About

Lin Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” is being adapted for a musical theatre production by The Beantown Players, a non-equity group comprising of amateurs in Boston for the love of theatre plays and musicals. The better news is, the auditions are calling all of you interested in the various roles in the play and an aspiration to gain the recognition you very well deserve. Whether it’s singing, dancing or acting, if any of it is your forte, do not miss out on the opportunity at hand. Or even if you think you would make the play magical with your sharpened technical skills, give it a go.

The new group is highly enthusiastic about new people joining the team, experienced or not, to make the play “In the Heights” a success story.

The auditions would require you to read slides and sing a song of your choice to entice us.  Keep in mind that if you’re applying for a role in which there’d be a requirement for dancing, wear clothes that are comfortable so you could perform easily.

The cast would comprise of Hispanic and Latin characters predominantly, however that is not a boundary line as people from any ethnicity are welcome for the auditions and would be scored based on their individual performances. One thing to consider is that this performance would be unpaid however the due credits would be given; theatre lovers will understand!

About “In The Heights”

The story has drama and portrays beautiful bonds of friendship and love. Nina, one of the lead roles has arrived from Stanford where she is enrolled in freshman year, to Washington heights where she is unclear about her plans as to whether she would be better off going back to the school or not. Her parents are in a struggling phase to keep up with the necessary arrangements needed for the survival of their business. They also have a young employee named Benny who helps keep the company going and to save it from doom.

Usnavi, another character of the story operates a cellar and makes enough for a living as comfortable as he had thought of while his love Vanessa aims at living at a studio apartment in the highly desirable West Village.

There is a power outage, a lottery winner, and some romantic drama that pulls the strings of the bonds the people share. They would not only make discoveries about one another but would also get to know as much about themselves. It was a place they called home since forever, would they continue to do so after the blow?

About The Roles

Following are the brief role descriptions from which you could chose the one you’d like to perform:

1. For the role of Vanessa

A female actress would be required to play the role of Vanessa. She is the love interest of Usnavi and works at a salon as her full time employment. She is also a dancer and is one of a kind at that. She possesses worldly wisdom which is inspiration for her position, and has an urban air to her. Vanessa has high ambitions and wants to get out of the poverty stricken barrio. Should be a high belter.

2. For the role of Nina

Nina is one of the lead roles in the theatre play. She is the daughter of the hardworking couple Kevin and Camila. Nina is a freshman at Stanford but is mentally devastated because she thinks she would let everyone down as she plans on dropping out of her grad school soon. Nina is a sweet and charming young girl who could witness and care for the struggles of her parents. There wouldn’t be any dancing required for the role. The role requires a belter.

3. For the role of Usnavi

The role of Usnavi is one of the lead roles which would be played by a male actor. Usnavi is the owner of the cellar selling wine and food (De La Vega’s Bodega). He would be the one madly in love with Vanessa and he is the one on whom the story would revolve to a major extent. He is an energetic young fellow who is affectionate and loved by all. He would also be a rapper/singer and must ideally possess a high baritone. The role will not be require dancing.

4. For the role of Abuela Claudia

Abuela Claudia is the role to be played by a female actress. This is the role of the woman who practically raised Usnavi and Sonny being the grand matriarch of the neighborhood. She would be the one to win the lottery which would be the point of twist for the story. It is better if the applicant is a Spanish speaking woman. A belter would be necessary though no dancing is required for the role.

5. For the role of Benny

The role of Benny is one of the major roles of the play. He is the worker at Kevin and Camila’s “Rosario’s Car and Limousine” and is proud of his job. He is a hardworking individual who helps out the couple in their struggle to nurture the business. He also has a crush on Nina. Applicants with tenor would be required for the role; he’d be a singer/rapper without the need of dancing skills.

6. For the role of Camila

The role of Camila is that of Nina’s mother and is one of the lead roles of the play. She is the co-owner of the family business ‘Rosario’s Car & Limousine’ with her husband Kevin and is eager to keep the business in a prosperous condition. She is the one who keeps the family together and strives for betterment. She is a straight forward woman with good morals. A Spanish speaking actress would be preferred. The actress needs to have strength in her singing,.There is no requirement for dancing for the role.

7. For the role of Kevin

Kevin is the father of Nina and husband of Camila. He is the co-owner of ‘Rosario’s Car & Limousine’. He possesses a strong persona and is a man of high morals. He has dreams for Nina and he dreams through her for their future. Baritone singing is required for the role. There is no requirement for dancing and if the applicant is Spanish speaking, it would be a plus point.

8. For the role of Daniela

The role of Daniela will be played by a female actress. She is the owner of the salon where Vanessa works. She is an overbearing and self assertive woman who feeds on gossip. It would be an advantage if the applicant would be a Spanish speaking woman. A singer belter is required for the role.

9. For the role of Sonny

Sonny is Usnavi’s younger cousin brought up by Abuela Claudia. He works with Usnavi at the Bodega and is a charming young man who is loyal and a man of his words. A rapper/ singer with tenor would be required for the role.

10. For the role of Carla

She is the character of a salon worker (female) under the wing of Daniela. She would be chirpy and sweet with a tendency to be a scatterbrained person.

11. For the role of Piragua Guy

It is the role of a guy who sells shaved ice. The applicant must ideally be Spanish speaking but not necessary for the role. The applicant must possess tenor with extensive singing. There wouldn’t be any dancing required for this role.

12. Graffiti Pete

This is the role of a graffiti artist. The applicant must be young and possess swag required for the role. A strong hip hop dancer, and rapper/ singer is required for the role. It would be an added point if he is also hispanic.

13. For Ensemble

An ensemble of male and female actors and actresses is required. Men with ages between 18-24 are required. And for women the age bracket is 13-35 years. Singing and dancing is a necessity in most roles.

Audition Details

• If you’re interested in any of the above mentioned roles, apply with basic information, contact information, and photographs at: thebeantownplayers@gmail.com
• If you do want to be a part of the program but not as an actor, you may still apply and we could accommodate you for technical and backstage roles (lighting, technician, music etc)
• The city of location is Boston, MA. Ensure your availability.
• The audition dates are: Saturday, May 07^th 2016
• The rehearsal date would be May 14^th 2016, Saturday.
• Performance dates are Friday 26^th August 2016, and Saturday 27^th August 2016, however these days are tentative.

Make a mark with your skills!