Eight Shows A Week, Here I come

That's gonna be me! Hopefully I'll have abs like that too...

Last time I wrote I said that I'd talk about my classes at UCB next time, and now that it's next time, here we go!

My sister introduced me to the Upright Citizens Brigade years ago by way of their short lived television show. She'd been involved in Improv for a long time and when she moved to New York about six years ago, she started taking classes right away and has been involved with UCB ever since. I've been wanting to take classes there for years now, and since I did my taxes really thoroughly this year and got a big refund, I could afford it!

Everything about my class was fantastic. Our teacher, Johnny Meeks, was really great and supportive and fun, as were the other people in the class. And it wasn't just a bunch of comedy actors - there were several writers, a voiceover actor, a girl who wanted to get into hosting, and even a couple people who had moved to LA not a month beforehand. Over the eight weeks that the class took place, we all became really good friends. We'd go see shows with each other nearly every Monday right after class, have dinner, see more shows. It was awesome. The class structure itself was pretty fantastic too, it taught us a pretty much fail proof formula that made it less scary to jump up on stage armed with only your experiences and wit. We had a nearly packed house for the grad show and it went better than any of us could have expected for a 101 show.

And now, what you've been waiting for.... I've been offered the role of Extraordinary Girl in the 1st national tour of American Idiot!!! Yes, the news came later than we had anticipated. After that first week of waiting, when they had predicted that casting would be done, I asked my manager if she had heard anything and she said no. "Thinking that ship has sailed, but still hopeful" I believe were her exact words.

Before I left for the callback in New York, I took my good friend Jeff out for a birthday dinner. I have a necklace that looks like a little envelope with a brass note inside, and at some point it fell out and was lost forever. When I realized this, Jeff decided to write 'American Idiot' on a little piece of napkin to put inside the envelope necklace. That became my lucky charm, as I wore it every day in NY and almost every day since I got back. So even though we hadn't heard by the time we thought we would, I wasn't going to uncross my fingers until either we got word or I saw a cast announcement.

This past Monday I was at work and missed a call from my manager. I got a text from her saying "Call me ASAP" and got a little worried, but then listened to the voicemail she left and in her chipper tone she said "Hey Nicci it's Amanda, it's pretty important so call me back when you can". When I got a chance, the first thing she mentioned was Glee - I was supposed to put myself on tape for casting but it had totally slipped my mind. Since the deadline was coming up, I thought that was the important thing she was talking about but (not that glee isn't important!) then she said "And... the people at American Idiot offered you the role of Extraordinary Girl!" uhhh.... What?! I think I asked if she was kidding but duh, why would she kid about that. I had to step outside for a minute so I could jump up and down and laugh and celebrate. For me, July 11 2011 will go down in history.

We're still in the process of working out the terms of the contract, and I guess nothing's officially official until that contract is signed, but this is it guys. The biggest thing that has happened in my acting career thus far. The only details I have right now are that the first rehearsal is November 21st in New York, and we open in Toronto on December 28th. Unfortunately, my sister will be leaving NY to come to LA that exact same week! I'm hoping I can get out there maybe a week beforehand so I can hang out with her and re-assimilate. I'm a little terrified of the cold - after 7 years in Los Angeles, a New York winter is definitely going to be a shock to the system. Word on the street is that there's an hour of boot camp or conditioning before each rehearsal because it's such a physically demanding show, so at least that will keep me warm!

Here's the dates and cities that have been announced so far... Hope to see you out there somewhere! - http://americanidiotthemusical.com/tickets.php

A Look Into The Mind Of Nicci Claspell...

As I'm sure you can guess, much has happened in the past few months. Chicago has been over for some time now, and was a really fantastic production. I can't say it went off without a hitch, but I'm confident in saying that everyone is really proud of what we put up. And it was filmed!! That is rarely allowed out here, so it's exciting that we'll be able to order dvds and see how good we actually were :)

In other un-career-related news, I've been single for a few months. It's a strange thing after being in a serious relationship for over 3 years, but I knew it was what had to happen. Very hard to do, but the right decision. In the time since, I've been focusing a lot on rebuilding relationships with friends and dedicating myself to my career. Which brings us back to the point of this blog...

I've been on several auditions, a few film/tv/commercial but mainly plays and musicals. I've actually been cast in and had to turn down/drop out of a few projects for various reasons. It's something I hate doing, but have found it necessary due to other developments! Which I'll get to right now.

The main reason I'm back here today is to talk about my most recent trip to New York. As you may have noticed in past blog entries, I try not to divulge too much information about projects I get excited about. Maybe it's superstition... considering the fact that I wear the exact same thing to a callback as I did to the initial audition, right down to socks and undies (yes they get washed first), I'd say it's probably superstition. Well, I've been doing the opposite lately and it seems to be working wonders. So get ready for the longest post ever, because I plan on giving more details than ever before!

I'll start by saying the main event here is the American Idiot first national tour. I attended an open call at the beginning of March, three months ago. I woke up later than I intended, and expected there to be a huge turnout for the call. Here's what I wrote in my planner while I was waiting for my turn to sing:

"This could have been the one, but this is not the one. Just because I couldn't get ready fast enough. I'm number 46 or 48, somewhere around there. I believe they've got Equity & EMC scheduled till at least 11:40, and the audition is supposed to go until 4:45, so hopefully it will go smoothly so I can sing. I like open calls. I like when they hold us in a big dance studio, it's great for observing people. They asked for the guys to bring a guitar to accompany themselves, so I'd say there's at least 3 guitars being played simultaneously at any given time. I like that this all doesn't make me nervous. It may have a few years ago, but I feel relaxed now. The only thing is, I wonder if it looks like I'm trying too hard, with my hair and my clothes. I brought a few different tops & shoes just in case, and I'm pretty sure I'll be changing. It's not like I don't have the time!"

And a little while later:

"This might be the one. They're actually ahead of schedule, by about 20 minutes. My appointment time is 3:20, so I may go shopping & be back by 2:30. Though I may not - knowing me, if I leave, I may not come back.

Even just a callback. For ensemble. Please! A shot is all I need."

So now you all see the flashes of desperation I get while auditioning. At least I can still be relaxed during it all.

Here's what happened... I had planned on singing a Paramore song that I didn't really know, and wasn't even sure I liked. I have Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker" in my book as a backup, but I figured half of the girls there would be singing that. I did decide to leave and come back, and while I was in my car I was thinking of other songs I could possibly sing instead. When I got home I began searching for Melissa Etheridge sheet music, when it hit me. "Whats Up" by 4 Non Blondes. I'd never heard it on piano, and have only sung in a handful of times when it came on the radio or someone else sang it at karaoke, but I knew it was the song I had to sing. I found the sheet music online, printed it, and headed back over to the studio.

