Registration: August 2nd, at 6pm
Auditions: August 15th, 10am-3pm
Performer’s Calendar – Click Here
The Greatest Race
A Training Show Production
Book and Lyrics by Richard Wilson
Music by Lynne Cimorelli
Featuring performers ages 5-9
This show is Rated G.
Rehearsals
Saturdays, August 22-October 17, 2026
Tech Rehearsal/Performances
October 20-25, 2026
Performances
October 21 – 25, 2026
*9:45am & 11:15am School Shows on 10/21, 10/22 & 10/23
EDMT Performing Arts Center
4949 Windplay Drive, EDH
Managing Directors: Brittany Lansford & Scott Rivers
Costume Designer: Laxmi Das
Producer: Kara Nakano
SHOW OVERVIEW
The play begins in a suburb of the big forest, where the animals that live there are happy, but a bit bored. Speedy McRabbit, a very fast hare, challenges anyone in the forest to a Great Race. The publicly seeking Mayor offers up a prize, but no one is willing to accept the challenge. The Race is set for the following day, but without a challenger, Speedy will win without every running a step.
Terry Pin, a tortoise who is looking for a real friend, figures out that a strategy for beating Speedy. Kendra, an optimistic skunk, convinces Terry that he should run the race.
The following day, when Terry steps forward to race against Speedy, all the animals of the forest laugh at the idea of a tortoise racing a hare. Terry’s only supporter is Kendra. An announcer from the Wild World of Sports provides commentary for the race.
The race begins and Terry’s strategy works. Speedy learns a lesson about persistence and Terry learns what it means to find a real friend.
REHEARSALS
Saturdays from 9:00am-11:00am (Everyone)
Saturdays from 9:00am-12:00pm (Leads)
TECH REHEARSAL/PERFORMANCES
Between the dates of 10/20-10/23, each cast will have one tech rehearsal and perform for two school shows. Between the dates of 10/22-10/25, each cast will perform 3 ticketed shows.
VENUE
Rehearsals and shows take place at the EDMT Performing Arts Center, located at:
4949 Windplay Drive, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
TRAINING SHOW AUDITION WORKSHOP
This one-day workshop is open to performers between 5-9 years old who have been in two or less EDMT productions. The audition workshop is not mandatory to participate in the training show production, but it is a great way to prepare for auditions. Cost is $40.
Registration Begins Sunday, July 26th, at 6:00pm. Note: You have to register separately to participate in the training show.
Workshop Date/Time: Saturday, August 8th, from 9:00am-12:00pm
Participants will learn from EDMT’s Founder and Artistic Director, Debbie Wilson:
- Exactly what to expect at the audition.
- How to choose audition songs. Participants will receive a Google Drive link of appropriate audition songs that they can use.
- How to drill your introduction, what to include, and why your introduction is so important!
- Dance steps that are in The Greatest Race dance audition.
- The story and characters in The Greatest Race, including getting to practice lines from the show.
- Plus, everyone will get a chance to do a full practice audition to gain experience.
- Parents attend for FREE and are strongly encouraged to attend so they can assist their young performer. Only 1 parent per child registered may attend.
- Performers wear clean closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothes to dance in. If your performer has an audition song they would like to sing, please have them bring in a device ready to play.
The audition workshop takes place at the EDMT Performing Arts Center, located at:
4949 Windplay Drive, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
ABOUT EDMT’S TRAINING SHOW PROGRAM
- Training Shows are an ideal way for young people to start learning about performance and theatre. For young people who already have some theatre experience, it is a unique opportunity to gain further experience acting, singing, and dancing onstage.
- Our Training Shows start with the key theatre terms and performing. Performers then progress through actually staging a performance. The show itself is a “lighter” production that is perfectly suited to younger performers.
- The audition parallels the audition process used by El Dorado Musical Theatre and most other stage performance groups. Since all participants perform onstage, auditions are for determining who will perform each specific role.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Kerlin the Musician – The main narrator through the story. Kerlin is a musician who needs a gig. Due to a costuming error, Kerlin is always being mistaken for Merlin the Magician.
