Missed the Boat Theatre is holding auditions for It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry, directed by Mary Shaffer.
The musical will be performed at St. Mary’s in Lowertown St Paul on Dec 4-7 and 11-14.
Audition Location: Church of St. Mary’s, Lowertown
Audition Dates: September 6 and 7, 2025, 2-4 PM
Callbacks: 6:30-8:30pm, Tuesday, September 9 (if necessary)
We are casting 5-6 adult actors (3 men, 2-3 women) of all races and ethnicities as the radio actors who play all the roles in the show! Actors do not need to be Catholic, but must be okay with working with lots of Catholics who love being Catholic, and performing for a largely Catholic audience.
For the Audition:
Please bring a headshot (photo clearly showing your face); a resume is optional. We will audition groups of 5 in 20-minute slots; plan to be available the entire 20 minutes. Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled time to fill out an audition form. For your audition, you will read sides from the script. You will also be asked to sing a verse or two of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” in your best imitation of a 1940’s radio singer. We will be using this recording of the Frank Sinatra arrangement as accompaniment. (Note that the intro is short - just two measures and then you come right in.) Please practice with this accompaniment track in advance! If you’re unable to be present at auditions, please contact us about submitting a video audition.
Show Dates & Location:
December 4-7, 11-14, 2025
St. Mary’s Church, Lowertown St. Paul
About the Show:
This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.
Roles: (Character names are the radio personalities, followed by the list of roles they play within the It’s a Wonderful Life story.)
Actors will also perform live foley (radio sound effects) and sing 1940’s-style radio commercials set to the tune of Christmas carols. Due to the radio play-style of the show, it will be performed with scripts at microphones (not memorized).
Freddie Filmore: Announcer, Gower, Potter, Billy, Joseph, Peter Bailey, Ernie, Old Man Collins, Ed, Pete, Nick, Bridge Keeper, Binky, Cop (m, 50s-70s)
Jake Laurents: George Bailey and Young George (m, 20s-30s)
Sally Applewhite: Mary Hatch and Young Mary (f, 20s-30s)
Lana Sherwood: Violet and Young Violet, Rose Bailey, Matilda, Ruth, Mrs. Hatch, Mrs. Thompson, Schultz, Zuzu, Janie, Sadie Vance (f, 20s-50s)
Harry “Jazzbo” Heywood: Harry and Young Harry, Bert, Clarence Oddbody, Sam Wainwright, Martini, Dr. Campbell, Charlie, Horace the Teller, Mr. Welch, Tommy, Sheriff (m, 20s-50s)
Ushers: Four actors will play 1940’s radio studio ushers (who are also the actual ushers for the show!). These character roles will be devised during rehearsals to have fun, playful interactions with the audience and each other. (m or f, any adult age)
Rehearsal and Performance Dates:
Rehearsals begin with a readthrough on October 27th and run through tech week November 30-December 3rd.
Rehearsals are generally Mon-Thurs 6:30-9:30pm.
It is not permitted to miss a rehearsal during tech week Nov. 30-December 3rd.
We will not rehearse with actors November 26-29 for the Thanksgiving holiday. However, tech week will begin on November 30th, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. You cannot miss this rehearsal or subsequent rehearsals. Please check your schedule carefully before committing.
You must be available for all of the following possible performance dates:
Thursday, Dec. 4th, 7pm
Friday, Dec. 5th, 7pm
Saturday, Dec. 6th, 7pm
Sunday, Dec. 7th, Time TBA
Thursday, Dec. 11th, 7pm
Friday, Dec. 12th, 7pm
Saturday, Dec. 13th, 7pm
Sunday, Dec. 14th, 2pm