101 Dalmatians 30 mins. - 14 main roles
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Storyline -
In a loving home on the edge of Regents Park in the city of London, Dalmatian parents, Pongo and Perdita, happily raise their fifteen Dalmatian puppies ("Dalmatian Conga").
Nanny cares for the lot of them, including their human pets: Roger, a composer and Anita, an artist. As part of the family's routine, they all watch and sing along joyfully with their favorite television program ("Thunderbolt Adventure Hour"). After Thunderbolt, the puppies watch and sing along with a commercial for their favorite snack – delicious Kanine Krunchies ("Kanine Krunchies").
One day, their fabulously rich neighbor, the abominable Cruella De Vil, stops by to pay Roger and Anita a visit. Ever out for herself, Cruella notices the puppies as a potential source for her new black-spotted fur coat! Roger tells her the puppies are not for sale, even after Cruella offers him three zillion pounds in exchange. Angrily, Cruella storms off, and Roger writes an impromptu song about Ms. De Vil's ridiculous meanness, which the whole family joins in singing ("Cruella De Vil").
Not deterred at all, Cruella plots with her bumbling henchmen, Horace and Jasper, to steal the puppies ("Cruella's Scheme").
With Nanny and Anita out of the house and Roger asleep at the piano, Horace and Jasper sneak into the house and use delicious Kanine Krunchies to lure the puppies out of the house and into their getaway truck ("Kanine Krunchies Reprise"). The truck speeds away, with Horace and Jasper driving the puppies to Cruella's fur vault ("The Fur Vault").
Realizing their beloved puppies have been stolen, Pongo and Perdita telegraph a distress call to all the dogs of London using the Twilight Bark. If anyone can rescue the puppies on time, the dogs of London can ("Twilight Bark").
Despite the fact that she's now wanted by the police, Cruella is determined to get her glorious new fur coat. She imagines how sensational she will be once she finally has the coat of her dreams. Meanwhile, the London dogs, led by the resourceful cat, Sergeant Tibbs, slowly sneak the puppies out of the vault ("My Beautiful Coat").
The puppies, including the dozens of other Dalmatians Cruella had locked up, have been rescued from the vault. Realizing the puppies are gone, Cruella screams, ordering her henchmen to chase after them ("The Chase"). To everyone's surpise, the dogs turn the tables on our villains, trampling them and holding them for capture. Just then, Roger and Anita arrive with the police, ready to take Cruella and her toady accomplices to jail.
Free from Cruella's evil plans, Roger, Anita and Nanny decide to adopt the other Dalmatians Cruella had stolen – bringing the total number of Dalmatians in their home to 101! They will buy a big place in the country to accommodate all the dogs and live together, happily ever after ("Dalmatian Plantation," "Finale").
As the curtain falls, the Dalmatians celebrate their new life together ("Bow Wows").
Character Breakdown -
Cruella De Vil
Cruella should be a strong actor, singer and mover. She should be a natural leader with dramatic flair who is unafraid to be mean and bossy. The success of the show largely hinges on the energy of this character, so cast one of your strongest performers.
Roger
Roger is a songwriter and owner of the Dalmatians. He is soft spoken yet confident and displays leadership in a quiet and composed way, contrary to frenetic Cruella. He should be a strong actor, singer and mover, and comfortable playing a husband. If possible, Roger should physically resemble Pongo. If the child you cast plays piano, like Roger, even better.
Anita
Anita is the sweet, nurturing owner of the Dalmatians and a painter. This role requires a strong actor with a good singing voice. She should be comfortable playing a wife, and ideally should resemble Perdita.
Horace
Horace and Jasper provide comic relief à la Abbott & Costello or Laurel & Hardy. They should be good singers but stronger actors. Try casting contrasting physical types (e.g., one short and one tall, or one rotund and the other skinny). The characters always appear and act together, so they should be able to work well together. Close friends who don't distract each other are ideal for these roles. Actors who are good at physical comedy and are willing to use Cockney accents are even better.
Jasper
Horace and Jasper provide comic relief à la Abbott & Costello or Laurel & Hardy. They should be good singers but stronger actors. Try casting contrasting physical types (e.g., one short and one tall, or one rotund and the other skinny). The characters always appear and act together, so they should be able to work well together. Close friends who don't distract each other are ideal for these roles. Actors who are good at physical comedy and are willing to use Cockney accents are even better.
Canine Narrators
Your Canine Narrators should have loud speaking voices and strong stage presence. Although these children need not be the strongest actors/singers (unless they are doubling as London Dogs), they should have a good memory for lines and more complicated blocking. When auditioning, look for children who are able to hold a neutral body position (no shuffling of feet or fiddling with the body) throughout their lines. At least two children should have good singing voices in order to carry the featured narrator singing sections after the capture of the puppies.
Pongo
Pongo and Perdita are the Dalmatian parents. These parts require good actors, but not necessarily strong singers. They should ideally resemble their human counterparts Roger and Anita and be slightly larger in stature than the Dalmatian Puppies. These are good parts for the class leaders that may not possess the strongest singing voices.
Perdita
Pongo and Perdita are the Dalmatian parents. These parts require good actors, but not necessarily strong singers. They should ideally resemble their human counterparts Roger and Anita and be slightly larger in stature than the Dalmatian Puppies. These are good parts for the class leaders that may not possess the strongest singing voices.
Sergeant Tibbs
Sergeant Tibbs is the army cat who rallies the London Dogs to rescue the Dalmatian Puppies. This role can be played by either a girl or a boy and, if you have a small cast, can double as a Narrator. He or she should have a strong singing and speaking voice to deliver a short solo.
London Dogs
The London Dogs are the "ethnic" dogs who help rescue the Dalmatian Puppies from Cruella. They should be strong singers and movers with a willingness to do a British, Scottish, French or Spanish accent. In order to achieve the full effect of the Twilight Bark, the Boxers, Scotties, Poodles and Chihuahuas should use appropriate accents and movement in the style of their country of origin. Know that children can be great at one accent and not so good at another, so try children on all accents to find which they are best suited for.
Dalmatian Puppies
Patch, Lucky, Penny, Pepper and other Dalmatian Puppies are the often funny and spirited puppies of Pongo and Perdita. If possible, cast your smallest children as puppies. The named puppies should be the strongest actors of this group with loud speaking voices. A few should be strong enough singers to lead the group. These actors should be comfortable using their bodies to transform into dogs. Remember, the puppies are onstage through most of the show, so choose focused children who are good at taking direction. Less focused children can be cast as the pups who appear later in the vault.
Nanny
Nanny is the warm yet outspoken housekeeper to Roger and Anita. This is a small acting role that requires a strong speaking voice. Not necessarily a strong singer.
Police Officer
The Police Officer arrests the villains at the end of the show. This is a small acting role that requires a strong speaking voice, but not necessarily a strong singer. The Officer can be played by a boy or a girl and, if you have a small cast, can double as a Narrator.
Dogcatcher
The Dogcatcher appears at the end of the show to dramatically remove Cruella from the scene. Although it's a small role, it's a favorite because it's funny. A perfect role for an actor without a strong singing voice. This actor can be a boy or a girl and can double as a Narrator if necessary.
Other Dalmatian PupsThese pups are discovered in the fur vault. Spot and Dot are smaller, one-line parts. Other non-speaking pups can be added if you have a large cast. These characters have much less stage time than Pongo and Perdita's Puppies.