Who’s Casting Broadway? A Look at the Casting Offices Behind Today’s Shows

Ever wonder who is responsible for populating Great White Way stages with world-class talent? Behind every hit musical, star-studded revival, and long-running classic is a casting powerhouse building the ensemble and placing marquee names.

For actors hoping to work on Broadway, knowing what’s playing is only part of the equation. It can be just as valuable to know who is casting those productions.

The Powerhouses: Who Controls the Rosters?

Broadway casting concentrates among a relatively small group of highly active casting offices and casting directors. The same names appear across long-running hits, new productions, revivals, and upcoming shows. That makes researching casting directors an important part of an actor’s overall career strategy:

• Jim Carnahan Casting: Dominates both high-profile revivals and major theatrical events. Carnahan’s team (including Alexandre Bleau and Jason Thinger) is helming Evita (starring Rachel Zegler), Galileo, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Stranger Things, and the highly anticipated Paddington: The Musical.

• The Telsey Office: Led by Bernard Telsey, this office manages heavy-hitter long-runners alongside fresh commercial hits. Their current slate includes Hamilton, Wicked, MJ: The Michael Jackson Musical, Schmigadoon!, Titanique, and the upcoming revival of The Sound of Music at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

• The TRC Company: Known for massive classic productions and Tony / Artios Award-winning projects like The Outsiders. Tara Rubin, along with her team (including Claire Burke, Kevin Metzger-Timson, Xavier Rubiano, Peter Van Dam, Merri Sugarman, Louis DiPaolo, Spencer Gualdoni, Olivia Paige West, and Frankie Ramirez), handles long-running staples like Aladdin and SIX, along with Buena Vista Social Club, Damn Yankees, and Wanted.

• C12 Casting: Led by Stephen Kopel, Carrie Gardner, Jillian Cimini, Sujotta Pace and Neal Buckley, C12 manages a mix of acclaimed commercial hits like & Juliet and The Great Gatsby alongside specialized runs including Operation Mincemeat, The Full Monty, and The Imaginary Invalid.

Current & Upcoming Show Roster

What Actors Can Learn From This

The biggest takeaway isn’t simply memorizing which casting director is attached to which Broadway show.

Look for patterns.

If you’re interested in Broadway, start tracking the casting offices and individual casting professionals working repeatedly on productions for which you could realistically be considered. Research their current shows. Look at the types of performers being cast. Pay attention to new productions entering the casting and rehearsal stages, not just shows that have already been running for years.

And remember: the casting director is not necessarily the only person you should know. Associates and assistants are an important part of the casting process, and today’s associate may become tomorrow’s casting director.

Most importantly, don’t wait until you see an audition notice to learn who’s casting a show.

Treat casting research as an ongoing part of the business.

Know the shows.
Know the offices.
Know the casting directors.
And make sure you’re prepared when the right opportunity comes along.