Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/39968
This ravenous appetite for song and dance is creating more opportunity for SAG members, but of course the competition is fierce, and the parts are going to those who bring their A-game. Harry Shum Jr., who has danced his way into the hearts of millions as Glee's Mike Chang, is the living embodiment of Criss' comment about the "iPod generation" — not only does he have a wide variety of interests, he was one of the dancers in the famous pastel-colored Apple iPod commercials featuring silhouettes rocking out to explosive jams. He credits his success to hard work and being prepared. Being the most talented performer is no guarantee of getting the job, he said. "It's half talent and half business, so you always have to do your research," Shum said. And sometimes it means working harder than you planned — or expected — to. When he did the dance portion of his audition for the Step Up films, the director asked Shum to dance in a variety of different styles, and Shum gave his all to each one, doing his best to fake it on styles he was unfamiliar with and driving him to the brink of exhaustion. The director, who is now good friends with Shum, later admitted that he was so enthralled with Shum's dancing skills that the audition went on longer than it needed to. Robert Ulrich, casting director for Glee SONG & and Oxygen Network's The Glee Project, developed his process for casting singers and dancers while casting an ABC-TV musical show that never made it to the air. For their first audition, he has actors come in and sing 16 bars of whatever they want, either a capella or accompanied by recorded music or an instrument they bring. "I'm not judging them on how they pick music for themselves, because if they get in the show, they will never have to pick music for themselves again. But it is important in the fact that you only have so long to represent yourself to the fullest — to show me your best." Ulrich recalled that during the audition of DANCE SAG.org Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes Jones on Glee, she chose a song that didn't showcase her powerful voice. "And I said to her, 'Can you sing And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going,'?" Ulrich said. The girls of New Directions perform in The Power of Madonna episode of Glee. From left, Lea Michele, Jenna Ushkowitz and Amber Riley. Summer 2011 - SCREEN ACTOR 25