AUDITION!

I DID IT!!!! I went to an actual singing audition! Not only was it a singing audition, it was for Telsey & Company (NY casting agents) who are casting "Spiderman: Turn off the Dark." Yes, the title is more than a little cheesy, and I know, a Spiderman musical? Really!?!?!?? Well, the music/lyrics are by Bono and The Edge and the director is going to be Julie Taymor, so what is the harm in trying, right? Yes, I called in sick to work to do it today, but I have no vacations planned and I have only missed 2 days of work this year (both times I was legitimately ill), so.....

Now, I have had some voice lessons, but not many and most of my recent singing experience has been ye olde karaoke at Six Flags where I average about 3 songs a day. Yes, I was in Joseph... in Florida, but I didn't really sing for the audition, I just told them I wanted to know what I had to do to be considered for Mrs. Potiphar. And then they double cast me as a brother. Egads! No, it was fun and thanks to the E2Y Players for that opportunity. Other than that and random karaoke, my singing in public has been next to nil. So, this was a BIG DEAL!

Thing is (and yes, I am straying from the subject for a minute here)...I always let other people determine my happiness. I want to act, but we cannot afford to send you to acting classes. i want to go to an audition, that's nice, I worked all day and don't feel like spending my evening sitting at a theatre. You know, that kind of thing. And I was encouraged to study something "worthwhile" in college...so I always thought about it, but never DID it and along the way I developed a fear, a literal fear of auditions, where it became a thought that I was going to do so bad, why even bother. Problem with that thinking though is that once you start down that path, you start to believe the BS.

Anyway....so, I got up at my usual time today, took the buses to the dance studio and got in line. Was VERY surprised that at 9:30 I was #102! Yeah, shocking. This is Chicago, shouldn't the lines have been longer? Anyway, I sat, talked to the people who were in line before me, sat, listened to the song I was going to sing on my iPod, peed, listened to my iPod, drank some water, did the few vocal warm-ups I remembered from long ago voice lessons, peed again, read a couple of pages of my book, drank more water, continued the trend until a little after noon they called my name. And yes, they butchered my last name! =)

So, time to join ye olde casting line. We are lined up by number to wait in the hallway outside of the audition room. There are some strong belters in the mix! I am thinking to myself that this is just my opportunity to try, and that this is more for me to do it then to actually be considered for a part. Finally, it is almost my turn and the butterflies arrive. Then the person ahead of me leaves the room and it is my turn.

Taking a deep breath I step across the threshold onto the dance floor, shutting the door with a garbage bag over the window gently and say hello to the male and female sitting at the desk. They ask me what I am going to sing and....my brain freezes. I hear the lyrics, but what is the name of the song?? Finally, I tell them, just as I hit the mark. The gentleman tells me that I can begin when I am ready. Deep breath down through the diaphragm, focus and start "The bravest thing, I've ever done...." We had been told in advance that they were going to cut us off after 16 bars, and I didn't want to be cut off, so I pretty much stopped after 4 lines. I kind of wish I had kept going, especially since they had flipped over my pink cover sheet (we all had pink) and were looking over my resume. That's a good sign, right? I thanked them, and walked out of the room. I might have said something else, but I really, honestly do not remember. Once I stepped out and the girl from Battle Creek went in, I started shaking as I gathered my bag and coat. WOW! I just did a musical audition and I sounded better than I ever have!

I am not expecting to hear anything, but just the fact that I did it makes me feel so happy and accomplished. Now, I should probably find a Broadway-esque song for other musical auditions and maybe a rock song sung by a woman......suggestions?