by Chris Saunders
IDS News
September 24, 1999

Whereas in most cases, securing an audition with a Broadway casting director would require living in New York City, having an agent and hoping for an audition appointment, the "Rent" casting team is touring the United States looking for young, undiscovered amateur talent.

"Rent" hopefuls do not need a headshot, an agent or an Actors Equity Union card; they don't even necessarily need experience.

"We're mostly looking for a great voice and a distinct personality," said Casting Director Heidi Marshall, who will oversee the IU auditions.

The audition requirements are simple. All ethnicities, aged early to mid-20s, are encouraged to prepare 16 bars of authentic up-beat Pop/Rock/Gospel music to sing a capella.

"Choose music that you're comfortable with," Marshall advised. "Don't pick something that strains your voice or makes you nervous during the audition."

Amateur talent has comprised the "Rent" cast since the musical's inception.  The original actress who played Mimi, a principal Latino character in the show, was a singer in a rock band with no theatrical experience.

Marshall said other performers cast in the Broadway or touring productions include "people who do community theatre once a year for fun, students from college theatre departments and people who just have friends who told them that they sound good singing around the house."

"We want people who have not become polished theatrical performers," she said. "We don't want people who have only been trained in the legitimate music theatre, which teaches to create presentation from outside, rather than within. Also, with the age range we're seeking, how much experience can you expect?"

IU Auditorium publicist Kathy Gutowsky explained why IU was selected for the auditions.

"Bloomington is a strong college town with the twenty-something crowd that the "Rent" casting directors are looking for," she said.

This opportunity can be credited to the nature and content of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical. "Rent" is often referred to as a very modern re-working of the Puccini opera La Boheme; it is a story centered around the romances and friendships of a vibrant, young, culturally-diverse and very financially-challenged group of artists.

The trademark lyrics of the musical, "Forget regret or life is yours to miss... no day but today," became even more poignant with the untimely death of "Rent's" composer, Jonathan Larson, just before the musical hit Broadway in 1996, becoming the smash it is today.

Larson's legacy endures, though. He wanted "Rent" to be different from other musicals of the day. He wanted to capture the spirit and lifestyles of his  friends in Greenwich Village, by using real people who were actually living that sort of life, as opposed to a well-trained actor. This is why there have been so many of these open calls throughout the United States, seeking just the right personalities.

And personality is the key, Marshall explained. "We're not looking for a carbon copy of what we had before at all. For example, the character of Mark calls for a Jewish Caucasian male, but we're looking more for the personalities than the physical type."

"We have had about 40 open calls, and casting average is one person per open call," she said.
Besides Bloomington, recent calls in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Toronto have attracted thousands.

"I have a data base of about 20,000 people who have auditioned for "Rent', and we do call people back. With a lot of the auditions, we see the potential, but maybe they just need time.   Some may have had the vocal talent, but maybe not the stamina to do eight shows a week. In this case, we'll put them in our files with a note that says call back in six months or one year," Marshall said.

With the success of the musical, the open calls are sure to continue.

Said Marshall of the "Rent" phenomenon, "It's just not stopping! I thought when the second touring company just closed in San Francisco, that we would have a break, but it's still going so strong.

I know that it is booked through next summer in New York, and it will  probably go much longer than that," she said. "We're still casting for the Broadway and touring company replacements, as well as the London show and now a German production. So if anyone in Bloomington is auditioning who has German language experience, I could use them."