Always Auditioning

Yes, it is true. I have copied the article from Playbill.com. This is very depressing. BTW, if you still haven’t seen this beautiful show, you must go see it.

Spring Awakening, the expressionistic, groundbreaking musical that won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2007, will end its Broadway run at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Jan. 18, 2009, the producers announced on Oct. 23.

The musical set in 1890s Germany but pulsing with an original alt-rock score that might have been lifted from a 21st-century teen’s iPod, has book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik. The show won Tonys for Best Book, Best Score and Best Direction (for Michael Mayer), and more.

The musical is based on the German-expressionist play by Frank Wedekind, who wrote about of academic, social, sexual and parental pressures on teenagers. The ideas have echoed for decades.

The producers released a statement saying, “When this incredible journey began, who would have imagined, we’d play close to 900 Broadway performances, win eight Tony Awards, and recoup the show’s investment in just eight months? Spring Awakening was a glorious challenge from the very start, a challenge that a remarkable creative team took on and transformed into a life-changing experience. And while our Broadway run will come to an end this January, Spring Awakening will continue to touch audiences across the country, through our national tour, and around the world, with productions soon to open in London, Vienna, Toronto, Helsinki and Seoul.”

When Spring Awakening closes, it will have played 859 performances and 29 previews.

Based on the 1891 play by Wedekind, Spring Awakening won eight 2007 Tony Awards, including Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), Best Orchestrations (Sheik), Best Lighting of a Musical (Kevin Adams) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (John Gallagher Jr.).

Spring Awakening made its world premiere Off-Broadway at Off-Broadway’s the Atlantic Theater Company in June 2006. Spring Awakening transferred to Broadway the following November.

A national tour recently launched.

Songs featured in the score are “All That’s Known,” “And Then There Were None,” “Blue Wind/Don’t Do Sadness,” “Left Behind,” “Mamma Who Bore Me,” “My Junk, “The Bitch of Living,” “The Dark I Know Well,” “The Guilty Ones,” “The Song of Purple Summer,” “The Word of Your Body,” “Those You’ve Known,” “Totally Fucked,” “Touch Me,” “Whispering” and “The Mirror-Blue Night.”

Spring Awakening’s cast album earned a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

In September, the Spring Awakening companion book, “Spring Awakening In The Flesh,” was released by Simon & Schuster.

The current cast of Spring Awakening includes Gerard Canonico, Tony Carlin, Amanda Castaños, Blake Daniel, Matt Doyle, Andrew Durand, Christine Estabrook, Glenn Fleshler, Emma Hunton, Morgan Karr, Emily Kinney, Caitlin Kinnunen, Alice Lee, Frances Mercanti-Anthony, Eryn Murman, Hunter Parrish, Zach Reiner-Harris, Alexandra Socha, Jesse Swenson and Gabriel Violett.

Spring Awakening’s current performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday & Sunday at 7 PM, Wednesday-Saturday at 8 PM, matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 PM. For information and tickets, call Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200. The Eugene O’Neill Theatre is at 230 W. 49th Street.

Everyone has their own ways of auditioning. Some may pack their bags differently every time they go out. Others keep all their stuff in an audition bag. I, like some other performers, literally have a rolling audition suitcase.

I did the bag thing for awhile, but as things got heavier, I decided it was time to stop hurting myself.
In my bag, I have my dance clothes. My tan jazz shoes, ballet slippers, tan tights, ballet slippers, and tan character shoes. I have this cute, red dance audition dress. For singing, I have my polka dotted dress, black character shoes, and the same tan tights (if I feel like wearing them). Then, there is my audition binder with a ton of sheet music, a book, a folder with headshots and resumes, a small, plastic bag with hair supplies and other toiletries that I need once per month. Sometimes, I have to throw in my tuxedo for catering if I know I won’t have time to go home. Basically, it is this huge bag of stuff that I really don’t want to carry on my back. I don’t like lugging it around, but it makes traveling much easier. Also, I find myself prepared for anything that comes my way at an audition. Sometimes, I will get a dance callback the same day. I don’t have time to go home. The bag saves my butt cause it has everything I need. I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything because it’s always in there.
Anyhoo, that is how I carry my stuff around for auditions. How do you do it?

If you are nonunion and don’t have an EMC card, you will appreciate this blog.
AEA is an awful place to audition if you are nonunion. If you are new to auditioning in New York, here is what AEA is like. First of all, you cram in this hallway like cattle and sit there for hours. You usually don’t know what’s going on with the progress of your audition because you are nonunion. Therefore, you are not important. If a monitor comes out to give you an update, they are doing you a favor. You know they are doing you a favor because they usually make a point to say so. If you are lucky, you are told “we don’t know if you will be seen.” But most of the time, the monitors will come back to tell everyone to shut-up and/or be quiet.

