AUDITIONS: December 2

CALLBACKS: December 3

REHEARSALS: December 8 – February 5

PERFORMANCES: February 6-23

DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER: Greg Thompson

MUSIC DIRECTOR: Jason Bartosic

ABOUT THE SHOW: Jerusha Abbott is a poor teenage orphan who has spent her lonely life at the John Grier Home in New England. Now that she’s come of age, an unnamed benefactor, intrigued by her essays, decides to send her to college to be educated as a writer. From a distance, Jerusha gets a brief glimpse of the long, tall shadow of this mysterious benefactor as he leaves the orphanage. She nicknames him “Daddy Long Legs.” His only requirement for providing her the scholarship is that she write him a letter once a month. However, he will not write her back or reveal his identity. Although she knows that he will never respond to her letters, she grows more and more curious about this elusive and kindly “old” gentleman. Meanwhile, another relationship begins to develop in Jerusha’s life with Jervis Pendleton, a well-to-do uncle of one of Jerusha’s roommates. Through her monthly letters with “Daddy Long Legs” and her growing intimacy with Jervis, Jerusha’s letters chronicle her growth from a doe-eyed orphan girl to a strong, independent woman. In the end, she also finds love with a man she never expected to enter her life. This charming two-person musical is based on the novel by Jean Webster and inspired by the beloved classic film starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron.

ROLES AVAILABLE

• • Jerusha Abbott: Plays ages 18-23. A bright, youthful mezzo or soprano (range G3-F#5) who needs strong chest, mix, and head voice. Jerusha is lively, witty, and creative. Plucked from her miserable life at the orphanage to go to college, she thrives on her newfound freedom. Throughout the four years of the story, she grows from a wide-eyed teen to a self-assured, confident, and educated young woman. Jerusha is not a pushover; she goes after what she wants and pushes back if someone has wronged her. As one half of the two-person cast, the actress who plays Jerusha needs to be engaging, charming, and a powerhouse singer-actor. The audience must fall in love with her as Jervis does. Above all else, the key to Jerusha is her emotional honesty. She is always true to what she thinks and feels. This is what gives her great felicity for expression in her writing.

   

  • Jervis Pendleton: Plays ages 28-32. A strong baritone (range G3-G#4) with clear pop tenor quality on the high notes. Jervis is Jerusha’s anonymous benefactor. He originally intends to keep the arrangement purely one-sided, with Jerusha only writing to “Mr. Smith.” However, as he reads her letters, he decides he must meet this expressive, bright, charming young woman. Over the next four years, a romance blooms between them, but complications arise once Jerusha wants to meet “Mr. Daddy Long Legs Smith,” to whom she’s been writing her letters. Jervis likes to think of himself as quite wise and mature, but he has just as much (if not more) to learn from Jerusha about life. Jervis is the black sheep of his family, and as such, has a bit of a roguish charm. Jervis genuinely wants to use his wealth to make the world a better place – a stark contrast to his snobbish family.

FULL DETAILS IN THE NOVEMBER CUE SHEET!

https://ocalacivictheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/November-2024-Cue-Sheet.pdf