Cast size: Medium-Large (17-23)
Cast type: Ensemble cast, all roles featured, no “chorus,” teenage roles, older role(s)
Dance requirement: Standard (Musical staging/some dance/optional)

Character Breakdown (11M, 12F, with optional doubling)
Lenny Lansing (Male, lead, baritenor, 16-17 yrs old) — Our story’s protagonist, Lenny is the new kid at Akron Heights High, having won the waiting list lottery to enter as a junior. He hopes to find at least one new friend and to make a name for himself at AHH.

Gregor Adams (Male, lead, baritenor, 16-17 yrs old) — Gregor is a misanthropic computer genius who finished the academic requirements for high school in third grade. Since then he has been doing largely unsupervised “independent studies” at AHH. When Lenny is the first person at school to show him any sort of attention, Gregor decides to involve Lenny in a plot he’s been developing for years.

Carrie Fleming (Female, lead, high mixbelter, 16-17 yrs old) — Carrie is sleep-deprived, overworked, and underloved. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for her to look after her younger brother, work at a local coffeeshop to help pay for AHH, and, of course, study. She believes strongly in the Average Achievers’ message–and in Lenny.

Christine Jackson (Female, lead, alto/belter, 16-17 yrs old) — The most successful student in her class, Christine has been pressured since infancy to excel in every area possible. When Lenny offers her an opportunity to escape from all that, she jumps at it.

Brad Humboldt (Male, lead, baritenor, 16-17 yrs old) — Brad loves fun, his environmentally friendly car, and–most of all–Christine Jackson. A would-be jock (if AHH had any sports teams), Brad is also instrumental in getting other AHH students to come out of their shells.

Principal Doe (Female, lead, soprano, middle aged) — Principal Doe will do anything she can to make sure that her students succeed. She is their fiercest cheerleader, unfailingly passionate, committed, and positive. However, Principal Doe has a secret, one she has been hiding for many, many years…

Mrs. Blankenbottom (Female, lead, comedic alto, ancient) — Part Miss Trunchbull, part Professor Umbridge, and part Cruella de Vil, Mrs. Blankenbottom is the academic maven in charge of overseeing AHH’s rigorous Standardized Test Prep program. Mrs. B, as she is known, instills complete terror in her students; “You’ll hardly recognize yourselves after she’s done with you,” says Principal Doe.

Mr. & Mrs. Lansing (m/f, major supporting, comedic, middle aged) — As invested in maintaining an organic and local kitchen as they are in their son’s success, Mr. and Mrs. Lansing are caricatures of the quintessential liberal middle-class suburban parents: extremely supportive and encouraging, perhaps to a fault. Possible doubling with Mr. & Mrs. Jackson.

Steve & Regina Jackson (m/f, major supporting, comedic, middle aged) — As chairs of AHH’s Board of Directors, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson will stop at nothing to see that their daughter Christine wins the very prestigious Overachievement Award, a scholarship to the very prestigious University of Akron Heights. When Christine disappoints them with her less-than-perfect SAT score, they personally fund a rigorous Standardized Test Prep program for AHH, mandatory for the entire junior class. Possible doubling with Mr. & Mrs. Lansing.

Four Teachers (m/m/f/f, supporting, comedic, middle aged) — Ms. Tompkins (Shakespeare), Ms. Martin (History), Mr. Wilson (Math), and Mr. Johnson (Chemistry) give us a window into the inner workings and internal politics of AHH. Each with their own quirks, they are all AHH veterans and know how hard they must push their students to succeed.

Four Students (m/m/f/f, supporting, SATB, 16-17 yrs old) — Ronny, Daniel, Sarah, and Olivia are four students at Akron Heights High who satirize the damaging effects that AHH’s culture of overachievement has on its students. These four characters double as the voice of the SAT, presenting test questions in both speech and song.

The Chamberlain Quadruplets (m/m/f/f, supporting, SATB, 16-17 yrs old) — The Chamberlains are model AHH students. They are well-dressed, on top of their schoolwork, constantly positive, and uninterested in making friends, as that might jeopardize their grades.

Instrumentation (Small)
Conductor/Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
Drums
Bass
Clarinet