There was only a little bit of waiting until it was my time to sing, and the dance studio had cleared out considerably. I got into the room, went over the song with the pianist, and began to sing. I did have to start over once because I underestimated how much breath I would need to singe the first line, but once I got going again I don't think it could have gone much better. In fact, in the middle of the song where it starts to get loud and powerful, I'm pretty sure a silly grin crept up on my face because I realized it sounded even better than I thought it would! It sat perfectly in my voice and I belted the top notes with ease.

It takes me about 20 minutes to get home from this particular studio. I looked at my phone when I got home and saw that there was a voicemail - it was from the American Idiot people, requesting I come back the next day for a callback. I hustled to switch my shift at work and confirmed that I would be there. The following day, the main casting director was also in the room. I sang the same song, and was asked on the spot to come back in a few days to sing once again, and to dance. I was given music for the character Whatsername, one of the leads.

The day of that third callback was an exciting one! I sang in the morning - my audition song, plus one of the two songs from the show they had given me, it was put on tape this time - then I had an audition for a film, then went back for a dance call for American Idiot. It's days like those they make you feel like a real like actor, pounding the pavement. Dance calls usually make me just a little nervous because although I can dance, I wouldn't consider myself a "dancer". Luckily, this dance call mainly involved running back and forth and throwing ourselves around. Though a little painful, it was easy as pie. I was among the 6 or so girls that were asked to stay and learn a second, shorter combination. That, too, was pretty easy to pick up.

About a week later I received an email from casting, saying they thought I did really well at the callback. They wouldn't know what the "next steps" would be until May, but to let them know if there was anything that would make me unavailable to them.

Fast forward to 4 weeks ago (wow, was it a month ago already??), I got an email saying that more callbacks would be held in New York and they would like me to attend if I was able. Well, there is NO way that I was not going to be available!! Luckily, I had already requested the weekend in question off because of a friend's potential birthday weekend in Vegas. As fate would have it, that excursion was cancelled so I didn't have to miss out on any big celebration, and I didn't have to get any shifts covered at work because that was the week that one of our new girls was supposed to start, so she just got those shifts. Everything fit right into place.

I want to take a moment to thank my wonderful parents for providing funds for me to fly to New York and comfortably spend what turned into a week there. A big thanks to my sister as well for hanging out with me and letting me stay with her. Cecil, Anne, and Sarah Claspell, you are the best people in the world :)

I took a redeye on friday night and arrived around 11:00 on Saturday morning. Sarah met me at the subway station and we headed to her beautiful place in West Harlem to drop off my stuff. That night we attended the third annual Improm, which is an improv prom. People involved in comedy all throughout NY dress up to the nines, and couples get to do a 5-10 minute improv set together. Which meant that, as each others dates, Sarah and I got to perform together for pretty much the first time ever. I was nervous about it, having only completed the first level of UCB's improv classes (ooh! I'll have to talk about that later!) but it was fun and we got some laughs. After that, she and I went on to kill it at karaoke downstairs, and impress people with how much we are alike.

The only important thing that happened on Sunday is that Sarah and I got lobster rolls from Luke's Lobster. It was honestly one of the most amazing foods I've ever had. We also went to Williamsburg and saw the most hipster flea market I've ever seen. As I said, Sunday was all about the lobster rolls.

Monday was Memorial Day and we attended "The Company Picnic", another event involving many people in the comedy community. There was also a guac-off which we participated in, and our blue cheese guacamole was a hit. I don't think anyone officially voted, but if they had I'd like to believe we would have won.

And now for the main events, what you've all been waiting for, the callbacks! Tuesday morning at 10:30 was my appointment time. I got up early to do my hair exactly as I had for the initial audition and dress in the exact same clothes. As luck would have it, Sarah works directly across the street from the studios where the callbacks were being held, so she escorted me all the way there! I had some extra time so I decided to find out why everyone from the East coast loves Dunkin Donuts so much. Yeah, they know how to make a donut.

Once inside the studio, I had a little time to wait around and talk to the other people there. I saw a few familiar faces from the Los Angeles auditions. Once again, not nervous. Pretty relaxed. I got into the room not too long after my appointment time and sang the same two songs I had been given three months prior. We were asked to prepare one of five poems, but to my knowledge they didn't actually have anyone do them. When I was done singing, the casting director walked with me out of the room, and asked me to come back later to audition for another project they're doing. When I went to his office to pick up the sides, an associate/assistant told me that they're reviving On A Clear Day You Can See Forever on Broadway, and it's going to be starring Harry Connick Jr. I had a few hours to kill so I bought a new dress that would be more appropriate for this particular role - a 1940's Jazz singer. I'm positive it would have taken away a little if I had shown up in the American Idiot attire. I ended up reading/singing for the casting associate/assistant that I had gotten the sides from, and it felt very good. He actually looked through my book after I sang and asked me to do another song, one of my favorites to sing - "Life of the Party" from The Wild Party. I love singing that song because I feel I can really let go and just have fun. He said considering the amount of time I had to work with the material from the script, I did a great job.

I was called to come the next day to sing and dance for American Idiot again. This time the director, Michael Mayer, was in the room. This was very exciting because he was the original director for Spring awakening, and he's also directing On A Clear Day. That seemed to go well, and once I was done singing, I was given music to look over for a different character. The casting director talked with me again and asked how long I would be in town, and I told him I had a flight early the next morning. He told me to look into how much it would be to change my flight to a later time/date so I could be seen once more for AmId in the morning, and On A Clear Day in the afternoon. If need be, they could help out with the cost. I immediately got on the phone with the airline and got a quote. I also called my manager to tell her the good news.

This particular day got up to about 90 degrees, and had about 64% humidity. It also happened to be the day of the dance call. I changed into my dance attire, complete with leg warmers and a fishnet shrug thing, but once we started dancing these things were quickly removed. Though there was air conditioning in the room, there was only so much it could do with probably 30-something people running around and slamming ourselves into the ground. We also learned another combination that involved capoera and other defensive moves. There was not a single dry body to be seen. Once again, I was asked along with a few other girls to stay and do the same girly combination we were taught in Los Angeles.

As I was leaving the room, I spoke with the casting director and told him the price of the cheapest ticket we found. He said it wasn't a problem, they would reimburse me for it. The whole thing. What? These things happen?? It's a strange and wonderful feeling when you're liked and wanted to the point that a casting company will shell out hundreds of dollars just to keep you in town for one more day. Even now, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.

A few hours later I sang once again, this time with just the pianist and musical director, the music for the other character I was given earlier. I was told to forget about the other music and come back the following morning at 11 to sing this new stuff, for the character Extraordinary Girl.

