Dear Parents and Students,
We are so excited to begin the next musical production at our school! We look forward to creating the show together with your student. We have some important information for you as you consider if participating is right for your child this year.
Important Dates to Know
You must be available on these dates to be a part of the show:
Parent Meeting: November 13, 2023 at 6:00 PM OR November 28, 2023 at 2:30 PM (you only need to attend ONE of these two meetings). You must attend one to get the discount on the participation fee.
November 30, 2023: Auditions for K-3 grades. Everyone needs to audition. You may audition in a group if you are in this age group. In group auditions, the group all sings the same song together and will not read/say lines. They will not sing songs individually.
December 1, 2023: Auditions for 4-6 grades. Again, everyone needs to audition. You may audition in a group if you are in this age group AND you do not want a main part. In group auditions, the group all sings the same song together and will not read/say lines. They will not sing songs individually. Anyone wanting a solo or speaking part of any kind must audition alone.
December 8, 2022: 4-6 graders only. Callback auditions on an invitational basis only and not required for everyone. You will need to be available this day if you want to be considered for a main part.
December 12 and 14: 3:30-5:15 Musical rehearsals for main cast.
January 2-February 28, 2024: This is the rehearsal time frame. Most rehearsals will fall on Tuesdays and Fridays after school. There will be a couple of Wednesday rehearsals, as well. If you have commitments on the days of rehearsals, you will have to choose which activity you would rather participate in. You need to be able to be at rehearsals if you do the show.
March 1-2, 2024: These are the days of the performances. We will have three performances: two evening shows and a matinee Saturday. The participant must be available for each show.
Who Can Participate
We allow every child in the school to participate if desired. All ages are welcome. No one is cut from the show. There are different rules and requirements for the various ages. See information on that below.
Parent Meeting
The first thing to note is that there is a parent meeting November 13, 2023 at 6:00 PM in the school cafeteria. Only one parent or guardian is required to attend, though students are also welcome. Please note, we will have one make-up meeting November 28 at 2:30 PM in the Wolf Cub Auditorium. At the parent meeting, you can pick up an audition form and sign up for audition times. These times are first come, first serve, so those attending the first meeting will get to choose audition times first. We will go over rules, requirements, and what you can expect during this process. We will also have sign-ups for helping at rehearsals as well as with committees. We will be accepting participation fees if you want to pay then. The fee is $30 per student, but $10 per student if you attend one of the parent meetings. Cash or check only.
Requirements Overview
There are more details on each requirement below, but a summary of requirements is:
Participant is a child attending Wellsville Elementary School.
Participant will audition (you can audition in a group)
Participant is available and committed to all rehearsal and performance dates.
Participant is willing and prepared to practice at home.
Participant is responsible to provide part of some or all of their costume. Main parts do own costume entirely.
Pay the $30 participation fee ($10 if you attend one of the parent meetings).
Parent/guardian will help backstage during one of the three shows (just one per family, not per child).
Parent/guardian will help at one of the tech rehearsals in Feb or March (just one per family, not per child).
Parent/guardian of participants in grades K-3 must also help at rehearsals throughout the practice period. This will be 2-4 rehearsals depending on how many participants we have.
Requirements for Cast Members and Parents
There are some things to be aware of if you want to be in this show:
We ask that rehearsals for the show are your first priority. If you have other commitments that conflict with the rehearsal times, we will expect that rehearsals will come first. We do not ask that you do not fulfill previous commitments; we just ask you do not commit to this if you cannot because of previous commitments. We have a very short rehearsal window, so we need to utilize what we have. Ensemble parts will not require as much rehearsal time, so if you cannot commit a lot of time but still want to be a part of the show, an ensemble part is right for you. Please make note of any conflicts you have on your audition form.
Main parts will need to stay late after some rehearsals. Some of these are pre-planned. Some are added if needed.
Main parts will require substantial practicing outside of rehearsal time. You will need to practice lines, choreography, and songs at home. Ensemble parts will also require some practice at home.
Main parts will be required to provide their own costume entirely. The costume committee will help direct you in what it should be like and may be able to help with sewing costumes if needed.
Ensemble parts will be required to provide part of their costume. This is typically something like a shirt & pants.
There is a $30 per child participation fee ($10 if you attend a parent meeting). If you did not attend a meeting, the $30 fee must be paid before you can sign up for an audition time slot. You can sign up for a time slot after the parent meetings are over and your fee is paid.
Full Cast: A parent/guardian/responsible adult for each family will be required to help backstage at one of the 3 shows. This way, all parents can have the chance to see two of the three shows. This is mandatory.
Full Cast: A parent/guardian/responsible adult for each family will be required to help at one full run-through, tech rehearsal, or dress rehearsal. These are in February and March. This is mandatory.
For grades K-3, a parent/guardian/responsible adult will be required to help at practices AND the run-throughs, tech, and dress rehearsal as stated above. This is mandatory. The number of normal practices will vary based on how many children we end up having. If you cannot help, you will be responsible for finding someone to help in your place—this could be a grandparent, neighbor, or other parent in the show.
Rehearsals Can Be Long and Boring
Rehearsals get very fun! But they start out boring. The cast doesn’t start knowing anything, so there is a lot of work and practice. Before signing up for this show, be sure the participant can handle the long, sometimes boring, rehearsals.
Some young students love the whole process and enjoy every minute. For others, it is major torture time. Carefully consider if your child will enjoy going to rehearsal after a full day of school. There is no reason to force your child into it if he/she would hate it. We don’t mean to discourage anyone; we love having the little ones. That is why we allow younger children to be in the show in the first place. Most school productions do not allow the younger grades to participate. Just be sure your little one can handle the rehearsals and really wants to do it before joining. Kindergarteners and first graders struggle the most with long rehearsals after school long school days.
We look forward to seeing you at one of the parent meetings to get the full details. See you then!
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