Pomp & Circumstance... and a little "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

It's been a little over a week since I and my fellow Group D-ers "graduated" from Circle in the Square. Our final Cabaret was very, very memorable... for many reasons. We spent the ENTIRE day in the theater (which was the temperature of a meat locker) where we went through a dry-run, dress rehearsal, and then finally, the performance in front of friends, relatives and teachers. The day was shaping up to be flawless...

Until, 20 minutes before the show was set to start, Callum (aka, Boy Wonder - the 16-year-old in my group who undoubtedly will find himself on "Glee" within the next two years) accidentally spilled my entire water bottle all over the front of my dress. So, naturally...... I find this funny. Like, really, really funny. And so does he. We spend the next 3 minutes in a state of noiseless hysterics... you know, the kind of laugh where no sound comes out (and no oxygen goes in) because you are laughing SO hard? Fast forward to me frantically trying to find a hair dryer, successfully doing so and spending the few last minutes before curtain-up blow drying my dress... and shoes. Voila. Disaster averted.

Now... minutes before the show started, we all lined up in our opening number positions, and waited for the familiar piano introduction of "To Be A Performer." When said intro is heard, we all did what we had done 20 times before... shuffle out backwards, in a line and mid-stage, in theory, would PRETEND to run into each other/look surprised/begin to fight to get each other off of us, etc. However, this time around something went wrong (see YouTube clip from my previous post... if you haven't already).

Yes, the majority of us FELL OVER. 

I hit my mark like usual, then noticed people going down in front of me. Then I noticed the poor people in the front of them still backing up, only to be sucked into the chaos because they had no clue of the pile-up behind them.

 It was like watching the Titanic sink-- you know something is wrong, and you know you should help in some way, but you can't move. 

In the video you'll notice our accompanist, Noel, laughing, and probably thinking to himself, "No f-ing way this happening."

Also, if you happened to be sitting next to our director, Kimberly, you would've heard her matter-o-factly say, "Oh shit."

Well, good news. We all played it off well and nobody broke an ankle or even ripped a dress. 

God, we're good. 

So good, in fact, that the audience (my parents included) thought it was choreographed... and so good that our choreographer thought we threw it in at that last minute as some sort of "senior prank." HA.

So, after that, of course I couldn't stop laughing, but had to try and control myself at least until I sang my song, and exited the theater. I sang "The Boy Next Door," exited up-stage left, and that was that.... (my video is floating around YouTube somewhere if you really want to see it....)

All in all, Section D's Cabaret was a huge unique, unscripted and unpredictable success (kind of like Group D itself).... Despite some of us literally falling on our butts during our "Broadway Stage Debuts." Congrats, guys. We made it.

Don't we clean up well?

Mom and Dad made the trip out to NYC :)

However, this was not the end of our time together. One of my group members, Joseph Callari, and his wonderful wife, threw us a graduation party at a great Italian restaurant in Times Square. Not only was the food, wine and conversation wonderful, but Joseph presented us all with "Rising Star" awards and framed Actor's Vow poems. What a guy! We also gave individual awards that were just for fun. I got the "Comedienne Award" as I "have the most ridiculous talent for doing teacher impersonations." Color me honored.

Our awards

Good times, good food, good friends

Besides my parents visiting NYC for the Cabaret and grad party, my sister-in-law was able to spend a few days with us before she headed up-state for work. Here's me and Carrie in Times Square on the way to the party:

This week has been spent tying up loose ends, hanging out with my Circle friends (many of whom have sadly already left for wherever it is they call home), meeting with various consultants, and planning the next steps in my post-school life.

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I am happy to report that I auditioned for my first Broadway show. 

Yesterday my friends Nikki, Amanda and I went to an open call for the role of the "Mistress" in EVITA.

Waiting... on the floor :)

(Since it was an "open call," anyone can show up - union/non-union and everyone in between.) We arrived at 11am to sign up.

It was held at one of the largest casting firms in the city... yet, I don't think they were even ready for what  was in store for them....

Imagine the scene, if you will: 

~Casting for one of the biggest revivals to hit B-way in a while, not to mention this revival will star Ricky Martin as Che (which personally seems a very strange casting choice, but no one asked me).

~An open call (aka: cattle call) for ONE role.

~ Over 300 girls in a room designed to comfortably seat 100.

 Can you see where I'm going with this??

The first list, which I was #70 on, was torn up and a new list was put out... causing all 200+ of us in the room to rush the sign-up table. Tears, cat fights and complaining ensued. And when the atmosphere calmed and the casting company instituted the single-file line rule, I was #151 to sign-up. 

So, we came back to sing for the casting directors, only to find they were running 1 1/2 hours behind schedule, and would be opening up two more casting rooms. Two of which, unfortunately, did not have piano accompaniment. Of course, where did I end up? Yep, in one of the 'a capella' rooms. So... I sang my 16-bars, managed to stay on-key, and was relieved to have had a very nice woman in my room who smiled and said, "Nice!" after I had finished. 

Then, just like that,  a moment I have waited years for was over in 30 seconds.

But you know what? It was fantastic. Even the feeling of being herded like cattle was fun, because I did it. 

Chances are very slim I'll ever make Broadway. But, now I can never say I was too scared or didn't think I was good enough to try. And that perhaps means more in the long-run, anyways.

So, that's that. There will be more auditions for me in the future, and actually a few next week.

But, getting the first one under my belt feels fantastic.

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Although it's been over a week since school ended, I sometimes have trouble believing those crazy/draining/emotional/wonderful 7 weeks even happened.

On our last day I snapped some pictures... which prove I was actually a part of all this craziness...

Callum and I back at the scene of  'the water-bottle vs. blue dress' crime.....

Walking out for the last time... Thanks, Circle in the Square. It's been a blast.

AND SCENE.

~B.