First off, a HUGE thank you to my family and friends who provided their expertise and words of encouragement regarding my audition today at Ventura College. I would not have been able to make it through the process without passing out, throwing up, or some weird combination of the two. It's been 7 years since my last on-stage audition, so I was a little unsure of what to expect.

When I arrived, I was told to be prepared to stay for the entire 2 hours. I was handed a number (#47) and an application to fill out while I was waiting. After that was completed, I was ushered into a small music room with 20 other hopefuls and taught a "simple dance routine." All my memories of dancing in 4-inch heels came flooding back to me, and it helped me realize that if I could learn routines for an entire two-hour show, then this 30-second piece should be simple. I was wrong.

Twenty minutes passed of turning the wrong way, putting steps out of order, and even possibly, swishing my hips a *bit* too much. After all, the guys were supposed to be the "macho, street types." Definitely too much swishing. Even for guys who dance in the street. We were then placed into groups (mine had 2 other guys) and put on stage in front of the judges.

Fortunately, the groups were allowed to do the routine twice. On the first go round, I missed a few steps, practically threw myself on the ground, and somehow ended with a graceful flair of my arms while dragging my left leg behind me. The second go was a little better, and I tried to slide across the floor instead of throwing myself upon it. Either way, I was dripping with sweat and glad that portion of the audition was behind me. It made me realize that I never want to audition for So You Think You Can Dance.

We were then taught a piece of music from the show, which was quite fun and I easily picked that part up. We were divided into two groups and asked to sing it in front of the judges as our groups. I tried to look as confidant as I could between glances at the sheet music. Fortunately, my voice carries well, so I hoped I was able to make up for my dancing.

Then, we took turns with our solo singing auditions. Everyone was asked to step out of the judges room, and we were called back in one at a time. In the waiting room (aka, the "simple dance routine" room), I overheard the other guys discussing their music selections. Apparently, my music choice (Mr. Cellophane from the musical Chicago), was the piece being performed all day long. Not what I wanted to hear, but there was no time to change it at that point. I knew I just had to do the best I could and make it as unique as possible.

Once my turn came (remember, I was #47, so I had quite a wait), I was sent back into the judges room and up onto the stage with the show's Musical Director at the piano. She asked me what my song choice would be, and I slowly handed her my sheet music for Mr. Cellophane. As it turned out, I was only the 3rd person all day to do that song. Maybe the other guys changed their mind after their discussion. Plus, the Music Director loves the song, and that helped to relieve me.

I belted it out as best I could, putting myself into the characters shoes, but trying to be careful about not going over the line into campy acting. I hit the high note at the end of the song, held for any sign of approval (they clapped for me - which made me feel better), and hustled myself out of the room. I tried to make eye contact with the judges on my way out, but they were good: Not a single one gave me any idea how things seemed to be going.

Finally, the sides were handed out, which we used to read for the part of a certain character in the show. The male side for this show was very unexpected (as I'm not familiar with the show), but I tried to make the best of it. The side was actually a song sung by the male, but we were told to just read the lines, not sing them. It ended up almost as a poem, but it also made for some very funny auditions. Everyone was in the room at this point, so we had to learn to perform in front of the other people we were auditioning against. It's always interesting to see how different people interpret the same lines.

We finished up, turned in our sides and numbers (Bye #47!), and were told that we'd be receiving a phone call about our audition. No time frame was given, so I kept my fingers crossed for a quick resolution. Either way, I wanted to know how this all turned out. I felt like I did the best I could have done, and I was just hoping it was enough to get me back into a show.

At 8pm this evening, I received this email message:


So, in what has to be one of the quickest turnarounds for a decision in my theatre experience, I'm now part of the cast of The World Goes Round. I'll be making my Ventura County debut in April 2010, so I expect to see all of you there!!! More updates will be posted, but rehearsals don't begin until January, so I've got some time to rest up.

I know it was a long post, but it really boils down to a huge THANK YOU for your words of encouragement! See you on the stage!!!

OK, so for my friends on Facebook and LiveJournal who are theatre geeks (you know who you are!), I have a few questions for you. It's been YEARS since I've auditioned for a role in a stage show, and I'm uncertain of the process, so I could use a little help in the selection.

This was the email sent to me for the preparation:


I'm okay with all the requirements (i.e., singing, dancing, and even reading), but I'm not sure of what song choice to go with. Should I do something from my YouTube performances or should I stick with a Broadway-type song? Would that be too much to select a song from the show I might be performing in? Should I go with something from The Rocky Horror Show, as I was the lead in that one and know the songs well? I need help/ideas/direction from those "in the know."

Here's the description of the show: "A Celebration of the songs, dances, and characters of John Kander and Fred Ebb, including musical numbers from Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Cabaret, and many other shows."

Please, anything will help! Also, what type of clothes should I plan on wearing? Something I can move in (for the dance part), but something presentable for the rest of the audition? AHHH, it's been too many years. What am I thinking?!?