Technical training is a must, of course. "We are looking for seasoned and versatile performers," says James Nadeau, a casting director for Stiletto Entertainment, which handles production for 50 ships, including Holland America Line. "Singers are required to sing all genres of music in our shows: pop, Broadway, legit, and country. Our vocalists need to look the part of a leading man or woman, as well as possess the ability to command the stage."
Norwegian Cruise Line's manager of theatrical operations, Robert Hertenstein, says, "Singers need to prepare a 16- to 32-bar song that shows off their best vocal abilities. If we like what we hear, we call them back with a selection we provide from one of our shows."
At Carnival Productions, manager Simon Griffiths says, "The shows we do are very varied. Someone can be singing an Italian aria one moment and then do an Aretha Franklin song the next."
Dance ability is also a major factor. In the past, Carnival has used a mostly pop-rock product that featured a cast of 14 to 16 dancers and included one female and one male lead. Going forward, its newer model will include eight singer-dancers. Four of them must be especially skilled singers, and the other four exceptionally skilled dancers.
"Our singers need to be capable of handling some choreography, varying from minimal movement to sometimes full dance ability," says Jodie Stinebaugh, also a casting director at Stiletto. "Our dancers need to possess strong technique in jazz and ballet, and being skillful in other areas of dance -- such as tap, hip-hop, acro, and partnering -- are a definite plus." Several of the Norwegian ships, meanwhile, may require dancers to do aerial stunts for Cirque-type shows in addition to singing and tapping.
Carnival holds year-round open calls in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Stiletto's annual audition tour takes casting directors to all the big cities in the United States -- including Orlando, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Seattle, Nashville, and Boston -- as well as Toronto, Vancouver, and such European cities as Amsterdam, London, and Paris. Likewise, Norwegian holds year-round auditions around the world and hires up to 400 performers a year.
While many cruise lines use open calls to audition their would-be performers, Stiletto uses a slightly different process that forces auditioners to negotiate a steep learning curve. "Upon arrival, singers must sign in and learn a section from a song in one of our shows," Nadeau says. "We provide sheet music and a guide vocal CD. Each singer has about an hour to prepare. After hearing this initial piece, he or she may then be asked to sing something a cappella of his or her choice. From there, we may give a singer even more music from our shows to learn. We allow about 15 minutes for them to prepare. Because our singers are required to do some choreography in our shows, we may then ask several of them to learn a short movement combination."
Anyone considered a singer-dancer has a second round of auditions. "We do require [singer-dancers] to attend the dance call later that afternoon," Nadeau says. "Dancers have an hour to sign in and warm up and then learn a challenging dance combination. Once they've had the opportunity to execute the material a few times, we document them on videotape. Dancers may be asked to demonstrate pointe work or tumbling at this time." After auditions, Nadeau and Stinebaugh return to Los Angeles and review the footage before notifying singers and dancers via email if they have been placed on an active "hire" list, on which they will remain available for casting in any opening for about two years.
Of course, offstage behavior also matters. "These individuals need to be good ambassadors for Stiletto and our cruise ship clients," Stinebaugh says. "They are 'onstage' even while not performing a show. They need to be personable, well-manicured, and maintain a mature demeanor at all times." Hertenstein concurs, adding that "a performer needs to be flexible and able to adjust on a moment's notice."
Stinebaugh acknowledges that cruise ship life is not for everyone. "It's a unique job. It requires living and working within the confines of a small space," she says. "We've found out the hard way that ship life does not agree with certain personalities on a few occasions. However, the majority of the time our performers keep coming back for additional contracts. It is such a great way to see the world and get paid to do what you love. As casting directors, we are thrilled to be able to offer such fantastic career opportunities."
