Broadway casting directors

[TFMH18]

Posted: 7/27/17 at 2:46pm

Throughout this ongoing debate about unionizing Broadway's casting directors, I've started to wonder who the big ones are. Unlike other facets of the industry (like directors, writers, designers, choreos), I don't really know the who's who. 

Obviously, Telsey and Rubin are the two biggies, but who else is casting for Broadway these days? It can't be just those two, right? 

[JennH]

Posted: 7/27/17 at 3:26pm

Stewart/Whitley comes to mind. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 7/27/17 at 3:31pm

For Broadway, Telsey and Rubin are definitely the "Coke and Pepsi" of the bunch.  The others include Dave Caparelliotis, Jim Carnahan, Stuart Howard, Laura Stancyzk and a couple of others.

[JennH]

Posted: 7/27/17 at 3:43pm

Oh and Binder...for whoever reason I sometimes forget he exists because the only show currently running that his office casts (I think?)  is Lion King, and my white self ain't about to audition for it

Kopel? Or is he actually WITH Carnahan? Honestly, it gets confusing once you branch out from "Coke and Pepsi" (great analogy, btw) because those two and Stewart/Whitey are the only ones that seem have an official website. 

Jason Styres just branched out from Binder and is attempting to expand on his own.

Elissa Myers I think may do a few things..more Off Broadway maybe? And MAYBE McCorckle...of course more than one person I've come across is convinced McCorckle doesn't exists as early anyone ever seems to actually get called in by that office...

Like, I said, many of these offices apart form the major 3 or 4 don't have an official website so branching out to list them can get a bit weird. 

There's quite a few more but these are the theater based ones. The others are screen TV/Film based ones. 

Updated On: 7/27/17 at 03:43 PM

[JennH]

Posted: 7/27/17 at 3:56pm

I have a feeling I'll keep coming back once I remember more...I cannot believe I forgot JOY DEWING. Yes I know know she doesn't cast anything on Broadway, in fact I don't think she casts anything that Equity, but to my knowledge she's been a major supporter of this.

There's also Cindy Tolan, maybe? I only recall this because Adam Caldwell used to be in her office, specifically he used to cast Cinderella before Joy took it over this year...but I see he's listed on Telsey's website, so unless there just so happens to be a second Adam Calledwel who happens to also be a CD....

Bob Cline...once agan, why am I forgetting the ones I've actually had more in depth brushes with?? Bob casts more Union regional theaters than anything, but I haven't seen anything that states any involvement of his in this.

[temms]

Posted: 7/27/17 at 4:56pm

The Jim Carnahan office is also the Roundabout Casting office - that office does all of their shows and in addition they cast other commercial projects. Stephen Kopel and Carrie Gardner are two of his long-time associate CDs who in addition to working for the Carnahan/Roundabout office cast independently - "Beautiful" for Stephen and "Book of Mormon" for Carrie. Together Carrie and Stephen cast the Encores Off-Center series. Jay Binder casts the regular Encores season.

Or so I believe. It is indeed hard to keep track. I've been around since the days of Johnson-Liff.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 7/27/17 at 5:16pm

Just to note that Stuart Howard has retired (I think it was sometime last fall, if I'm not mistaken). 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 7/27/17 at 8:30pm

TFMH18 said: "Throughout this ongoing debate about unionizing Broadway's casting directors, I've started to wonder who the big ones are. Unlike other facets of the industry (like directors, writers, designers, choreos), I don't really know the who's who. 

Obviously, Telsey and Rubin are the two biggies, but who else is casting for Broadway these days? It can't be just those two, right? 

 

"It seems that Telsey & Rubin are the go to for the majority of casting these days on Broadway

 

 

[JennH]

Posted: 7/27/17 at 10:51pm

temms said: "The Jim Carnahan office is also the Roundabout Casting office - that office does all of their shows and in addition they cast other commercial projects. Stephen Kopel and Carrie Gardner are two of his long-time associate CDs who in addition to working for the Carnahan/Roundabout office cast independently - "Beautiful" for Stephen and "Book of Mormon" for Carrie. Together Carrie and Stephen cast the Encores Off-Center series. Jay Binder casts the regular Encores season.

Or so I believe. It is indeed hard to keep track. I've been around since the days of Johnson-Liff.

 

"

That explains a lot. I was going through all the musicals at least to go through in my head as to who cast them. Beautiful and Mormon were the ones stumping me, especially since I could have sworn that Mormon was Rubin at one point, but I think I'm making that that up. If it's not Telsey or Rubin, for whatever reason it's hard to figure it out. Even some the offices with websites don't even list what they cast. S/W and Dewing being two of them. 

And if you've been around since the Johnson-Liff days...I bow to you!! I only know who that is mostly due to knowing Lisa Vromans' POTO audition story. 

Oh another office. Michael Cassara. I don't know what he casts outside of NYMF and APAC however, if anything. 

Eisenberg/Beans was just formed, but they're primarily cruises it seems. 

Wojick/Seay is another, but like Bob, they do more regional theaters.

Updated On: 7/27/17 at 10:51 PM