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Calvin Berger

Based loosely on Edmond Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac, Calvin Berger is the hip and hilarious story of unrequited feelings, love notes, and physical insecurity among four high school seniors.

  • Full Length Musical
  • Comedy
  • 120 minutes

  • Time Period: Contemporary
  • Target Audience: Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18), Adult
  • Set Requirements: Unit Set/Multiple Settings
  • Orchestra Size: Small/Combo

  • Performance Group:
  • High School/Secondary, College Theatre / Student, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre

  • Accolades:
  • Winner! Jerry Bock Award (2005)
At a contemporary high school, Calvin Berger is smitten by the beautiful Rosanna, but he feels insecure because of the size of his nose. Rosanna, in turn, is attracted to the good-looking newcomer, Matt, who is painfully shy and inarticulate around her, although the attraction is mutual.

Hoping to get closer to Rosanna through his eloquent love notes, Calvin offers to be Matt’s “speech writer,” all the while ignoring the signals of attraction from another girl, his best friend, Bret. When the deception unravels, everybody’s friendship is seriously jeopardized, but Calvin eventually realizes that his preoccupation with his appearance had led him astray, and his eyes are opened to Bret, who'd been there all along.


Premiere Production: Calvin Berger made its world premiere on August 31, 2006 at the Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts. In 2007, it was produced by the Barrington Stage Company at the Athanaeum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Its third production took place at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 2010, under the direction of Kathleen Marshall.
  • Casting: 2M, 2F
  • Casting Attributes: Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle), Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle)
  • Chorus Size: No Chorus

  • CALVIN (Male) - A high school-age boy who is charming, witty and lovable but does not have traditional good looks (pref. has a big nose). Must have impeccable comic timing. Good models for type: McLovin from "Superbad," Ferris Bueller, Jon Cryer in "Pretty in Pink," Anthony Michael Hall in "The Breakfast Club." Baritone, pleasant sound but need not be polished, up to F#.
  • MATT (Male) - A very handsome high school-age guy. Muscular, macho, athletic happy-go-lucky, likable, earnest. Can be a lovable meathead (Stifler from "American Pie"), or a pretty-boy jock (Zac Efron in "High School Musical"), or an ultra-cool dude (James Dean, The Fonz). Bari-tenor with a comfortable G, who can belt a few loud A's too. Pref. a rock sound.
  • ROSANNA (Female) - A beautiful, high school-age girl. Ingénue type with cheerleader good looks and a girl-next-door sweetness. Likable and able to show vulnerability. Beautiful voice, soprano or mixey high belt.
  • BRET (Female) - Quirky, witty, sarcastic, lovable, funny high school-age girl. A funkier, less mainstream look than Rosanna, perhaps alternative, grunge, goth, etc. Must not be extremely pretty – or the opposite. Probably more cute than hot. Good example: Juno from “Juno.” Strong, pleasant singing voice, alto with good high belt/mix up to D.
  • Name Price
    Perusal Material Shipped immediately. This is optional. Order Now

    1 x Prompt Book & Vocal-Chorus Book

    $24.00
    Rehearsal Material Shipped a minimum of 3 months before the last performance. This must be hired as a condition of the License to produce this show.

    5 x Prompt Books
    5 x Piano-Conductor's Score

    $550.00 +$135.00/pm
    Orchestral Material Shipped a minimum of 1 month before the last performance. This is optional.

    1 Violin
    1 Cello
    1 Electric Bass Guitar
    1 Percussion: Trap set and mallet instruments:

    Bass Drum
    Snare Drum
    Tom-Toms
    Floor Tom
    Hi-Hat
    Cymbal
    Ride Cymbal
    Suspended Cymbal
    Glockenspiel
    Triangle
    Bell Tree
    Mark Tree
    Small Shaker
    Crotales

    1 Keyboard/Partitur (registrations mostly for Piano and Electric Piano)

    $350.00 +$135.00/pm