How to Get Cast in a Summer Production at St. Louis’ Muny Theater

So much of an acting education is about on-the-job training, and for actors, one of the best ways to get a crash course is a summer stock gig. And if you want to get cast by one of the most notable summer stock venues in the country, you talk to Michael Baxter, associate artistic director at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, better known as the Muny. The country’s largest outdoor musical theater venue, the Muny puts on seven productions every summer, each with its own cast comprising actors of all ages and acting backgrounds—from New York City pros to local kids and teens. Baxter oversees the process of getting these shows cast, in partnership with Telsey + Company. Backstage caught up with him while he took a breather from this year’s auditions.

What is the Muny audition process like?
It’s essentially a two-month process that begins every year as we seek talent from Broadway and television, as well as emerging artists from performing arts colleges across the country and our local St. Louis actors, both full-time and not, plus aspiring performers in our kids and teens. We have an Equity Principal Audition in one of the big cities. Then we break down into all of our calls—St. Louis calls, kid and teen calls, and our famous Muny audition weekend, which is a dancer and singer call. All of the aspiring and emerging performers from the top performing arts programs across the country come and audition. Our audition weekend can consist of dancing and singing and then potentially reading or acting. That’s across the board. We believe that you have to be a well-rounded artist to appear on the Muny stage.

What kind of talent are you looking to cast at the Muny?
We cast on a per-show basis, so there’s no rotating repertory company. We do an Equity Principal Audition, where actors are able to come in and audition for a specific role. We also have a singer call, where they’re able to come in and audition as a singer first; [there’s also] a dancer call, and then our open call. The open call means you could be a singer, you could be a dancer, you could be Equity, you could be non-Equity. If you are 18 or older, you can audition. We hold every kind of audition to make sure that we are seeking out the best talent.

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What advice do you give to actors who want to work at the Muny?
You don’t need permission to be exceptional. When you walk into the room, I want you to be infectious and bring your passion, your heart, and your quirks. Bring you; you as an original are exceptional. The audition room is a place to honor and respect actors.

What shouldn’t an actor do while auditioning for the Muny?
Don’t apologize. Don’t apologize for being you; don’t apologize for being under the weather. You came in, you did the thing, and you brought your realness to it. You brought you.

Where do you look for talent while casting for the Muny?
Everywhere. We look to discover talent not only in New York, L.A., or St. Louis; we look globally to seek the best talent possible. Our mission has always been to discover talent from the elite training programs from the colleges, and that has then helped them to nurture and create an environment for our children and teenagers.

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What skills are required to get cast in a Muny production?
More generally, we are looking for generous, collaborative, talented, kind people who believe in musical theater. We want people who want to make art and celebrate that. It’s a special place, because where else do you rehearse 11 days, and at the end of those 11 days, you’re performing for 11,000 people? It takes a crazy amount of heart to be that kind of performer. It’s similar to but unlike any other audition process, because you do have to be prepared to trust that you’re going to be taken care of after 11 days. I’m looking for people who are unapologetically passionate. Each show has its own specific skill set and need. It varies per show, so that’s a hard question to answer when we have a seven-show series. We are looking for the most determined, well-rounded artists. You should have a really strong sense of self and skill that is diverse—they can do a wide variety of things: sing, act, dance, play the guitar, be a comedian.

If someone isn’t right for a show they’re auditioning for, what are the chances they’ll be considered for another Muny production?
That’s all part of the magic of The Muny: seeking and finding potential, especially in college kids. We have a season this year where we’re doing a Sondheim, and they’ll come in thinking they’re just going to be in a Sondheim, but then we find out that they’re an extraordinary dancer. We’re always looking for that hidden potential, that surprise, the understanding that we need to include them in this world and story. That may not be the story that they imagined themselves in, but that’s part of the magic and fun of the job: finding and seeing that potential and watching that transformation happen in the room.

How do you work with Telsey + Company when casting?
It is like having the best partner. They have a wealth of knowledge and understanding of actors on Broadway and in television, not only in the New York scene but Los Angeles and Chicago, as well. They have a renowned amount of knowledge. My relationship with them is coordinating and partnering with them to offer support for their New York principal casting. We gain an immense amount of knowledge from their know-how and how they arrange casting sessions. They help us release our casting breakdowns. They coordinate with all of our creative teams on gathering size and information. We really work in tandem to make sure that we’re casting the best people for all seven shows.

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What should people know about auditioning for and performing at the Muny?
It’s a positive and wonderful place; you can come here and feel like it’s professional and supportive. You come and spend the weekend dancing and singing your heart out for people who are rooting for you when you audition. We create a safe, loving, and competitive—but healthy—audition environment. That hard work and your effort to not only show up, but to be in the room and be present does not go unnoticed. And we’re just so grateful for your time and talent.

What don’t actors know or realize about what you do?
Actors should not take for granted the number of people that help them get into that audition room. The amount of logistics, reservations, and people supporting the process—registering you, pinning the number to your outfit, taking your photo, measuring you. It takes an entire team to support your well-being at an audition, and the audition begins the moment that you register or sign up and commit to showing up. A lot of that responsibility and a lot of that kudos goes to the actor for showing up on the day. The room is important, but there’s so much that goes into being prepared for the day, and it doesn’t take just one casting director or one director or one actor. It takes an amount of time and energy from a large group of people.

This story originally appeared in the March 19 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.