The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition Auditions

Every summer, CCT brings together performers in grades 1–12 for one fully produced musical. Actors rehearse side by side, learning from experienced directors and from each other while building confidence, friendships, and real skills on stage.

This summer, we're headed to Oz! Follow Dorothy and Toto down the Yellow Brick Road in The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition, featuring all the iconic songs and characters you love. Whether your young performer is brand new to the stage or a seasoned pro, this is their chance to be part of something unforgettable.

Auditions: What You Need to Know

The following is some valuable information and answers to frequently asked questions regarding the audition/rehearsal process for CCT's Summer YouTheatre production:

Auditions

• Performers in grades 1-12 (25-26 school year) are invited to audition for this production.  You can register for the audition here.
• Auditions will be held May 8 & 9, 2026
• At this audition the actor will be asked to perform a standard dance combination geared toward their age group, and sing part of a song from the show. 6-12th grade students will prepare a song from selections sent out via email. Actors may also be asked to recite a few lines from the script.
• Please wear closed toed shoes and clothes suited for movement (NO CROCS, please!).
• Be advised, we may need to ask your actor to return for a callback if we need to see a little more on May 11th from 6-8pm.
• Any actor with more than 10 conflicts with rehearsals may not be considered for a role unless conflicts are negotiated. Conflicts must be finalized by audition date. Additional conflicts will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Conflicts listed on audition form will be honored as excused absences, and unexcused absences may result in an actor being cut from songs and/or scenes or recast.

Before Rehearsals Begin

• We will notify everyone by sending out a cast list via email by 8pm on Friday, May 15th. Please reply to the email as soon as possible if you accept or decline the role. If you do not reply by May 18th, the role will be offered to someone else.
• Participation fees and retail items will be available for purchase on our retail page on May 15th.
• There is a one-time $150 ($300 max per family) participation fee payable on our retail page or by check/cash at the first rehearsal. If you are unable to pay this fee, a limited number of scholarships are available to help lower the cost. Cast t-shirts are included in the participation fee. This fee is NON-REFUNDABLE once your actor has accepted the role and attended the read-through.
• There will be a mandatory parent meeting at the first rehearsal for each cast on May 18th (RUBY CAST) and May 20th (EMERALD CAST) at 6pm. The meeting will take approximately 30 minutes.

Rehearsal Process

• Rehearsals will begin on May 18th. The full rehearsal schedule will be sent out after the read-throughs for each cast.
• Unauthorized absences (meaning ones not on the conflict calendar or pre-approved) will not be tolerated. If your actor is sick please call, text, or email the Stage Manager.
• Scheduling around conflicts is a daunting task so it is extremely important that your actor be at all rehearsals to which they are called!
• It is of utmost importance that actors bring their scripts to every rehearsal. We cannot rehearse the lines/songs if we don't know what they are.
• Please refrain from bringing food into the rehearsal space. Bottled water is fine.
• Please dress appropriately for rehearsals in clothes that are suited to movement and close-toed shoes – no sandals or flip-flops and NO CROCS AT DANCE REHEARSALS!
• Rehearsals will generally be Monday through Friday evenings, Saturday times will vary, and Sunday afternoons at the Brookland Lakeview Empowerment Center. Please make sure that actors are picked up and dropped off on time. There is a $5 late fee for late pickups over 5 minutes.
• Please make sure that your actor is also rehearsing at home, and parents please help them out if they need help (especially our youngest actors). Rehearsal tracks and choreography videos will be sent out via email. We give actors the tools in rehearsals that they need to rehearse at home, so we expect actors to be prepared for rehearsals.

Production

• No actor is allowed to miss a rehearsal or performance beginning July 13th. However, starting July 20th, the 2nd weekend's cast will not be required to attend any rehearsals until July 27th.
• All actors are required to supply an appropriate under-costume beginning the Monday of each Tech Week (RUBY CAST - July 20th, EMERALD CAST - July 27th). This protects our costumes and allows actors to be completely covered at all times.
• Girls: Skin toned, spaghetti strap leotard (or camisole and small shorts) and flesh colored tights
• Shoes will vary based on role: black flats, jazz shoes or character shoes are the norm
• Boys: White V-Neck Undershirt (ex. Hanes), body hugging shorts (ex. sliding/bike shorts)
• Shoes will vary based on role: black dress shoes is the norm. Absolutely NO TENNIS SHOES
• There may be a case where the under-costume is different for your role, we will advise.
• All actors will be asked to wear stage makeup so they are not washed out by the lights, this usually includes:
• eyeliner from the outer corner of the eye to about half way across the bottom works for all (girls can take it all the way to the inner corner if you choose), a slight pink cheek, and a little color on the lip.
• Please get director approval before making any drastic changes to your actor's appearance (major haircuts and permanent hair dye are usually the biggest concerns).
• We have two casts each performing one weekend: RUBY CAST (July 24th-26th) and EMERALD CAST (July 31st-August 2nd).
• Call (arrival) time for performances will be one hour prior to show time.
• There will be a brief cast party following the Sunday 3:00 pm performance for each cast.

Other Info

• Recording Links, Break-A-Leg Playbill Ads, Photo Portraits, and Show T-Shirts will be available for purchase.
• Volunteer opportunities will be available to earn a free ticket.
• Break-a-Leg messages will be available at each show to send backstage to actors for $1. We will also be selling posters for the show for $10, which we will also send back to the actors.