The Story
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
"Philly and the Dreamer"
Philly and the Dreamer is based on a true story and takes place in 1979 in a diverse low income city neighborhood. It is a naturally inclusive story and we welcome all actors.
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JOHNNY CALACUCCI (Pronounced “Cal-a-coo-chee”)
Mid 20’s. Average build. Dreamy eyes. An undaunted optimist. Passionate and energized. Has an innocence about him. Idolized his grandfather and always wears his grandfather medallion in his memory. Not rebellious, but wants to live his life pursuing his passion for music. Johnny's a jean, tee shirt and sneaker kind of dresser. Tenor lead vocals.
PHYLLIS “PHILLY” SCARPETTI
Mid 20’s. Attractive. Distinctive. Confident attitude and vibe. A slightly edgy, 1979 chic dresser. Has a big engaging voice and a star-like presence. High school grad that married young and went to work as a hairdresser in Peter and Max's salon. The salon became her support system. Divorced her playboy husband and just wanted to escape the heartache of her failed marriage and have fun, until she meets Johnny. Johnny sees greatness in Phyllis's talent and gives her something she's never had, a dream. Strong lead vocalist (typically a Mezzo) with a solid G3 to a D 5 Belt.
RONNIE THOMPSON
Mid 20’s. Quirky. Cute. Comedic. Innocent, nerdy, girl-challenged accountant by day and rockin' keyboardist by night. Johnny's best friend. Ronnie's a khaki pants, button down shirt, loafer dresser with crazy hats and a muscle tees when he's on stage. Tenor vocals.
DEBBIE FEIN
Early 20's. Pretty. Sweet. Smaller in statue. Only child, Jewish girl, with big red "beauty salon" hair. Enthusiastic and gritty in a girlish way. Sexy dancer on stage. Powerhouse vocalist for her size. A romantic at heart longing to meet "Prince Charming with a good job" and fall in love. Strong soprano belt, lead vocals.
ERWIN GETZ
Late 40’s to early 50’s. Big, full frame to heavyset. Mafioso with money. Intimidating tough guy. Tries to be friendly, but even then, you're scare. When to high school with Johnny's mom. They're still friends. Really takes to Johnny. Always gives him grief upfront, but becomes like an uncle. Baritone to High Baritone Lead and Background vocals.
MR. CALACUCCI
Late 40’s - early 50's. Johnny’s dad. A loud old-school Italian butcher with a big smile. Always wears a white button down shirt and tie under his butcher's apron. Very animated, talks with his hands. Big personality, eruptive with lots of attitude. Still ultimately does what his mother says out of respect. Loves and respects Mrs. Calacucci who understands his tough love. Wants his son to be grounded and financially secure, the things he values. Baritone to High Baritone vocals.
NANA
Mid 60's. Johnny’s grandmother. Small, strong willed, wise with sense of humor. Tough as nails but likes her hair neatly manicured and dresses like a lady with an apron. Obsessed with keeping the store that her and her husband, grandpa Calacucci, the original dreamer opened back in 1938 neat and clean. Has a special spot for her beloved broom that she uses to somehow sweep her way into the conversation. Revered and respected by her family and the neighborhood around her. Loves her Johnny who reminds her so much of grandpa. Comedic, Dramatic acting, Ensemble vocals.
MRS. CALACUCCI
Late 40's. Reasonable and caring, yet assertive. Her own woman. Not of Italian descent. A physical contrast to Mr. Calacucci and the personality bridge between him and everyone else. Thinks before she reacts. Like to buy ties for Mr. Calacucci. Works the phone taking orders, manages the register and does the books at the store. Loves her Johnny and only wants him to be happy. Ensemble vocals.
LITA SANTOS
Mid 20’s. Street smart, tough, but very sexy on stage. Hard working and proud. Not looking for love like Debbie. Wants to be a cop and make a difference. Sings in the Philly BAND. Strong Mezzo belt vocals.
SCOT “CHAINSAW” MCCRAY
Late 20’s to early 30’s. Average to larger build. Brawny, bearded blue collar electrician. Looks like Paul Bunyan and plays guitar with aggressive moves. Dedicated and committed to whatever he does. Good guy. Family man with kids. Really loves being in the band. Basic guitar skills. Ensemble vocals.
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JOJO PEREZ
Late 20’s. Male or Female Street savvy. Happy, energized and physically animated and expressive. Tony's cousin. Always wears sleeveless T-shirts to show off his/her tattoos. Loyal. Believes in the closeness of family and friends. Drummer with at least basic drum kit skills.