And I did. The toughest part about this whole experience was not being warmed up enough. Unfortunately I couldn't belt some of the notes I normally would have been able to, but luckily I think I was still able to mix them very well. I get the impression that the creative team liked me a lot, and there's nothing more you can really ask for than that.

I had a couple hours to kill before my On A Clear Day audition, so I tracked down the Luke's Lobster truck and got another lobster roll. It was absolute heaven.

I returned to the studios, changed into my more appropriate dress, and sang/read for the Clear Day creative team. Michael Mayor seemed to be impressed that I could transition from punk rock AmId to smooth jazzy Clear Day, and said it's been a good day. It certainly was. A good week, actually.

I slept on and off from around 8pm until 3am, packing and facebooking intermittently. I caught a cab at 4am for a 6:55 flight from LaGuardia. Arrived in LA around noon, went home to drop off my stuff, and went straight to work.

There are several things I glossed over, this entry being long enough already. I got to meet up with some of my friends from my Alabama RENT cast, the lovely Meagan Elizabeth Lewis, Stephanie Mosley, and Lauren Bowling. Tuesday after the first auditions I got to see Sarah perform in 2 improv shows at UCB which were absolutely incredible. I also finally treated myself to 4 meatball sliders from The Meatball Shop, one of my very favorite places to eat in the world, as a celebratory last meal in NY.

I heard from my manager this morning that I seemed too young for On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, which I was half expecting but I'm so happy just that I was brought in for it in the first place. She also said we should hear about American Idiot by the end of the week, which is exciting and nerve wracking. I'd rather it just be a surprise, but now you know exactly how long you have to send good vibes my way. I really do feel great about the whole experience and have a good feeling about it. I'll be sure to update here when I get word!

(to view pictures to go along with all of these words, check out my album on facebook!)

Third Time Is Maybe Not The Charm

A dream come true twice over is plenty. I keep joking to people that I'll be doing RENT for the rest of my life, but as fun as that would be I'd miss many other opportunities. This will be my first pilot season with my manager and agent working for me, which hopefully will yield lots and lots of auditions and - with any luck - a job or two! My manager is also setting up a meeting with another commercial agent and that is going to be good, I just know it.

Wow... so in typical Nicci fashion of late, I had let myself dwell on RENT. The callback was on a Saturday, and we were told that they'd probably be finishing casting by the end of the weekend. When a few friends told me they got calls and were offered roles on Monday, I still held out hope that maybe there was more to be done. Christmas came and went and I still let myself think about it. I even sent the production office an email letting them know how much fun I had at the callback, and that I'd love to be a part of the show in any capacity.

The hardest thing was not knowing if I should be expecting something or not. Sure, no one in this industry is going to give everyone that didn't make the cut a courtesy call. But they had been posting most everything online up to that point so the fact that I never saw a final cast list made me think that maybe they were still in the process. I finally got word from two of my friends that were cast in the show that an email was sent out to the cast. My immediate reaction was to be a little sad. A) It's RENT! and B) I'd love to work with those friends again, I know they're going to be fantastic.

And then... a wave of relief came over me. I'd let a lot of anxiety build up by not letting this particular audition go, and as soon as I know I wasn't waiting for anything anymore I felt like a normal person again. Yet another example of why actors have to forget about the audition as soon as they leave the room. You can cause yourself a lot of frustration otherwise! I am very excited to see my beautiful friends in this show. Ben, my Angel from both RENTs I did, is again one of the Angels, and My darling friend Josie is a Maureen. They're going to be spectacular :)

I had an audition for a reading of a new musical today at the Pasadena Playhouse that I feel good about. Any audition where get to sing Pat Benatar and use a Russian accent is bound to be a fun one. The people behind the camera seemed to like what I did and laughed in all the right places. And now, though I feel good about it, I've let it go. If it happens it happens.

There are also a couple exciting auditions coming up, the first of which being Chicago. I submit myself for the role of Roxie (Velma has already been cast), and got a message from one of the casting people saying that we had a lot of mutual friends, and she was actually planning on finding me on facebook and asking that I come in for the audition. That could be a good sign! If my last dance audition is any indicator, I think I'll do fine tomorrow. I'm not a dancer, but I can dance. And if my body doesn't want to listen to me tomorrow, they're also casting The Last 5 Years which requires no dancing. A different song choice and I think I may have a fighting chance for that too.

Aannnnddddd lastly - I have another meeting with a commercial agent next week. I am so so thrilled. This could be the one, folks.

I Am Alive And Well

As I'm sure you've noticed, it's been about a month and a half since I last posted an entry. I haven't been trying to avoid blogging by any means - in fact there have been several times I've wanted to blog because some cool things have been happening, but I just haven't done it.

It was recently brought to my attention that some things I say here can be taken as me being narcissistic. I was worried about that when I started the blog. No one whats to toot their own horn too much for fear of others becoming annoyed with the sound. But here's what it comes down to: This is a blog about me. It's an easy way to give family and friends an update on what's happening on my professional journey, as well as some personal and social life stuff, on their own time. If anyone gets tired of reading about me, they can choose not to visit the blog.

On that note, I think it's time for an update!

So where did we leave off... Chess is long over now. We had a brilliant last weekend, and we followed our closing night 1.1 with another potluck. The cast and crew was full of so many wonderful people, there was no way we wouldn't have a good time. I don't think I wrote about this before, but a friend of one of the producers came to see the show and enjoyed it so much that he invited the whole cast to the Magic Castle! I've been wanting to go there for years and years - it's part hotel, part restaurant and venue for magicians to perform. You have to either be a member or invited and accompanied by a member to get in. Luckily, the producers friend is a member (he's a magician) and was our host for the evening. Not only did we get a private magic show from him - that I got to help out with - but there were several floors with lots of rooms and shows happening in them all night long. We were there for about 5 hours. I think that may have also had something to do with the ghost piano player that we had a sing-along with.

I also had the immense pleasure of singing a song with my chess co-star, Blake Ewing, in his one man show at Vitello's in studio city shortly after the show closed. We sang "Someday", a song what was cut from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It's a beautiful and moving song, that as far as we know it's only carnation that can be seen is in German on youtube. So unfortunate. His show was packed and went off without a hitch.

That audition I mentioned last time went pretty well. I would have been nice to have been a little more familiar with the sides, but I did the best I could with the time I had and it was in no way a bad audition. And a good thing too because I haven't had an audition since. It's the beginning of pilot season, which means almost all efforts are going toward reviewing and choosing which pilots will go ahead, which in turn means there's not much that's casting just yet. Sure there's projects here and there, but it's not going to get back into full swing until after the new year starts.

