Book by David Church and Jim Webber
Music and Lyrics by Patrick Joe Ward
Judy Garland is primed for her biggest comeback ever – the dazzling star of her own TV special, broadcast live on Christmas Eve, 1959. Judy’s guests include Bing Crosby, Ethel Merman and Liberace. However, mysterious snafus behind the scenes and cameo appearances by commie-baiting Vice President Richard Nixon and blacklisted writer Lillian Hellman, throw Judy’s program off course. The surprises climax when the arrival of Joan Crawford is interrupted by the spectral figure of… Death. The evening takes a detour into the Twilight Zone as the celebrities are forced to confront the lies behind their legends. Devastated and alone, Judy meets a special fan who ultimately proves that, despite her flaws, her shining legacy still endures.
Directed by Will Asmus
Music direction by Wes Habley
Choreography by Abby Dart
Presented at The James Theater
December 4-13, 2026
Auditions
September 11th 6-9pm, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, choir room
September 12th 2-6pm, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, choir room
Callbacks
September 14th 6-9pm, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, choir room
Please sign up for an audition slot at the link below. Walk ins are welcome, but priority will be given to those who sign up.
Audition Sign Up
The audition will include dance portion, a vocal portion, and a reading portion.
- Auditioners should prepare a 16-32 measure vocal audition. While we will accept all vocal auditions we would prefer to that they are selected from stage musicals or musical films prior to 1958
- Auditioners will learn a short dance combo and then perform it for the director, choreographer, and music director.
- Sides will be handed out following vocal auditions for the reading portion.
Video auditions will be accepted. Please send videos/links of auditions to aarontodd11@gmail.com. Submissions should be sent in by September 10th. Please include the following in the video:
- A comedic monologue
- A dance reel
- A vocal audition (per the instructions above)
St. Andrew Presbyterian church is located at 140 Gathering Place Ln, Iowa City. To get to the choir room park and enter on the lower level, the choir room will be on the left hand side as you enter, someone will be there to check people in for auditions.
You can listen to music from the album here: https://music.apple.com/us/album/judys-scary-little-christmas-original-l-a-cast-album/544957645 or https://open.spotify.com/album/0vqpK2hn2ZG2rKEBDVO7v4
ROLES
JUDY GARLAND – The beloved show business icon of The Wizard of Oz and A Star Is Born. Judy is nervous and neurotic, but remains wildly talented and is fully primed for her biggest comeback ever.
BING CROSBY – The avuncular but alcoholic crooner of “White Christmas” whose greatest triumphs are behind him, and he knows it.
LIBERACE – The flamboyant Las Vegas entertainer who brought highbrow music to lowbrow audiences. “Lee” is a smarmy mama’s boy who masks the truth of his personal life with layers of camp.
ETHEL MERMAN – The bombastic star of Annie Get Your Gun and
Gypsy whose belting voice and brassy manner accentuate her blunt ego.
RICHARD NIXON – A winner with flop sweat. The current Vice President is conniving, fearful, strangely sympathetic and completely out of place in this entertainment milieu.
LILLIAN HELLMAN – The chain-smoking playwright of The Little Foxes who was blacklisted as a Communist during the McCarthy era. Anger is both her tonic and her Achilles heel.
JOAN CRAWFORD – Hollywood’s greatest self-made star who has gone from ingenue to leading lady to caricature and now is barricaded from reality as an ageless legend in her own mind.
SAILOR – Handsome, clean-cut, observant, empathetic, – and not altogether who he appears to be.
DIRECTOR – An off-stage voice, focused, businesslike.
PUNCH – A goofy dragon hand-puppet.
ENSEMBLE – An attractive, effervescent group of 4-6 singers/dancers.
Additional non-speaking roles to serve as stage crew.
Please check back to this page for additional information about auditions, ticket sales, and more!