EILEEN EVERGREEN is a gorgeous character. A self-proclaimed, ‘finest interpreter of modern dance in the world’ (she isn’t!), Eileen is narcissism on legs. The world exists for her to enjoy and, in her mind, everyone else hangs on every word that she speaks. The challenge to the actor is to play these characteristics fully and yet still allow the audience to like her. We want to laugh at EILEEN not want to cover her with a bag and stash her in a cupboard.
Eileen must be played with complete honesty. She truly believes she is wonderful and that everyone hangs on her very existence. If the audience gets any sense that the actor is not taking Eileen serious, the result will be a shallow, two dimensional character that is annoying rather than entertaining.
To approach this role, the actor must be willing to abandon any sense of self pretence. If you are unable perform without any concern of what others think of you, you will not reach the full potential of EILEEN. The audience must feel that you are giving them everything and not holding back. You aren’t protecting yourself by worrying about how you look to others.
Ironically, being too self involved will prevent you from playing the self involvement necessary for EILEEN’s character.
At your audition be willing to let go. We want to believe that you are performing as though the world does not exist and nothing is holding you back. It’s that feeling of total freedom you got as a child, performing in your bedroom where no one could see you (or was that just me?). Be brave and laugh at yourself. This is such a fun character to play. Enjoy your audition and so will we.
Don’t be misled by the phrase, “finest interpreter of modern dance”. EILEEN is not a great dancer, hence the physical humour when we see her ‘dancing’. You will, however be flexible.
Vocally, we are asking you to demonstrate your ability to hit pitches accurately without sliding onto them. It’s Broadway with a touch of classical style. Listen to the soundtrack to get a feel for this era specific music.
EILEEN’s songs:
Delishious: Listen HERE.
I’ve Got a Crush on You: Listen HERE.
Nice Work If You Can Get It is a relatively new musical and so there is not much online to help you with your audition preparation. Because this is a new musical it is unlikely you will have seen the show.
To help you get to know this wonderful show and to help you prepare your audition, we’ll be working our way through the script, highlighting elements that help you get a handle on the humour of the script, all the songs and who sings them and I’ll be discussing each character in detail.
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