So that means now is the time to prepare for the actors portion of pilot season! I finally had that meeting with the commercial agency on Wednesday. I feel like I'm getting better at these things, it only took me an hour to figure out what to wear! I got there with about 10 minutes to spare. The receptionist handed me a folder with four "commercials" in it, and told me to pick one to read to the agent. I spent a couple minutes with that, and then the agent come out to meet me. He was very friendly and easy to talk to, and I got a good feeling about the whole thing. It seemed like everyone there enjoys what they do and actually work for their clients. We chatted a little bit, I read the commercial a few times, and that was that. He said he's be in contact with my manager in a few days.

When I got to work I was greeted with an email from my manager. Unfortunately, it looks like there's a conflict with another client of theirs, most likely meaning they already have someone that's my type. So that's a no-go. Of course my initial reaction was that I was bummed, I've really been looking forward to this. But then I though you know, I guess I can't get them all on the first try. I've been very lucky and signed with the first manager and theatrical agency that I've met with. That really doesn't happen all the time, so I'm excited to take more meetings when we get them. Plus, I'm now 25 and that means I'm legally allowed to do beer and alcohol commercials. I don't know how much that will work to my advantage, but I'd like to imagine that it will very much :)

I'm also lucky that I do, in fact, have an audition next week. It's for a new musical, Dangerous Beauty, based on a 1998 film that was based on a non-fictional book. The casting director for Reprise is bringing me in. That's pretty exciting, because she hasn't even met me yet so either her relationship with my manager is very strong, or Jason Alexander's recommendation weighs pretty heavily. Or Both! The show is going to be in Pasadena which I love because it's so close, and the pay would be pretty darn good too. I'm in the process of choosing some songs. I need two, one uptempo and one ballad, that are 32 bars each. That's a bit of a challenge because nearly every musical theater audition I go to requests 16 bars or less of one song, so I'll be singing 4x as much as I'm used to! It will be good though. I just know it.

Check Mate

Wow, you guys have no idea how readership has boomed since that RENT review! It's pretty exciting to see those high numbers. I'd say at least half of the viewers were because Evan linked to it from his review (thanks Ev!). But now, back to writing about yours truly and the things I'm trying to do with my life.

There's a rehearsal tonight for the Chess featured soloists. As it goes, the cast has pretty much all fallen in love with each other (in a platonic way) and a few other people might show up to just to hang out, maybe sing a little if we have to. Today is also the day when I have a meeting about a very important matter. I've been instructed not to talk much about it, and that's fine with me. It would bore you anyway. But at the moment I'm a bit stressed about it, so I'm not 100% that I'll make it out to rehearsal/hang out time. I may just have to head straight home and have a glass of wine, or 3.

The peak of the Perseid meteor shower is tonight, so that should help calm my nerves too. If you aren't aware, I have a childish fascination with bright things in the sky. Namely fireworks, but also lightening and meteor showers. If I saw a UFO, instead of freaking out I'd probably clap and giggle like a 5 year old. It was either last year or the year before when Evan and I went to a nearby mountain to watch this amazing event. I can't remember exactly how many, but we counted an insane amount of meteors in just two hours. So if tonight is anything like that, it'll be almost as good as Disneyland for me.

Tomorrow night we're having a going away party for our dear Michael, a "chesser" who has to go back east to finish up school. We had a potluck at the theater after our last show to wrap up stage 1 of chess, and that was a success. Food was eaten, speeches were made, and good times were had by all. So tomorrow we're all going to another cast member's place in Santa Monica for more food and good company. Michael is a wonderful, talented, special boy, and he will be missed very much!

As much as I know it would pain Micheal to hear this, I am excited to start this next leg of the show. I know it's impossible for the 2 new people we have coming into the cast to replace anyone, but it will be neat to see what new things they bring to the dynamic of the cast and the show. Plus, my manager will actually be able to see it!! We completely sold out last weekend, over sold actually, so even though we added a few more seats to the house we weren't able to accommodate everyone and priority was given to paying customers. And even though they were aware that my manager and her guest were industry, there were apparently more industry people that got there before them. In any case, she brought me the most delicious cupcake and said she'd come back for the extension. She's the best :) Speaking of her being the best, she's trying to get me an audition for Reprise's upcoming show, They're Playing Our Song. Just for ensemble, but it would be good to get in front of Jason Alexander again just to stay fresh in his mind.

Now, not to toot my own horn - but it must be said that I haven't found a single bad review for Chess. More reason that you should come and enjoy it! Here's what some of the critics are saying:

• "The beautiful Nicci Claspell plays Florence, the second to American World Champion Frederick (quirky Blake McIver Ewing) with heart and convition - she avoids pop-song yodeling and sticks to character-driven singing. Well done!"
  -Tony Frankel, www.stageandcinema.com
  

• "The two women were outstanding: Emily Dykas as Svetlana was riveting, and Nicci Claspell was also compelling as Florence. Both of these women had marvelous composure."
  -Robert Machray, http://blogcritics.org

And you should see what they say about the rest of the cast! You can hear a sound clip at www.plays411.net/chessinconcert, and then purchase your discount tickets at www.goldstar.com

Chess Success!

It was so nice to get back to the theater last night and see my lovely chessers! We had a fantastic show on Sunday, perhaps even better than what I had written about for Saturday. It may have been a personal best for everyone in the show to date!

This week in between was a busy one for me. Lots and lots of work - we're looking to fill another receptionist position, so we're rearranging to schedule for the end of the month, I've been calling applicants and setting up meetings, and doing my regular work stuff too. I also went to the Red Sox/Angels game (the Sox won! Yay!) with Evan and my roommates and neighbors and friends, went to trivia night for the first time at Q's Billiards, and had an audition. A productive and fun week.

The audition I went on was yesterday morning for Kevin Smith's new horror movie, "Red State". I was auditioning for two small rolls and I think it went fine. One of them was actually supposed to be in her 20's, which was nice. The other one (or two actually, it was for Girl 1 AND Girl 2) is a 17 year old high school kid. Not that I'm unbelievable as a high school student, but when the other people at the audition talk about living with their parents or having their mom drive them there that morning, I feel pretty seasoned. I have no doubt that I'm doing fine at the auditions, I just need to find where I fit. Soon enough we'll figure out where the industry sees me and I'll start booking things, I'm sure of it.

We were called to the theater at 6:30 to do mic check and run a few numbers. Everything seemed to be going along pretty smoothly, and it's always reassuring when you remember your words after nearly a week of no shows. We were all having fun backstage getting ready, and at our half hour i started getting dressed, only to realize I couldn't find my shoes. They're fairly simple black heels, but since I had worn bright pink polka-dotted galoshes there, it was very important to find them or some other alternative. There was a dance show at the theater over the week and our choreographer was in it, so she text'd all the girls to see if anyone had grabbed them by accident. In the meantime, there were some short boots at the theater from a past production of Oklahoma that almost fit and that's what I wore for the first act. It did throw me off a bit. I want to feel very strong and womanly and these shoes didn't allow that. I felt like my acting was a bit off and I did forget some of my words, but hey - it could have been much worse. I'm sure it's better than to have had to go on with the pink rain boots. I didn't even realize until people told me when I got off stage what a huge applause I got after "Nobody's Side".

