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 See below for a full audition breakdown for our upcoming production of West Side Story! All offers for the adult cast of The Prince of Egypt have been sent. Casting for the youth ensemble is still working.

WEST SIDE STORY

Music: Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Book: Arthur Laurents
Director: Marissa Herrera
Choreographer: Kyle Coffman
Music Director: Dennis Castellano

PRODUCTION DATES

First rehearsal: Tuesday, March 22nd, 2027
Preview: Friday, April 9th, 2027
Opening: Saturday, April 10th, 2027
Closing: Sunday, April 25th, 2027

Note on rehearsal schedule: while the rehearsal schedule is subject to change, the anticipated rehearsal schedule is from 12pm – 8pm, 6 days a week during the three weeks leading up to the show.

AUDITION DATES

WEST SIDE STORY Dance ECC (all genders): Saturday, November 21st, 2026:
12pm – Dance group 1
2pm – Dance group 2
4pm – Dance group 3* (only if previous groups are filled)

Those called back to sing will be asked to do so later in the evening after dancing.
There will be an initial combination, followed by a cut and a secondary combination.
It will take approximately one hour for each group to learn, dance, and audition each combination.

Principal Callbacks for WEST SIDE STORY will be held on Sunday, November 22nd & Monday, November 23rd, 2026.

LOCATIONS

Auditions and Rehearsals will be held at the MTW rehearsal hall: 4350 E 7th Street, Long Beach, CA 90804 

Please Note: During these auditions, parking in the MTW lot will be extremely limited due to Todd’s Tree Lot. Allow for extra time to find parking in the surrounding neighborhood.

Maximum capacity in audition room at once: 50 (2,000 square feet of danceable space)
Maximum capacity in outdoor holding area: 60

Performances for WEST SIDE STORY will be held at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center: 6200 E Atherton St, Long Beach, CA 90815

 

CONTRACT

AEA rate: $1,054/wk (COST Tier 2+)

Non-AEA rate: $17.40/hr for all rehearsal and performance hours worked.

Priority is always given to those with local housing. Non-AEA members are always encouraged to attend all auditions.

 

AUDITION MATERIAL

The Creative Team would like those auditioning to prepare the Callback Materials from the show.

Callback Material for WEST SIDE STORY will be posted HERE when available (materials will be posted at least two weeks prior to auditions).
(*Note: those auditioning for non-singing roles need only prepare the scene cuts.)

When attending an audition, please ensure that you bring a headshot & resume.

AUDITION APPOINTMENTS

If you are an AEA member looking to schedule an audition appointment for the Dance ECC, you can do so on the AEA website.

We are currently unable to schedule appointments for Non-AEA members; however, Non-AEA are still welcome and encouraged to attend Dance ECC auditions on Saturday, November 21st. While we must prioritize our AEA members, we will do our best to see all those who attend.

If you are unable to attend the in-person auditions, please complete the form below to submit a virtual audition, which includes:

• HEADSHOT
• RESUME
• VOCAL VIDEO – 16-32 bar vocal selection in the style of the show
• DANCE/MOVEMENT VIDEO, if applicable.
• Feel free to include your REEL as well!

MTW 2027 SEASON VIRTUAL SUBMISSIONS
(*Submissions for WEST SIDE STORY are due by end of day on Tuesday, November 17th*)

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

Musical Theatre West strives to reflect its community, and welcomes and encourages all performers of any gender identity, age, religion, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, language, physical ability or diverse viewpoints to audition.

*All roles will be cast 18+ to play the ages listed below.

