On November 7, around 40 students came to the library excited to audition for the upcoming musical, Mary Poppins. Later that night, the roles were decided and around a quarter of the students were cut to the final cast of 30 students. I interviewed Mrs Uhl, one of the musical’s directors, about the process to learn what the judges look for during auditions and how the directors make difficult casting decisions.
What specific qualities or criteria do you look for when evaluating students during auditions?
“During auditions, we use a judging form, sort of like a rubric, where we pay close attention to Acting (body language, stage presence, character representation), Singing, Volume, and Enunciation. Some years we include Dancing, but this year we did not include it.”
How much do factors like grade, height, and past involvement in the musicals affect your casting decisions?
“We don’t give priority to anyone because of what grade they are in or past involvement unless two people fit a role and we can’t decide. Then, priority would go to an older student or someone we have worked with in the past. Height is a factor for shows like Mary Poppins because it would be strange for Jane, the daughter, to be taller than the dad, and so on. We watched a show where the directors cast an older teenage boy as Michael, the son, and it was awkward. We try to avoid awkward situations as much as possible.”
How do you decide which role would be the best fit for a student? What factors influence your decision?
“For main roles, we consider singing, acting, volume, and enunciation a top priority. If a student is confident in these areas, the audience will enjoy the show no matter what happens. We also look for whose personality matches the character or who can represent that character well on stage in a natural, not forced, way.
Sometimes, outside factors do come into play. For example, is the student reliable? Are they overextended with extracurricular activities and struggling in their classes? Would it be wise to cast them? Or, we know a specific student can do something acrobatically. Maybe they would be a great fit for a specific role, even if we didn’t see those skills in auditions. This is why our judging panel is so important in our process.”
How long did you spend on the casting decisions this year? What makes the process so challenging?
“We spent one hour with our judging panel discussing the major roles and some of the others. Then, Miss. Hoogeveen and I spent an additional three and a half hours making decisions.
This is the hardest part of our casting process because we have a lot of talented students, but most years, only a few major roles. One year someone might get a role with a lot of lines, the next year it may be a lot less, or they may not even make it. We don’t flippantly assign roles, we take a long time considering ALL of the roles because they are ALL significant to us.
It’s also challenging because we know most students personally and know how decisions will affect them. If we based our casting on relationships, everyone would be in the show, so we have to base it on auditions and what our needs are for each show.”
What advice would you give to students auditioning in the future? How can they stand out and show they’re ready for a role?
“I like that you asked how they can “stand out” because that is important. Sometimes, people say they want to be in the “background”. I always respond that I don’t need any “background” characters. Students who have been in the musical know that our ensemble “background” characters play a significant role. They have to be strong actors and singers. Some of our favorite show memories have been when we were highly entertained by the ensemble, not the main characters.
I would encourage students to make sure they come to auditions prepared but also expect to be thrown into a situation where improv is needed, because that is how the show works. You may not be partnered with a strong actor, but you still need to show that you are a strong actor and are willing to put yourself out there and give your all. You may not be the best singer, but you need to sing loud and with confidence even if you mess up.
More importantly, don’t give up, don’t be discouraged, and don’t take it personally if you were cut or didn’t get the role you expected. PLEASE show up next year (if possible)!”
