AUDITIONS/SUBMISSIONS
The Wizard of Oz
Click your ruby slippers three times and step into the enchanting world of The Wizard of Oz as Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse returns to the Emerald City for the first time since 2003. Young Dorothy Gale is swept away by a tornado from her Kansas farm to the magical land of Oz. There, she encounters a host of whimsical characters: good witches, bad witches, animals that talk, scarecrows that walk, and things magical to behold. To find her way home, she must journey along the Yellow Brick Road to see the mysterious and all-powerful Wizard in Emerald City. Along the way, she makes new friends, but must also brave many dangers, including the Wicked Witch of the West, who will stop at nothing to get her hands on Dorothy’s magical ruby slippers. Faithfully adapted from the beloved 1939 MGM film by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the score includes “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” “Merry Old Land of Oz,” and the iconic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The Wizard of Oz is a tale of friendship, courage, and self-discovery, brought to life with dazzling costumes, captivating choreography and spellbinding performances.
Click your ruby slippers three times and step into the enchanting world of The Wizard of Oz as Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse returns to the Emerald City for the first time since 2003. Young Dorothy Gale is swept away by a tornado from her Kansas farm to the magical land of Oz. There, she encounters a host of whimsical characters: good witches, bad witches, animals that talk, scarecrows that walk, and things magical to behold. To find her way home, she must journey along the Yellow Brick Road to see the mysterious and all-powerful Wizard in Emerald City. Along the way, she makes new friends, but must also brave many dangers, including the Wicked Witch of the West, who will stop at nothing to get her hands on Dorothy’s magical ruby slippers. Faithfully adapted from the beloved 1939 MGM film by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the score includes “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” “Merry Old Land of Oz,” and the iconic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The Wizard of Oz is a tale of friendship, courage, and self-discovery, brought to life with dazzling costumes, captivating choreography and spellbinding performances.
Circa ’21 will be holding an open call for child actors
Saturday, May 16 at 10 am in the main theatre
at 1828 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL 61201.
Saturday, May 16 at 10 am in the main theatre
at 1828 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL 61201.
We are looking for children, ages 10-16, for the ensemble. Rehearsals begin June 25, 2026, with performances July 8 – Sept. 5, 2026. All performances take place at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, Illinois.
Please prepare one song (16-32 bars) and bring the clearly marked sheet music with you. An accompanist will be provided.
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If you have previously auditioned for the production, it is not necessary to audition again.
We have kept all resumes from previous auditions and are making decisions from the entire pool of talent. ***
We have kept all resumes from previous auditions and are making decisions from the entire pool of talent. ***
We will also be continuing our search for the perfect Toto!
We encourage anyone with a dog they think would be appropriate to bring them to the theatre at Noon on May 16 so that we can meet and interact with them.
The perfect candidate for Toto will be small, calm and easily carried for long periods of time. Must be spayed / neutered and gentle. They will be interacting with and handled by strangers, so we prefer no one is bitten should your dog be afraid of new people. Must be updated on all vaccinations.
We are no longer accepting online submissions for any other roles for The Wizard of Oz. We are currently in the call back process at this time.
The perfect candidate for Toto will be small, calm and easily carried for long periods of time. Must be spayed / neutered and gentle. They will be interacting with and handled by strangers, so we prefer no one is bitten should your dog be afraid of new people. Must be updated on all vaccinations.
We are no longer accepting online submissions for any other roles for The Wizard of Oz. We are currently in the call back process at this time.
Wizard of Oz Character Breakdown
Uncle Henry / Emerald City Guard / Ensemble – Male. 25-40
Uncle Henry is a hard worker, used to the long days of manual labor of farm life. Though they may not be wealthy, Henry has the pride and integrity to stand up to the influential, but mean Miss Gulch on behalf of Dorothy. This performer doubles as the Emerald City Guard and an occasional member of the Ensemble.
Almira Gulch / Wicked Witch of the West – Female. 30-50
Almira Gulch is a mean-spirited woman who is wealthy and well-connected but spends her time alone. She hates Dorothy’s dog, Toto, for often getting into her yard and chasing her cat. Miss Gulch is bitter, snobbish, and vicious. This performer doubles as the Wicked Witch of the West.
Wicked Witch of the West is the most evil, villainous sorceress in all of Oz. The Wicked Witch of the West follows Dorothy along the girl’s whole trip to the Emerald City, hoping to steal back her sister’s magical ruby slippers. The Wicked Witch of the West is conniving, cackling, and cruel, one of the most famous villains in literature, film, and theatre.