What if you have to go to the bathroom? Well, you get to go to the lovely McDonald’s that’s outside and around the corner. You think I am joking. Unfortunately, I am totally serious.
When you finally get to come into the AEA waiting area, you are cattled directly to the audition line. It feels awkward and you feel out of place. The workers there are really good at letting you know that you are “nonunion.” It almost feels like a bad word there.
I suggest that as soon as you can get points and become an EMC member, the better it will be for you. You get to wait in the EQ waiting room at the AEA building, use their bathroom, a dressing room, and most importantly, you get to feel like a human and kiss those cattle days good-bye.

This is becoming more and more important (if not necessary) since computers are now the mainstream of communication. As a performer, any chance you can promote yourself, take it!
I am going to focus on the website because it is muy importante.
It cost money to get just about everything done in this industry. Though it cost money to put up a website, there are many ways to cut costs.

Here’s one way to put together your website:
1. For starters, you can buy many website building programs for little money. These programs have you drag and click. You don’t need to have much knowledge. With these programs, you can get something up on the web fast and efficiently.
2. You have to pay for hosting. This is how you are able to have “your own space” on the internet. I pay 100 dollars per year for mine, but I know you can get it much cheaper nowadays.

That’s it!

Nowadays, on most computers, they come with a web-building program. So, before you go out and buy something, check out your computer and see what you already have.
Personally, I thought the whole process was fun. I loved putting things together for my own website. … and when I got to see the finally product and share it with others, I was sooooooooooooo excited.
Anyhoo, so what I am saying is GET A WEBSITE. It is only beneficial to your career and has become more accessible and more affordable over time.

Have you heard of this new musical?

Vanities.

It’s a great show. It was originally a three woman play and now they have turned it into a musical. Currently, it is showing in California and the next stop is Broadway! It is going to be a hit.

Last week, they held auditions for the swing/understudy for all three roles. Hardly anyone showed up. It thought it was sad because getting to swing that show is a fabulous opportunity. With only three people in the cast, the odds of you going on are high. Though the turnout was low, I was extremely grateful to actually be seen for the show. I sang and felt very good about my audition. … but I can’t believe that hardly anyone was there. What is wrong with you people? This is a HUGE DEAL. Why would you not show up? You wouldn’t be understudying for a community theatre, dude. This would be for broadway. I repeat - BROADWAY! I keep thinking that there may have been a small showing because people don’t know anything about Vanities. This is why it is super important to do your research on shows.
If you didn’t attend this audition, you missed out a major opportunity. Seriously, this show is going to be a big deal when it comes to Broadway.

For starters, before actually getting a role, I had only one show on my back - The Music Man. I did this production at a community theatre and had the time of my life. At the time, I was still attending UC Irvine and doing the undergraduate programs in dance and drama. Auditions for school shows were happening all the time. I didn’t miss a single musical audition. Fortunately, I continued to be hopeful despite my endless rejections.
A talented undergraduate was holding auditions for a production of “Ruthless.” I did not know much about the show and failed to do much research on it. I didn’t fully understand the importance of research. I ended up reading for Miss Thorn and had so much fun. The director let me improvise as the character. She gave a fun scenario and I simply played.
I got the part.
It was my first role and my second musical. I worked my butt off. My roomy, another drama student, coached me with all of my scenes. I reviewed all of my lines even after the show had opened. It became a pre-show ritual. I was always working on my character. I wanted to nail it everytime. Plus, it was my first role and I was very fearful of forgetting to do what I was told. On the final day of the show, I was told that I was the cast member who grew the most. I loved hearing this because I felt that it acknowledged all the hard work I put into the show.

So, that was my first show. I had a great time, worked my ass off, and got recognition. I am still grateful for that opportunity and experience.

Sometimes I feel like I need to wave my hands like a crazy person to be seen. Being in the back or the third person to the right is not fun for me.

