Low and, uh, less low

"It's always darkest before the dawn."

My dad said those well-meaning, totally cliche words to me on a dark night in Murray when I was the most stressed and depressed during my unemployment. I was running out of money and in the beginning stages of looking for work. My self-esteem was shot. Every bad piece of luck felt like a huge blow. In my unhappy state of mind, nothing was going my way.

And then I hit a curb on the way to get fries at Wendy's after a Friday-night movie, and one of my tires blew. I calmly pulled into a well-lit parking lot and called my dad for advice. He found me within minutes, and he and a generous passerby put my dad's spare tire on my car (our cars are close in make and model). My tires were less than a year old! They weren't supposed to give out so quickly! I couldn't afford another new tire right then! Dad gave me a huge hug and said those kind words while I cried. I could feel his love and his helplessness; his desire to do or say anything that would give comfort. I love that man.

He went home, and I decided to continue to Wendy's. They were out of fries. I asked how long ago they'd sold out, and it had been about half an hour. I would have been in time if I hadn't blown that tire.

I had to laugh.

And you know what? Dad was right. That was the very worst; the darkest day. After that, things seemed to pick up for me. Or maybe it was my attitude.

The next morning, I auditioned for Big River at Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley. I didn't end up being cast, but I belted "I'll Fly Away" and scored a callback where I know I did well and had a good time.

Later that same morning, I headed to a price club for tires and learned that since they were still under warranty all I had to pay for was installation. A brand-new tire for $17? Yes, please!

I stopped to eat a slice of pizza, and a buff, young guy ditched his friends to chat me up for about ten minutes before giving me his phone number. Based on the conversation and some other indicators, I ended up not calling him, but it's been so long since a man made a move on his own that I took that for a sign of good things to come. It's nice to feel admired and desired. A nice change.

The day was such a stark contrast to the night before, I knew that it had to be a tender mercy from God. He'd prompted Dad to say those words, encouraging me to look for the good and hope for the best. Life seemed to get better from then on, and it continues every day. I am grateful!

The next week, Dad bought me my own spare tire. When I went to the dealership to pick it up, the cashier joked that now I have one I'll probably never need it. I told her that would be just fine with me!

My theatre break/unlucky audition streak is at an end

I have been unlucky in my auditions this summer. Sure, I was choosy about the shows I auditioned for and the roles I would accept in said shows. I also never felt like I nailed the callbacks the way I hoped I would (in some cases I wasn't even called back, though I was for She Loves Me at Hale which was definitely a win). I'd see the final cast lists and think, "Yep, those people will be great. I see now why I wasn't a fit." After four failed auditions, I had to start reminding myself that in baseball, you still have a good batting average even if you only hit the ball in one out of every 10 at bats. Why shouldn't that be true in theatre, too? Some people have a waaaaaaaay smaller average (if I was trying to be professional, I would probably be one of those people). I also remind myself that I'm still talented; so much about theatre and casting is subjective. I can only do my best and cross my fingers it will work out. I don't know anyone who has been cast in every show they've ever auditioned for, unless they only audition for roles they know they'll get or they don't audition very often. Still, it's nice to be chosen to be part of a show I want to be a part of.

Anyway, my strike-out streak has ended: I accepted an ensemble role yesterday in Jekyll and Hyde at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre! The play will run September 29 - October 26, and I'll perform on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (except for the 4th and 7th). Woot!

Fun details about the auditions and call backs:

Callback selfie!
(Fun fact: every person in this selfie was cast in the show.)

