Book by Thomas Meehan & Chris Curtis
Music & Lyrics by Chris Curtis
Directed by Maelene Rosales
Stage Managed by Esmie Resendez
Blank Conversations & Rio Grande Theatre present
Chaplin: The Musical
January 22nd-31st, 2027
Blank Conversations Theatre Company & Rio Grande Theatre’s next big musical features the life and work of the Tramp himself; Chaplin: The Musical
Characters:
CHARLIE CHAPLIN – After surviving a poverty-stricken and difficult childhood he turned luck into skill and skill into unprecedented opportunity and success. He ages from late teens to late 40’s as he displays unmatched talent on the vaudeville stage, in Keystone pictures and as producer, director and star of his own film studio.
HANNAH CHAPLIN – Charlie’s mother. She is the source of his first inspiration as well as his greatest humiliation.
YOUNG CHARLIE – He sings, dances and suffers great sorrow when he returns to his mother after getting out of the County Home to find she no longer recognizes him. He later plays Jackie Coogan, the famous child actor who co-starred in “The Kid” with Chaplin and the Usher.
SYDNEY CHAPLIN – Charlie’s brother, performing partner, and business manager. He sticks by Charlie through thick and thin, through marriages and women far too young and through political upheavals and exile.
ALF REEVES – Clever, intuitive, fields phone calls and starlet requests brilliantly—and knows Charlie sometimes better than Chaplin knows himself.
MACK SENNETT – The master of his Keystone universe; the rather arrogant yet perfectly knowledgeable creator of a factory of short, slapstick films.
HEDDA HOPPER – A mediocre actress-turned notorious gossip columnist who has made it her personal mission to expose Charlie as a womanizing, cheating, communist foreigner who is making too much money on American shores.
OONA O’NEILL – Wannabe actress who meets Charlie when she turns up late for an audition. Shortly thereafter, she gives up her aspirations for a career in Hollywood and becomes the first woman to appreciate Charlie for who and not what he is.
Mr. Karno
Usher
Mildred Harris
Joan Barry
Ensemble – Londoners, Music Hall Patrons, Film Crew, Starlets, Reports, Hollywood Elite
Synopsis: Chaplin is based on the real-life story of Charlie Chaplin, the iconic film actor, writer, producer and director. The new musical spans the comic’s entire career, from Chaplin’s first performance as a child in 19th-century London to his tearful acceptance of an honorary Academy Award in 1972. The show documents the beloved actor’s rise to fame and the people who shaped his life, including his mother Hannah, his older brother Sydney, his fourth wife Oona O’Neill and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. The musical dramatizes the making of Chaplin’s legendary films, including The Kid, The Circus, Modern Times and The Great Dictator as well as his turbulent childhood, frenzied love life and political beliefs.
Audition Information
For further questions or concerns, feel free to email us at blank@blankconversations.org
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Auditions will take place on September 11th (7PM - 9PM) and 13th (9AM - 11AM, 2PM - 4PM). There will be no callbacks. Auditioners are asked to sign up for one time slot, and will be asked to stay for the length of the audition slot.
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Auditioners are asked to prepare 16-bars of music for a vocal audition. A dance audition will take place as a group. If needed, the director may ask you to read sides from the script following the dance audition.
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Nope! If this is your first time auditioning with Blank Conversations, please let us know! We're happy to walk you through the process and offer any guidance prior to your audition. Email us at blank@blankconversations.org with questions or comments.
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Rehearsals will begin either the last week of September or the first week of October. Finalized schedules will be available to view at auditions. Estimations will have rehearsals taking place in the evening (6-9pm) throughout the week.
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Email us at blank@blankconversations.org, or sign up to be a General Member!