The band Poison performs with the cast of the show Rock of Ages at the 63rd annual Tony Awards in New York, Sunday, June 7, 2009. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Seth Wenig)

TORONTO - Professional actors and singers mingled with garage-band fronters and general '80s lovers Thursday at the first open audition for "Rock of Ages."

The casting call was for the upcoming Toronto production of the five-time Tony Award-winning musical, which features hit rock tunes from the '80s.

Producers expected over 250 hopefuls to show up to the casting, attended by David Mirvish of Mirvish Productions, which is mounting the show in April.

When doors opened in the morning, dozens were already lined up, many wearing black leather and some strumming on guitars and warming up their vocals.

Carl Levin, the show's producer, says they're looking for "undiscovered talent," from professional actors and singers to comedians and garage-band members.

He says even those who have only sung in the shower are welcomed to audition, and notes a cast member in the U.S. production was discovered during an open casting call.

Katharine McPhee later became a finalist on "American Idol."

"You just want to have that innate 'X' factor, someone who people want to watch," Levin says.

"We want to look for people who are compelling and can also have the stamina to do this eight time a week."

"Rock of Ages" is set in 1987 on L.A.'s Sunset Strip and includes hit songs like "Sister Christian," "We Built This City" and "Don't Stop Believin'."

Auditions will hit Vancouver in two weeks and also travel to Los Angeles and New York, where the show has already been staged to critical acclaim.

Levin said their casting deadline is in about three weeks and they hope to start rehearsals right after the holidays.

Jesse Stull, 36, of St. Catharines, Ont., lined up for the auditions in Toronto and said although he's only been in one theatre show before, he's been in rock bands his "whole life."

"I just really like this music. It's my shtick," he said before belting out a few bars from his audition song, Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive."

"I grew up on this music - I was a teenager in the '80s." Maxel Black, 36, of Toronto has only been in high school theatre productions but fronts a Motley Crue cover band called Crued.

"It looks like it's a heck of a lot of fun," he said of why he decided to try out. His audition song was Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again."

Mirvish Productions will bring the show to Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre with performances beginning April 27.