Many people, not only from the NBC show, will be auditioning. Some of the NBC people are Equity, some are not. If they are not, unless it is what is called an "open" audition, they would not be permitted to audition.
From National Catholic Reporter, Sept 15, 2000 by Retta Blaney...
Schwartz says "Godspell" came out of his 1960s mentality that people should respect each other's beliefs, especially at that time when the country was divided over issues like the Vietnam War. He says the message remains the same.
"There's a necessity for us to pull together as a community instead of dividing even more into armed camps and niches. This is the most mean-spirited time I've lived through if you care about how people treat other people."
A good message for 2008 as a presidential election year also.