• I've been working with a voice teacher all summer to prepare for this audition. She helped me choose the song and learn how to best use my voice to present it. I give a huge chunk of the credit to her for my success. I don't remember the last time I nailed an audition the way I did this one!
• I was called back for Lady Beaconsfield. This is the character description: "Member of the Board of Governors. Uptight and Outspoken Socialite. Age 45-65." I was more than a little surprised at the opportunity, but I had a blast reading lines as an unpleasant snob, singing crazy high notes while snarling, and faking death by strangulation (which earned a laugh since I was dying in a group and took the most time to finish). It would have been a fun role. I am simultaneously disappointed I didn't get it and curious to see what else is in store since the production team now knows I'm up for anything.
• Speaking of being up for anything, everyone considered for ensemble (the background characters who support the leads and usually do more dancing and singing than the main characters) had to sing the beginning of "Facade." Since there were two phrases in the selection, they asked us to show off our range and sing the first like a street urchin, and the second like a proper Victorian lady. I was nervous because they didn't mention this until after we'd all practiced together, so I'd be winging it. Regardless, threw myself into it and I felt pretty good about the transition from urchin to lady. Well, after I sang, the music director crowed, "Thank you! That was great! Extra points for being extra ugly!" Everyone applauded and one of my friends gave me a high five :D Nobody else got that particular reaction. Success!

I'm excited to meet the cast and start learning the music. I'll keep you posted on details when opening night gets closer. It'll be a cool way to put yourself in a Halloween mood!

Also, my being cast means I was cast in one show out of five auditions (since the last play I was in). Those are darn good odds. Someone get me a baseball bat!

An audition attitude wake-up call

When I told Mattie June that I wasn't called back for Ragtime, she laughed and said, "I'm so glad to hear that even you don't get cast in everything!" I was a little surprised at her reaction, but I'm glad to hear that my failures help the self-esteem of my friends! Fortunately, I didn't need any sympathy that day ;-)

As I and my theater friends start preparing for the crazy rush that is the summer community theatre season, I've been hearing and thinking a lot lately about the following logical-fallacy:

A history of playing leads, having worked with a director previously, or being talented means that you are a shoo-in for the next role. 

This is a dangerous belief. Not only is it untrue, it creates a sense of entitlement and causes a lot of grief and heartache when an audition doesn't work in your favor. I don't know anyone who is cast in EVERY show they audition for (though the natural tendency to downplay failures and play up successes definitely cause this perception).

Similarly, it is not a forgone conclusion that when you finally "break out" of being in the ensemble and are cast in a larger role, that you have been discovered and it's totally easy to get those great roles from then on. If you don't figure that out quickly, you're in for a frustrating experience. This is one of my favorite quotes about this disappointing, humbling phenomenon, from Olivia Williams, an actress I wouldn't mind seeing more of:

When the Hollywood thing happened, I thought at some point I'd get to the front of the queue: "Yes, hello, I'd like to play that role." But you don't. You just join a different queue. 

I roll my eyes when my friends lucky enough to get leads in a lot of places swear off certain theaters because they auditioned there once and weren't even called back. Sorry, I don't feel sorry for you. You're not going to be what the director wants every time, and you don't automatically deserve a role or even a callback just because you are talented and you showed up. A lot of other people who are also talented didn't get called back, either. And the person who actually got the role probably deserved it just as much as you did. Nobody owes you anything. If you can't learn to live with rejection, you are in the wrong business.

Okay, that was a little harsh. Here is a list of things that directors would LOVE you to do for auditions.

Am I jealous of people who are more talented/better prepared than I? You bet! Is it even worse when the person who beats me out for a role is someone I think is equally or possibly less talented than I? Oh, yeah. Those are the ones that sting the most. As William H. Macy once said:

There were some roles I really thought I could play that they gave to Kevin Spacey, but you know, what the hell.

(This quote has become my new motto whenever I don't get a role. "Oh, well! Next!")

There are a million reasons you might not be cast in a show. I love this list of 25 reasons why you didn't get the part. Clears a few things up, doesn't it? All you can do is your best, and then what happens happens. It doesn't do any good to complain when the casting process so subjective... though it might make us feel better for a little while ;-) In most cases, not getting the part doesn't mean you aren't talented. It just means you aren't what the production team is looking for this time. It's okay to be disappointed, but don't let that keep you from trying again another time.