Professor Marvel / Wizard of Oz – Male. 30-50.
The Wizard is the most powerful figure in all of Oz. He is famed throughout the land for his skill in magic, but also his mysterious nature. The Wizard is a showman at heart, flashy and with a penchant for bombastic oratories; underneath, he is a generous and caring man who does his best to help those he meets. This performer doubles as Professor Marvel.
Toto
The perfect candidate for Toto will be small, calm and easily carried for long periods of time. Must be spayed / neutered and gentle. They will be interacting with and handled by strangers, so we prefer no one is bitten should your dog be afraid of new people. Must be updated on all vaccinations. We prefer that Toto’s human is a member of the ensemble but are open to other options. If you are interested in having your fur baby cast in our production, please submit a photo and video (30 seconds or less) of your dog along with its name and your contact information.
Ensemble – All ages and ethnicities
Members of the Ensemble play munchkins, crows, apple trees, poppies, citizens of the Emerald City, Winkies & Flying Monkeys.
Rock of Ages
It’s the tail end of the big, bad 1980s in Hollywood, and the party has been raging hard. Aqua Net, Lycra, lace and liquor flow freely at one of the Sunset Strip’s last legendary venues, a place where sex machine Stacee Jaxx takes the stage and scantily clad groupies line up to turn their fantasies into reality. Amidst the madness, aspiring rock star (and resident toilet cleaner) Drew longs to take the stage as the next big thing (and longs for small-town girl Sherri, fresh off the bus from Kansas with stars in her eyes). But the rock ’n’ roll fairy tale is about to end when German developers sweep into town with plans to turn the fabled Strip into just another capitalist strip mall. Can Drew, Sherri and the gang save the strip – and themselves – before it’s too late? Only the music of hit bands Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and more hold the answer. Get ready to rock and roll all night with a big, brash, energetic tribute to classic rock and over-the-top ballads as Rock of Ages, the five-time Tony Award nominated Broadway rock musical jams on to the Circa ’21 stage this fall.
This beloved Jukebox musical will be directed and choreographed by Ashley Becher, who most recently directed Chicago, White Christmas and Lucky Stiff. Music Direction will be provided by resident Music Director Ron May.
Rehearsals begin September 3, 2026, and opening September 18 and closing November 7, 2026. All performances take place at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, Illinois. Weekly salary, housing and travel included. Please see the character breakdown for a complete list of characters we are casting.
We are no longer accepting online submissions for Rock of Ages. We are currently in the call back process at this time.
Rock of Ages Character Breakdown:
Dennis Dupree – Male. 35-50
Dennis is a laid-back, chill, amiable man, a classic stoner, a dude’s dude. He is the boss of the famous Bourbon Room, and should have an air of easy authority, but not to compete with his relaxed attitude and counter-culture vibe. Dennis can have a gruff demeanor but is often a reluctant paternal figure to the hopeful young musicians who staff his bar. Dennis is torn about whether he should sell the club to Hertz, a German businessman. Very strong comedic timing, and bari-tenor rock vocals. (Vocal Range: D3-A4)
Hertz Klinemann / Ensemble – Male. 40-50
Hertz Klinneman is a German real estate developer, an intimidating and uptight businessman who has traveled to L.A. to develop the fabled Sunset Strip. Hertz is a stern patriarch, who rules his son, Franz, with a firm hand, trying to banish any weakness of character with good, old-fashioned mockery and derision. His demeanor is chilly, intimidating, a classic Teutonic stereotype of rigid, militaristic manhood. Hertz is a single-minded villain for much of the story, cruelly determined to reshape L.A. in his own image. The role of Hertz requires a strong character actor with excellent comedic timing and a fierce stage presence, along with rock baritone or baritenor. (Vocal Range: F3- G#4)
Ensemble
The Ensemble of Rock of Ages performs a variety of roles in and around the Bourbon Room. They are fans, nightclub patrons, members of the waitstaff, citizens protesting the club’s impending demolition, riot police sent to stop those same protesters, dancers and performers, members of the band Arsenal, groupies of Arsenal’s lead singer, Stacee Jaxx. A strong subset of the ensemble includes the female dancers at the Venus Club, who should be extremely strong dancers -- jazz or modern dance background -- with sensuality and comedic flair. This ensemble should have gritty, wildly enthusiastic energy and a strong rock and roll sensibility.
