Inside A Broadway Casting Cattle Call

By Leora Kanner, Broadway Magazine

This exclusive video feature takes you inside an actual dance audition for a touring production of the hit musical "Chicago." Meet the dancers and casting assistants who make up one of the most interesting experiences on Broadway. Broadway.tv brings you the secret world of the "Cattle Call."

Watch as many young hopefuls audition daily to get their chance as the next big star of Broadway...or even just to make it onstage. As hard as it is to be cast into a major role, it can be equally difficult to be cast in the chorus. As Becca Knight, the assistant casting director for the tour of "Chicago" explains in our exclusive feature on Broadway.tv: she is looking for a "well-rounded performer." Someone who can sing, act, and dance with skill. As if being a real triple thread isn't difficult enough, the ideal actor needs to be "interesting as well as talented." Such high demand must be very intimidating.

But the young male dancers waiting to meet with Becca Knight are upbeat and hopeful. Each willing to share with Broadway.tv their thoughts of going through the Broadway casting audition. They have all been dancing for years, some for as long as 10. They profess a love for what they do and don't seem discouraged by the high demands placed on them. They may have anywhere from one to five auditions in every week, but each audition gives them another chance to shine. And as one dancer explains, if he doesn't make it, he has a dance class scheduled right after the audition.

To these dancers, their art is not merely movement. It is emotional for them: one dancer says he dances to "get out and move people." As he explains, it is about being "in the moment...connecting...tell[ing] a story through movement." Dance, and being a Broadway actor, is not just a job, but also an opportunity to make a difference.

As the "casting cattle call" continues, these optimistic young aspirants have some advice for future Chicago auditioneers: "try to be cool," "wait your turn" but at the end of the day, no matter how much of a triple thread you are, "keep your fingers crossed." It is an up-close look at a real casting session for a touring production of Broadway's long-running hit "Chicago," and you'll only find it here on Broadway.tv.