I wish so much that I was satisfied with the chorus. I really do. Then, I wouldn’t have this constant pushing in my gut to get further in my career. I could just enjoy myself. … but I love setting goals and I love being the center of attention.
I am sure I have talked about this before. This will be on my mind often because it is a current struggle for me.
Do you ever feel like you are closer to failing that actually achieving your goal? That is how I have been feeling like lately.
“Leap and the net will appear” has always been one of my favorite inspirational quotes. Right now, I feel like I am just starting my leap. I am still waiting for my net to appear. It’s scary.
I do have a great gig coming up and for that I am truly grateful. I get to be a role. … but I look into the future. After that gig, I don’t have another great role lined up. It’s this open space that frightens me. I haven’t had open space for three years. Well, it is more than that now.
I look forward to the day I can look back at this as a great life experience. Cause right now, I only see what I want and it feels far away. I’m at another struggling point of my career. It’s not easy, but I’m going to make it.

Is this really possible? I mean, it is easy to lose the weight, but to keep it off?

Indulgence - to gratify ones owns desires or wants
We all love to indulge in food. Cake tastes so good. I could talk about food for like … forever. It gets obsessive. I can either indulge by eating or by thinking about food too much.
Do you have anything like this in your life? It may be food as well.
For me, indulgence is one thing, but I tend to take it way too far. Instead of having one piece of cake, I will eat half of it. One scoop of ice cream is never enough to me. I am still dreaming about that scoop after I finish it and find myself brainless as I keep getting more and more of the unhealthy stuff. I am an endless pit.
But is it really possible to control yourself when you are indulging? I mean, really? Say you are eating a ridiculously delicious brownie at a party. They are cut into super-small pieces. What’s to stop you from eating a bunch of these chocolate treats? After all, they are small, so they couldn’t actually do anything bad to your body, right? We all know the answer to the question, but it is this level of denial that makes any type of indulgence dangerous for me.
I need to stay thin for this business, so in the end, any type of indulgence isn’t a good idea for me. I will just take it too far.

Ridiculous. There’s new talent coming into New York City all the time. But then again, there are also people leaving the business as well. It takes a lot of stamina to stay in the business.
… back to the masses moving into New York …
It is scary to see all of these people come into town. I remember all the talented people from my school alone. There was another girl who wonderfully played all the ingenues in our college productions. Her innocence and quarkiness made her a lovely Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls. One grad actor was Ado Annie in Oklahoma. Her performance is forever memorable.
Where are these girls now? On broadway. If they are not on broadway, they are always working as leads in great productions.
Having these talents in my past, I get worried when I see all these new faces at auditions. The girls from my school have really established themselves and now more have come.
I so wish I was one of these girls. They have made it to the level I could only dream of. Since I am not at their level yet, I am finding myself in the pool with the next great things just finishing college. I keep praying for the opening for me. In the midtime, the general youth at open auditions remain the same as I continue to get older.

Color Purple - Broadway on Broadway

I can watch these shows in pure nostalgia.
I remember when I saw Aida for the first time. I left that theatre in chills. When Heather Headley and Adam Pascal were “buried alive” for their forbidden love, I felt just as trapped as them. Even though it was done very theatrically and the entire audience knew it wasn’t real, it felt sooooo real. In that entire show, I felt so connected with each principle character. My heart went out to each person. It took me a long time to fully recover from that show. I had to see it a second time because I just couldn’t get it out of my head.
I felt something similar, yet very different when I saw Rent. It was the music. The music had me floating. I was still just a ballerina when I saw Rent on Broadway. My grandma heard that it was a good musical for “kids my age,” so dad took me to see the show. I didn’t get the plot because I am one of those people who doesn’t really listen to lyrics the first time around. I get caught up in the melody of the song. I may catch a few words, so I get what the person is feeling, but I get more involved with the music itself. I HAD to buy the music at intermission.
The last show I will mention - Jersey Boys. I was in California and going to see the show with my parents. I wasn’t too thrilled cause I knew it was a show I could be in. I wanted to hit myself for thinking that at the end of the show. I was in tears. Learning about the journey of the group really touched me. Man, I wish I could go into great detail. All I can really say is SEE IT. But before you do, make sure you have the music already, so you can listen to it on your way home.
Closing of Rent - Seasons of Love Encore