Speedy McRabbit – A cool rabbit who is lightening fast. He is the head of a rabbit gang, the “Tough Bunnies.” Many think of Speedy as Elvis with ears.
Terry Pin – A tortoise that is looking for a “real friend.” Terry’s mind moves fast, but his body is slow.
The Mayor – A politician who needs to be involved with anything that gets him/her in the newspaper or on TV
The Tough Bunnies – A gang of not-so-tough rabbits. They wear sneakers, rolled-up jeans, colored t-shirts, and leather jackets. Carrots with the tops still on are visible from back pockets, etc. (What the Jets are to West Side Story, The Tough Bunnies are to The Greatest Race.)
Fluffy Rabbit – Speedy’s biggest fan, with an even bigger attitude
Thumper Rabbit – The biggest of the Bunnies
Loppy Bunny – A good-hearted rabbit, but a little slow
Lucky Rabbit – The littlest of the Bunnies
Kendra – A pleasant and positive skunk. She’s the one person who believes that Terry Pin can succeed
Sherry/Jerry May – An announcer for the Wild World of Sports. She/He’s there to provide colorful commentary of the race for all the listeners out in radio land.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Tell You a Story………………… Kerlin the Musician
Suburb Forest Blues………….. Fluffy, Thumper, Loppy, Lucky and the Full Cast
Wild Hare………………………… Speedy McRabbit, the Tough Bunnies, and Full Cast
Will I Ever Find A Friend?…. Terry Pin
I Believe in You…………………. Kendra and Terry Pin
The World’s Gone Crazy…….. Speedy McRabbit and the Full Cast
You Decide What’s Possible… Full Cast
I Believe in You (Reprise)…….Kendra, Terry Pin and Full Cast
REGISTRATION
Online registration begins Sunday, August 2nd, at 6:00pm on this webpage and closes when full or on August 12th, at 8:00pm, whichever comes first. (If the cast is full you may choose to be placed on a waiting list.) Everyone registered will be in the show. Auditions are to determine who will perform specific roles.
- No cast requests.
- Please review the calendar thoroughly.
- Do not register if you will miss more than two rehearsals.
- [New to EDMT: Bring a copy of your birth certificate to your audition to verify your age.]
AUDITIONS
Saturday, August 15th, from 10:00am-3:00pm at EDMT Performing Arts Center. Arrive 15 minutes before your audition time to check-in.
- We will send an email after registration with instructions on how to submit music electronically for auditions.
- Upon arrival to auditions you will be measured for costumes and have a photo taken for the program.
- Auditionees will be seated by number in a row of 10 chairs in the audition room. Parents are invited to watch. When your number is called, you will come forward, introduce yourself and your song, and then sing for up to one minute.
- After 10 sing, they may choose to recite a few lines, provided by the artistic staff, to be considered for a role.
- Next, 20 auditionees will dance for the staff in small groups. Some groups of auditionees will sing first and dance second, and others will dance first and sing second. The audition dance video will be emailed to all registrants to use to learn and practice the dance for auditions.
- At that point, the first 10 are excused and the next 10 sing and recite lines.
CAST LIST
The cast list will be posted on the EDMT website on Monday, August 17th, at 6:00pm.
COST
$350 Tuition Fee. This is paid online by credit card at the time of registration. Additional expenses may include the purchase of personal items such as changing garments and shoes; and those which are completely optional, such as a cast photo or t-shirt, etc.
*All credit card payments will incur a convenience fee. To avoid this fee, in the PAYMENT WINDOW select the PAY LATER option to pay by cash or check in person either before or on audition day.
Note: To be considered for a work scholarship, Click Here to complete a work scholarship application by July 26th, at 6:00pm. If a work scholarship is granted, you will receive an email with all the information needed to register for the show by July 31st at 6:00pm.
REFUND POLICY
- Registered cast members will receive a full refund of tuition, minus a $50.00 processing fee if they remove themselves from the cast before the cast list is posted.
