Director: Ron Watson
Music Director: Neal Gibson
Choreographer: Jesee Smart
Initial auditions for The Georgetown Palace’s production of Swing will take place from Sunday, October 19 – Tuesday, October 20. Callbacks will be on Tuesday, October 21 on the Springer Stage. The Springer stage is located at 810 S Austin Ave, Georgetown Texas, 78626.
The production is scheduled to open on Friday, February 14 through Sunday, March 1, 2026.
Rehearsals are scheduled to begin on Monday, December 8, 2025.
No rehearsals scheduled from December 21 through January 4.
Special Performance Notes:
- This show’s ASL performance is scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
- Evening performance
- It is a 3 week run, but every Saturday will be a two-show day so there will be 12 total performances.
SHOW SYNOPSIS
It shattered ethnic and cultural barriers, generating multiple specialty styles of dance. SWING! celebrates this remarkable diversity to the beat of the most exhilarating songs of the period. But as this enthralling song-and-dance show makes abundantly clear, swing was never a time or place — it has always been a state of mind!
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
SWING! is an extraordinary show that celebrates the unique personalities at the heart of the swing era. We’re not just looking for great performers, we’re looking for great personalities—the kind of artists who can take any material and make it their own. Think of the unique flair of artists like Cab Calloway, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, and Louis Prima. They became stars by letting their authentic selves shine through the material.
We believe that great casting is about finding people who are true to themselves. We want to see who you are. We’re interested in performers with a distinct point of view and a willingness to bring their own unique gifts to the creative process. If you’ve got a passion for performance and a personality that’s ready to shine, we want to meet you.
We are looking for 17 talented and diverse performers of all ethnicities aged 16 or older**.
We are also looking to cast Understudies and/or Standbys for this production. Any guaranteed performances for these roles would be noted in an offer letter or given during the rehearsal process.
**Jesee Smart has already been cast as one of the ensemble dancers.
Breakdown of terminology is as follows:
- Performing / Principle Cast – Actor who performs in the majority/all of performances
- Understudy – when a member of the performing cast learns a principal or supporting role and could be called upon to perform that role during the performance period – sometimes guaranteed performances are offered; sometimes they are not.
- Standby – When an actor doesn’t perform with the principal cast every performance but learns the role to perform in emergency situations and/or preplanned performances. While the standby doesn’t have to be at every performance, they must be within an hour’s distance from the theatre to be pulled in with at least one hour’s notice to call time.
The Georgetown Palace desires to be as inclusive as possible and we enthusiastically encourage gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender and nonbinary actors to submit to audition for any roles listed. We also seek all races,ethnicities and abilities. Our character descriptions on the following pages are gender binary and are written with he/him or she/her. While they are limited in their writing, we hope that anyone who identifies with any of the roles, will come out and audition.
THE AUDITIONS:
Auditions will take place on the Springer Stage on Sunday, October 19 and Monday October 20 from 6:30p-10:00p.
Participants will be singing and dancing in one visit. Please plan to be at the Palace for about 2 hours once your audition time begins.
We will see 15 performers per 90 min block. The first part of the audition will be your song for the production team. The second part of your time slot will be learning the dance combination.
Performers will be able to sign up for Sunday evening or Monday evening October 19-20, respectively.
Depending on where you fall in the order, you may not have much time to change between singing and dancing, so please come in your dance audition outfit so that we can get you in and out on time. Please dress in clothing that you can dance and move freely in. Please refrain from wearing jeans or restricting clothing for your dance audition. Initial dance auditions will consist of a musical theatre jazz style combo. All auditioners should bring jazz or character shoes for the dance portion. If you do not have the requested shoes, sneakers are acceptable. Auditioners should expect to tap dance at call backs.
Due to this format, it is imperative that you show up 15 mins before your audition time. Example: Your audition time is 6:30p, please show up by 6:15p to get signed in.
We are hoping this new format will make auditioning easier and less driving for the performers. Having 2 days available will also help mitigate the need for any video submissions as we prefer to see you in-person.
The initial vocal audition will consist of selected vocal sides from the show. Please choose one side from below to perform for your initial audition. Those who are only interested in auditioning for the Dance Ensemble may choose the “Dance Ensemble” side or any of the other listed sides.
If you wish to be considered for more than one of the four Bandstand Singer roles, please select the side that you feel best shows off your voice. Time constraints prevent us from hearing you sing more than one side.
