Rob Ford lookalikes come out to audition for musical based on Toronto’s troubled mayor

When Neil Sarel says that people tell him he holds an “uncanny resemblance” to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, he’s underplaying it slightly. They have the same haircut, the same gait, a similar voice, and their similar social circle once almost scored him a role playing Ford on film.

You may know Sarel better as Slurpy Ford.

The 52-year-old resident of Cambridge, Ont., was pulled into the spotlight by that uncanny resemblance last year, during the early days of the Rob Ford drug scandal.

It was this time last year that Ford allies reportedly tried to discredit a rumoured video of the mayor smoking a crack pipe by filming and releasing a fake video with Sarel as the star.

Sarel was eventually tracked down by the National Post and asked for privacy. But when he learned that a Toronto production company was casting a musical based on Ford’s life and was searching to the perfect lookalike for the leading role, he couldn’t stay away.

"You have to embrace things in life some time," Sarel said, wearing a black pin-striped suit that could have been borrowed directly out of Ford’s wardrobe.

"I never really wanted anything to do with it, but when it was announced there would be a musical, my friends said, 'You gotta go, you gotta go."

[ Related: Rob Ford falls behind Chow, Tory in latest Toronto mayoral poll ]

Indeed, Sarel was one of many Rob Ford lookalikes to gather in downtown Toronto on Monday morning hoping to cash in on their resemblance to Toronto’s notorious mayor.

The producers of Rob Ford the Musical: Birth of a Ford Nation held an open casting call on Monday, seeking the perfect actor to play North America’s most infamous mayor.

"We've all created this phenomenon of Rob Ford. In some ways, this is the natural extension of that. Musical theatre. Singing and dancing," the play's co-writer Brett McCaig told reporters during a break in auditions.

"There are lots of Rob Ford lookalikes out there, so we're hopeful we'll find the right guy for the job."

The musical has received a great deal of attention in recent weeks, much of it humourous and jocular. But producers insist that this is a real show, with a real cast performing on a real stage. The show will run from September 16 to 28 at the Factory Theatre in downtown Toronto. And, as composer Anthony Bastainon emphasizes, the show is not intended to mock Ford. At least not entirely.

"Rob Ford is sometimes displayed as a two-dimensional character, but he really is a full three-dimensional character. He has a lot of sides to him," said Bastainon.

“What we are trying to do in the show is show difference sides of the whole story. There is the brother relationship between Rob and Doug, his father the well-respected politician. And one of the things that I like about our show is the sides. I hope Ford Nation comes and sees the show, because I think they'll enjoy it as much as anyone."

The script is a closely-guarded secret, but producers promise to “lampoon everyone and anyone who has been involved with the mayoral chaos.” The main characters are Rob and Doug, as well as "Tranny," a character who acts as a sort of spirit guide for the mayor. There is also an "elusive" character meant to represent the media.

The full-day audition notice brought out a mix of trained actors, stand-up comedians and full-on novices to audition for the role of Ford. Those who showed up early included a classically-trainer actor who sang opera for his audition, a black hip hop performer looking to put a new spin on Ford and a comedian with a proclivity for fart jokes.

Another would-be Ford was Travis Hay, an on-air personality by the name of "Sassy Travis" on Kiss 92.5 FM. Hay, who claims the main similarity between himself and Ford is their "triple chin," says he knows he's up against experienced actors but couldn’t miss the experience of auditioning to play Ford.

"At the end of the day, if I don't get the role, at least I had a lot of fun," Hay told Yahoo Canada News. "It's a story that does need to be talked about. It’s an important thing… It’s about lampooning the lampoon."

Geoffrey Stone travelled from Ottawa and, much like Ford’s own tendency, showed up late for his audition. Clearly, Stone had studied Ford's press conferences.

"I don't know if I have enough sweat going on," Stone told the producers, sipping from a water bottle.

Of the early-morning candidates, Stone holds perhaps the closest resemblance to Ford. He's a large, burly man, pressed into a dark suit with signature red tie. He's balding, with the remainder of his light blonde hair buzzed short. And, despite his concerns, he appears to have exactly the right amount of sweat going on.

Actor Nick Babatsikos went another route with his audition. He said it was important for him not to over-analyze who Rob Ford is as a person.

"It was important for me not to come in here and try to mimic or be Rob Ford, I just wanted to come in and kind of allude to the general theme of those two characters, him and his brother. They are both very abrasive, very aggressive characters," he said.

And then there is Neil “Slurpy” Sarel, who showed up on Monday still not sure what song he would sing in his audition. Sarel says he doesn't follow Toronto politics, but likes Ford and considers himself a supporter. "Everybody has problems. I hope he deals with it in the right way," he said.

When asked to do his best Rob Ford impression, Sarel simply held his hands out and smiled.

While the show hits the stage little more than a month before the municipal election, the producers say they doubt they will have any impact on the outcome.

They intentionally scheduled their grand opening before a new mayor was chosen because they didn't want Election Day to impact the way they saw their own story ending.

As for how the story does conclude, McCaig and Bastainon say there are a few empty pages left to write. When asked if the musical will ultimately vindicate Ford, McCaig said, "If you come see the show, I think you'll see the answer to that."

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