CALLBACKS FOR
The Chosen Ones
The Chosen Ones is a new musical about a group of young LGBTQ+ people in a conversion therapy camp. Actors called back for The Chosen Ones may audition for any roles that are of interest to them. Each character has a song where they’re featured. You can hear them below to see if you’re interested in that role. If you choose to audition for a particular role, please don’t let these demo recordings influence your performance; we want to see what you’d bring to the role.
Video callback submissions are due Dec. 10, 2023.
High Voice Roles
(Sopranos, Altos, Mezzos)
Alex
A butch lesbian with a keen intellect, age 17, any race.
Vocal Range
(The parenthetical note is an optional high note.)
Callback excerpts:
- Where Did All the Butches Go? — Measures 40-69
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: Alex reflects on the disappearance of lesbian, and especially butch, culture, and how lonely the future seems as a result.
- Waiting for a Miracle— Measures 26-39
- Sheet Music (In the chorus, when the top staff splits, Alex is on the bottom, with Iris singing the note on top)
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: The opening song of the show, as the different teens are dropped off at conversion therapy camp by their parents
Listen to Alex’s Featured Song
In “Where Did All the Butches Go?” (sung here by the composer), Alex reflects on the disappearance of lesbian, and especially butch, culture, and how lonely the future seems as a result.
Where Did All the Butches Go?
Billie
A non-binary (assigned female at birth), pansexual teen who grew up in a small town in the South, age 16-17, white (any race for the recording, but white in the show).
Note: the characters speaks/sings with an unspecified Southern accent. Please record yourself in dialect, if you’re able to do one.
Vocal Range
(The parenthetical notes are optional high/low notes.)
Callback excerpts:
- This World — Measures 42-68
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: Billie shares their story of growing up in a small town in the South, but learning that the world and its pleasures are far richer than anything they were taught.
- Waiting for a Miracle — Measures 44-50
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: The opening song of the show, as the different teens are dropped off at conversion therapy camp by their parents
Listen to Billie’s Featured Song
In “This World” (sung here by the composer), Billie shares their story of growing up in a small town in the South, but learning that the world and its pleasures are far richer than anything they were taught.
This World
Iris
A femme lesbian who recently came out, 17, any race
Vocal Range
Callback excerpts:
- This is Me — Measures 49-70
- Sheet Music (note: m. 67 includes the option of a lower note)
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: Iris shares her coming out story in one of the first small group meetings.
- Alternate Key (D major, a whole step lower): Sheet Music | Rehearsal Track | Accompaniment Track
- Sheet Music (note: m. 67 includes the option of a lower note)
- We Are the Music — Measures 41-65
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic Context: Five of the teens sing an anthem to assert the validity of their existence and to ignore those who would annihilate their truth and uniqueness.
Listen to Iris’s Featured Song
In “This is Me” (sung here by the composer), Iris shares her coming out story in one of the first small group meetings.
This is Me
Low Voice Roles
(Tenors, Baritones)
Caleb
A devoutly Christian gay teenage boy, 16-17, any race.
Vocal Range
Callback excerpts:
- Waiting for a Miracle— Measures 38-45
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: The opening song of the show, as the different teens are dropped off at conversion therapy camp by their parents
- Save Me — Measures 54-85
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: When his fellow teens learn that, unlike the rest of them, Caleb is in conversion therapy by his own choice, he shares his belief that he is broken and that God will heal him.
- Save Me Reprise — Measures 1-9
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Note: Don’t worry about perfect alignment with the accompaniment track, given how free this is. If you prefer, you can submit these 9 measures without accompaniment.
- Dramatic context: The other teens gather around to read Caleb’s suicide note and we hear him singing it.
Listen to Caleb’s Featured Song
In “Save Me” (sung here by the composer), when his fellow teens learn that, unlike the rest of them, Caleb is in conversion therapy by his own choice, he shares his belief that he is broken and that God will heal him.
Save Me
Daniel
A quick-witted gay teenage boy, age 17, any race.
Vocal Range
Callback excerpts:
- We Are the Music — Measures 41-65
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic Context: Amid rising tensions between himself and Caleb, Daniel leads the other teens in an anthem to assert the validity of their existence and to ignore those who would annihilate their truth and uniqueness.
