My Audition For Hairspray The Musical

A former choir friend of ours was working as house manager of the Community Players Theater the other night when we saw Blithe Spirit.

I stopped by to talk with her at intermission, and somehow it came up that the audition for the May showing of Hairspray was going to be tonight at 7:00.

"You should come!" she said.

That stirred me, lover of the stage that I am.

I slept on it Friday and Saturday night. I read the web site:

http://www.communityplayers.org/involve_audit.html

Experience not necessary.

Bring 16 bars of any song to sing. Bring your own music, accompanist to be provided. Stand on stage and be auditioned.

Also, learn a dance routine and perform it.

Naturally several items coursed through my mind.

My acting instruction consists of: (crickets)

My dance experience consists of: (sleeping crickets)

I have six students that I'm tutoring. Rehearsal would be every weeknight from 7:00-9:30.

I'll be on vacation for a week right near the beginning of rehearsals. That might be unacceptable.

If I'm selected.

If I'm talented enough. Would I be competing against veterans of the stage?
 
This was really short notice. It would certainly be reasonable enough to wait for a future show, with adequate time to prepare.

But there are always plenty of reasons to wait. This was an adventure that I wanted to try.

Worst case? I learn how the auditions work up close and personal. I learn what a really good audition looks like. I learn some basic dance moves. I meet some people. I prepare myself for that next, future show.

Plus, I just might make it.

Sixty-five people showed up for this first of three nights. Fortunately I was about the tenth one called, good and early so as to stop rehearsing endlessly in my head. I was glad that I'd chosen the more "rangy" of the two pieces I'd found in song books at home. And by God's hand, this musical's about the exact time period of my favorite music. When I finished there was (at least in my head) thunderous applause!

The dance steps were the most complicated ones in the musical - so that they could see our potential. We were supposed to perform in groups of four, but somehow I ended up in a group of two. And received more applause after thrashing and gyrating about in my work clothes for sixty seconds. I did all right...

Tomorrow is part two, script reading. Now that, I can do.

Tonight I'll sleep, and in the morning I'll go to work. I'll march into the day's challenges having already taken on the biggest risk I may face all week.

This is living. More to come. Wish me luck.