New York City or Los Angeles

Vacation at the Source to Get a Casting Edge

New York City. Or Los Angeles. Or wherever game shows are taped – they're where the action is, especially when it comes to game show casting.

It's true that many game shows take their auditions on the road. But is that really where you have your best chance of becoming a contestant? I doubt it. It's the odds: they're not good.

That's why one of my hair-brained theories about game show casting is this: Your odds are better when you go to the source, whether it's New York City or Los Angeles.

Now, I'm not knocking on-the-road auditions. Who can pass up a chance to audition right in your hometown? It's cheap, convenient, and probably something you'll always remember. And You do have a chance of making it onto the show. But boy oh boy, is the competition fierce.

After my Millionaire appearance in New York City: Time Square never looked so good. That's my husband, you know, the taxidermist. He cleans up nicely, doesn't he?

On that one single day, you'll be competing with hundreds, more likely thousands of other game show fans, each trying to catch the casting director's eye. And because there are so many people waiting in the wings, your time is very limited. Probably, you'll have seconds – not minutes – to wow the casting folks. No pressure there, huh?

In contrast, when you audition in New York City or Los Angeles, you've got more time, less competition, and can better wow them with your local flavor. Say you're from Texas. Yeehaw! A cowboy visiting New York City is bound to attract more attention than a cowboy who shows up for an on-the-road audition in Houston. Same goes for a country music singer in Nashville or an Eskimo in Alaska. In New York City, you're exotic. In your hometown, you're one of many cowboys, country music singers or Eskimos. See what I mean?

But what about the money? Travel isn't cheap.

Good point. Because I fall on the thrifty side myself, I would never, ever travel all the way to New York City just to audition for a game show. (Okay, so maybe that was my primary reason for going to New York City, but still, I wouldn't have gone if that were the only thing I could do there.)

When I auditioned for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, I made it a vacation. Three fun-filled days. I had a wonderful friend with a sense of adventure. We found affordable flights online, got a great deal on a hotel, and took New York by storm.

I auditioned the first day of our vacation. (Work before fun, I always say.) And then we took a bite out of the Big Apple. We saw a Broadway Show (The Producers, very nice!), rode the subway, jumped aboard the Stanton Island Ferry, saw the Statue of Liberty, and more. It was a blast.

And consider this: How wonderful do you feel when you're on vacation? You've got no responsibilities, no worries, nothing to do but have fun. Your excitement is bound to show, which will also work in your favor during your casting call.

Your Biggest Risks

Risk #2: "Failing" the audition and "ruining" your vacation: I put "failing" and "ruining" in quotes, because it's all a matter of perspective. I know that passing the Millionaire test made my vacation that much sweeter, but I was determined to enjoy myself no matter what. If you decide to take the vacation approach for your game show audition, I'd recommend setting the audition up for the first day of your trip, and deciding you're going to have fun no matter what. Your vacation can only be ruined if you let it, and "failing" is just a great way to get experience for your next audition. If the first time isn't the charm, why not try again?

Your Next Step

Good luck!



If you haven't read it already, you might enjoy a related article, where I take you behind the scenes of my Millionaire audition in New York City.