Luckily one of the dancers had grabbed the shoes, thinking one of her fellow dancers left them behind, and brought them back so I had them for the second act. I felt like that went much more smoothly for me, and we had an amazing audience. We had a woman in the very front row - closer than normal because of the added seats - mouthing every.single.word of every song, which is impressive because most of us in the show couldn't do that. And our musical director pointed out that you know you've got something really good when the audience starts applauding before the song even ends. Josie, one of the cast members, said there were critics in the audience and they absolutely loved the show. I also had a few friends in the audience, people with whom I've worked on projects before, and they thoroughly enjoyed it.

We actually oversold for the night, and even after bringing in more chairs we had to turn a lot of people away that had comp tickets, including another castmate's agent. My manager is coming with a casting director tonight, so I told her to let the people at the box office know who they are just in case we oversell again.

And for those people that got turned away, they'll have six more chances to come see it because we've officially extended the run! Unfortunately not everyone will be able to do the extended shows, so we'll have 2 weeks off to rehearse and put in a few new people, and our extended dates are August 19-21 and 27-29. We're going to record some audio at tonight's show to use as promotional samples on the ticketing websites, and I wouldn't be surprised if we sell out each of the new dates.

After the performance last night a bunch of us went to The Other Side, a piano bar in Silverlake where our pianist plays weekly. People bring their music books or choose songs that he knows how to play and sing along, a kind of live karaoke. I think almost all of us from the show sang at least one song, if not backing up someone else. Sad that we're all really starting to bond when it's the last weekend for some people, but better late than never.

I have a great feeling about tonight, I have at least six people coming to see me and I'm very excited. We've decided to have a cast/crew potluck afterward which I think will be the perfect way to top off a fun/busy/productive week, and send off those that won't be able to continue the extension with us. Our pseudo-closing night is going to be fantastic.

Auditions...

First things first - I had an audition for Chess In concert last night. I showed up, sang something from Jekyll & Hyde, and I think that may be the best I've ever sounded in a musical audition. Now I know that if I don't get a callback, it's simply because I'm not what they're looking for. It's great to fees so confident about that.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My hair has been causing problems for me. It started yesterday when I woke up at 8 to go to a 10:45 audition in Culver City, for a small role in a Justin Timberlake/Mila Kunis movie. I showered and got me hair set to do a beautiful blowout, and decided to use a brush I don't normally use for that. Huge mistake. As I started unrolling my first strand of hair from the brush, it was absolutely stuck just one inch from my scalp. Normally you roll it back up a little or pull a few small strands from the brush to fix that, but it wouldn't budge. I spent at least 20 minutes trying to free the brush from my hair, and I hadn't even decided what to wear yet.

Once I finally found a way to put myself together I set off for Sony studios. Of course, the 10 was awful and I got to the parking structure exactly at my appointment time. Only to find out security didn't have my name in the system, and in calling my manager I found out the audition was for this morning, not yesterday morning.

So I went through it all again today. Woke up about 10 minutes earlier and made sure to use the right brush this time. Everything was going smoothly until I was halfway done with my hair and, pop, my blow dryer exploded. Ok, I guess that's exaggerating a little. But there were some serious sparks that came from it -- and not the part where the air comes out, the part where the cord meets the handle. A bit frightening, I'll admit. There was no way I was letting the other half of my hair air dry with all that mousse in it, so I threw it up in bun and hustled down to Walgreens to buy a new one.

Luckily I had picked my outfit early on accident (remember, I did it the day before!) but got on the road only 10 minutes earlier than I did on the first try. Thank goodness for those extra minutes I gave myself in waking up early. The 10 was fine and I parked with 10 minutes to spare. Seems like "10 minutes" is the theme of this segment... So I check in with security and get a map to find my way aaaaalllllll the way across the lot, past at least 27 sound stages, past the streets and buildings they have on location to tweak to look like real places, and up three flights of stairs. In the summer. In California.

The audition itself felt like it took less than a minute, and it very well may have. There were some girls that were literally in the room for 20 seconds and then they were done. I was called into the room and read my four lines, she gave me a slight adjustment and asked me to do it again. I did and it was fine, and that was that. I feel like it's really going to be based on looks, and though I'm confident in how I look, there were some AMAZING looking girls in that room. I'm find with believing that I didn't get the part, and I'm sure Evan's even happier because if I got it I'd have to make out with Justin Timberlake.

So until next time, I'm just waiting for the next train (that's for you, Lauren!)

Reasons

Godspell is now closed. I can't believe how fast those six weekends of shows went by! Our last few shows went very well. Evan came once again to see the show on Friday night - he's supposed to review the show, so if that ever does happen I'll post a link for all of you to read it. My mom and her boyfriend John came to see it Saturday evening, it was so nice to see them! Between the shows the cast had one of our traditional Saturday afternoon picnics, and as much as I tried to limit myself, once I met up with mom and John I didn't think I'd have room for any dinner. The nice thing about the theater, and this isn't a bad thing as long as you're on time, is that you have plenty of time before your food arrives. So we had some wine (only a little for me, I did have a show to do after all) and an appetizer, and the food came out about half an hour before my call time. This time I tried the tri-tip, as it came highly recommended, and it was great. I saw a few friends in the audience, and greeted them before I made my way back to the dressing room.

For me, there's always a bit of a different feeling at a closing show. Every line is a little more important or poignant, especially in a show like this. I think there was more energy up there than we'd ever had before, and it ended up being more emotional that I had anticipated. Between the acts Jackie and I brought our cameras on stage and hid them in a bookshelf so we could take pictures as soon as the curtain closed. We all cried and laughed and hugged, and eventually came off stage to get changed for our cast party. As soon as my pants came off, Diane burst into the dressing room announcing Jason Alexander was right outside the door. I froze for a second, trying to decide weather to put my costume back on or continue changing into my regular clothes, but I brought so many options with me that I thought the show pants would be my best bet. I grabbed my camera and went out to ask for a picture with him and thank him for coming to the show. Turns out Huck (the guy who played our Jesus) is his godson. He politely obliged to the picture, and then said "Nicci. You're non-Equity, right?"
"That's right"
"Hmm... Well, I'm the artistic director at Reprise. I'd like you to get in touch with me (insert his email address here)."
Then something about auditioning for one of the shows in the upcoming season of Reprise. They're usually not supposed to use non-union, but he though I would be great for a specific role. I said I definitely get in touch, and I got a headshot/resume for him from my car - cause you always have to be prepared for moments like these - and then just jumped around for a few minutes, changing my clothes and giggling, thinking (and saying) HOW COOL IS THAT.

