Thunderclap Productions
CALLBACKS
Congratulations! You've been invited to callbacks for the world premiere of the new musical Everybody's Son!
Video & In-Person Callbacks
You've been invited to callbacks for four remaining roles in the new musical Everybody's Son. The first round of callbacks will be by video. We'll follow up by email if we want to see you in person. For each role, you'll have sides and songs to prepare for each stage of callbacks.
Sides & Songs to Prepare (by Role)
Carine
Please prepare the "Carine's Poem" Excerpt and Side 7 for video callbacks.
If invited to in-person callbacks, please prepare the "When You Brought Him Home" Excerpt and "Baby Boy - Reprise" Excerpt, along with Sides 2 & 7. You'll be asked to sing and read with other performers.
Sides and songs do not need to be memorized.
“Carine's Poem” Excerpt
Dramatic Context
We flash forward from Anton as a 12 year old to him being 20 and in college. Brad, Anton's best friend, drags him to a club one night where Carine, a brilliant and revolutionary Black poet, is performing. Anton is immediately drawn in by her fierceness and beauty.
Sheet Music
Download Sheet MusicRehearsal & Audition Tracks
Rehearsal Track
Your melody played over a quiet version of the accompaniment.Accompaniment Track
What you'll sing with in the callback.Excerpt Demo
A writer mockup of the excerpt sung over the accompaniment.Full Demo
Listen to the full song in a writer mockup to hear the excerpt in context.“When You Brought Him Home” Excerpt
Dramatic Context
Anton realizes he has to return to the campaign trail and, while arguing with David by phone in the car, he gets pulled over by a racist cop. The traffic stop turns dangerous and, while Anton is handcuffed and thrown to the ground, David frantically reaches out to the Georgia governor to try to save him. While Anton’s life hangs in the balance, the three women in Anton’s life – Juanita, Dee, and Carine – celebrate him reconnecting with his birth mom.
Sheet Music
Download Sheet MusicRehearsal & Audition Tracks
Rehearsal Track
Your melody played over a quiet version of the accompaniment.Accompaniment Track
What you'll sing with in the callback.Music Minus One Track
A composer mockup of the excerpt with the other parts sounding, but your part omitted, so you can practice singing your part in harmony.Excerpt Demo
A composer mockup of the excerpt sung over the accompaniment.Full Demo
Listen to the full song in a composer mockup to hear the excerpt in context.“Baby Boy - Reprise” Excerpt
Dramatic Context
Having fled his life in politics for a couple of days, Anton reunites with his college girlfriend, Carine's now happily married with a son, Shay. Anton finds himself drawn in by their peaceful family life and he stays an extra day to watch Shay in his school play. That night, Anton and Carine tuck Shay in and sing him a lullaby (a reprise of the song Anton's own mother sang to close Act II).
Sheet Music
Download Sheet MusicRehearsal & Audition Tracks
Rehearsal Track
Your melody played over a quiet version of the accompaniment.Accompaniment Track
What you'll sing with in the callback.Music Minus One Track
A composer mockup of the excerpt with the other parts sounding, but your part omitted, so you can practice singing your part in harmony.Excerpt Demo
A composer mockup of the excerpt sung over the accompaniment.Full Demo
Listen to the full song in a composer mockup to hear the excerpt in context.Connor/Pappy/Cop/Ensemble
Please prepare Side 9 for your video callback. If invited to in-person callback, be prepared to read for all three roles in sides 3 (Cop), 7 (Pappy), & 9 (Connor).
Sides do not need to be memorized.
Dee
Please prepare the "James" Excerpt for your video callback. If invited to in-person callbacks, please also prepare the "Sorry" Excerpt and the "When You Brought Him Home" Excerpt, as well as Sides 7, 10, & 13. You'll be asked to sing and read with other performers.
Sides and songs do not need to be memorized.
“James” Excerpt
Dramatic Context
Young Anton comes to the Coleman home and meets David's wife, Dee. David feels an immediate connection with Young Anton, but Dee, while kind, is still mourning the death of their son in a car wreck and doesn't feel ready to open her home or heart to another child.
