LIVID PRODUCTIONS is pleased to invite virtual audition submissions for our concert presentation of

Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of The Worlds,

currently scheduled for 4 performances at The Albury Entertainment Centre, September 12, 13 & 14 2024.

 

Character descriptions and submissions instructions are included below.  We look forward to receiving your audition!

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THE STORY

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In the prologue, the Journalist notes that in the late 19th century few people had even considered the possible existence of extraterrestrial life, yet planet Earth had in fact long been enviously observed by advanced beings.

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The Journalist's account begins later that year, with the sighting of several bursts of green gas which, for ten consecutive nights, erupt from the surface of Mars and appear to approach Earth. Ogilvy, an astronomer convinced that no life could exist on Mars, assures the Journalist there is no danger.

 

Eventually, something crashes onto Horsell Common, and in the resulting crater Ogilvy discovers a glowing cylinder, the top of which begins to unscrew. When this lid falls off, a Martian creature emerges. By now a crowd has gathered on the common, and when a group of inquisitive men approaches the cylinder they are incinerated by the Heat-Ray—an advanced Martian weapon. The Journalist flees with the crowd.

 

Later, hammering sounds are heard from the pit. A company of soldiers is deployed at the common, and that evening an injured and exhausted Artilleryman wanders into the Journalist's house and tells him his comrades have been killed by fighting machines—tripod vehicles built and controlled by Martians, each armed with its own Heat-Ray. They set off for London—the Journalist to ensure his lover Carrie is safe, the Artilleryman to report to headquarters—but are soon caught in a crossfire between soldiers and Martians and are separated.

 

Three days later the Journalist arrives at Carrie's house but finds it empty. He resolves to escape London by boat and later catches sight of Carrie aboard a steamer, but the gangplank is raised before he can join her. Fighting machines then approach, threatening the steamer, but they are engaged by the Royal Navy battleship Thunder Child and two are destroyed. The steamer escapes, but Thunder Child is destroyed and her crew are lost by the Martian heat-rays, leaving England defenceless against the invasion.

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The wandering Journalist discovers that red weed—the vegetation that gives Mars its color—has taken root on Earth and spread rapidly across the landscape. In a churchyard, he encounters the Parson Nathaniel and his wife Beth. The trio takes refuge in a nearby cottage that is soon surrounded by black smoke—a Martian chemical weapon. Nathaniel, driven mad by his horrific experiences of the Martian attacks, blames himself for the invasion and believes the invaders are demons arising from human evil.

 

As Beth attempts to restore his faith in humanity, a Martian cylinder crashes into the cottage; Beth is buried under the rubble and killed. The newly arrived Martians construct a handling machine: a squat, spider-like vehicle used to capture and collect humans. After nine days of hiding in the ruins, the Journalist and Nathaniel see the Martians 'eating'—harvesting human blood and injecting it into their own veins. Nathaniel resolves to confront the 'demons', believing that he has been chosen to destroy them with his prayers and holy cross. The Journalist knocks him unconscious to silence his ravings, but the Martians are already alerted. A mechanical claw explores the cottage and drags Nathaniel away.

 

Eventually, the Martians abandon their camp and the Journalist continues his journey to London. He again encounters the Artilleryman, who is planning a new life underground that would allow humans to evade the Martians and ultimately strike back with reverse-engineered fighting machines. The Journalist, however, realizing the Artilleryman's ambitions far exceed his abilities, soon leaves. Upon reaching London, he finds the city desolate and empty. Driven to suicide by intense despair and loneliness, he surrenders to a fighting machine but realizes it is inert, the Martian inside dead.

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In the first epilogue, the Journalist reports that the Martians were defeated by Earth's bacteria—to which they had no resistance—and that, as humanity recovered from the invasion, he was reunited with Carrie. But, he says, the question remains: is Earth now safe, or are the Martians learning from their failures and preparing for a second invasion?

