Caress. Learn. Observe. Company.

Where can I even start?

So much is flying at me; every moment filled with putting something together. It could be a dance sequence, a scenic exchange, and many a times it’s my own sanity. I’ve never felt such a need to fill my artistic banks in which to draw choreography from. Without this, it’s like trying singing without any breath or making a chocolate cake without chocolate. To make sure this doesn’t happen, I’ll watch dance videos on YouTube, work on a new cabaret, listen to a soundtrack of a musical opposite of the CLOC style, ANYTHING: The replenishment must be separate from the show of the moment.

Thus, as I blog, I’m listening to Mariah Carey... 

This past Friday was our second round of auditions for shows #4 and #5 (Candide and The Student Prince). We have 32 singers in our vocal company, 16 men and 16 ladies, and each  VC member is in all nine shows. Our auditions throughout the summer are to cast specific leads and other roles for the upcoming productions. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m not a very good auditioner. What’s great though is I feel I’m learning so much by being on this side of the table. I’m seeing what works, what reads, and what the great auditioners do to capture attention. 

I see these souls auditioning before me, these individuals whom I work with everyday and love as my own, wanting each of them to get that role they’ve been pining for. Then I’m a part of the process of not allowing them all to reach their dreams. In a way I’m learning that casting does truly come down to some really random reasoning: Who is the best person to play opposite this other person we cast? Does he/she look the part? EVERYTHING. 

While difficult, it’s a necessary process, and in a way it can be quite invigorating. We as the creative team are placing pieces together, setting an illustrative demonstration of musical story-telling. And in that creation, you see how important every puzzle piece is, how every soul that auditioned for that lead is essential, actually vital for the production. 

Here’s to seven more shows with these wickedly talented people; I can wait to see what’s to come.