Once I finally decided on what combination of things to put on my body, I set off with everyone else to Amy's house where she was hosting the cast party. Aside from the good food and company, we were all very much looking forward to a rousing game of Quelf. If you haven't heard of it, get into it. It's a hilariously fun board game that we all fell in love with last weekend while spending the afternoon at Amy's. So much that Trance and I both bought it this week.

Shortly after I arrived, I sent an email to Jason thanking him again for coming to see the show, what a surprise and honor, and that I was glad to be in touch with him (he wrote back a few hours later with some of the details. Turns out my manager knows the casting director, so chances of getting an audition are now huge!).

So the party was a success. I should mention - at one point during the run, Adam proposed to Diane because of her amazing baking, so when the pizza got there we took a break from Quelf to stage the wedding. David and I were the ring bearers, Huck gave Diane away, Loren did a poetry reading, and Neil married them. It was kind of unbelievable that we went to such lengths, but we are theatre people after all. There was a pizza reception followed by the continuation of Quelf. All in all we played for at least 5 hours. We even had to use things like a bottle of nail polish and tobasco sauce for extra game pieces. It was end to a lovely show.


I often think back to when I was so conflicted about turning down a job a few months ago. I stressed myself out so much over it, but my decision to stay here in California with Godspell did turn out to be the best one. Since that time I've secured myself a manager, and agency, gone on tons of auditions, and now this Jason Alexander thing... There are reasons that things happen the way they do. This summer so far has been a great reminder of that.

By the way, the Reprise show and role he has in mind for me is Gigi. And the audition will be in November, so I have from now until then to study up so I can ace the audition!


*PS. stay tuned for pictures!*

Knock On Wood

At the risk of something going awry again, I have to say it.... I have an agency.

As you may remember, a few weeks ago I thought I got the confirmation call on this agency, only to be unsure about it again. Neither I nor my manager was sure what was going on. But she called me on Friday with the good news.... that the two women I initially interviewed with were enthusiastic and anxious and wanted to move ahead, confident that the third agent I met with would come around. Not that he didn't particularly like me, but he was just on the fence and hadn't had time to really sit down with my reel and resume and think about the meeting. So I didn't wow him, no biggie. I charmed the other two enough to do business with the whole agency.

I wanted to write Friday after I got home from the show, but I wasn't sure there was enough to make me confident that this decision would stick. Well, not moments ago I got a call from my manager, saying she got a 'welcome' call from one of the agents. She instructed me to get in touch with the online breakdown service and have them add the agency to my profile. I also gave the agent a call so I can confidently say it is officially official. Phew!! Both the manager and agent told me that agent no. 3 just doesn't work with that many young people so that's why he was on the fence, but that doesn't mean that he won't submit me. They previously had a young client that he himself put on a series, so it's all good news.

I also have an audition for a backdoor pilot on Wednesday. No that's not something dirty - it's a "pilot episode filmed as a standalone movie so it can be broadcast if not picked up as a series", so says Variety. The character is a serious 16 year old girl, I think I can pull that off. Plus, as of today my demo reel is finally up online so hopefully that will bring in more auditions as well. I figure that at this point it's just a numbers game. I'm confident that I can book things and impress people, it's just about finding the role that fits. And now with a manager and a few agents working for me, my chances of finding that role (maybe even many of them) have skyrocketed. I've told people, "it's only taken me 6 years to get this far!" But in actuality, I'm lucky to have gotten so much within a year and a half. After school, I didn't really pursue anything until the beginning of last year. So I really have made huge strides in a short time.

We're down to one more weekend of Godspell, only 5 more shows! What a fun time I've had with this production. Each show we do is more fun than the last. I'm so so happy to have all of these people as my friends. They're all talented and driven and just wonderful people. I could brag about them all day long.

Aaaaaaaaaaand, I'm going to see In The Heights tomorrow. I'm bringing Evan. I think he'll like it.

Did I Speak Too Soon?

I hope this isn't another Rock Of Ages situation...

It started Monday morning. I wanted to get up and go to the gym, but we had our first 6 show weekend plus Sunday was Jason's closing night so we went out for a little bit after the show. Therefore, I decided to take the morning to relax before I had to go into work. Now, since I got this fancy new "network extender" for my cellphone (because Verizon has terrible service in my neighborhood) I've been forgetting to plug in my phone at night. Since it's not constantly struggling to find service all the time, it usually doesn't die. Well there's a first time for everything right? I got an email from my manager wondering where I was, because she left me 2 voicemails and didn't hear back from me all morning.

Shit.

I've only been with her, what, 2 weeks? And I'm already dropping the ball.... that was the.worst.feeling. I turned my phone on and called her immediately. The one remaining agent of the three at the agency I was to sign with wanted to meet with me. Obviously I wasn't able to because I had work, so I scrambled to clear my schedule for the next day. That wasn't looking promising, being so late notice for my co-workers, but I had time to meet with him this afternoon. I called the agency directly and set up the meeting, and breathed a sigh of relief.

I spent part of last night, most of this morning, and all of the spare minutes after my shift at work today figuring out what to wear. I got there a little early, and met the agent within minutes of arriving. He's a friend of a teacher I had in school out here, and when I told her I'd be meeting with his agency she said to say hi. I felt good passing along the message, our conversation went smoothly, but I felt like we talked so much about me. The other two agents gave me so much great info and insight into how they work, that I was hard pressed to come up with questions. But I wasn't awkward, and I don't think embarrassed myself, so hopefully everything will continue on the path that I'm expecting. Only.... when we were finishing up, he asked if I was meeting with other agencies, said it was nice to meet me, and that we'd all talk by Friday.

Wasn't I supposed to sign a contract this week and give them photos and reels? I'm not complaining, I'm just a little worried that I misunderstood the situation. Had I only decided to go to the gym Monday morning, I would have noticed my phone had died much earlier and perhaps had a better (and sooner) meeting. Oh well. Positive thoughts. We'll all know soon.

So.

We had some of our best shows this weekend. Tons of energy plus enthusiastic audiences made for lots of fun. Between shows on Sunday we had a pick-up rehearsal for Neil who will be having his opening show with us this weekend. We did the sections and dances he's involved in and sped through the rest. There was a lot of joking around, but I don't think there is a doubt in anyone's mind that he'll have no problem settling into the show. He's been to see a few performances each weekend, constantly practicing and asking questions. Not to mention he's so talented in the first place. His first time doing a full run, not marked, was supposed to be tomorrow... but we received an email earlier today explaining that since only 36 tickets were sold for the performance, they canceled the show and moved the ticket holders to a different day. I can't imagine how disappointing that must be, but I'm sure we'll bring extra energy on Friday since we have one more day of rest.