In the second epilogue, set 80 years later, a NASA mission to Mars flounders when the control centre from Pasadena loses contact with the uncrewed spacecraft. The controller sees a green flare erupt from Mars' surface. The controller tries to contact NASA, but all communication seems to have been blocked.

This leaves a question mark of what's going to happen and the fate of the Earth, with the possibility of a second Martian invasion.

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REHEARSALS

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A rehearsal schedule is yet to be confirmed but below is an idea of what we expect it to look like:

 

• 12 weeks out from the show Singing Rehearsal Once a week (rehearsals will be staggered so not everyone has to be at all of them)

• 8 weeks out from the show Singing rehearsal with Band Once a week

• 4 weeks out from the show Full show rehearsals with Band possibly twice a week

• Tech week Rehearsals most nights

• NOTE: Narrator will need to be available to work with the band as well as singing rehearsals (if singing).

 

 

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

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The Journalist (Narrator) / The Sung Thoughts of The Journalist Potential singing role or role can be split.

 (For the Narrator, please read below audition song information for your monologue)

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The Artilleryman (Singing & acting role)

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The Voice of Humanity (Singing role)

 

Parson Nathaniel (Singing & acting role)

 

Beth, The Parson's Wife (Singing & acting role)

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Small vocal ensemble (Singing, various voices)

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AUDITION SONGS

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1 - Spirit of Man (duet - male tenor, female alto)

YouTube - Scroll 1:45 in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo4yC_UxUVE&list=PLFV_pTSMduaURY4rVeOeWDCIWcgdAW7PZ&index=7

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2 - Thunderchild (rock tenor voice)

YouTube - Scroll 0:55 in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKZrAl-7ugo&list=PLFV_pTSMduaURY4rVeOeWDCIWcgdAW7PZ&index=5

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3 - Brave New World (rock tenor voice)

YouTube - Scroll 1:50 in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcAwrLzhnzQ&list=PLFV_pTSMduaURY4rVeOeWDCIWcgdAW7PZ&index=8

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4 - Forever Autumn (tenor voice)

YouTube - Scroll 0:20 in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVe7EoRKoXY&list=PLFV_pTSMduaURY4rVeOeWDCIWcgdAW7PZ&index=4

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5 - The Chances of Anything Coming From Mars (end of Eve of War – all voices, all ranges)

YouTube - Scroll 6:10 in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YwFvmnbj3E&list=PLFV_pTSMduaURY4rVeOeWDCIWcgdAW7PZ&index=1​

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  ** Please search for lyrics for each song on Google

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VIDEO INFORMATION FOR SONGS & NARRATOR

 

• Choose a song that you think is a good fit for you and/or your voice.

• Plant your feet and just sing to the camera and try to frame from your waist up if you can

• There are backing tracks available online, or you are permitted to sing along with the tracks, but we must hear your voice clearly and not the recorded vocals on the track. 

• Make sure you film at least a 30-60 seconds of one of the songs from the list, and also 30-60 seconds of an extra song, not from TWOTW, that you think showcases your voice. 

• NARRATOR - The dialogue needs to be on its own with no music behind it. You may read off the sheet, but please ensure your voice is clear to hear on the video and there is a good balance. This role can be both dialogue and sung, or the role can be split. Please record and submit either just the dialogue, or the dialogue and a song. Listen to the Start of 'Eve of War' to give you an example of the iconic Narration:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YwFvmnbj3E&list=PLFV_pTSMduaURY4rVeOeWDCIWcgdAW7PZ&index=1​

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SENDING YOUR AUDITION

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Some options for sending your song:

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• Upload it to an Unlisted YouTube link and email us the link

• Upload it to a Google Drive or Dropbox and email us the link

• Email your video directly to lividproductionsinc@gmail.com

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If you have any concerns, or queries, please contact us at lividproductionsinc@gmail.com

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FINALLY - FILL OUT AN AUDITION FORM

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