Merri Sugarman- Casting Director, Tara Rubin Casting.

Initially an actress ('Les Miserables', 'Aspects of Love', et al.), Merri found herself out West some years back where she quickly made a name for herself at Liberman/Hirschfeld, then Liberman/Patton Casting, working on such shows as "NewsRadio", "The Larry Sanders Show" and the Miramax feature film "Playing By Heart", starring

Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie.

 

In 2000, Merri moved to Dreamworks Studios as the Casting Executive in charge of TV Pilots and Series- including "Spin City", and the critically acclaimed "The Job", starring Denis Leary. She was then offered a position as the Director of Casting for Dramas and Movies at ABC Television, overseeing the casting of "Alias", "NYPD Blue", "The Practice" and the 'made for television movies’

"Gilda Radner - It's Always Something" and "The Music Man", starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth, to name just a few. Merri then returned to the East Coast to teach and coach actors – something she still does (and loves) as time permits, when Tara Rubin offered her a Casting Director position where she’s been happily ensconced ever since, working on, among many others - the Broadway productions, touring and international companies of SPAMALOT, JERSEY BOYS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA,

LES MISERABLES, HOW TO SUCCEED..., and currently SCHOOL OF ROCK, MISS SAIGON & A BRONX TALE for Broadway.

 

She also casts for many theaters regionally – including the Papermill Playhouse (upcoming A Bronx Tale directed by Robert De Niro & Jerry Zaks), Dallas Theater Center,

The Old Globe and The LaJolla Playhouse. She is the very proud CD of the critically acclaimed web series SUBMISSIONS ONLY and also boasts many TV & film projects, workshops and readings – including the mew musical TREVOR – based on the

Oscar winning short film. In other news, she has been a Big Sister to Jenny via the amazing Big Brothers/Big Sisters program for the last 18 years, is an alumni officer of the professional sorority Kappa Gamma Chi (BFA in Musical Theater - Emerson College), a member of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, has been a Tony Voter for the past three years and is a proud member of CSA (Casting Society of America).