South Pacific auditions?

Last summer, my grandkids had small parts in the play Annie. A few lines for my grandson, chorus song and dance for my granddaughter. They did well. Cooperated, did what was asked of them.

Now, the community theater director has asked their mother to please have them audition for this next summer's production, South Pacific. He was thinking about the part of the brother and sister who sing "Detes Moi". Practically no other children's parts available in that show, I think. The director said that the kids don't have to really be brother and sister, of course. He thought it would be cool if they really were.

My grandson is 12, and is tall and slim for his age. My granddaughter is 9, and tiny and petite. I am sure she could play the little girl and do it well. I am nervous about the boy getting the part.

Can you see a taller, slim boy in the boy's role?

yeah it could work. It's really up to the directors vision of the role and how they audition.

Just focus on the audition...

Those are the only 2 kids roles. Whether or not your grandson will get cast depends on how tall he is and how tall Emile and Nellie end up being. What's on your grandson's side is that they don't usually have many boys audition and of course the director asked him to audition. Have him wear very flat shoes or ballet shoes to the audition. Can't get much flatter than that. It's more important for Ngana to be small because she has to be smaller than Liat and Nellie and Liat is generally cast small.

Download the song and have them both practice it. Dites Moi, the first line very roughly translated means "Tell me why the sky is full of music..." http://libretto.musicals.ru/text.php?textid=315&language=1

If for some reason one child is cast and the other isn't you can always decline the role for the other one or let them know in advance that they are a package deal if in fact they are. Unfortunately theatre doesn't usually work that way. Many parents with multiple kids who do theatre have to run to separate rehearsals because one child was cast in one show but the other one wasn't so they went on to audition for something else and ended up being cast in that.

good luck,
Marianne

Absolutely. Working with kids who are a little bit older is always easier. Just watch out the boy isn't taller than the leading actors, that might be a dealbreaker. If he's tall enough, he might audition for the men's chorus.