Also, if you and a friend are up for the same part and you don't get it, do NOT make your friend feel badly or downplay their success, regardless of how disappointed you might be. The friend is allowed to be happy about their good luck; heaven knows you would have been if you had gotten the part. It's a sad truth that we are in competition with each other during rehearsals, but must learn to be friends or at least work together during rehearsals and performances...and then you run into those friends at future auditions and it starts all over again. Don't let that keep you from making friends, and be nice no matter how jealous you are. Or, better yet, just be proud of them! I sure am proud/jealous of a lot of my awesome and talented friends!

Another article to read and ponder the next time you (or I, I'm not perfect either) want to complain about the unfairness of the biz: 15 Truths About Being a Professional Dancer. Read it. Love it. Make it your own.

I always specify if I'll only accept a certain role. I don't think that makes me a diva; it makes me honest. I do most of my shows for free, and if I'm going to spend two to four months working on a show after a full day of work, it has to be a show and role that I care about. (Actually, my friend Kristen covered this topic quite well a few years ago.) If I say I'll only take one or two roles, and I'm not cast, I can live with it. (It's a lot harder on the ol' self-esteem when I say I'll take any role and am still not cast.) I hope that directors don't hold my honesty against me. After all, it seems to me to be a lot worse to say I'll take anything (trying to avoid the "diva" moniker), and then refuse a lesser role after the director cast the entire show with this in mind.

To be clear, there ARE certain shows and theaters I would be in the ensemble for. Plus, I have a good sense of my abilities, so I try to be realistic about my choices and my chances.

It also doesn't hurt to audition once in awhile for a show I know I have little to no chance at, just to practice auditioning and see what happens. It takes the stress off myself and allows me to do some crazy things I might not do if I'm more concerned about the outcome. However, be prepared to actually do the show if your practice audition goes well (hello, Arsenic and Old Lace)!

There are several auditions coming up that I hope turn out well for me. I think it's time I read Audition again. And as always, I'll continue to practice, practice, practice!

Theater friends, break a leg at your auditions and in your summer shows! Let me know what your next project is as soon as you know, and I'll be sure to do the same!

An out-of-the-ordinarily musical weekend

Last Saturday was the result of weeks of preparation. I had two singing events, and honestly I've been more than a little stressed about them. I wish they hadn't been scheduled for the same day, but I worked hard, I got through it, and I even had fun. Woo-hoo!

Ragtime audition at Hale Centre Theatre
I hadn't auditioned at the Hale in over two years, but I love this play so much that I knew I would regret it if I didn't try. I chose to sing "The Most Amazing Thing" from Little Women because I'm comfortable with it and could infuse the song with personality; it was tough to choose which 16 bars to sing (it really needs 32). Since I was hoping for a shot at Evelyn Nesbit, I picked an outfit ahead of time that I thought was reminiscent of a 1900s chorus girl. Between the short dress and boots that encourage a little swagger, I felt confident and attractive, which is always a good step (after preparation, of course). Wish I'd remembered to take a photo of the outfit. I received a ton of compliments on that polka-dotted dress.

The night before the audition, I prayed that I wouldn't humiliate myself, I would sound good, have fun, feel glad that I tried (regardless of the outcome), and that at least one of my really good friends would be there to chat with beforehand, and to come into the audition with me. I am so grateful that my prayers were answered! The first person I recognized was my Elisha, and many others came in and out to help me feel loved and talented and awesome. It was tough for me not to be intimidated by some of the talented folks there. I kept reminding myself of the roles I've played lately. I've had some awesome opportunities and fun parts, and that's got to count for something, right? Plus, those people are so nice I was glad to see them in spite of my competitive spirit!

The actual audition went by fast. I decided to sing some high notes I hadn't been planning on, and was glad that the accompanist/music director is familiar with my song. I smiled inwardly about 10 seconds in when both the producer and director put their heads down in sync and started writing! It could only be good or bad.

Turns out it was "not this time" and I wasn't called back. It's okay. I accomplished all of my goals and I am satisfied. I'm a little surprised by how peaceful I am about not being called back. I guess I'm just glad for a little more free time... and that I get to audition for some other shows that are coming up (there are at least 4 others I'd like to audition for this summer).

Meanwhile, a bunch of my friends and favorites were called back and my fingers are crossed! I love Ragtime; the music and story are beautiful and I hope to be a part of it someday. Can't wait to see this production, whoever is cast (although I'll be more excited about some choices than others)!

St. Patrick's Day Party
When Eve first approached me about singing at our ward's St. Patrick's Day party, my initial response was, "Probably not, but I'll think about it." The idea was to have several people in the ward sing a few songs as background entertainment. More "cabaret" style, less "karaoke." A few days later, I wrote an e-mail intending to say "No," and on a whim said "Yes" instead!

Eve asked that I prepare three songs, and encouraged me to sing at least one with another person. I knew my darling friend Kristen would be there, too, so I asked if she wanted to try a duet and and I am so glad she said yes! I love singing with her. She's another one I try not to be intimidated by -- that girl can sing! Her solos were beautiful. We sang "In His Eyes" from Jekyll and Hyde and I think it went well.

I thought it might be fun to ask Nichole and Larissa if they wanted to sing "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" -- sort of reprise it from when we sang it together in the 1940's Radio Hour. The main snag was that we didn't have an alto... so I decided to learn it. I'm sure no one would have complained if I had sung the top line with Larissa -- our harmony would have been louder for sure! I'm pretty proud of how well I did, except that by the time we sang the song my voice had rebelled from all of the practice and wouldn't hit many of the lower notes anymore, especially not as loud as they needed to be. Ah well, it gave me an excuse to hang out with two of my favorite people while we practiced and performed! I could tell that the audience really enjoyed it -- if a slight lowering of the chatting was an indication ;-) As a bonus, I now know all three parts to the song. So, if anyone needs me to fill in sometime, let me know!

My third song was "In Love with a Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific. I chose that one because 1) it was upbeat, and 2) I already knew it... and then I had to get used to a new minus track. *Eyeroll* It a fun song to sing though. After I was done, DJ Rob (also Larissa's boyfriend, which might be the more important title) asked me who "the wonderful guy" is, to which I responded something like "no guy, just a wonderful song!"

I wish the party had been on a different day because sit would have been nice to focus on the audition. Learning three songs on top of it was less enjoyable than it might have been otherwise. On the other hand, it's good to grow my skills and work hard, and I'm glad to have these songs in my repertoire.

Lindsay and Emily -- awesome fans/friends

Karaoke really isn't my thing and I was very nervous about this event. It's another one I'm glad I did, in spite of my initial feelings. I loved singing with my friends. In the end, we're not sure how much the audience actually listened to -- we ended up feeling more like background noise -- heaven knows I shouted myself hoarse talking with people between and after my songs! A bunch of my friends came to support me and meet new people. It was cool to see each other outside of our normal spheres and introduce them to some of my other friends. I don't go to a lot of parties, but if more were like that I might try harder :-)

If you want a little info on the venue and the other performers, check out Eve's blog.

In addition
I also managed to finished The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and appendage videos. I found out too late that if I pay attention to the "featured videos" at end of each of Lizzie's vlogs I'd get Lizzie's, Lydia's, Maria's, and Gigi's videos all in the right story order. I missed out on quite a bit. Nevertheless, I watched them all and might need to start over! I even introduced them to my mom and to Lindsey. It's killing me that the story isn't finished yet. I'm not nearly as excited about finishing Arrested Development as I am in seeing how the vlogs handle the last two chapters of Pride and Prejudice.
(I discovered they are produced by the Vlog brothers. Awesome -- or should it be DFTBA: don't forget to be awesome? -- and totally makes sense.)

