The lights dim. The orchestra serenades the audience. The curtain rises and the actors appear on stage to create the magical experience of live theatre. Have you ever wondered how those particular actors ended up on that stage?
Jay Binder from Binder Casting and Dave Clemmons from Dave Clemmons Casting provided some insight into the process of casting a national touring Broadway production. The process begins when the casting agency is hired by a Broadway show’s producer. Typically, shows are cast six months before the tour starts performances but according to Binder, can range from a year for a show like THE KING AND I or three and a half weeks for WONDERFUL TOWN. If it is an Equity show, as many are, they are required by Actors’ Equity to first hold open auditions to their general membership for a maximum of three days for the principal or lead characters, and a maximum of two days for the chorus. Working backwards from the date set by the director and/or choreographer (known as the “creative team”) to begin rehearsals, the casting agent picks five dates for the Equity auditions. Audition notices are posted a minimum of ten days in advance.
Once the Equity auditions are complete, the casting agency decides which actors will receive a call-back for a second audition in front of the creative team. For acting or singing auditions, the director rarely participates in the initial auditions. For auditions involving a dancing role for a show like FOSSE, the choreographer is usually present and decides which actors will make the first cut.
The casting agency also plays a large role in securing a “star” for touring Broadway shows. The agency makes a list of which celebrities could potentially play the lead role, the list is then discussed with the creative team and whittled down, after which, the stars are approached to see if they are interested. In many instances they will still need to audition for the creative team except for certain actors, such as Bernadette Peters, who “at this point in her career does not need to audition,” explains Binder. But that does not mean that casting a star for a touring Broadway show is easy. “Getting stars to tour is a tough sell,” says Clemmons. “It’s hard to get them interested in the road. Unless you’re going to pay a lot of money, they don’t want to go out on the road.”
So what types of things does the casting agency look for in an actor when casting a part? “Be good at what you do,” explains Clemmons. “I’m amazed at the number of people who show up for a professional dance call and they can’t dance, talk or sing. With the arts, as with anything else, you have to practice your trait and you have to be good.” He continues, “Once you get to a certain level of good, everything is about what you look like.” Sometimes the creative team is looking for a specific type of actor, such as short or tall, thin or robust, or with a certain ethnicity. In these auditions, Clemmons acknowledges that the only thing the actor can do other than to be good is to be prepared. He recommends that actors do things that are in their control: know the music, dress appropriately, show up on time and prepare.
As with any job, there are stories that, depending on perspective, can be humorous or horrific. Binder has had several over the years but one stood out in particular when he was starting his career and casting a lead role for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. “One girl who auditioned, she’d prepared thoroughly, her makeup was perfect, she was a bit on edge, nervous, but she looked magnificent,” he remembers. “During the audition, she took off her coat and had forgotten to put on her dress! She only had on her slip. Fortunately she made light of it.” Clemmons gives another piece of auditioning advice when recalling his most memorable moments. “Wearing costumes and bringing props is very bad and one guy auditioning did both,” he explains. “During one of his scenes he took a live rat out of his box and placed it on his neck. But he got cast because he was that good of an actor.” Another actor was not so fortunate though. “One time a girl showed up dressed head-to-toe as Audrey from LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS,” he reminisces. “The director was scared to death because he thought she was mental so even though she was a great actress, he couldn’t get past seeing her dressed up and she didn’t get the role.”
By: Beth Cox