I asked Evan how I should end this post, and here's what he suggested:

And in conclusion, the end.

IT'S OFFICIAL

I just got a call from my manager - I have an agent!!! YESSSSS! I can't wait to really kick this into gear.

She also told me that she got great feedback from the casting director from Mean Girls 2. They though I was really good, they just got an older vibe from me. I'm not all that surprised. For at least the past 5 or so years, people are surprised that I'm not older than I am - not because of how I look, but because of the way I present myself. The CW, HBO, stuff like that I could definitely still play high school, but I can see how a movie like MG2 would want the real deal, especially with the type of characters in it.

Ahhh! I'm still so excited! I was only able to let out a little squeal because I'm at work, but man oh man is this cool. We're going to make lots of money and it's going to be fun. That's what she said, and I believe it. A part of me wonders if in a few years Liv Tyler or Christina Ricci or Natalie Portman will remember that I was the receptionist at their waxing studio. But that's a long way off, and yes that was some unnecessary name dropping. Sorry. Hilary Duff just got here, and it wade me wonder... Ok, enough of that.

With this news, and Jason leaving the cast and Neil joining it, I think that's cause for celebration this weekend. I'll start off by having dinner with Evan and our friends, Ken and KT, before the show tonight!

In other fun news, one of my castmates is creating a musical with a few other friends of mine, and they asked if I would sing some tracks for them. We're going to use a break in between some of our weekend shows to record it. Also, David (Godspell director) asked if I might be interested in singing with a band. Which, duh, that would be awesome. I've always wanted to, so I'd love to give it a shot.

Wow, so many amazing things happening right now. What a lucky girl I am!

Another Stepping Stone... Hopefully

Hello! I've been meaning to write another entry for a few days now, but the free time I've had has been spent watching the food network. It's grill week, how could I not??

We closed another successful set of shows this weekend. Doing six shows a weekend, it's easy to see how it's transforming. The more we do it, the more little nuances we find that really work, so they stick. For the most part it's getting more fluid, and we don't have to worry about those damned transitions anymore because we all know what's coming next. I don't think I mentioned this before, but one of the guys will be leaving after this coming weekend. That part was double cast from the beginning because both of the men had conflicts, so one of them is getting the first three weeks of the show, and the other is getting the last three weeks.

It makes the run feel very short knowing that this weekend is the end of the first half, and we'll be able to physically see it happen. Both guys are really fantastic though. The second has been coming to see the shows a couple times a weekend and is a really talented performer, so no one has any doubt that he'll step in like it's nothing. A few of us were talking about it the other day, agreeing that each of them will bring something very different but also very good to the show. I think it might be a nice refresher for all of us too, it will keep the show from becoming muscle memory. That can happen when you do something over and over and over, and if you're not careful you forget why you're doing what you're doing on stage, and just do it. A switch in the cast should prove to be a reminder of just that.

The auditions went well last week. I'll just say it - the audition was for Mean Girls II. It was actually on the Paramount lot instead of a separate casting office, so that was only slightly intimidating but pretty exciting also. The room I was directed to was actually the one where they were filming and not the waiting room and it rattled me a little to have the casting director be (understandably) perturbed when I walked in in the middle of someone's audition. The sides were interesting to work with too... there were 16 pages, and I said only a line or two from each page. It was a little distracting to keep flipping the page after every line. The important part, though, is that I got in that door (figuratively). I also got in the door for an audition for Scream 4. Yeah, they're making a "4". That one I felt went really well. The office was cute, the casting director was laid back and nice, and I was in and out quickly. I don't believe I got either of these, but the fact that I'm getting my face in front of these people is a great thing.

I had a meeting with some agents yesterday. My manager came with me, which I think was great. She's so sweet and she works with these women often so they have a great, friendly rapport. We were there for about 45 minutes, my longest meeting yet. We talked a little about me and my background, but we also talked about the Celtics, friends in the industry, one of the women's nieces.... I found something I've heard over and over to be true: the best thing to do is not talk about yourself. If you look up what to do during a meeting with an agent/manager, every article will tell you this. Treat it like a first date. One of the worst things you can do on a first date is talk on and on about yourself. Yes part of the meeting is about them deciding if your skills will allow them to get you work, but it's also about feeling comfortable with each other and getting a feel for who you'll potentially be working with. I can see how this could work with first meetings in general, but I think it's especially important in the entertainment industry where you are, essentially, selling yourself. Wait, that sounds bad... but in a way it's true.

So that meeting was at 3, and around 6 o'clock I got a call from my manager letting me know that she had just gotten off the phone with the ladies I met with and they loved me. One even wanted to pitch me for something right away, which obviously my manager was ok with. There's one other agent in their company that I didn't get to meet with, but he's taking a look at me reel and if he's cool with it, then I'm in. So hopefully I can update in a few hours letting you all know I have a theatrical agent. Cross your fingers!

When my manager said she was going to keep me busy, she wasn't lying. I auditioned for the British television series yesterday* and now I have auditions for features films tomorrow morning and Thursday morning. I'm looking to get a little coaching from a casting director I worked with a while ago for the Thursday audition. I'm working for the rest of the day and then have plans this evening, but tomorrow's should be pretty easy anyway.

*The audition - I got there at 4:40 for my appointment at 5, and there were at least 7 other people there. For 3 short scenes I figured about 3-5 minutes for each person. Well, I didn't get seen until after 6:00. It's not that unheard of if they've been running behind all day, but some girls were in there for about 15 minutes. Toward the end they had us to only two of the three scenes, and since I was the last one in there I felt like they really wanted to get it over with so it was short and sweet. Though the girls there didn't look any older than me, only one or two looked like they could really pass for 14 years old. But that's just what I saw, there was a page of people before me that I never saw.*

So while I was waiting, my manager called and told me about the audition for Thursday. It's something she mentioned earlier so it was exciting to hear that they want to see me. I got the news about tomorrow's audition while at work today, and that one was a surprise. It's all very exciting, these are both projects I can see myself fitting into well. Ever since the Rock of Ages incident I'm a little weary of telling a lot of people about the projects I'm going out for, but I assure you I'll let you know the details once I book something! A casting director suggested I submit for the new Transformers movie, which would be awesome but I think I should leave that up to my manager. I could ask her about it, but as for actually submitting that would be better left in her arena.

Plusses And Minuses, But Mainly Plusses

Today was the day I called the agent I met with. I had to leave the house to call her, so I decided to make use of being out and go to the gym. I've gotten back in the habit of keeping planner with me, and it is very helpful. I've got all of my rehearsals/performances written down in it, work hours, meetings, and details of any auditions. Anyway, I left her a message and got a call back while at the gym. Unfortunately they're not going to be able to represent me because of the people they already have in their client base, but it's no big deal. It only makes sense to be represented by a person or company that thinks they can get you work without putting you in competition with their existing clients.

