Looking for the perfect mate

VAIL - Speaking as a single woman, casting director Robyn Kass said finding Mr. Right for ABC's reality TV series "The Bachelor" is just as hard as landing him in real life.

"We want him to be really good looking, set in his life, determined, have charisma and be really well spoken," Kass said. "We also want every girl in America to fall in love with this guy."

Kass' team of casting directors will search for the next "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" beginning Wednesday in Vail. In addition to the above listed characteristics, the person needs to be willing to fall in love on television.

"We go to various place around the country, but in the past, we've been really lucky in Vail," Kass said. "There's really good looking people hanging out in Vail, people with good jobs and a nice lifestyle. We hope to get lucky again this year."

ABC's "The Bachelor" takes one handsome man and introduces him to 25 women. He dates each one, slowly eliminating the women he doesn't like, until finding the one with which he's most compatible. "The Bachelorette" uses the same premise, but the female does the choosing. Local celebrities Ryan and Trista Sutter, formerly Trista Rehn, met on "The Bachelorette," and out of both match-making shows, they are the only couple who went on to actually marry.

The hunt in Vail, happening Wednesday-Saturday, marks the very preliminary stages of recruiting. Booths will be set up at the American Ski Classic finish line in Golden Peak, where interested parties can interview with casting directors, fill out an application and have their photograph taken. In the evening, recruiters head to Vail Village bars.

"This is more of the place where recruiters will walk up to people, hand pick them, sift through the crowd, to see if they are interested in doing the show," Kass said.

Male candidates need what it takes to smitten the American female public, but the women candidates for "The Bachelorette" - in addition to being sexy and attractive to men - must be "rootable" to women, Kass said.

"She needs to be the ultimate girl who women across America will want to find love," Kass said.

At the end of the four days, casting directors will take back the contact information to offices at Next Entertainment, the shows' producer, and call people they are interested in for lengthier over-the-phone interviews. That lot of candidates is narrowed down, and then Next Entertainment flies those selected in for interviews. Kass will then pick about five finalists to pitch to ABC, the network which airs the shows.

"It's a big commitment," Kass said. "They have to leave their jobs and lives for six-eight weeks. We have to make sure they are as serious about the commitment as we are about the show."

Currently, there is no end date for the search. Kass said her recruiters will be out as long as it takes to find Mr. and Ms. Right.

"Just like in real life, we don't want to settle. We really want this guy to be perfect," Kass said.



Single and searching

Casting directors are looking for the next stars of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" Wednesday-Saturday in Vail. Here is the location and times:



Wednesday

4:30 - base of Golden Peak

9-11 p.m. - The Club in Vail Village



Thursday

10 a.m.-4 p.m. - base of Golden Peak

8 p.m.-close - Pepi's in Vail Village

8 p.m.-close - Tap Room in Vail Village



Friday

10 a.m.-4 p.m. - base of Golden Peak

7 p.m. - Vail Marriott in Lionshead

9 p.m.-close - Samana in Vail Village



Saturday

10 a.m.-4 p.m. - base of Golden Peak

8 p.m.-close - Red Lion in Vail Village



Arts and Entertainment Editor Kassie Pence can be reached at 949-0555, ext. 14640, or cpence@vaildaily.com.



Vail, Colorado