June 16, 2011 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
The USTA has announced that it will host its annual open casting call on Tuesday, June 21 at Harlem’s World Famous Apollo Theater in New York City to select children to perform at the 2011 U.S. Open, Aug. 29–Sept. 11. Winners will perform “America the Beautiful” live at Arthur Ashe Stadium during night sessions of this year’s U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The auditions are free of charge and will be held from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. EST. Children 12 years of age and younger as of Sept. 11, 2011, will be asked to sing “America the Beautiful” a cappella in front of a panel of celebrity judges from the music and entertainment industries including Tinsel Korey, who plays Emily Young in The Twilight Saga series, Josh Henderson, star of TV shows such as “Desperate Housewives” and “90210,” and “American Idol” season two alumni Kimberley Locke.
“The USTA is proud to continue what has quickly become one of the most popular U.S. Open traditions—the casting call—for the fifth consecutive year, and we’re excited about moving to such a prestigious location,” said Gordon Smith, executive director and chief operating officer of the USTA. “The U.S. Open provides an incredible platform for these young children to show off their talents and captivate the world’s largest tennis audience.”
