Links for: "Whirld!"
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Whirld!: A Musical Flight through the Impossible
Mainstage Musical for age 4-19
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Our 2024 Mainstage Show is a favorite from our series of "new musicals for a new generation." Previously produced by RPL in 2017 and 2019, it's now back by popular demand, and will be adapted for the new 2024 cast!
In keeping with RPL's tradition, we write our shows so that every child participating has a role created especially for them. Loosely inspired by Jules Verne's classic, Around the World in 80 Days, "Whirld!" is a fantasy story that takes place in a 19th century "steampunk" landscape, moving through London, China, India, and the Chicago World's Fair, as a mysterious game offers untold riches to achieve "the impossible!" |
Production Details
- Performances: July 25-27 (Thurs-Sat) at 6pm at Cox Playhouse in Plano
- Casting ages 4-19. Every child participating gets a role created for them.
- Free Workshops & Auditions: March 15, 22, 28, 29 timeslots divided by age.
- Rehearsals begin April 4, on Thursdays and Fridays.
- Most roles will rehearse once a week, though the day may not always be the same.
- Principal roles may be called to rehearse both days on some weeks.
- A detailed rehearsal schedule will be distributed the first week of rehearsal.
- We do our best to accommodate family's busy summer schedules, with casting and the rehearsal schedule creatively built around the conflicts of participating families.
- If you have questions or concerns about missing rehearsals, late arrivals, or other conflicts, please feel free to reach out to Marney.
- At auditions, families will indicate the rehearsal timeslots for which they are available, which will determine casting and schedule. Beginning April 4, rehearsal timeslots include:
- Thursdays 5:00-6:45.
- Beginning in June, Thursdays at 3:00-5:00.
- Fridays 2:00-4:00
- Full Cast Rehearsals: Run-throughs are Thurs July 11, Thurs July 18, and Fri July 19 @ 3:00-7:00pm. (For our youngest cast members, we aim to get their parts done first)
- Production Week: Two dress Rehearsals at Cox Playhouse in Plano on Tues July 23 and Wed July 24 @ 3:00-7:00. Some principal roles may also be called on Monday July 22, for Dry Tech.
- There are no rehearsals on May 23-24 (Production Week for "Little Prince Explores the Universe") or on July 4
- While we are primarily a homeschool organization, we welcome any family who is able to make rehearsal times work, and we will work with your schedule as best as we can.
- At-home practice is required, especially for roles with significant stage time, and we need each family to commit to rehearsing at home. We will give you tools to help kids with repetition and memorization in between group rehearsals.
- Rehearsals are held at Read Play Love in Lowry Crossing (East McKinney), a combination of both indoors and outdoors.
- As a community-focused organization, we ask that parents stay on site during rehearsals, unless other arrangements are made. Rehearsal times are enjoyable social times for parents, and offer opportunities to contribute on projects for the production. If you have multiple kids, you'll love having a place where everyone can have fun, even when they aren't in rehearsals. Families can come before or after rehearsals to participate in our RPL Homeschool Activities or enjoy hanging out in the outdoor playspaces or in the library. Siblings are welcome.
- Note that families who wish to participate in more than one RPL musical this summer are welcome to do so. During pre-production weeks, rehearsals for the other show(s) are paused.
About the Audition Process
First and foremost: RPL auditions are designed to be fun and empowering experiences for kids of all ages. And best of all, every child not only gets a role, but a part that is specifically designed and tailored for them!
We see auditions as an opportunity to get to know each child, and connect with them 1:1 to celebrate their individual personality. We love seeing returning RPL performers come back with expanded confidence with each audition! We also love welcoming new kids and getting to know them in a safe and encouraging environment. When it's a child's first audition experience, we go out of our way to make it an ultra-positive one!
Some notes about the audition process:
* Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis via this online registration form. If you are also interested in participating in "The Little Prince Explores the Universe", you can audition once for both shows.
* Children age 4-18 are welcome to audition. Our goal is to make auditions a fun, empowering experience where the kids feel great!
*We create a role for every single child participating! As we produce our own original musicals, we can freely adjust script and songs to give every child a chance to shine.
* Audition times are conveniently scheduled during our Free Workshops on March 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29.
* Attendees to the Free Workshops will be welcome to audition if time as available. If you want to guarantee a timeslot, we recommend signing up ahead of time.
