What’s Your Secret? Just Lucky I Guess

I GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Pant, pant, pant, pant.

I got the call as I was driving home.  Actually, I think I may have gotten the call as I was exiting the parking lot!  I was loitering outside for a while, chatting away, and when we noticed one of the auditioners come outside and open his phone, we realized it was time to skedaddle.  A few moments later, I had a voicemail.  Success! 

Yes, I cried a little.

So it’s official! I’m “Woman #3″ in “The World Goes ‘Round.”  It’s a very small show, just five actors singing the songs of Kander and Ebb, and people – I have a solo!  I think more than one!  Holy shit!

So yes, I’d say callbacks went pretty well.  We were a fairly small group, and everyone seemed very nice.  First we danced, led by – let’s call the director Mary after “Mary Poppins,” since she choreographed the movie.  I think I love her.  She led us through some simple steps, directing me to “do it like a singer, not a dancer.”  Then the music director, Fawna, put us in groups and had us sing three part harmonies, which was rather torturous, but I think we all felt that way.  Finally she had each of us sing a song from the show.  On the drive out, I sang along to the soundtrack, and there was only one song, “How Lucky Can You Get,” that I thought – oh jeez, I hope they don’t ask me to sing this song.

So of course, that’s the song I had to sing.  It’s an incredible song – made famous by Barbra Streisand in “Funny Lady” (thank God I didn’t remember that before the audition) – fun to act, and even more fun to sing if you can belt that one high note near the end (“What’s your secreeeeeet?”) - which I cannot.  But I did my best.

And I guess that was good enough!

So incredibly, I’m two for three.  (Never heard from the Sweeney Todd folks.)  How did I get here?  I’m so happy – and yet I can’t help think about all those years, those many, many years, when I was too afraid to audition.  How could such a silly fear have such a huge hold on my life?  What could I have accomplished?  I don’t want anything to change about my life – my Herbie, my Moo – and yet I can’t help but wonder what might have been… what if I could have found success on Broadway, and still somehow met Herbie and had Moo?  What if?

But whatever might have been, is not.  I have my family, I am so very lucky, and for the first time in such a very long time, I feel proud of myself.

Thank Goodness for Big Egos

Although I have suspected for a while, I finally had it confirmed by J the director during our drunken opening night party – I only got the part of Rosie (formerly Ralph) the Stage Manager because the fella who was first offered the role insisted he would only play the lead.

So thanks, unknown actor with bloated ego!  I owe my return to the stage to you.

Tempe Little Theatre, Take 2

Hey, guess what?  I’m in a show!

Well, that was unexpected!  I mean, I must admit there was a part of me that thought maybe, just maybe I’d still hear – the director said he wanted his cast in place by Saturday, so if they just wanted me for the chorus, perhaps I’d still hear - and I guess that was the case!   From our phone conversation, I kinda got the feeling that the director thought, “Aw, here’s this cute mom who just wants to be in a show – let’s let her have a little fun.”  And I suppose that’s pretty spot-on.

Oh – the role, you ask?

Um, Ralph.

Seems there was a dearth of men, so I get to take on the minor role of Ralph, except, get this – the director is thinking of calling me “Rosie.” Ha!  Too perfect.  I’ll also be part of the chorus, and I’ll play a serving wench in the play-within-the-play part of the show.  I have a long history of serving wenchery, so that part should come easily.

Wow.  So all my bitching and moaning all week was for naught.  I got cast – my first try!  I’m going to be in a show!

Strangely, I have some mixed feelings.  I mean, my life is seriously disrupted – our quiet routine of playing, visiting Nana, dinner and bathtime is down the drain as of Monday evening, when rehearsals start.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m very excited about being in a show after all these years – just the idea of standing in the wings on stage gives me chills – but I also quite enjoy the happy routine of our family.

This must be where I start to learn the answer to the question, “So is this still my dream anyway?”

But in the meantime – yip yip yippee!