FLUSHING—Hey kids, if your tennis skills are nothing to write home about but you’re are blessed with a killer set of pipes, then there still might be room for you at this year’s US Open.
Children who are chosen during the open auditions Tuesday at the Apollo Theater will have a chance to get up on stage and belt out "America the Beautiful" in front of their tennis idols and 24,000 adoring fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium during the night tennis sessions, organizers said.
“The young singers performing at the US Open always captivate the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium,” said Gordon Smith, the USTA’s executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, in a statement. “The casting call that we conduct to identify these singers is one of the first events that signals the US Open season is underway.”
Kids who are interested in auditioning from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. can line up at the historic theater for a shot at tennis court fame. The children have to be aged 12 or under as of Sept. 9 and will be asked to sing “America the Beautiful” a cappella in front of the judging panel.
While it won’t be Randy Jackson or J-Lo judging their singing skills, the panel will be comprised of big-wigs from the entertainment industry—including a Broadway director, an executive from Columbia Records Creative Agency and an agent with William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, who will hand-pick more than a dozen young singers for the job, organizers said.
Last year over 200 kids from across the country tried out for a spot to sing on court. Only 14 were selected with most of the winners picked from the New York and New Jersey area, the USTA said.
The winners, who will get a goodie bag with US Open gear as well as a ticket to the night of their performance, won't be announced until mid-July.
For more information on the open casting call, including the official rules, go to www.USOpen.org.
