Most moms, in their blind love, believe that their bundles of joy resemble a good-looking celebrity – whether this is actually true or not is irrelevant to them. Last weekend, however, Mexican parents who believe their sons look and can sing like Luis Miguel got a chance to prove it. During a recent open casting call to find the young performer who will play the singer as a child and a teenager, hordes of mini Luismis showed up.
Kids between 9 and 15 attended the auditions held at a Sheraton Hotel in Mexico City. Dressed to impress and belting out classic tunes, the aspiring little stars were ready for their chance to be in the upcoming series produced by Gato Grande Productions that’s scheduled to premiere on Telemundo in the US and on Netflix across Latin America and Spain.
Diego Boneta, who’s set to portray El Sol de Mexico as a young adult in his prime, attended the casting call to give advice and inspire the young boys looking for their big break. The actor also did a Facebook Live video where he shared his own experiences as a child in the industry. At age 11, he attended a casting for a musical reality show where he was one of 12 chosen kids out thousands. Boneta explained that he would have liked to have a mentor back then and included some useful tips for this new generation of entertainers.
Thanks to the ubiquitous powers of social media, photos and videos of the prepubescent talent desperate to be El Solecito have been plastered across the Internet. El Pais-Mexico posted an adorable video to their Facebook page where they cut clips from Luis Miguel’s early appearances together with footage of some of the young boys that auditioned for the role. Among them, Steven Holloway, who traveled with his mother all the way from Houston, Texas, is the one that has been featured most prominently by the Mexican press due to his uncanny resemblance to Luismi and his attention-grabbing shiny outfit.
Kids outside of Mexico that want to participate can submit a video via email to Gato Grande Production singing either Decidete, Directo al Corazón, 1+1 = Dos Enamorados, or No Me Pudes Dejar Así. There is still time for Latina moms to live their dreams vicariously through their exceptional mini Luismi lookalikes.