I always have open calls for my shows for three reasons:
- I think it’s the right thing to do to make auditions as accessible as possible.
- You never know when the next superstar is going to walk in the door.
- Auditions advertise the show without having to pay to advertise the show.
Auditions are one of the easiest ways to get the word out. The announcement usually generates press, whether that’s the TV response we got for the open call of my Broadway revival of Godspell, or whether that’s an announcement in a local paper for the local Community Theater production of The Music Man.
And I got news for you . . . people that audition for theater go see theater. Those people in line are your ticket-buyers (I’ve done special offers to auditionees before and have seen very good results).
Open calls are what I call a Marketing Perfecta . . . because both sides win. You get the word out and a chance to discover new talent that you might not have seen otherwise and people get their shot at their dreams.
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