* Siblings can share a timeslot, but keep in mind that the timeslots are 10 minutes each
* Parents can be in the room while children audition or not - it's up to the child's preference.
* Parents will be sent online paperwork to complete after auditions, to submit personal conflicts & agree to participation guidelines.
* Parents are welcome to ask questions during the audition slot, or can email Marney at any time.
* In-person auditions are preferred, but we also will accept video auditions if none of the in-person times work. If you plan to submit a video, please contact Ms. Marney at [email protected]
We see auditions as an opportunity to get to know each child, and connect with them 1:1 to celebrate their individual personality. We love seeing returning RPL performers come back with expanded confidence with each audition! We also love welcoming new kids and getting to know them in a safe and encouraging environment. When it's a child's first audition experience, we go out of our way to make it an ultra-positive one!
Some notes about the audition process:
* Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis via this online registration form. If you are also interested in participating in "The Little Prince Explores the Universe", you can audition once for both shows.
* Children age 4-18 are welcome to audition. Our goal is to make auditions a fun, empowering experience where the kids feel great!
*We create a role for every single child participating! As we produce our own original musicals, we can freely adjust script and songs to give every child a chance to shine.
* Audition times are conveniently scheduled during our Free Workshops on March 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29.
* Attendees to the Free Workshops will be welcome to audition if time as available. If you want to guarantee a timeslot, we recommend signing up ahead of time.
* Siblings can share a timeslot, but keep in mind that the timeslots are 10 minutes each
* Parents can be in the room while children audition or not - it's up to the child's preference.
* Parents will be sent online paperwork to complete after auditions, to submit personal conflicts & agree to participation guidelines.
* Parents are welcome to ask questions during the audition slot, or can email Marney at any time.
* In-person auditions are preferred, but we also will accept video auditions if none of the in-person times work. If you plan to submit a video, please contact Ms. Marney at [email protected]
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Preparing for the Audition
* To prepare, we simply ask each child to sing. It can be absolutely any song!
* Kids can sing with a backtrack, or sing a cappella (without accompaniment.) If you plan to use a backtrack, please have it ready to play on a device (such as the parent's phone.)
* Kids may be asked to read a short piece from the script (non-readers can "echo back" lines), but this is not necessary to prepare ahead of time. We do have quite a few non-singing roles, so kids who are more interested in acting than singing are very welcome!
* If a child is interested in participating but is not comfortable singing or reading/speaking by themselves, please don't worry! Sign up for an audition and we'll just have a conversation. Definitely don't pressure for any kind of preparation - it's fine to show up, just as they are!
* Each child will be asked if they want to have lines by themselves, and if they want to sing a solo, or only in a group. If you like, you can talk to them about this ahead of time, but it's also fine to let the conversation unfold naturally during their audition fine.
* A word to "RPL veterans": We encourage you to use this opportunity to show us something new...perhaps a side of your singing voice that we haven't heard on our stage, or a type of character that is new for you. You already know that our auditions are fun and easy, so take this chance to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone. Perhaps show something I've not seen you do before, and have fun with it! A well-prepared song in auditions that demonstrates your at-home effort definitely makes a difference....for both of us!
* Want to sing a song from the show? This is completely optional, but we offer it as a possibility for children who may be motivated to learn something new. Click here for some audition songs from Whirld.
Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis via this online registration form.
* To prepare, we simply ask each child to sing. It can be absolutely any song!
* Kids can sing with a backtrack, or sing a cappella (without accompaniment.) If you plan to use a backtrack, please have it ready to play on a device (such as the parent's phone.)
* Kids may be asked to read a short piece from the script (non-readers can "echo back" lines), but this is not necessary to prepare ahead of time. We do have quite a few non-singing roles, so kids who are more interested in acting than singing are very welcome!
* If a child is interested in participating but is not comfortable singing or reading/speaking by themselves, please don't worry! Sign up for an audition and we'll just have a conversation. Definitely don't pressure for any kind of preparation - it's fine to show up, just as they are!
* Each child will be asked if they want to have lines by themselves, and if they want to sing a solo, or only in a group. If you like, you can talk to them about this ahead of time, but it's also fine to let the conversation unfold naturally during their audition fine.
