Michael Cassara

Michael Cassara, CSA is a Casting Director and Educator in New York City, where he and his team have cast over 750 theatre and film projects since the formation of Michael Cassara Casting in 2003.

Current projects include American Eclipse (by Michael John LaChiusa, dir. Bill Rauch), Forbidden Broadway (last 5 editions/cast albums), Mr. Holland's Opus (Ogunquit Playhouse, world premiere, dir. BD Wong), An American In Paris (international tour, dir. Christopher Wheeldon), The Mad Ones (Prospect Musicals, dir. Stephen Brackett), Cheek To Cheek (York Theatre, dir. Randy Skinner), Spamilton (NYC/Chicago/Pittsburgh CLO/tour), Americano! (off-Broadway/Artios nomination for casting), A Night With Janis Joplin (National Tour), Gigantic (dir. Scott Schwartz/Vineyard Theatre), Caroline, or Change (Tantrum Theater, dir. Robert Barry Fleming).

Regional credits include frequent productions for top regional theatres including Gulfshore Playhouse, Argyle Theatre, Weston Theater Company, Hangar Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Old Globe, Denver Center, Great Lakes Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, American Theater Group, and more. Film: The Hyperglot (dir. Michael Urie, Artios nomination for excellence in casting), Grantham & Rose (dir. Kristin Hanggi). Resident Casting Director for the New York Musical Festival (NYMF) from 2007 through 2019, and for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) since 2013.

As an educator, he regularly teaches at many of the nation's top universities and training programs, including Baldwin Wallace University, The Boston Conservatory, Indiana University, NYU, Oberlin Conservatory, Texas State, and many others - and since 2021 he has served on the adjunct faculty of Wright State University. Michael is a native Clevelander who enjoys a dual career as a professional genealogist, with a specialty in Italian-American research. Member, Casting Society of America (CSA) and three-time Artios Award nominee. BFA, Otterbein University.