Have sides (selected scenes from the script) for each perspective main character to read at his audition. Run off many copies, so that student actors can practice with the sides, while waiting for auditions. Also create a contact/audition form for each perspective actor to fill out listing name, phone number and related experience. Request a microphone be provided so that you can speak to a large group of students with out straining your voice day after day. If you are choreographing the musical as well as directing, prepare a short dance combination to teach those who sing well. Be sure you have someone to play the piano for the auditions as well.
Get approval from the school to use a room adjacent to the auditorium as a holding room for those waiting to be called into the audition. Ask the school to also provide someone to stay in the holding room, and act as an assistant calling names, and generally keeping order in the room.
Post signs around the school announcing the musical auditions, and request that a flier also be distributed to students during homeroom classes. Include everything on the signs that will be expected of those auditioning. You will want each student actor to prepare his best 16 bars of a show tune, or popular song that both shows off his voice and the style of the show you are casting. Be sure the students are aware that they will need to bring dance attire in case you need them to return for a dance callback, and that they may be required to stay up to four hours.
Allow 10 minutes for late students to arrive at the audition, and then announce that you are beginning the auditions. Inform them that punctuality is required of anyone cast in the show. In most schools, you will have many students auditioning, so let them know that if they are there to goof around, you don’t need them in your musical, and they can be replaced in rehearsals. Instruct the students that they are to sign in on the sign-in sheet in the holding room, fill out the contact form, and will be called in one at a time to audition. Tell them the names of the main characters, and that those auditioning may look over the sides in the holding room while they wait. Inform them that when they enter the auditorium to audition, they are to first give their music to the accompanist, then give you their contact form, and announce to the audition panel their first and last names, and their song title. Have the students go to the holding room with the assistant, allowing a few minutes for them to sign in before beginning round one of the process.
Have the assistant bring each student in one at a time to sing. Keep a separate list going throughout the singing portion of the audition, of those you feel sing well enough to be in the chorus, and those you may want to play leads, with the character names next to the actor’s names. Inform each student with adequate singing skills, that you would like him to get changed into his dance attire, and stay for a dance callback. Inform those you are thinking about as leads, to look over the appropriate side in the holding room as well. To those you are not interested in casting, simply say, “Thank you so much for auditioning. You are free to go, and a cast list will be posted soon.”
Teach,or have your choreographer teach a short dance combination reflecting the dance skills required in the show to all those you have requested stay. After allowing the students adequate time to learn the routine, break them down into groups of four to perform the routine for you. Have each group dance twice, allowing for nervousness. Refer to your list, and cross off anyone form the chorus list that cannot keep up with the dance. You may want to hear how well the leads read, before crossing them off of your list, as many leads are not required to dance as much as some ensembles.
Send everyone but the perspective leads home informing them that you will be posting a cast list soon, and thank them for auditioning. Then have the leads return to the holding room and wait to be called. Have someone from the audition panel read lines from the audition table with each student, so that you can focus solely on the student. Again refer to your list, and cross off those you feel simply cannot act. If the bad actors, danced well, put them in the chorus. If there are several students that could play one role equally well, have them read the scenes with a perspective costar to get a feel for the actors' chemistry together. You should have a pretty good idea at this point of the cast list. Thank everyone for their time and inform them again to check the impending cast list. Have a meeting with your musical director and choreographer to collaborate your casting thoughts. Post the final cast list, and you are ready to go.