The  Sharks – A  Puerto  Rican  gang  

• • MARIA: A hopeless romantic and innocent young girl who is finding her own voice.  She falls in love with Tony and finds herself at the center of the violent conflict between the two gangs. Bernardo’s younger sister. Strong soprano voice. Range: Bb3 to C6. Some dancing.
  • ANITA: Strong and assertive. Has her own big dreams. Bernardo’s girlfriend. She dispenses “older sister” advice to Maria and tries to shield her from the dangers of the gangs. Strong Alto (Mezzo-Soprano range a plus). Range: F3 to F5. Strong dance required.   
  • BERNARDO: A proud, strong man. Bernardo seeks to carve out territory as a sense of identity for him and his community. Maria’s older brother and Anita’s boyfriend. Leader of the Sharks. Limited solo singing. Baritone. Range: A2 to E4. Strong dance required.
  • CHINO: An angry and, at times, naive Shark who turns murderous and vengeful. Suitor to Maria and friend of Bernardo’s. Baritone. Dancing required.
  • 4 ENSEMBLE SHARK BOYS (including PEPE, INDIO, LUIS): Strong dancing/Baritone singing required.
  • ROSALIA: Indio’s girlfriend, more demure, still finding her footing in the world. Mezzo-Soprano with belt.
  • CONSUELA: Grounded and well-seasoned in life, despite being young. Pepe’s girlfriend. Mezzo-Soprano with belt.
  • FRANCISCA: Youthful, often reacts to situations with innocent confusion, one of Maria’s close friends. Luis’ girlfriend. Mezzo-Soprano with belt.

• 2 ENSEMBLE SHARK GIRLS: Strong dancing/Alto singing required.

The  Jets – A  Caucasian  gang  

• • TONY: A romantic young man and former leader of the Jets, he has found a new lifestyle working to keep boundaries from the gang culture he once lived. Tony finds himself violently torn between his friendships and love. Falls in love with Maria and meets an unfortunate death. Genuinely sweet and sincere. Strong tenor voice. Range: Bb2 to C5. Limited dancing.
  • RIFF: An athletic, quick­‐tempered leader of the Jets. He seeks to eliminate the Sharks and establish his own gang’s dominance. Tony’s best friend, he is eventually murdered by Bernardo. Strong singer/dancer. Range: A2 to F4. Strong dance required.
  • ANYBODYS: (female or non-binary actor) A spunky tomboy who is desperate to become a member of the Jets. The other Jets mock her for her ambitions, but generally appreciate her company. Full of energy and heart. Strong dance required. Alto
  • DIESEL: Second-in-command of the Jets. Leader after Riff’s death. Baritone. Strong dance required.
  • ACTION: The most quick-tempered member of the Jets, always ready for a fight. Baritone. Strong dance required.
  • A-RAB: Slightly less quick tempered than Action. Baby John’s best friend. Is jumped by the Sharks during the opening sequence. Baritone. Strong dance required.
  • BABY JOHN: The youngest of the Jets, impressionable, looks to A-Rab for guidance. Tenor. Strong dance required.

• 1 ENSEMBLE JET BOY: Baritone

• GRACIELLA: Riff’s girlfriend. Mezzo-Soprano. Strong dance required.

• 2 ENSEMBLE JET GIRLS: Strong dancing/Singing required

The Adults

• OFFICER KRUPKE: The local beat cop. He has no patience for the gangs’ conflict and tries to keep tensions from erupting between them. A little dorky, he is regularly mocked by the local gangs. No dancing or singing required.
• DETECTIVE SCHRANK: A local police detective frustrated by the ongoing violence between the Jets and Sharks. Blunt, brash, racist, and unapologetic. No dancing or singing required.
• DOC: The adult owner of the store where the Jets hang out. He tries to guide the Jets’ youthful angst and provides a safe haven for Tony. Old fashioned and wise in his ways. No dancing or singing required.
• GLAD HAND: Nerdy, overly cheerful and ill-equipped social director at the school dance (“Mambo”). No dancing or singing required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are Musical Theatre West auditions held?

All auditions take place at the MTW rehearsal halls and offices, located at 4350 East 7th St, Long Beach, CA 90804. You can enter through one of two gates on 7th Street. 

Where should I park?

Parking is available directly in front of the offices in our parking lot. If the lot is full, there is street parking available on Ximeno, as well as in the surrounding neighborhoods. Please note: if auditions are taking place during November or December, parking will be extremely limited in the MTW lot because it is shared with Todd’s Tree Lot.

