Auditioning for Broadway’s Elite
Imagine entering an audition and facing these three profoundly serious, stoic men who are literally there to judge you against countless others hoping to win the same role. Not only are they the pinnacle of seriousness, but they are also Broadway royalty. On the left, Richard Rodgers smokes a cigarette as he watches an audition. In the middle is Ziegfeld Follies and musical legend Irving Berlin. On the right, lyrical genius Oscar Hammerstein.
This image captures them watching what for them may have been one of so many auditions for one of their shows. The long ‘cattle call’ lines are often prescreened by a casting team. Limited numbers of candidates are called back to audition for the main production team. Rodgers patiently smokes a cigarette while Berlin and Hammerstein look on with polite indifference. After watching hundreds of potential actors and singers, these days must have been exceedingly long indeed.
