As 'Glee' Returns, Stars Offer Advice to Auditioning Hopefuls
April 13, 2010 — -- Jump for joy, burst into song, do a little dance -- for fans of a show like "Glee," which starts its long-awaited spring season tonight, no expression of ... well, glee, is too over the top.
After winning a Golden Globe, wooing the White House and wowing Oprah Winfrey, Fox's hit musical series about a high school glee club returns tonight with nine new episodes. For the uninitiated, think of it as "Beverly Hills, 90210" (the old school) meets "American Idol," minus the voting.
Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Corey Monteith, Jane Lynch and the rest of the cast members have proven they possess more than amateur performing chops.
But the show's not for pros only: as "Glee" returns, its producers continue an open casting call on MySpace.com that kicked off April 6. Aspiring singers and actors ages 16 through 26 can audition to play high school students in "Glee's" second season.
Fans have flocked to the challenge like middle school girls to Justin Bieber. According to Fox representatives, thousands have uploaded videos, and the end of the casting call (April 26) remains almost two weeks away.
Presumably, there are a lot of hopefuls out there who could use some advice on how to land a spot on the hit show. Who better to dispense it than the stars of "Glee?"
Below, check out what actors Kevin McHale (aka wheelchair bound glee club member Artie Abrams) and Jessalyn Gilsig (aka Terri Schuester, the drama queen wife of glee club director Will Schuester, who makes her singing debut in an upcoming episode) told ABCNews.com about their own auditions and their tips for those who want to be on the show.
"I've heard people say luck is opportunity meets preparedness, and that's how my audition felt. I was a complete nervous wreck because I wanted it so badly, but it was important to turn that into energy for the part. I picked a song that I loved [The Beatles' "Let It Be"] and thought would show what kind of music I like to sing, so I could hopefully do the best job possible."
"As far as the scenes went, I just had my own take on who I thought Artie was and went with it. It's about picking what your gut tells you to do and to fully go with it."
"[For those auditioning,] I would say don't try overly hard to make your self seem different to just seem different. Find what your strength is and be confident in what you're doing and that alone will make you stand out. That's what the show is all about!"
Jessalyn Gilsig:
"Be prepared! I always make sure I know my lines, and the same should go for a song. I loved the pilot script and thought Terri was wonderfully odd, so I saw my audition as my one chance to play her ... not worrying about whether or not I would get the role."
"Sing out and mean it in your heart. I'm always a little nervous when I sing, but I'm also excited. Let your fears and hopes show because that's what the show is all about."