When should I arrive?

If you have an audition appointment or are attending a chorus call, arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time to allow for plenty of time to check-in. If you are attempting to audition without an appointment, our offices will be open an hour before our posted audition start time. 

What should I wear?

For a vocal call, wear a comfortable outfit that you would wear to a job interview. If you would like to dress in the style of the show, feel free to do so.

For a dance call, wear form fitting clothing that you are comfortable dancing in and bring any shoes that could potentially be used in the show you are auditioning for. This could include jazz shoes, character shoes, or tap shoes, depending on the show. If you identify as female, character heels are usually required. 

What do I do when I get to the audition?

After you park, walk to our green room and check in with the audition monitors. If the audition is listed as an Equity Principal Audition (EPA) or an Equity Chorus Call (ECC), there will be an Equity monitor on site and all auditioners, regardless of union status, will need to check in with this monitor first. The MTW monitors will then have paperwork and additional check-in information for all auditioners. If you are a member of Actors’ Equity, remember to bring your Equity card.

How does the check-in process work?

There will be a Google Form for each auditioner to fill out when they arrive. This form will ask about basic contact information, union status, and any conflicts you may have with the rehearsal schedule provided. Bring a smartphone to fill out this form, plus your calendar to note any potential conflicts. The form may ask you to sign into your Google account, so have any login information ready. There is also a spot on the form that asks if you would accept an understudy role or an ensemble role, and we ask that you answer as truthfully as possible so we can cast the show appropriately.

What should I prepare?

For a vocal call, we typically ask auditioners to prepare a 16-32 bar cut of a song in the style of the show. This may change based on the individual shows, so always check the section of the audition notice called “Audition Material” for the most accurate information. Bring sheet music in the proper key; we do not allow tracks. 

For a dance call, arrive warmed up and in the proper attire. 

For all auditions, bring a physical headshot and resume.

What do I do after I check in?

Once you’ve confirmed with the audition monitors that your check-in form has successfully gone through, you can relax in our green room or right outside the green room. Don’t go too far away, because our audition monitors will call your name when it’s time for you to audition. 

For a vocal call, we will call you into the hallway as a part of a small group where you will wait to go into the audition room. One of our monitors will then take your group in one by one, and you will then have the chance to audition.

For a dance call, we will bring in groups of up to 50 at a time into the audition room at once.

How does the audition work once I am in the audition room?

For a vocal call, you will walk to the accompanist and go over your sheet music with them. Then, you can walk to the X marked on the floor in front of the audition panel and slate for the panel. Slating is where you say your name, the name of the song you will sing, and the name of the musical it is from or the name of the artist who sang it. You can then sing your song. Once you have finished, the panel will either thank you and you can leave, or they may ask you to sing another song. If you are asked to sing something else, you can return to the accompanist and go over the sheet music for the next song, and then return to the X to sing. Once you are finished, take a seat in the hallway outside the room once again and the audition monitor will have more information for you there.

For a dance call, the choreographer will teach the routine, then break the group into groups to practice. We will then organize you into smaller groups and you will perform the routine for adjudication.

How do callbacks work?

If the casting team needs to see more from you, then we will ask you to come back either later in the day or on another day, depending on what the team needs to see. The audition monitors will let you know before we dismiss you for the day and will let you know when to come back and what to prepare. Please don’t leave for the day until you’ve been dismissed!

How will I know if I’m cast in the show?

All auditioners will receive an email stating whether or not they were cast in the show. We try to get this email out as soon as we can, but sometimes it can take up several weeks to fully cast the show. This MTW audition page will also be updated when all offers have been sent out.

It’s my first time auditioning, any advice?

Yes!  Always be yourself when auditioning. You never know what the casting team is looking for, so the more you can let yourself shine through in your audition, the better. When you do your best, you make our job easier because we want to find the right people for each role. Make sure you arrive on time and come prepared for anything the team may throw your way. Try not to compare yourself to others and most importantly, have fun! And if you have an off day, there are always more auditions around the corner. We’re excited to have you!