More than 80 aspiring young scientists turned out for the Curious Crew casting call held earlier this month. With each child accompanied by parents, guardians, and tag-a-longs, an estimated 200 community members got an inside look at WKAR TV studios during the 3 hours of auditions.
Out of the auditions, approximately 24 new cast members will be chosen to participate in the upcoming season. Season nine will begin production during the fall of 2022 and is expected to debut on WKAR TV beginning early 2023.
“After not being able to have the casting call for two years, we were ecstatic to welcome parents and kids from around mid-Michigan back to WKAR for tryouts,” said Carol, Curious Crew Producer For us, it’s not just about the show. We want to make sure that every kid auditioning – whether selected or not – has a fun experience. It definitely seemed like that was the case!”
Kids and their parents had the chance to meet some members of the Curious “Crew” as well. They joined WKAR Director of Education Robin Pizzo in prepping everyone for what to expect throughout the audition.”
"The experience was amazing. As MC, I had the privilege of introducing current cast members, helping participants relax with breathing exercises and encouraging lots of smiles with reminders and of course humor,” said Pizzo. “The excitement in the room was electric and I was most pleased to see a wide array of diversity represented. Curious Crew provides a unique opportunity to expand the benefits of STEM education for all learners. "
Caregivers then watched from afar as each child conducted a mini-screen test. From there participants were then grouped together for the team STEM challenge, which included building a tower with some unexpected constraints.
"For me, the best part of the Curious Crew casting call process is getting to see the kids and their families in the studio,” said Dr. Rob Stephenson, Curiuos Crew host and writer. “The kids always bring such tremendous positive energy, collaboration, and creativity to the STEM challenge during the audition. I only wish we could cast them all!"
For more pictures from the 2022 Curious Crew Casting Call, visit flickr.com/photos/wkar.
For more station news from WKAR, visit wkar.org/station-news/.
Curious Crew is supported in part by Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) and Consumers Energy Foundation.