In Person: MUSICAL THEATER Audition Masterclass with Merri Sugarman, Casting Director, Tara Rubin Casting

Thursday, May 2, 2024, 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT

From one of the busiest Broadway casting offices in NY, Actors Connection is thrilled to have Merri teaching this ONE NIGHT ONLY in person Musical Theater Audition Master Class.

Merri's credits include the Broadway, touring and international companies of AIN’T TOO PROUD, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, THE WIZ, SIX, SING STREET, BAD CINDERELLA, HERE LIES LOVE, ALADDIN, JERSEY BOYS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LES MISERABLES, SCHOOL OF ROCK, MISS SAIGON & A BRONX TALE for Broadway. CLUELESS and TREVOR the Musical are just a couple of examples of her Off Broadway work.

She also casts for many theaters regionally – including The Papermill Playhouse, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Old Globe, Seattle Rep, The Goodman and The LaJolla Playhouse.

EVENT OVERVIEW:

This intensive will start off with a Q & A, and then each actor will perform for Merri using your prepared material in a group format.

For this Master Class, please prepare either a 32 bar or 16 bar cut  - have your book of songs ready to go in case Merri wants to work with you on something else.

She will coach, give direction and offer possible recommendations of material to "check out" if what you are currently using doesn't "work".

This class is limited to ADVANCED Musical Theater actors (18+).

Accompanist will be provided.

Please note that this in person intensive will be at:

Pearl Studios NYC

519 Eighth Ave Pearl Studios in Studio J (12th floor)

You will be emailed your assigned studio the morning of your event.

Pearl Studios has two addresses:

500 8th Avenue, 3rd and 4th floors
and across the street
519 8th Avenue, 12th floor
(between 35th and 36th)

All studios labeled with numbers are at 500 8th Avenue, 3rd and 4th floors.
All studios labeled with letters are at 519 8th Avenue, 12th floor.

WHAT TO PREPARE:

Please follow the procedures listed below:

• Please update your headshot and fill out the MY INFO section of your AC account upon registration.

• The room will be open 30 minutes before the event is scheduled to start. Please arrive at least 10 MINUTES before your event begins as your host will give important information about the event at this time.

Additional Information:

Our online office hours are 9am-6pm Monday-Friday

If you have an emergency for a class you are participating in outside of these hours, please email help@actorsconnection.com and your host will be able to respond.

**No recording of any kind is permitted by participants during class.**

**Actors Connection classes and programming are for ADULTS (18+). Unless it is disclosed above, with permission, some teens (14+) are allowed to take adult programming. To inquire about getting permission, please send an email to: info@actorsconnection.com**

**Please keep in mind that all programs at Actors Connection are for educational and professional development purposes. Participating in any class or event is not a promise of employment.**

Merri Sugarman

Initially an actress ('Les Miserables', 'Aspects of Love', et al.), Merri found herself out West some years back where she quickly made a name for herself at Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting, then Liberman/Patton Casting, working on such shows as Seinfeld, Party of Five, HBO’s Band of Brothers, the feature film My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the Miramax feature film Playing By Heart, starring Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie. 

In 2000, Merri moved to Dreamworks Studios as the Casting Executive in charge of TV Pilots and Series- including "Spin City", "Freaks and Geeks" and the critically acclaimed "The Job", starring Denis Leary. She was then offered a position as the Director of Casting for Dramas and Movies at ABC Television, overseeing the casting of "Alias", "NYPD Blue", "The Practice" and the 'made for television’ movies "Gilda Radner - It's Always Something" and "The Music Man", starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth, to name just a few. 

Merri then returned to the East Coast to teach and coach actors – something she still does (and loves) as time permits, when Tara Rubin offered her a Senior Casting Director position where she’s been happily ensconced ever since, working on, among many others - the Broadway, touring and international companies of AIN’T TOO PROUD, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, THE WIZ, SIX, SING STREET, BAD CINDERELLA, HERE LIES LOVE, ALADDIN, JERSEY BOYS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LES MISERABLES, SCHOOL OF ROCK, MISS SAIGON & A BRONX TALE for Broadway. CLUELESS and TREVOR the Musical are just a couple of examples of her Off Broadway work.

She also casts for many theaters regionally – including The Papermill Playhouse, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Old Globe, Seattle Rep, The Goodman and The LaJolla Playhouse.

Merri is also the very proud Casting Director of the critically acclaimed web series SUBMISSIONS ONLY and also boasts having cast many other independent TV & film projects, workshops and readings.

On a more personal note, Merri has been a Big Sister to Jenny via the amazing Big Brothers/Big Sisters program for the last 21 years, is an alumni officer of the professional sorority Kappa Gamma Chi (BFA in Musical Theater - Emerson College), a member of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities and was recently recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Emerson College. She has been a Tony Voter for the past eleven years and is a proud member of CSA (Casting Society of America).