Drumming up actors

If Chad Wolf, 17, has to wear blue body paint and go bald to get a steady, well-paying drumming gig, then so be it.

But looking around the lobby of the Blue Man Group theater at the 60 or so people also waiting to audition to become one of the Blue Men, Wolf didn't like his chances. At least at this point in his life.

"It's worth a shot," he said with a shrug. "It's blue people banging on things. It's not something you see a lot of."

The Palo Verde High School senior came to The Venetian on a recent Tuesday in response to a casting call from the group. Tall, athletic people with drumming and acting ability are needed to fill the casts for four new Blue Man shows opening this year. Auditions have already taken place in Los Angeles, Houston and Orlando, Fla.

Wolf has the height -- he's 6 feet -- and he says he has an athletic build, although realistically, his frame is more lanky than not. Picture a slender Topher Grace, mop hair and all. Wolf plays the drums in a local band, Soulogic, and he was even in a play in the seventh grade. But his age and lack of experience might work against him.

"I thought it was going to be more kids, people closer to my age," he noted, looking around at the other hopefuls. "Because kids always go and do stuff like this. I think I'm the only one here who hasn't been drumming for at least 10 years. That will be my excuse for being the worst drummer today."

It's easier to teach the drumming skills, said casting director Deb Burton, than it is to teach the acting skills that Blue Men need. They must be able to emote without words, sometimes communicating with nothing more than a change in posture or the twitch of an eye. Well-trained actors often can't do it, she added.

However, most hopefuls, such as Mike McGuinness, 20, were hanging their chances on their drumming ability.

"If I get this job, I can quit the pizza place," McGuinness said.

A drummer for the band The Alternative Noise Corporation, he has been playing since he was 11. He was one of few people who did not bring their own drumsticks and therefore didn't have a way to relieve nervous tension. But McGuinness didn't need it.

"I'm surprisingly not nervous. Maybe because I already have two other jobs so I don't care if I don't get it," McGuinness said.

Lito Velasco, 27, said he was nervous, though he has 23 years of drumming experience.

"I have a friend in the show who thought I'd be good for it. I've got nothing to lose," said Velasco, who drove from Los Angeles on two hours' sleep to meet the 11 a.m. casting call.

Still, Burton was optimistic that there would be one or two people in the group who could play the drums and act.

On this day, the auditions were basic, with casting agents looking at a person's physical appearance and testing his or her drumming ability. Two women auditioned but didn't make the final cut. A five-minute interview resulted either in a dismissal or a chance to audition on the drums.

Blue Man Scott Speiser coached them on a practice drum pad as casting agent Karen Rockower watched.

Speiser took candidates through a series of basic Blue Man drumming moves and, once someone met the standards, they were invited back for an acting audition the next day.

"How do you feel about performing in front of an audience without a drum pit?" Rockower asked one candidate.

"I like it," he replied. "Wait, without a drum pit? I like it more with a drum pit."

A Blue Man has to be comfortable onstage without props, she explained, but she invited him back for the acting audition anyway.

Another candidate walked in wearing a T-shirt that read "I Have Issues." His biggest issue was that he had been playing the drums for only four days. Rockower gave him some encouragement to practice, get acting experience and audition again.

Many hopefuls were either too short, too heavy or too cocky. Rock star attitudes are not wanted in Blue Man.

Velasco made it through the interview and into the drum audition. He picked up Speiser's drumming patterns quickly and easily. He has the height, the build and a professional demeanor.

"Can you come back tomorrow for an acting audition?" Rockower asked.

Once he left the theater, he told his wife and text messaged a friend. Velasco liked his chances.

But first, he said, "we've got to figure out where to stay."

In the end, though, Velasco wasn't invited to New York, where the next round of auditions are scheduled to take place.