- NO refunds of tuition will be made once the cast list is posted on the EDMT website, except in extenuating circumstances such as death in the family, medical injury, serious illness, or surgery not known about prior to auditions.
- To request a cancellation prior to the cast being posted, send an email to edmt@edmt.info. Make sure to include performer’s name, parent’s name and phone number, and reason for canceling.
- NO refunds of tuition will be given to cast members removed from the cast by EDMT staff for behavioral reasons.
Note: Auditionees and their parents are aware that rehearsals require the cast member to have the ability to focus for two hours, with one break.
REHEARSALS
Saturdays from 9:00am-11:00am (Everyone)
Saturdays from 9:00am-12:00 pm (Leads)
- Saturday, August 22nd is the first rehearsal.
- It is extremely important that you review the calendar from the website and provide any schedule conflicts on audition day.
- Please DO NOT REGISTER if your schedule has more than 2 conflicts on NON-mandatory dates or ANY conflicts on Dress Rehearsal on October 17th or Tech Rehearsal/Performances on October 20th-25th.
- Missing any of these important dates may result in being dropped from the show.
Rehearsals will take place at EDMT Performing Arts Center, 4949 Windplay Drive, in El Dorado Hills, CA.
PARENT MEETINGS
There is an ALL Parent Meeting on Saturday, August 22nd, from 10:15-11:00am and a LEAD Parent Meeting on Saturday, August 22nd, from 11:00am-12:00pm. You will receive important information critical to the success of your cast member and the production.
VOLUNTEER HOURS
Our volunteers are some of the most important people in our organization. Without our volunteers, our productions would not be possible.
- Each family is required to complete at least 20 volunteer hours for this show.
- If your family does not complete 20 volunteer hours, the family will be charged an $440 fee.
- Volunteer positions will be available on “SignUp.” A link to this software will be sent in the newsletter.
- When volunteering, DO NOT bring other kids. When volunteering for the other cast, DO NOT bring your performer(s).
- If you sign-up for a volunteer role that requires training, DO NOT send anyone else in your place who did not receive training.
SHOW FAQs
Who can participate?
Boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 9. (Age as of the date of auditions.)
Why do we have auditions?
The purpose of the audition is to determine how well participants can sing or dance and to determine who can best perform each role. Participants are not expected to arrive fully versed as a performer since that is what they are learning in rehearsals.
What are the audition song requirements and preferences?
Choose an age appropriate song, preferably from a musical, no longer than one minute. Performers may sing acapella (voice alone with no accompaniment) or use an electronic music file (acceptable file formats are .MP3, .WAV, .AIF, .M4A). Email an edited music file where you will start singing to audition@edmt.info. The file must be able to be played and transferred (not a song off of Spotify).
What to wear to a dance audition?
Dress comfortably for a dance audition. (Clothes and clean shoes that allow you to move easily, NO sandals or thick boots.) Everyone is expected to participate in the dance audition.
What is the cast size?
Participants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Depending on the number of registrants, we will have a maximum of three casts with 30 performers each. Those who apply after the first 90 spots are filled will be placed on a waiting list.
Will siblings be placed together in the same cast group? Can we request to be in a cast group with a friend?
Cast groups will be created by the artistic staff to meet the needs of the show. Siblings will be placed in the same cast. There are NO FRIEND REQUESTS for cast groups for this show.
Can parents observe rehearsals?
Only registered performers, rehearsal monitors, and staff members may be on site while rehearsals are in progress. Parents are not invited to observe.
How will drop off and pick up work?
All performers should enter EDMT through the front door entrance and arrive 10-15 minutes before their scheduled rehearsal time for check-in. After rehearsal, performers will exit EDMT through the front door. Please arrive on time to pick up your performer(s). Please exit your vehicle and come to the front door to pick up your child.
Who do I go to when I have a question?
Please direct all questions to the Executive Producer. Please avoid disrupting rehearsals by going directly to the artistic staff.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For any additional questions or information about The Greatest Race please contact Producer, Kara Nakano, at karanakano@edmt.info or call the EDMT office at (916) 941-7464.