I used the opportunity of being in Hollywood to make some copies of my passport to send in to my manager (I like the sound of that!) with my paperwork. It is now official, I've signed a 2 year contract, and unless absolutely nothing happens within 30 days, I've now arrived at the next step of the journey. She called me right before I got to work, letting me know the people from the project in England want me to come in for an audition on Monday. The role is supposed to be a freshman in high school so that's stretching it a little, but it's worth a try even if I have to tape down my chest and go in wearing pastels with no make up. The script looks like something I'd be comfortable with, so I'm pretty excited.

As for Godspell, we ran if from beginning to end for the first time yesterday, with few and minor interruptions. The set is almost complete, as well as the costumes, and the transitions are getting smoother and smoother. As a whole it's taken the cast a little longer to bond that I'm normally used to, but I can really feel it happening now and that will only add to what great stuff we're already doing on stage. Opening night tomorrow!!!!

REPRESENT

I spent almost all day on Sunday shopping for what I was going to wear to my meetings Monday and Tuesday. I probably could have put something together with what I already have in my closet, but I think the main point was to get my mind off over thinking what I would do and say and what I wold be asked, and just focus on one thing I could control: how I looked. I got an amazing navy and white dress that I decided to wear to the agent meeting. The best part about it? It's a size 3. Now, I'm not kidding myself into thinking this is the rule - I know I'm not normally a size 3, and probably haven't been since about middle school. But it was a nice boost of confidence, to have that at the back of my mind while I was waiting to see the agent.

Up at 7:30 again for an 11:30 meeting, and that gave me plenty of time go get ready and on the road. I had a few butterflies but nothing that a nice deep breath didn't dissipate. The office was nice, on the 8th floor of a building along the miracle mile. The meeting was relatively short and sweet. She brought me in, we chatted about my resume and experience, and brought in the other two commercial agents she worked with to meet me. One of them had even heard of my hometown! The thing about Gilroy is that you either know it's the garlic capital of the world, or you've never heard of it before. So I like to tell people where I grew up because they're always very proud of themselves for knowing that fact, or interested that there is actually a garlic capital anywhere. I was back in my car and feeling good in 15 minutes. the have a meeting today, so I'm going to give her a call in the morning to check back in.

Then yesterday I had a meeting with a manager yesterday morning at noon. Though I had plenty of time to get ready the day before, I still set my alarm for 8:00. I woke up around 7 all by myself and as much as I tried to get a little more rest, I couldn't get back to sleep. For this meeting I decided to go a little more casual, and felt more comfortable. A manager isn't just about booking jobs, but about building a career and a brand, so I wanted to present myself more like how I am every day. Just a little more professional. From the moment I met this manager I felt good about it. She's got a great energy, loves what she does, and seems like she really gets the job done. She was very straightforward about her own career and how she wants to expand, and it seemed to me like I could probably fit in. This meeting was a little over 20 minutes, but it was less about questions and more about talking a discussing what we were both looking for.

I got a call from her this morning just as I got to Evan's house (good thing I was out of my house, I get terrible service there) and she said that though I'm older than she thought but we're going to try it out, try to get me an agent and book me some things. If things start progressing, or I get callbacks, then we'll proceed. Sounds fair enough to me! She said she already pitched me for Mean Girls II which I'm really excited about. I was taught in school to have some things in mind that I could be in, and Mean Girls was one of the things on my list. So even if I just get an audition for that, it would be so cool. She also wants to submit me for a series that shoots in Liverpool. So just in case, if you know know anyone I can stay with for a week or two that lives around the area, gimme a holler. I wish I still stayed in touch with those kids from manchester....

We are doing our first ever full runthrough of Godspell tonight! It's a little frightening, but I think we're going to do just fine. Once we smooth out the transitions we'll have a pretty darn good show on our hands! All of these early mornings started to catch up with me yesterday. I was tired even as I was driving to rehearsal, and it was hard to keep my eyes open during notes at the end, but I got home safe and sound and slept as long as I could this morning.

Ahhhh. I'm making good on my promise to myself to get things done. I like this.

Where Is That Email?

Alright, finally a real post again. So where to begin?

I have a meeting set for 11:30 on Monday morning with the agent. Then there's also this manager thing. Now, this one also came about because of the student film I did last year - only this time it wasn't me who cast the line out, they actually found me! I got an email from the director, and it was a forwarded message from a woman (manager) saying the head of her company saw the film and recommended she get in touch with me. Sweeeet. So we've planned on meeting sometime on Tuesday. I called up my director from RENT to ask if he had any advice, and he told me that one of the most important things is to know exactly what I want. My only problem right now is that I think I want everything. Not in terms of fame and fortune, though that would be cool, but I want to do everything possible. I'd love to work in film, television, commercials, voiceovers, stage, I want to sing/dance/act/perform everywhere and everything. I think the first step is to focus on what I want to get out of working with an agent, and overall out of my career. I've got two and a half days to figure that out.

In other news... I'd been looking forward to the Rock of Ages national tour audition since it was first posted. I love all (well, most) kinds of musical theatre, but now that I know I can sing rock well, it's what I gravitate to. I arrived at the audition location around 9:30 in the morning and was almost #90 in line. My friend Tim, who was in the second RENT with me, got there just before I did so it was nice to be able to hang out with him while we waited. They started seeing people a little after 10, but so many of us showed up to audition that there just wasn't going to be enough time to see everyone. Tim and I were going to be the next people brought in to sing, when the casting director came out and told everyone she had to start typing. That's when they take a look at you (or your headshot) and decide whether you have the right look or not. Luckily my headshot stood out to her, so an hour later I walked in the room to sing. As soon as I opened my mouth I heard echo everywhere. It startled me a little, but I don't think it threw me off. I got through about 5 seconds of "Lights" by Journey when she stopped me. She asked how my dance is, and I said it's ok. She then told me she wanted to call me back for Saturday, and to look for an email with the info.

Great! Fantastic! I'm so excited! Though I haven't gotten the email yet. If I don't get it, I plan on just showing up at 10 and hoping they're doing the callbacks at the same place the audition was. I'm probably stressing out more than I should... still, my brain just won't stop. I think I would be so great for this show, and if I don't get it because of someone misspelling or overlooking my email address, I'll be very upset.

I've also got Godspell opening on the 21st, which means this coming week will be tech week. It's a little intimidating. The show, the way it's structured, is so strange to me. It's a big challenge and I like that, but it's still tough not to have a real story line through the whole play. What's nice is I'll probably be wearing my own clothes. It's been a while since I've worked with a costumer that's really impressed me, so if I look like a fool now it's my own fault! Hah. It's very exciting, we're going to put up a great show.

Hm. Breathe.