Young Contestants Converge On Queens Hoping To Earn U.S. Open Singing Slot

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Tryouts were held Tuesday for the U.S. Open -- and they were quite a racket.

There was a casting call for kids who dream of finding fame in Flushing, CBS 2's Weijia Jiang reported.

Flushing Meadows Park is the home of the grandest stage for American tennis, but on Tuesday all eyes were on musical artists, not athletes.

"I'm a little nervous, but really excited for this opportunity," one contestant said.

Inside the Queens Theatre, boys and girls from across the country auditioned to sing "America the Beautiful" at next month's grand slam tournament, including Jalyssa, who was born and raised in Glendale, Queens, and attends P.S. 163.

Jalyssa, who is the only finalist from New York City, was among 200-plus kids who submitted an audition tape for the big gig and 71 who got a call back.

"It's easier for me to sing like I mean it, full out, because I'm from Queens," Jalyssa said.

With so many hopeful contestants and so much talent, who better to judge the competition than twin brothers from Westchester County who performed 10 years ago?

"We're looking for kids who have that passion to sing," Anthony Nunziata said.

"You can see that glimmer in their eye, confident in their talent," Will Nunziata added.

In tennis, "love" means "zero" on the scoreboard.

Here, love is what all the contestants clearly have for singing.

The judge will choose 12 winners -- one for each main event at the U.S. Open. They'll get to stay and watch the match with their families.

The Open begins on Monday, Aug. 25, and runs through Monday, Sept. 8.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories