The Basics--Casting I

So, now that you know how a new show is developed. Let me get into how it's cast and casting in general...

A casting director is hired by the producers to bring in talent (actors) to audition for the producers and creative team. He/She decides who they think is right to bring in for an audition based on their relationship with the actor, the actor's credits/reputation, and their relationship with the actor's representation--this is key.

Attention all actors: if your agent is tells you he can't get you seen for television or film because your resume is too full of musicals he may be lying to you. More likely it's that your agent doesn't have enough of a relationship with these casting directors to get you seen. When I first moved to the city I left an agency that repeatedly told me they could not get me seen for TV/Film because I was a musical actor, to sign with a different agency that got me seen for lots of TV/Film--not b/c I had a different resume, but because their reputation with those casting directors was better established. A lot of actors blame themselves for their agents' problems. Don't do this to yourself. If you're doing everything you can to better your craft and you're realistic about your talent and marketability, there's no reason why you shouldn't be auditioning for anything you want.

Of course, it's not that simple because this is show BUSINESS not show PLAY. It's about making money. Competition is intensely fierce. And casting directors are always looking for 'bank'-able actors.

On Broadway this has manifested in the trend to cast television and film stars in roles more suited to less well known but more talented stage actors: Remember the Jeremy Irons CAMELOT example (post July 5)? Despite the dozens of talented musical theater leading men out there qualified to play King Arthur at the Hollywood Bowl this summer, the producers of this project chose Jeremy Irons. Why? Well, yes he's a talented actor with years of theater experience and training. But Jeremy Irons is also a movie star. He will sell tickets! With Broadway type projects costing so much to produce now-a-days, producers need to make sure they can put butts in the seats.

Unfortunately, this often means sacrificing the qualtiy of a production in order to have the 'hot ticket in town'. I'm sure Jeremy will be fun to watch, but he can't really sing.

Some would argue neither can Val Kilmer, Ewan McGregor, and the list goes on and on. There's even a rumor that Jeff Goldblum is sought after for a leaing role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical (WOMAN IN WHITE). And it's not just Broadway musicals. Broadway plays are often star studded. Sometimes successfully (PILLOW MAN, GLENN GARY...), sometimes not so successfully (GLASS MENAGERIE...).

If you're wondering why movie stars accept roles in theater projects...maybe their career needs a boost? Or maybe, like Josh Lucas, they need a rest from the exhausting business of making movies: "Basically, the director lied to me--he said playing the Gentleman Caller [in GLASS MENAGERIE] would be like taking six months off." (Elle magazine Aug.'05) ...I don't know who's comment is worse? You want to "relax" Josh, go to Bermuda. Many actors would've killed to play that part.

Maybe these stars take the jobs because they see theater as a way to challenge themselves? And if producers are willing to pay, why not? (inside word is Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick made $100,000 each/week in THE PRODUCERS.)

The result of this trend is unfortunate. Because stars' schedules and salary demands often prevent them from staying with a show for a prolonged period of time, productions become revolving doors for movie-stars, with casting directors scrambling to fill roles and theater owners scrambling to fill theaters left empty after productions (BOY FROM OZ) close following a star's departure.

For experienced and talented Broadway musical pros, this is frustrating and pretty scary. When a Broadway actor has to compete with P-Diddy--how can he? As a friend of mine likes to say, "If this business was fair, not everybody would be able do it."