Talking to Teej

I'm starting this post without a title. I'm not really sure where my thoughts are going, but I know I want them to go somewhere. My Dad has suggested a few times that I should write things down as if I were talking to Taylor. (my best friend) So tonight, here goes. 

Teej, this week has been crazy. Last Wednesday at rehearsal, I was talking to my director and he mentioned the upcoming season for the theatre. Now, he didn't tell me what it was, nor did I ask, because it was supposed to be some big secret. I knew when I would find out, and I was excited for it, but the realization came that I would have to make a choice really soon. My friend Andrea is directing the Dickens Festival downtown, and I had expressed interest in doing that with her. She had told me that she would love to have me, and I was really looking forward to it. The problem here was that I wouldn't be able to do the Dickens festival AND the first show of the next season. I would only be able to do one. You know I suck with decisions, and this one was worse. Auditions for Dickens Festival were Saturday morning, and I wouldn’t find out what the first show was until Saturday night. Seriously man?!? How am I supposed to make this uninformed decision?!? Augh. Most people I talked to thought I was making a big deal out of nothing, but I’ve really been thinking about this a lot. When I get home, I’m gonna want to go to college, but the problem is my grades. They suck. My grades aren’t good enough to get me scholarships, and maybe not even good enough to get me into a good school at all, so I need a second plan. My backup has always been acting. Im good at it, and I know it could get me scholarships. I don’t want to do it for a living, but I figure why not use my resources to get a good education right? So lately I’ve been trying to beef up my acting resume with really good things. Things that will get noticed. Now, doing the Dickens Festival would look good, and will be noticed, sure. But the problem I was running into is I wasn’t really sure which would look better and get more attention. And I couldn’t be sure of that until I knew what the first show was for the next season. Unfortunately, no one really knows what to say to someone in my situation. (I’ve been getting that a lot lately) No one can just tell me what to do, because I have to make the decision myself. But they can’t just tell me the show so that I can make my decision. That wouldn’t be right.

I’d been talking to Jake (director of Hello Dolly! And artistic director for the theatre) and Andrea, and they were both trying to help, and telling me everything they could, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. Jake could tell me that it would be good for my resume, and there are several large parts that I could play. He also told me he would cast me in another show if I auditioned, which was a huge compliment! Andrea was super understanding and kept telling me that the decision was really easy, but I had to make it myself. (Andrea is on the board at The Empress so she knew the first show also) I could tell that they wanted to help, but it wasn’t going anywhere. The thing that ended up helping the most was Andrea telling me that I could come and audition at callbacks instead of the originals if I wanted to. This helped, making it so my decision could be made about twelve hours later than expected.

Saturday was the Gala. Dude, I looked fly. I dressed up really nice, and went out and had a great time. It made the night a little easier to be in a nice tuxedo and out with good friends. Obviously the decision was still weighing on me, but the setting definitely did a good job of distracting me. So when I got there, Andrea found me and we went and sat with her husband and some other friends from the theatre and had a really nice dinner together. When the moment came for the announcement of the next season, I was freaking out. I did my best to hide it, but my hands were shaking, I couldn’t really speak, I just sat there hoping things would be easier in a few minutes. And they were. Jake got up and announced that the first show of the 2013 season was The Scarlet Pimpernel. I love that show. There are a lot of parts I could play, a few I would kill for, and the music is amazing. Fantastic show. My decision was made. While the Dickens Festival would be nice on my resume, Scarlet would definitely look better. Especially if I somehow managed to land a lead. I just looked over at Andrea and said “Sorry.” She laughed and said it was okay. She knew my decision all along, she just couldn’t tell me what it was. The rest of the night was amazing, and by the end of the night, Andrea and I were talking about audition pieces I could use for my Scarlet Pimpernel audition. Sometimes she is so good to me I feel guilty. Seriously. Not an hour earlier, I told her that I wouldn’t be auditioning for her show because something better came up, and she is still offering and willing to help me with my audition. What an awesome friend.

Then came the next big thing this week. I feel like if I’m not doing the Dickens Festival, it better be worth the trouble. So I have a goal. This is a lofty goal, but then again, so is college. So I’ve gotta try anyway.

My goal is to prepare an audition piece so amazing, so moving, and so right for this role, that when I stand in front of the directors and sing it, they will be so amazed that they have no choice but to give me the lead.

I’ve also come to realize that Jake being the director for both my current, and upcoming show could be a large advantage, or a large disadvantage. If he likes what I’m doing, he is more likely to cast me as a lead in the next show I do with him, but if not, I’m pretty much screwed. So in my current show, I’ve been giving 100%, but I decided maybe it was time to step it up a little. 120%, here I come. Let me tell you, 120% is hard. It’s a lot of work, and it’s all the time. But it’s worth it. I go home after rehearsal not only feeling better about my chances with Scarlet Pimpernel, but also about Hello Dolly!

So, back to the audition piece. ANOTHER DECISION! Ugh. At least this time I had help. Andrea and I got together and went through piece after piece after piece. My sight reading sucks, and that made it an adventure, and a really good laugh, but when we really got down to it, there were tons of different options. You never realize how many male pieces there are in musical theatre until you need just one. We ended up narrowing it down to four great options.

Tell my Father- Civil War

Letting Go- Jekyll and Hyde

No More- Into the Woods

Dispensable- Edges

(if you haven’t heard any of these songs, go  look it up. It’ll be worth your time. Promise.

The next day, we got together again and went through each of them, weighed Pros and Cons, picked a section I would use from each if I were to use the song, had Kirk (Andrea’s husband) listen to each, and decided we needed more people. So we invited a few friends over to listen. My friend Alisa, and Andrea’s sister Michelle. We told them what show I was auditioning for, what part I’m hoping for, and I didn’t really mention how much this means to me, but I hope the fact that I’m working on an audition piece a month in advance got that point across. We invited these two specifically, because of their background, and objective judging skills. Alisa has played several leads, has a wonderful voice, and spent a few years as a Disney Princess in DisneyWorld. She tells me all the time when I’m flat, or doing something weird, and I love it! Frank honesty helps me fix things I can’t see myself. Michelle has a great reputation from all the people that have met her. Every time her name is mentioned by family or friends, I learn a little more about the range of her talent. She has played many leading roles, including the female lead from Scarlet Pimpernel, has an amazing voice, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. (although I’m pretty sure that one is just a Casdorph thing)

So. With these two ladies over, and ready to judge me, I sang each option a few times, doing different sections from each, and explaining what Andrea and I thought was good and bad about each. Alisa said that she liked No More, and Tell my Father, and Michelle gave me what I’m pretty sure was a compliment, but even if it’s not, I’m totally taking it that way. She told me that she and Andrea had grown up on Into the Woods, and that when I told her I would be trying No More, she didn’t even think it was an option, and then I started singing it, and she changed her mind. It became very clear that if I could make that impact with this song, it was the one I should be singing. Decision made.

I will be auditioning with No More, from Into the Woods. It’s a great song, and I hope I’m doing it justice. I have a month to get it right, and I hope it’s worth the effort. Well, it’s getting late, and if I’m gonna be in shape for this show, I need to run in the morning. I miss you man. I hope things in Canada are great! Can’t wait to be out in the field myself. See you in two.

Also, for all of you out there that aren't Taylor, thanks for reading anyway. 

-Tenacious Tenor