Sheet Music
Download Sheet MusicRehearsal & Audition Tracks
Rehearsal Track
Your melody played over a quiet version of the accompaniment.Accompaniment Track
What you'll sing with in the callback.Accompaniment - Half-step lower
What you'll sing with in the callback, transposed down a half-step.Excerpt Demo
A composer mockup of the excerpt sung over the accompaniment.Full Demo
Listen to the full song in a composer mockup to hear the excerpt in context.“Sorry” Excerpt
Dramatic Context
Anton grew up believing that his birth mother abandoned him and feeling like he owed everything to his adoptive father. When the truth comes out, Anton calls his father and confronts him. In this trio section, Anton and Dee (his adoptive mother) express their anger at David's manipulation, even as David refuses to apologize.
Sheet Music
Download Sheet MusicRehearsal & Audition Tracks
Rehearsal Track
Your melody played over a quiet version of the accompaniment.Accompaniment Track
What you'll sing with in the callback.Music Minus One Track
A composer mockup of the excerpt with the other parts sounding, but your part omitted, so you can practice singing your part in harmony.Excerpt Demo
A composer mockup of the excerpt sung over the accompaniment.Full Demo
Listen to the full song in a composer mockup to hear the excerpt in context.“When You Brought Him Home” Excerpt
Dramatic Context
Anton realizes he has to return to the campaign trail and, while arguing with David by phone in the car, he gets pulled over by a racist cop. The traffic stop turns dangerous and, while Anton is handcuffed and thrown to the ground, David frantically reaches out to the Georgia governor to try to save him. While Anton’s life hangs in the balance, the three women in Anton’s life – Juanita, Dee, and Carine – celebrate him reconnecting with his birth mom.
Sheet Music
Download Sheet MusicRehearsal & Audition Tracks
Rehearsal Track
Your melody played over a quiet version of the accompaniment.Accompaniment Track
What you'll sing with in the callback.Music Minus One Track
A composer mockup of the excerpt with the other parts sounding, but your part omitted, so you can practice singing your part in harmony.Excerpt Demo
A composer mockup of the excerpt sung over the accompaniment.Full Demo
Listen to the full song in a composer mockup to hear the excerpt in context.Young Anton/Shay
Please prepare the "Waitin' for You" Excerpt and for your video callback. If invited to in-person callbacks, please also prepare the "Coleman Boys" Excerpt, along with Sides 12 & 13.
Sides and songs do not need to be memorized.
Since both youth and adults are auditioning for these roles, there will be registral differences. Here's how you should sing these tracks. (When in doubt, sing what feels most natural to you and we can make any needed corrections in the callbacks.)
For unchanged voices, "Waitin' for You" would be an octave higher than the recording, but "Coleman Boys" would match the recording. The rehearsal tracks have the piano playing your melody where you'd sing it for "Waitin' for You," but an octave higher for "Coleman Boys."
For adult/post-pubescent voices, both demos are as you would sing them. The rehearsal tracks play the melody an octave above where you'd sing them, as is customary.
“Waitin' for You" Excerpt
Dramatic Context
The show opens on Young Anton, a nine-year-old Black boy whose mother is in jail. David Coleman, a middle-aged white man, talks to Anton about fostering him and offers to take down what he's saying in a letter to Anton's mother, Juanita. As Anton sings and David writes, we see Juanita being processed and pleading at her arraignment. The song ends with Juanita being led by a court officer offstage in one direction, as Young Anton is led off the other by David.
Sheet Music
Download Sheet MusicRehearsal & Audition Tracks
Rehearsal Track
Your melody played over a quiet version of the accompaniment.Accompaniment Track
What you'll sing with in the callback.Excerpt Demo
A composer mockup of the excerpt sung over the accompaniment.Full Demo
Listen to the full song in a composer mockup to hear the excerpt in context.“Coleman Boys” Excerpt
Dramatic Context
Out of loyalty to his mother, Young Anton resists bonding with David for months, until one night when David helps him push past his fear and learn to ski.
Sheet Music
Download Sheet MusicRehearsal & Audition Tracks
Rehearsal Track
Your melody played over a quiet version of the accompaniment.Accompaniment Track
What you'll sing with in the callback.Music Minus One Track
A composer mockup of the excerpt with the other parts sounding, but your part omitted, so you can practice singing your part in harmony.Excerpt Demo
A composer mockup of the excerpt sung over the accompaniment.Full Demo
Listen to the full song in a composer mockup to hear the excerpt in context.About the Show
Everybody’s Son is a musical adaptation of the celebrated novel by Thrity Umrigar. When nine-year-old Anton, a Black boy from Brooklyn, is picked up by child protective services after his mother disappears, he's taken in by the Colemans, a wealthy white family mourning the loss of their teenage son. Anton's birth mother is found after being held captive by her drug dealer, but the Colemans use their immense power and influence to keep her away and adopt Anton. Years later, Anton, now a Harvard graduate in a tight race for the governorship, unexpectedly receives a letter from his birth mother – a letter that threatens his campaign and risks rewriting his entire life story. A gripping new musical, Everybody's Son takes audiences on a journey through American systems of power, class, race, and privilege, all while telling a deeply moving story of identity and family.