- The Secret of Makeup — Measures 3-28
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: Daniel surprises Jo by doing her makeup, saying that when done right, makeup reveals the hidden beauty within.
- I’m Going to Church — Measure 106 – 142 (monologue + final verse)
- Sheet Music (includes monologue)
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Note: Tracks include underscoring for the monologue; listen to the full song below to get a feel for it. You can also record the monologue without the track playing and start it at 0:29 to just record the sung verse. Either way, don’t worry if the alignment after the long rest is slightly off.
- Dramatic context: Daniel tells the story about how he tricked his parents into letting him go to gay clubs and hook up with his boyfriend by telling them he was going to church events instead.
Listen to Daniel’s Featured Songs
In “I’m Going to Church” (sung here by the composer), Daniel tells the story about how he tricked his parents into letting him go to gay clubs and hook up with his boyfriend by telling them he was going to church events instead.
I'm Going to Church
In “The Secret of Makeup,” Daniel surprises Jo by doing her makeup, saying that when done right, makeup reveals the hidden beauty within.
The Secret of Makeup
Jo
A pre-transition transwoman (assigned male at birth) forced to dress as a boy, 16-17, any race (since the character is pre-transition, this would be played by a young man in the show).
Vocal Range
Callback excerpts:
- Joseph/Jo — Measures 25-43
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: Jo tells her story about being born “Joseph,” struggling with her gender identity, and attempting suicide, as her family would prefer her dead than queer.
- The Answer Was You — Measures 69-77
- Sheet Music
- Rehearsal Track (track with cue notes to practice)
- Accompaniment Track (record yourself with this track)
- Dramatic context: The teens, save Caleb, give their end-of-summer testimonies in front of the camp and their families. They make it sound like they’re talking about finding answers in their faith, but they secretly mean that they found their answers in the family of choice they’ve found in one another.
Listen to Jo’s Featured Song
In “Joseph/Jo” (sung here by the composer), Jo tells her story about being born “Joseph,” struggling with her gender identity, and attempting suicide, as her family would prefer her dead than queer.
Joseph/Jo
Synopsis
The following synopsis contains spoilers. Song titles are indicated parenthetically.
Content Warnings: Conversion Therapy, Homophobia, Suicide, Transphobia
The show opens on Way in the Wilderness, a conversion therapy Christian summer camp for LGBTQ+ teens. Six campers arrive and nervously reflect on how they or their parents hope that somehow this place will miraculously make them straight and cisgender. (WAITING FOR A MIRACLE) These six campers were all picked to be part of the same small group, led by “ex-gay” Pastor Noah. In an early small group meeting, Iris, a 17-year-old femme lesbian shares her coming out story. (THIS IS ME) At the next small group meeting, they learn that unlike the rest of them, Caleb is there by his own choice; he feels broken and wants God to heal him. (SAVE ME) Noah is prayer partners this summer with Matt, a straight staffer who works on the grounds crew. Noah struggles with feeling attracted to Matt. At another small group, Daniel tells the story about how he tricked his parents into letting him go to gay clubs and hook up with his boyfriend by telling them he was going to church events instead. (I’M GOING TO CHURCH) In their next small group, a nonbinary, pansexual teen named Billie shares their story of growing up in a small town in the south, but learning that the world and its pleasures are far richer than anything they were taught growing up. (THIS WORLD) Back in his quarters, Noah is racked with self-loathing and guilt after he gave in to masturbating to gay porn. At another small group, Jo, a transgender teen, tells her story about being born “Joseph,” struggling with her gender identity and attempting suicide, as her family would prefer her dead than queer. (JOSEPH/JO) Meanwhile, tensions rise between Caleb and Daniel. Daniel leads the others in an anthem to assert the validity of their existences and to ignore those who would annihilate their truth and uniquenesses. (WE ARE THE MUSIC) Pastor Noah preaches to the full camp about the story of Job, suggesting that the youths’ queerness is a burden that God chose them for and that by overcoming it, they could become a greater part of His plan. In another small group, Alex, a butch lesbian, reflects on the disappearance of lesbian, and especially butch, culture, and how lonely the future seems as a result. (WHERE DID ALL THE BUTCHES GO?) Matt and Noah again meet in Noah’s quarters to talk and pray together, and Noah continues to struggle with his