Two MP3 files (one with the vocal line/piano accompaniment; one with piano accompaniment only) and a PDF of the sheet music are available for all music audition sides by selecting the links below. The same “piano only” track is what will be used for your audition. Please note that your audition side does not need to be memorized.
Audition sign ups can be found HERE
CALLBACKS:
Callbacks will take place on Tuesday, October 21 by invitation only from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM on the Springer Stage. Callbacks will be posted on the Georgetown Palace website in the days following the initial auditions, and an email will be sent to all audition participants at the time of posting. Specific cuts of songs and sides from the script will be provided for callbacks for all characters. Those auditioning for the dancing ensemble should be prepared to tap at call backs.
A link to the website that holds the sides will be provided in the email.
If none of the audition times listed work for your schedule, please send productions@georgetownpalace.com an email, and we’ll do our best to arrange an alternate audition. Please note that the team prefers to see IN PERSON auditions. Callbacks in person are also required.
CONFLICTS:
When signing up for an audition slot please note any conflicts during the rehearsal or performance dates.
Please note: conflicts do not necessarily negate the opportunity to be cast, but we must know about them up front to factor that into the casting decisions. Barring emergencies, additional conflicts added/disclosed after casting could result in dismissal from the production.
Sunday rehearsals will only be planned for tech rehearsals immediately prior to opening, but please include Sunday afternoon conflicts for the rehearsal period so that in the event a Saturday must be canceled due to cast conflicts we will know whether a reschedule on Sunday is an option.
Adding any non-emergency or work conflicts after casting could result in your removal from the production.
REHEARSALS:
Rehearsals begin Monday, December 8, 2025. (No rehearsals scheduled from December 21 through January 4.) Scripts and scores will be available at the first rehearsal. But those offered roles will receive a link to a digital copy. Rehearsals will typically be held Monday-Thursday evenings from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and on Saturdays from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Sunday afternoon will only be an option in the event a Saturday must be canceled due to cast conflicts.
Once the show moves into the theatre, the rehearsal schedule will alter to accommodate adding the different tech elements. We will make sure that those alterations are noted in the rehearsal schedule.
PERFORMANCES:
For evening performances the curtain is at 7:30p, and for matinee performances the curtain is at 2:00p. We will perform most Friday nights, Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. The additional performances and adapted performances are listed below.
- This show’s ASL performance is scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
- Evening performance
- It is a 3 week run, but every Saturday will be a two-show day so there will be 12 total performances.
LOCAL TALENT:
While we are open to entertaining non-local actors, we are requiring that callbacks be attended in person. And the actors must have their own local housing or must obtain local housing on their own for the full rehearsal and performance period.
CASTING:
Once casting is completed, emails will be sent to the actors that will be offered a role in the production. Once the full cast has accepted, everyone else who auditioned will be notified via email. Please note that we do not make offers via phone or text. Please keep an eye on your emails for those offers. Please note that we will make the offers and notify everyone as soon as we can, but it could take time to get the cast list completed.
COMPENSATION:
All actors 16 and above who are offered a role in the show will receive 2 comp tickets for the production.
All actors 16 and above who are offered a role in the show will be paid a non-union stipend.
HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS:
Everyone should stay home if they do not feel well. If you test positive for COVID 19, or suspect you have the flu, you should stay home and away from others until for 24 hours. Please monitor your symptoms for improvement and fever free (without meds). Then take added precaution for the next 5 days.
We still recommend wearing a mask in rehearsals the day after you return from travel.
GPT:
The Georgetown Palace Theatre is committed to creating an inclusive and safe environment in which all community members feel a sense of belonging and does not discriminate in casting practices on the basis of an individual’s ethnicity, age, gender, physical and cognitive ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, country of origin, or other factors. We strongly encourage candidates of all ages, abilities, gender, and ethnicities to audition.
Please see our operating Standards at the following link:
Georgetown Palace Operating Standards
Everyone involved with the production must complete a background check, every 3 years at the Palace’s expense. If you are cast, you will receive a secure link where you can fill it out. There is no cost to you.
If cast, please note that we may ask you to provide your own show shoes unless we deem it is a specialty shoe. The cast will also be asked to provide their own personal undergarments for the production.
The Georgetown Palace Theatre is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
If you have any questions, please email productions@georgetownpalace.com.