This is a non-equity, paid coproduction between Thunderclap Productions and the Sankofa Collective. The production is slated to run at the MATCH (Matchbox 1) in Houston, Texas from July 29 to August 8, 2027. Rehearsals are expected to primarily take place in June and June 2026.
Available Roles
Crossed-out roles have already been cast.
| Character(s) | Character Race & Voice Type | Character Age Over the Course of the Show | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anton Vesper Coleman | Black | Tenor | 20-35 | A brilliant and charismatic Black man raised by a wealthy white family since the age of 9. |
| David Coleman | White | Baritenor | 30s-60s | Anton's adoptive father, part of a Democratic political dynasty. |
| Dee Coleman | White | Mezzo | 30s-60s | Anton's adoptive mother, still grieving the loss of her biological son. |
| Carine | Black | Mezzo | 20-35 | Anton's college girlfriend, a fierce revolutionary. |
| Juanita Vesper | Black | Mezzo | Late 20s-Early 50s | Anton's birth mother. Anton is her whole world. |
| Young Anton/Shay | Black | Unchanged male voice or Tenor | 9-12 | Young Anton is a perceptive, resilient boy, Juanita's son, and David and Dee's adopted son. Shay is Carine's son. |
| Brad | White | Baritone | 20-35 | Anton's best friend and campaign manager, a bit toxic in his college years. (Brad also doubles in some ensemble roles.) |
| Pappy/Connor/Cop | White | Non-Singing | Middle-Aged | Pappy is David's father, a good-natured U.S. Democratic senator. Connor is David's best friend, Brad's father, and the prosecutor in Juanita's case. Cop is a racist cop in rural Georgia. (Also doubles in some ensemble roles.) |
Vocal Ranges
Here are the current ranges for the show. Solo songs will be transposed to fit the actor. If there's a solo excerpt listed below that you'd like to sing in another key, email the composer Aaron Alon at aaronalon@gmail.com as soon as possible, so he can prepare that track for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to follow the music exactly as written?
For solo songs, no! Make it your own and show us what you'd bring to it. For harmony sections, please plan to perform them exactly as written.
Can I try a song in another key?
For solo songs, yes! Email Aaron Alon at aaronalon@gmail.com with any requests for tracks in other keys. Please give as much advance notice as you can.
For ensemble numbers, please do your best to sing them as written. In the actual show, we may be able to accommodate different keys (or rewrite or swap parts), but we need to make sure they work for all performers.
What's the rehearsal & performance schedule?
The rehearsal schedule has yet to be set, but we anticipate rehearsals throughout June and July 2027. Tech and dress rehearsals will be July 26-28, with an opening preview performance on July 29, 2027. The production is slated to run July 29 to Aug. 8, 2027 at the MATCH in Houston, Texas. See a list of tentative performance dates here.
Can I sing a cappella for my audition?
For in-person auditions, please do not sing a cappella. We'll provide a pianist and a Bluetooth speaker, so bring sheet music or a backing/karaoke track. While we'll accept a cappella video audition submissions, we encourage you to film yourself singing while having a second device play a backing/karaoke track for your audition. Backing/karaoke tracks are available for many songs on YouTube.
Are there roles for actors who don't sing or dance?
No roles are expected to require much choreography. The actor who plays Pappy, Connor, and the Cop will not need to sing. All other roles are singing roles.
Is this paid?
Yes, all cast and crew are paid, though this is a non-union (non-equity) production.
Can minors audition?
There is one role available for a minor. Young Anton/Shay is a Black boy, ages 9-12, so any actor that can reasonably pass for those ages is invited to audition for it.
Will you provide accommodations for non-local performers?
Unfortunately, it's not within our budget to house performers, so we're looking for performers who have local accommodations.
I have a question not answered here.
Email your question to info@thunderclapproductions.com and we'll get back to you!