What were you up to last weekend?

Sparring

On a whim, I decided to audition with my friend Allyson for The Three Musketeers. As luck would have it, we were both asked to learn a little fencing choreography!

Neither of us had fenced before, but our friend Justin was the choreographer, and was patient with us. I'm proud to say I learned my stuff right-handed, and even got to be the aggressor in the routine -- haha! Probably the only time in my life I'll get to be Milady de Winter.

I should mention that Justin and Allyson were both in my cast for The Importance of Being Earnest -- Allyson was my Cecily, and Justin was our Algernon. Being our first fencing experience, Allyson and I started off really stiff and nervous. We flailed about with enthusiasm and terror, worried we were actually going to hurt one another. Justin gave us the choreography in chunks and was very encouraging -- I think everyone should learn to fence while surrounded by friends!

After a little bit, Justin needed to go inside for some reason... and that's when Allyson suggested it might be funny if we did some of the lines from the "Tea Scene" in Earnest while fighting. We felt silly at first, but gave it a shot anyway.

"Mr. Ernest Worthing and I are engaged to be married!"

"My darling Cecily," Swing and miss. "I think there must be some slight error." Jab. "Mr. Ernest Worthing is engaged to me." Swing over the head and go at her right. "The announcement will appear in the Morning Post on Saturday at the latest."

"...Since Ernest proposed to you, he has CLEARLY changed his mind!" Comes at me from above, I block, and we grapple.

"If the poor fellow has been entrapped into any foolish promise, I shall consider it my duty to rescue him at once," kick her off; she falls to the ground, I point my sword at her throat. "And with a firm hand."

Justin came back and asked incredulously, "Are you quoting the Tea Scene?!"

We laughed and said Yes, and he shook his head and replied, "Well, it seems to be working, 'cause you're a LOT less stiff than you were when I left!"

I wasn't cast in the play, but Allyson was. I can't wait to see her fight for real, and I take pride in the fact that we helped each other do and look our best. All callbacks should be that fun!

Now I'm considering fencing lessons... I have swordplay in the blood! Anyone want to do it with me? Ha ha!

Time to find an audition song!

Even before Earnest closed, people started to ask me what I'm going to do next. I'm glad that I didn't go directly from one show to another, and I'd like a few more weeks break. Then again, when all that most people know about me is that I do theater and my last show just closed, what else is there to talk about but what I'm going to do next?

I admit, I would really, really like to do a musical this summer. I've done two straight plays in a row, flexed my acting muscles quite a bit, and now I want a frothy, dancey summer show. I'm nervous about the state of my voice after the whooping cough fiasco, but I love to sing so very much. Lucky me, there are several shows coming up that I'm interested in...

Which leads to my conundrum: What should I sing at auditions?

Nearly every announcement requests that actors sing a song "in the style of the show." For example, for The Scarlet Pimpernel, you might pick another song from a Frank Wildhorn musical (but somehow not the same song every other woman is likely to choose). Or, for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, it would be smart to consider something from Annie Get Your Gun or Oklahoma.

If that's not stressful and vague enough already, I've heard you can get rejected for straying too far. When I auditioned for Hairspray last year, I thought "Not for the Life of Me" from Thoroughly Modern Millie would do the trick; it's light, it's peppy, it's belty, and the fact that I totally ROCK that song every time made it seem a good choice (this was important because I've been trying to get in good with that particular director for awhile). Well... I did NOT get a callback. I learned later that the director wanted a song from the 60s. Well.. why didn't he just SAY so?!! I don't read minds! Gah!

Then there's the fact that I'm looking at auditioning for three* very different shows: Little Women the Musical, 9 to 5 the Musical, and The Marvelous Wonderettes. Do I work really, really hard on one song that miraculously somehow covers all three? Or do I pick three different songs and hope my voice can cope with learning them all within just a few weeks/days of each other?