I saw there were auditions at a community theatre and went. It was really that simple. I don’t know if I sang, but I am sure I danced. Honestly, the details of the day are rather vague in my memory. I was thrilled to get the show.
I loved the rehearsals. My dance partner was as excited as me. It was also the show where I met my best friend, Aidan. The cast was full of people who were doing the show for the right reasons - the fun of it. It was the perfect introduction to musical theatre.
We had a show one evening where there was a small audience. None of us really cared. We performed with the same energy (if not more) that night. The best and most hilarious part happened when we did the big production number “Shapoopee”(spell check). We hit our final pose with gusto! … only to hear silence and then a single hand slowly clapping. We all got off stage and couldn’t help but laugh. None of us were offended, we knew we had done our best. The audience wasn’t feeling it. So, we just laughed it off and continued to have a great time.
I learned a very valuable lesson during this show. I was eager to please everyone. We had a costume fitting. I saw a lot of people giving the costumer notes and I felt badly for her. I put on my dress which was totally big on me and said it fit perfectly. I didn’t want to give her anymore work. She didn’t seem to care, but I felt like I was being helpful to her. I forgot about me. I looked a lot heavier in the show. After the show, someone saw me in different clothes and complimented me on losing weight. I hadn’t lost a pound. It was the dress. I saw pictures later and saw how much larger it made me look. From then on, I vowed to always speak up if my costume didn’t fit, feel, or look right.
Overall, The Music Man was a great experience. It was the beginning of my musical theatre career and was the perfect way to get started.

If I was a man, I would love to do:
Pirates of Penzance - Pirates get to be goofy and I want to join the fun
West Side Story - Riff/Bernardo/Action
Jersey Boys - All the male roles
Treasure Island (new musical that should be on Broadway) - Any role
Peter Pan - Captain Hook/Smee/Pirate
All Shook Up - Dennis cause I love the dorks
Grease - Any of the T-birds/Eugene
Spelling Bee - any of the male roles
Hairspray - That black dude who can sing and dance
Rent - Roger or Mark
Ragtime - Colehouse
Don Quixote - title role
Oklahoma - Curly
Cats - I just think it would be fun to wear at a cat suit as a guy and look at my bulge
Spamalot - the guy who ends up being gay in the end - love his journey!
Sweeney Todd - it would be fun to be Sweeney and kill people
Jesus Christ Superstar - Judas
Oklahoma - Judd
Kiss Me Kate - the guy who sings “Too Darn Hot”

I used to always sing in my car. I got my vocal warm-ups done and then I would sing my little heart out. Naturally, I had some favorites.
Aida is a huge one for me. I would sing Heather Headley’s songs at the top of my lungs on my 8 hour road trips from college to my parent’s home. I couldn’t hit the notes properly yet, but that didn’t stop me. I would hit those darn notes even if I was shouting. It was so fun. Needless to say, I did not have a voice at the end of the car ride, but it didn’t matter. I was not a working performer yet.
West Side Story was and will always be a favorite. I know all the songs by heart. I was practically born knowing all of the show. I don’t need the soundtrack to sing the songs. I just sing them. I go through all the titles just like Cher and have a grand old time. I get all animated and experience all the emotions. It’s a blast.

Then there is Rent … yet another show that totally blew out my voice. I was REALLY not trained to sing these songs properly. The best part? I didn’t know most of the lyrics. That would not stop me. I would just keep going and make up words in order to be able to sing along. Yes, this is totally not something I would do in public … well, maybe if I was in a goofy mood. But definitely - I would avoid doing this on a first date.
I miss singing in the car. Now I live in New York. I sold my beautiful Mitsubishi Eclipse when I left California. The subway is my main method of transportation. Singing in the car is not an option.
Now it’s just a mere, fun memory.

It is so sucky when an amazing show closes. Right now, there are several shows closing and I feel like I need to give a moment of silence for each one. Have you ever attended the actual closing day of a show? I have not. The closest was Xanadu and I saw that the day before it closed. I got emotional at their bows because I knew it was their last few days. Sad. It’s just plain sad.
I don’t know if I could handle a closing of a broadway show if I was in it. Right now, I have yet to be on a broadway stage. I have yet to hear the applause from the huge audience. I have yet to feel the warmth of the spotlight.
That’s what those performers are getting. They are on that beautiful stage experiencing the dream. Even if it’s not what they expected it to be, they are still on a broadway stage. … and now it’s ending for many fantastic performers.
It is super sad.
I doubt any of the great people who are working on Broadway are reading this. But if anyone does read this blog and their show is closing, my heart goes out to you … and I am totally jealous cause you have lived my dream.

I am just not a fan of this show. I know there is a huge following. I have just really not gotten into it.
Theatres and tours have been audition and performing all over the place. I haven’t attended a single thing. I don’t know if I could happily handle hearing the music everyday.
Randomly, the other day I spoke to a girl who used to feel the same way about the show. She ended up doing the show this past summer and it totally changed her mind. Now she’s a happy High School Musical groupie. She has fun with collecting all the collectibles.
She seemed to really enjoy the whole thing. After hearing and seeing her excitement, I felt a desire to join the fun.

Still, in the end, I am not a fan ,… but who knows? Maybe I’ll change my mind someday.
You know of any reason why I should start being a fan now?