Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Producers seek stars of Selena musical

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Sunday, October 3, 1999

Producers seek stars of Selena musical
Local casting call on Oct. 15
By Ellen Bernstein
Caller-Times

Casting calls
Casting agents are searching for a girl age 8 to 11 to play an 8-year-old Selena, and a woman, 18 to early 20s, to play an adult Selena. They are also looking for musicians who can perform and sing. Showing up does not guarantee an audition, producers said. However, everyone in line will at least get an interview, they said.
Those auditioning should have performing experience.

Auditions will be two minutes long and without musical accompaniment.

Girls will be asked to sing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow;' women will be asked to sing the Selena hits 'Dreaming of You' and 'I Could Fall In Love.'

Bring a resume and a snapshot.

Wear street clothes and keep make-up to a minimum. Do not dress up as Selena. For afternoon auditions, sign-ups begin one hour earlier than times stated.

San Antonio
Edgewood Independent School District Fine Arts Academy
607 S.W. 34th St.
Oct. 13
9 a.m. Musicians who sing
3 p.m. Young Selena
Oct. 14
9 a.m. Adult Selena

Corpus Christi
Q Productions
5410 Leopard St.
Oct. 15
9 a.m. Adult Selena tryouts only

Houston
Talento Bilingue De Houston
333 South Jensen St.
Oct. 16
9 a.m. Musicians who sing
2 p.m. Young Selena
Oct. 17
9 a.m. Adult Selena

NEW YORK - Producers of a stage musical about the life of Selena have launched a nationwide search for two unknown actresses to play the Tejano star as a child and as an adult.
   The New York producers said the search, which will bring them to Corpus Christi on Oct. 15, is no publicity stunt.
   They are serious about finding their Selenas on the road, said Tom Quinn, one of four producers of the $2 million musical. Among the producers' Broadway credits are "Jekyll and Hyde" and "The Wiz."
   "We want to make a girl a star," said Quinn.
   Because of time constraints, casting agents plan to be in Corpus Christi for only one day and limit the tryouts to women who hope to play the older Selena. Youngsters will have to travel to Houston or San Antonio to audition.
   That may disappoint many Corpus Christi residents, the musical's executive producer Forbes Candlish said. "I would love to be able to interview every little girl in the country, but it's just not feasible."
   Producers debated whether to hold auditions in a city as small as Corpus Christi, Candlish said. But sentiment prevailed. "We're going to go where Selena came from," he said.
   Auditions will be held at Q Productions, 5410 Leopard St., where Selena had recorded before her death on March 31, 1995.
   Other Texas casting calls for actresses to play an 8-year-old and an adult Selena are set for San Antonio on Oct. 13-14 and Houston on Oct. 16-17. Musicians who can sing will also be auditioned on those days.
   Asked how many would-be Selenas might line up for the two-minute auditions, the musical's publicist, Robert Trevino of San Antonio, considered the singer's phenomenal following.
   "I can't begin to guess. I get scared thinking about it," he said.
   Auditions also will be held in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, New York and Miami, where national callbacks will be held. Times, dates and locations for auditions in those cities have not yet been set, Candlish said. Auditions for finalists will be taped in Miami and aired on "The Cristina Show," a popular Spanish-language talk show watched by tens of millions worldwide, Candlish said.
   Two lesser-known actresses are being eyed for the adult Selena role if a national search doesn't pan out, Quinn said.
   The producers, who also include Michael Vega and Jerry Frankel, signed a licensing agreement in March 1998 with the Corpus Christi family of Selena Quintanilla Perez to produce the musical.
   Quinn said he and the other producers hope to open the musical, with the working title "Selena Forever," in San Antonio around the fifth anniversary of her death and follow with a southwest tour.
   Abraham Quintanilla, co-producer of a hit feature film based on his daughter's life, said he read an early draft of the musical script and heard the Latin/pop/Tejano score.
   "It's going to be a great show," Quintanilla said.



Staff Writer Ellen Bernstein can be reached at 886-3763 or by e-mail at bernsteine@caller.com

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