VINNIE MORENO
Early 20’s. Lanky build. Quiet, quirky and absolutely cool. The neighborhood sweetheart who drives a cab and lives to play his Fender Stratocaster guitar "Famous." Loves and respects his mom for who she is. Doesn't say much, but when he does everyone in the band listens. Really bonds with "Chainsaw" and complements his aggressive guitar playing with accents and riffs. Basic guitar skills. Ensemble vocals.
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TONY
Mid to late 20’s. A rugged street savvy good guy. Has a sarcastic, wise guy sense of humor. Loves to dance and party. He says he graduated high school, but who really knows? Buddies with Nana, he's like one of the family and all the Calacucci's treat him like he is. Comedic, dancer/mover Ensemble vocals.
NICK CAMPANI
White male. 40’s. Tough, sleazy, sinister very mean, mobster. A small time loan shark. Physical contrast to Erwin and not in the same class of mobster. Intimidating in a ruthless way. Envious, loves money and easily feels disrespected. Nick is a "wanna be" big time mobster and dangerous. Strong dramatic acting. Ensemble vocals.
PETER and MAX
Late 30's. A couple. Happy-go-lucky owners of the hair salon Phyllis works at. Max is bubbly and flamboyant. Peter's is more business like, but enjoys his fatherly over the top dramatic moments. Both are protective of Phyllis and think of her as family. Ensemble vocals.
MRS. MORENO
Late 40’s to early 50’s. Vinnie’s Mom. A big, dynamic, very loud, religious Italian widow. Lived in the neighborhood her whole life and always shops at the Calacucci store and gets her hair done at Peter and Max's salon. Mrs. Moreno is a bit different. Her aggressive physical animation and unusual comments at times leads everyone to believe her deceased husband Rocco really didn't accidentally fall into a garbage truck. She respects Nana, loves her Vinnie. Strong Ensemble vocals.
JIMMY B.
40’s. Mafioso. One-time entertainer and a good longtime friend of Erwin. Flashy dresser with a big, fun, gregarious personality. Was a one hit wonder in the '60s (the Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini song) thanks to Erwin's strong arm negotiations. Dances like Elvis. Now lives on Long Island and raises race horses. Strong Ensemble vocals.
BLONDES
30’s. Two attractive, bubbly, streetwise showgirls who are now past their prime in show business. They are almost always with Erwin. Besides being fun and great company, they are Erwin's eyes and ears on the lookout for trouble. Erwin treats them with respect and takes good care of them. They think Johnny's innocent and sweet, immediately empathize with Phyllis, love her voice and become band member groupies. Sexy, strong movers. Strong Mezzo and Soprano vocals.
PATRICK
Late 20’s. A cocky, good-looking self-indulging Casanova. He's a one-time high school football star who thinks he's God's gift to the ladies of the world. Patrick likes to party and doesn't like to work. He married Phyllis, but soon got bored. She just became his meal ticket. Tenor / High Baritone vocals.
JENNY
Mid 20's. Yuppie businesswoman. Bright and professional. Focused on being successful and making money. Johnny's long-time girlfriend from college. Truly loves Johnny but believes it's time to stop dreaming. Mezzo or Soprano Ensemble vocals.
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THE PLANE JANES
Late 20's. A vocal group comprised of two men and two women with an airline industry gimmick. They all dress in 1960's female flight attendant outfits and sing flight-related songs. Plane Jane Female 1 – Bubbly soprano. Plane Jane Female 2 – Zany mezzo. Plane Jane Male 1 – Flamboyant tenor who likes a heavily padded bra and is the leader of the group. Plane Jane Male 2 – Brawny, masculine blue collar baritone. Strong Harmony/Ensemble vocals.
MR. RUZNICK
40’s. A Russian immigrant tavern owner who lives in the neighborhood. Knows Johnny from the butcher shop. Hires Johnny's band, "The Four Medallions" because they work for minimal pay and help bring in neighborhood business. Ensemble vocals.
STICK
Late 30'S. A 1960's leftover hippie that looks like Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones, plays select guitar parts, bakes "special" homemade pot brownies and is still reliving concert moments at Woodstock. Ensemble vocals.
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GLORIA
Late 20's. Nick Campani's only child/daughter. Attractive. Dresses flashy. All her life Gloria has been given everything she's ever wanted. Not very bright. Tries to act classy, but has no class at all. Totally has the hots for JOHNNY. Gloria's clock is always ticking. Ensemble vocals
WAITRESS
30’s. Another former past her prime showgirl. Strong mover. Strong Alto/Mezzo harmony vocals.
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