I know one thing: I really want to sing this for 9 to 5... for no other reason than it's pure fun:

(Thank you, Sassy, for bringing this song into my life!)

Theater people, what would you suggest? One song or multiple? Which songs?

What are your go-to songs**? Ones you know you show you off terrifically and use as a default when you can't think of anything else (or don't have time to find something else).

Non-theater people, what songs do you love?

All help is welcome!!

*Maybe four... I'm back-and-forth about auditioning for Into the Woods again... I love, love, love it, but I just did it last year and it might be too soon.
**Mine are "I Could Have Danced All Night", "Not for the Life of Me", and "I Cain't Say No."

A Christmas Carol Callback

The callback was a lot of fun interspersed with severe disappointment and hideous nerves. All in all, I thought it went well. I arrived about 20 minutes early and found a HUGE mass of people crammed into the backstage/rehearsal hall. I felt grateful that the pro team had the foresight to get the octet vocal callback done the Saturday before! As it was, I know suspect they were still reading people at midnight.

But I wasn't there quite that long. I had a chance to dance pretty early on. It was a pretty crazy dance. I stood in the back and felt like a dope... until it finally sunk in that I and everyone else was supposed to be silly and just have fun. So I did! I tried to relax and not worry too much about my dignity. We had a chunk of music where we got to do whatever we wanted. I hoped we would get that! All I wanted to do was the "dying swan" and I did! And I think I got a laugh (it's possible the others were laughing at something else).

When we finished dancing I sat and chatted with my besty and some other fun people. Then they called all of the adults into the music rehearsal hall. We filled the entire room. I watched the candidates read for solicitors and the Old Joe scene. It took awhile and yet didn't feel like it was very long. I thought about the talent in the room, and about how I have a week's worth of conflicts which is a little excessive when the run is only 3 weeks long. I decided that since my chances weren't as great as they should be I should cast off my fears and play as much as I could.

About 9pm the pro team left the room to talk about us, and I hadn't done anything since about 7:45. I happened to be sitting on the front row (very unlike me) when Anne came in and requested three volunteers -- a bass, an alto, and a soprano. Well, I ran to the front of the room and picked the alto part! We ended up taking another guy into the dance rehearsal hall and taught him the tenor part along with the quirks Anne wanted. It was awesome! This way, even if I wasn't cast I still got to sing the song one more time! I regret choosing to sing alto. I didn't love it. Next time I am going to rock the soprano.

Not long after that I was told I could go home. I didn't get to read for any parts, but I don't mind. I left feeling very satisfied with my efforts and realistic about my excellent chances (except maybe for the conflicts, but I am not about to skip my family vacation, even for the Hale).

After the callback, I "rewarded" myself with a meal from Carl's Junior. I used to love their food but Wednesday's burger, fries, and shake were very disappointing. Sad. I'm all junk fooded out. Get me a salad STAT!

They made most of the casting calls yesterday and they didn't call me. So, it seems it didn't work out this time. BUT a lot of my talented friends were cast and I could not be more thrilled! I am even considering actually paying for a ticket to see the show. I am just so proud of them! They deserve their success!

I have come out of the experience feeling grateful and happy. I needed a good audition at the Hale. I feel really good about my talent and hopeful about auditioning there in the future. I really do want to work with Anne sometime!

Meanwhile, I have another audition tomorrow morning. And if that doesn't work out there are several other shows coming up that I want to take a shot at. Although, I will miss the lovely down time I've been enjoying!

And, just because it makes me happy everytime I watch it because I adore every person in it so much, here's a rough rehearsal video from the time I actually did Carol at Hale. Good memories!

Not a mind reader (a.k.a. Do they want me in their show?)

