by Eric McKeever

Created on: May 26, 2008

"Fame! I'm going to live for ever!" sang out Irene Cara's character Coco in the film of FAME. "Well fame costs, and right here is where you start paying-in sweat!" said Debbie Allen as the hard as nails, but caring dance teacher Lydia in the same flick. Many a dancer, actor and singer has aspired to grace the stages of the Great White Way, but how do you go from one of thousands of talented performer to a working star on Broadway? Step one, you have to audition. But how does a hopeful find out about auditioning in the Big Apple and becoming a Broadway star?

Well you are in luck as there are four major avenues to getting a Broadway audition especially if you are new to New York (or old to New York, too)or are new to the game of auditioning in general.

1) Actor's Equity. Org
This is one of the largest resources for those seeking auditions for Broadway shows. It should be noted that all of these auditions are for members of Actor's Equity. How do I become a card-carrying member, you ask? Well there are two ways: Land a contract with an equity house or apprentice in an equity house. Once you have your card (and have paid your dues) you can check this website daily for auditions for everything from plays to musicals and everything in between. If you are already a member of a union such as SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) or AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists), you can apply for membership through your organization. (More detailed info is on the Actor's Equity website.)

2) Backstage Magazine
A tried and true source for all things audition, members get access to all of the Broadway and off-Broadway auditions as well as national tours, workshops and other cross-over auditions. This is a great resource for the burgeoning starlet.

3) Playbill.com
Known as the producer of great programs, this company also lists auditions for Broadway, Off-Broadway and touring jobs. Most of the auditions listed are non-union which opens up the number of possible audition listings.

4) Actor's Access.com
This networking website gives the actor more control over their career and gives them an extra presence on the web. In addition to linking to your website and representative's website it lists auditions throughout New York and the world for everything from stage to screen and beyond (RuPaul's Drag Race comes to mind.)

Auditioning is a large part of the actor's life and can seem like a full-time job (and sometimes it is), so it's great to know where to look when seeking out that next job. As they say in the theatre world, "Break a leg!"

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