attraction to Matt. In the boys’ dorms, Iris has smuggled some makeup to Daniel, who surprises Jo by doing her makeup, saying that when done right, makeup reveals the hidden beauty within. (THE SECRET OF MAKEUP) Daniel and Jo sneak over to the small group room to share how incredible Jo looks. Caleb runs off and gets Pastor Noah before Jo can remove her makeup. Noah frog marches Jo back to the boys’ dorm and Daniel and Caleb have it out. When Daniel tells Caleb that he’s gay and nothing and no one can change that, Caleb lunges at Daniel, who drops Caleb with a single punch. Caleb runs off. Noah disciplines Daniel, who pleads to not be sent home, fearful that he’ll be thrown out on the streets. Noah receives a call and urgently sends Daniel back to small group. The small group discovers that Caleb attempted to hang himself; Jo found him and pocketed his suicide note, which they read together. (SAVE ME – REPRISE) The teens join Noah and the rest of the camp on the field, where they hold a vigil to pray for Caleb to come out of his coma. (WAITING FOR A MIRACLE – REPRISE) Feeling guilty for having his attention divided and missing the signs of Caleb’s suicidality, Noah separates himself from Matt, arranging for him to have a different prayer partner; Matt is hurt and confused by his sudden rejection. At their final small group, the teens try to cope with the news that Caleb’s parents are weighing taking him off life support and their fears of leaving each other to head home and back into the closet. Since they have to prepare their end-of-summer testimonials to give in front of the whole camp and their families, Alex suggests that give their testimonies together, sharing how they found hope and truth, something to believe in, and their place in the world. Their parents can think they found it in Christ, while they can secretly know that they found those things in the family of choice they’ve formed together. The show closes with them singing their group testimony. (THE ANSWER WAS YOU)
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on your question to see its answer. If your question isn’t answered here, email Aaron!
How many roles can I submit for?
You can audition for as many of the 6 open roles as you’d like, regardless of which roles you were called back for.
Can I sing the callback songs in a different key?
For solo songs, you can sing them in any key you’d like. Email Aaron to request a track in a different key (let him know what key you’d like it in or what interval up/down you’d like). Ensemble numbers should be sung as written.
Will age, race, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, etc. be a factor in casting?
While we’re aiming for diverse casting, ultimately, the main deciding factor will be how you sound. As the roles are all teenagers, those who can’t sound believable as teens will likely not be good fits for this project. Perfomers under 18 will need to get a parent/guardian signature on their contracts to participate.
Will performers be paid?
Yes, all performers on the recording will be paid.
Where will this be recorded?
Recordings will take place in Cypress, Texas 77429 in a home studio. That’s just outside of NW Houston.
When will this be recorded?
Recordings will take place in 2024. While the goal is to finish them by mid-2024, the schedule is highly flexible.
What if I'm not local to Houston?
While local actors will be favored, the priority is to find the best performers for each role. Actors not local to Houston may be flown in to record.
What are the expectations of performers cast in this recording?
Performers will be recorded individually. It’s estimated that well-prepared singers will need 3-4 sessions to record their parts in the full score, but it could be fewer or more for any individual singer. You may also be filmed lip-syncing to your edited recording to create promotional videos. Some performers may be asked to perform in a preview in mid-January (currently slated for Jan. 13th) if they’re available, but they’d be paid and contracted separately for that.
Can I improvise or alter the melody in the recording I submit?
For any solo sections, feel free to improvise a bit to show what you’d bring to the song! For ensemble numbers, in sections where you’re singing with others, please sing it as writtten.
Can I read the script?
Can I hear demo recordings of the whole show?
Yes! You can listen to composer demos here. Please don’t let these influence your interpretation of the songs, however. We’d like to hear what you’d bring to them, even if it’s a vastly different interpretation.
Do callbacks need to be memorized?
No, you can use your music for the callback.
How do I make my Google Drive accessible?
Here are instructions from Google:
- On your computer, go to Google Drive.
- Right-Click the folder or file you want to share.
- Click Share
and then again on Share
- Click on Restricted and select Anyone with the link.