* A word to "RPL veterans": We encourage you to use this opportunity to show us something new...perhaps a side of your singing voice that we haven't heard on our stage, or a type of character that is new for you. You already know that our auditions are fun and easy, so take this chance to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone. Perhaps show something I've not seen you do before, and have fun with it! A well-prepared song in auditions that demonstrates your at-home effort definitely makes a difference....for both of us!
* Want to sing a song from the show? This is completely optional, but we offer it as a possibility for children who may be motivated to learn something new. Click here for some audition songs from Whirld.
Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis via this online registration form.
What Makes Read Play Love Different?
* Our primary focus is simple: building confidence & nurturing the creative self-discovery of each one of our kids!
* Even our auditions are designed to be 100% empowering, inspiring experiences where the kids feel GREAT!
* We create a role for every single child participating! Our tradition of producing original musicals allows us complete flexibility to adjust our scripts & songs in order to give every single child a chance to shine!
* We mentor kids where they are and help them feel great, stretching them a bit further than they expect...all while being part of a high quality production!
* Busy schedule? We always do our best to work around the schedules of busy families.
* We are known for developing new musicals as part of our series of "New Musicals for a New Generation!" Our musicals feature rich storytelling with affirming, positive messages for our kids.
* RPL is the ideal place for kids to try theatre for the first time, as well as more experienced performers to stretch their wings & grow!
* Even our auditions are designed to be 100% empowering, inspiring experiences where the kids feel GREAT!
* We create a role for every single child participating! Our tradition of producing original musicals allows us complete flexibility to adjust our scripts & songs in order to give every single child a chance to shine!
* We mentor kids where they are and help them feel great, stretching them a bit further than they expect...all while being part of a high quality production!
* Busy schedule? We always do our best to work around the schedules of busy families.
* We are known for developing new musicals as part of our series of "New Musicals for a New Generation!" Our musicals feature rich storytelling with affirming, positive messages for our kids.
* RPL is the ideal place for kids to try theatre for the first time, as well as more experienced performers to stretch their wings & grow!
What Does It Cost?
* Non-Member Production Fees: $250/1 child
Family Friendly Pricing: $100 per additional child
* Read Play Love Members: For current RPL Members in a six-month membership commitment to the RPL Community, there is a one-time production fee of $90 for 1 child, $130 for two children, with a family-friendly cap of $170 for 3 or more children. Membership is $30/month for 1 child and $60/month for 2+ children. Click here for info about RPL Membership.
* Costume costs are the responsibility of parents, but parents work together to decide and make everything as easy and most importantly, cost-effective as possible, often using shared, donated, or secondhand materials to keep costs minimum and much less expensive than other theatre production opportunites.
* Printed Script: Each actor who reads is responsible for the printing and binding of their script at their own cost. For music, we will send song links of MP3 tracks, which you can download to a playlist or burn to your own CD.
* A Concessions/Supplies Donation of $10 per production is requested of all families to help with paper/cleaning products and concessions needs.
* Fundraisers, such as t-shirts, photobooks, and production videos, are optional and up to the discretion of each family.
* Parent Crew - Parents are expected to volunteer in a capacity, based on their interests, skills and time available. A form for indicating preferences is given at the time of auditions. This investment of time is crucial for an all-volunteer production, and we work with each family to find the best fit that works with your schedule.
Family Friendly Pricing: $100 per additional child
* Read Play Love Members: For current RPL Members in a six-month membership commitment to the RPL Community, there is a one-time production fee of $90 for 1 child, $130 for two children, with a family-friendly cap of $170 for 3 or more children. Membership is $30/month for 1 child and $60/month for 2+ children. Click here for info about RPL Membership.
* Costume costs are the responsibility of parents, but parents work together to decide and make everything as easy and most importantly, cost-effective as possible, often using shared, donated, or secondhand materials to keep costs minimum and much less expensive than other theatre production opportunites.
* Printed Script: Each actor who reads is responsible for the printing and binding of their script at their own cost. For music, we will send song links of MP3 tracks, which you can download to a playlist or burn to your own CD.
* A Concessions/Supplies Donation of $10 per production is requested of all families to help with paper/cleaning products and concessions needs.
* Fundraisers, such as t-shirts, photobooks, and production videos, are optional and up to the discretion of each family.
* Parent Crew - Parents are expected to volunteer in a capacity, based on their interests, skills and time available. A form for indicating preferences is given at the time of auditions. This investment of time is crucial for an all-volunteer production, and we work with each family to find the best fit that works with your schedule.