I auditioned for A Christmas Carol at Hale Center Theater on Saturday. I've been pretty traumatized in past years by the audition process for this particular show and production team, but I decided this year to audition for me instead of worrying about the outcome. I worked a lot on my mindset so I could just enjoy singing a song that I love to sing and reading a line in a British accent because I love affecting an accent. I rehearsed really hard the three days beforehand, and in spite of the fact that I changed my mind Friday night and decided to sing "Far Far Away on Judea's Plains" rather than "The First Noel", I felt good and ready. (Check out this version - gorgeous!)

Of course, I was nervous for the audition. I warmed up and practiced a bit too much the morning of and worried that my voice would sound hoarse. Luckily, I was first in my group so I got to do my thing and then sit and watch the rest of those ridiculously talented people. I feel that I sang as well as I could considering my nerves and the unfamiliar accoustics in the room; it was adequate but perhaps not impressive. I am proud of the line reading though! I read one of Mrs. Cratchit's lines, and I know I nailed the accent and diction. I sat down feeling rather pleased. When we were done the Pro team told us to wait outside to find out whether we were called back. So, I chatted with a Kiss Me Kate acquaintance who had been in my group while another group went in. It seemed to take ages, but finally the production team called out the names of the lucky people called back.

My name was the first one she called out!

I was surprised and happy and grateful -- the outside observer might call it blase (blah-zay) because I didn't express a huge thrill of excitement and relief. This was my 7th audition for this show in the last 8 years, and only my 3rd callback. I did the show once, and the next year I didn't even get a callback, so when I say I was surprised on Saturday, I mean it. Getting called back at Hale is no small feat! At the same time, I can honestly say my world would not have ended if my name had not been called. I could NOT have said that last year (which is why I skipped the audition last year).

Anyway, they called me back for 4pm that same day, which as far as I know they have not done before. Sooo, I ran home for some dinner and to finish watching A Tale of Two Cities which turned out to be a big mistake because I wanted to cry at the ending (in a good way; I'm excited to read the book!) I returned at 4 and joined about 50 or 60 other people in the music rehearsal hall. Right away I found several people I know -- it's so awesome how small and supportive the theatre community is!

The production team members introduced themselves, and then turned the time over to the brilliant Anne Puzey to teach us "Deck the Hall" -- the hardest song in the show. Luckily, since I've done the show before I felt pretty solid after just a few runthroughs. I was sitting in the midst of a bunch of boys while we learned and I held my own and was even able to help another girl who wanted to try the alto part (I love being able to hear all the harmonies!) I even remembered most of the dynamics and specifics Anne taught us.

Once we were somewhat/pretty confident, Anne started calling us up in quartets to see how well we can hold our own and blend with others. She kindly gave each group at least 2 chances to sing together; the first time with her playing the piano and the second A capella. After the first runthrough she gave us all some directions, like when I sang alto she told me to sing lighter and the soprano to sing louder. I tried both the soprano and alto parts, but I was afraid of singing too loudly as a soprano so I ended up being really soft. Don't think I was impressive as a soprano. However, Anne had me sing the alto part in two groups and for the most part I felt successful!

As you can imagine, listening to 50 or 60 people sing multiple times can take awhile, but we were only there about two hours, at the end of which the director told us all to return on Wednesday to dance. I have no idea if we'll be singing again or if they'll ask me to read for a part. Honestly, everyone at that callback was so fantastic I have no idea who they liked enough to cast. They could cast almost any person there and have a gorgeous show. I'm just following along to see what happens!

I left feeling good about myself and hoping that I get to work with Anne sometime in the future; I honestly feel like a better singer after that experience. It was one of the more fun callbacks (pre-callback?) I've been to in ages. It probably helps that I have no expectations. I want to do well, but even if I do there is no guarantee I'll be cast. I'll just go have fun tomorrow, be grateful for the experience and the opportunity, and hope for the best.

I'll keep you posted!

(This post was typed exclusively one-handed. Try it; it's harder than you'd think and takes FOR-E-HEH-HEH-VER! I am officially giving my injured primary wrist a break. I am so totally ready for it to be well again!)