In the dim lobby of the Astor Place Theatre yesterday, a group of men tapped on mini-drums, stretched their muscles, and dreamed of being bald and blue.

The aspiring actors had traveled to an open casting call for the Blue Man Group from across the country and from around the corner to show they had what it takes to be a part of this “egoless, genderless” troupe.

“I’m prepared to shave my head should it come to that,” said Gregory Park, 31, a clown touring with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Chicago. Mr. Park added he can more than handle the physical demands of being a Blue Man after four years of stilt-walking, trapeze flying, and juggling. His percussion skills, he said, need some work.

The Blue Man Group, a national three-man production fusing music, performance art, and vaudeville, is looking for a certain physique – aspiring Blue Men need to be between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-1 and have strong eye-hand coordination and the ability to drum constantly. The group’s shows in New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Berlin, and soon in Toronto employ “whole body drumming,” and its characters have a constant awareness of the space around them, said a Blue Man performer and director with 10 years of experience, Michael Dahlen.

To be a Blue Man, an athletic build must be matched by outstanding percussion ability and an innate ability for “total physical storytelling.” Candidates were tested yesterday in interviews with the show’s directors and through a drum match-up with a veteran Blue Man. Those that get called back could potentially join a troupe of more than 40 people.

“It’s the fire behind the eyes, a crazy quality somewhere lurking in the Blue Man’s head that has to ooze out into the audience,” Mr. Dahlen said. “We need people who are really physically connected to their emotional life.”

Tom Chuchvara, a 38-year-old drummer from Los Angeles, said he’s certain he has the intensity Blue Man seeks, having pounded the drums since he was a 10-year-old. He also said he is a veteran in catching flying marshmallows, claiming he can consistently catch seven out of 10 thrown at him. Marshmallow tossing is often performed in Blue Man shows.

“It’s all about getting under it, opening wide, and practicing,” Mr. Chuchvara said.

John Pogash, a 24-year-old bartender from Manhattan, was at his third Blue Man audition, and he is prepared to go to a fourth, he said. “It’s worth trying again just for that little possibility that I might get my break,” Mr. Pogash said. “At any rate, I get to practice drumming, which is something I rarely get to do.”