easier in some ways and harder in some ways than Sweeney Todd.
Solheim believes that “singing-wise, it’s not going to be harder because Sweeney Todd had lots of really complicated harmonies, but in terms of dancing, there’s a lot more.” Smissen relayed similar information, stating “since this is such a dance and song based show, it might be harder to rehearse with such elaborate routines.” However, auditionees should not let all the dancing stop them from trying out because acting is important as dancing.
Auditions are open to everyone and take place December 8 and 9, right after school in the theater.
