Published: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 3:51 PM     Updated: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 4:38 PM

By Sarah Moses / The Post-Standard

EnlargeDavid Lassman Hundreds of actors gather at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse at Emerson Park in Auburn to audition for the inaugural season of the Finger Lakes Musical Theater Festival. Arielle Rawding from Boston applies makeup before going on stage. David Lassman / The Post-StandardFinger Lakes Musical Theater Festival Auditions gallery (9 photos)

Auburn, NY — About 30 Syracuse University performance arts students made the trip to Auburn this morning to audition for the inaugural season of the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival.

“We’re all really excited,” said Matt Maretz, 20, of San Diego. Several members of the group from SU were still waiting to audition as the panel of directors broke for lunch.

By the end of the day, more than 140 actors will have tried out for roles in nine different musicals. The auditions continue Sunday.

Maclain Dassatti, 20, of Chicago, is studying musical theater and was one of the first members of the group from SU to audition.

“They called me in and I sang my song; they asked me if I had anything different and I sang again,” he said. “Then they asked if I could do a British accent and I sang again.”

Dassatti was given a call back and was asked to sing in front of the directors once more before he left for the day.

The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival is being produced by Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, which was also the location of the auditions this weekend. The festival will feature nine full musical productions, which will range from Broadway classics to innovative new shows.

The festival will kick off in May with “Kiss Me, Kate” and end in October with “Nunsense.” The other musicals include “9 to 5: The Musical”; “My Fair Lady”; “Cabaret”; “The 25 Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”; “Altar Boyz”; “My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding”; and “Fingers and Toes.”

Finger Lakes Musical Theater Festival AuditionsHundreds of actors gather at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse at Emerson Park in Auburn to audition for the inaugural season of the Finger Lakes Musical Theater Festival. The festival will premiere this summer and will focus exclusively on musical theater. Video by David Lassman Watch video

The shows will be performed at three theaters, The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Auburn Public Theater, and the new Theater Mack.

Actors auditioned this weekend for all nine shows. Anthony Palermo, 21, of Erie Pa., said he didn’t care which show he well be cast in.

“I just want to perform,” he said.

Jamilla Fort, 21, of Cortland, agreed with Palermo, but she said she would love to play the role of Hattie in “Kiss Me, Kate.”

“I think the odds of getting a role in one of the musicals is pretty good,” she said. “I would be excited to be in any of them.”

There will be more than 200 paid roles available in the festival. Auditions were also held in Ithaca this weekend and the festival will hold auditions in New York City next month.

Organizers predict the festival will attract about 150,000 visitors to the area, contribute $30 million to the local economy and create 400 local jobs.

“There is a lot of talent here today,” said Megan Mullin, a festival spokesperson. “It’s excellent to see how much talent we have in Central New York and also excellent to see people who traveled here to audition.”