Les Miserables: a modern-day retelling
Our Fall Junior Musical
(Grades 5-8)

Note from the Director:
I’m very excited about this project and want to give a bit of an explanation since I know that “a modern-day retelling” is vague. To me, Les Mis is a universal story of suffering with themes that resonate deeply in today’s society. Although originally set in early 19th-century France, our production will bring the soaring score and iconic characters to the streets of NYC in modern-day America. Certain transitional scenes may be removed for flow of our story, but all of the quintessential songs will be preserved. I hope that new fans step away from this show with a deeper understanding of how universal the human experience really is, regardless of the time period. There are certainly several mature themes that come up in this show, so parents should take time to familiarize themselves with the lyrical content. We will be discussing these themes in rehearsal in an age-appropriate way as it is important for students to fully understand the material they are portraying. Thank you for coming with me on this journey!

~ Brooke Robyn Dairman, Director of ‘Les Mis’

• Eligibility:
  Students in grades 5-8 currently enrolled in acting or vocal classes at PYT or dance classes at our sister program, The Dance Loft.

• Participation fee and additional fees:
  $185/month (billed from September through January); costume fees will be billed separately, but parents will have the opportunity to participate in fundraisers to keep costume costs minimal, and students will keep all costumes. An additional $25 script fee is charged by Music Theater International, but students are permitted to keep their scripts and write in them. A $25 media fee will cover the cost of professional photography, and students will receive digital links to all photography taken throughout the run.

• Auditions:
  Auditions for grades 5-8 will take place on Sunday, 9/6 from 12:00-3:00 PM at PYT or on Thursday, 9/10 from 4:00-8:00 PM at PYT. Please click here to sign up for a 5-minute audition slot. Students should prepare a 30-60 second cut of a song in the style of the show (contemporary musical theater). Please do not sing from the show. We ask that students not hold lyric sheets or sheet music while they sing. Students should be prepared to sing their song with an instrumental track (YouTube has many free karaoke tracks). Alternatively, students are permitted to bring sheet music for our accompanist. Students should plan to arrive 10 minutes before their time slot and, if using a track, should have a device (phone on ‘do not disturb’, tablet, etc.) that is cued up. Callback material (songs and scenes) will be emailed out the morning after your child’s initial audition. Students should familiarize themselves with the material linked in the email but should not spend time memorizing as they will be permitted to hold their scripts at callbacks. We suggest that students spend some time familiarizing themselves with the show’s soundtrack over the next few weeks so that the music is not brand new to them.

• Callbacks:
  Callbacks will be held on Sunday, 9/13 from 1:00-6:00 PM. Some students may be finished before 6:00 and will be permitted to call/text parents. We will begin promptly at 1:00 PM with a brief dance call where students learn some choreography from the show. Students should be prepared to dance with comfortable clothing, water, and either jazz shoes or sneakers. After the dance call, students will be asked to sing and read from the selections that were sent home in their callback email. For students who have an inflexible conflict with the callback date, please email us and we will arrange for an alternative callback date on the afternoon of Monday, 9/14.

• Casting:
  Casting will be announced via email on Friday, 9/18 at 4:00 PM.

• Rehearsals:
  Sundays, 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM (rehearsals may be extended until 4:00 as needed) starting on Sunday, 9/20. Students will have off for holiday/vacation closings. Principal characters may be called for additional rehearsals as needed, but we will always work around a student’s availability. Rehearsals run from September through mid-January.

• Mandatory Tech/Dress Rehearsals:
  Sunday, 1/17 - Friday, 1/22
  Exact dates and times TBA (likely 12:00-6:00 Sunday; 4:30-8:30 PM on some but not all weekdays)

• Tentative Performance Dates
  Saturday, 1/23 @ 6:30 PM
  Sunday, 1/24 @ 2:00 and 6:30 PM
  Monday, 1/25 @ 6:30 PM
  Tuesday, 1/26 @ 6:30 PM
  Wednesday, 1/27 @ 6:30 PM

• Tickets:
  Starting this season, PYT will be moving to a system of assigned seating and online ticket purchases! Tickets range in price from $25-$35 plus applicable fees (waved for cash purchases). Online ticket reservations will open one month prior to our performances.

  If you have any questions, please feel free to email our staff at proyouththeatre@gmail.com. Thank you! We look forward to an exciting fall!