A Look Into the Past

Whats poppin' bloggers?

So since it is the break and we are just concluding our trip from Canada, I feel it is time to do some back work. I feel that there have been some or perhaps many gaps in my reporting of my progression through the musical and I am here to set that straight and give you an in depth look into what has gone on before this blog was started. So here we go...

First Meeting for The Wiz:

So I thought that this was just an informational meeting, more of a meet and greet type of thing but I was sadly misinformed. I got there a little late because I could not for the life of me, find the black box theater. I had never been in the non-auditorium part of our music building and was completely out of my element. So I just decided to peek my head into every door that was open and hope that I was in the right place. Well as I am sure you can imagine, it went terribly. I had gotten there with five minutes to spare, yet by the time I found the black box theater, I was fifteen minutes. After trying to draw as little attention as possible as I entered, I sat in the back row of chairs, trying to be as invisible as possible. I knew maybe two or three of my peers in the room and those I did know, I didn't talk to frequently. As the meeting drew on, I learned that we would be learning the songs that we would eventually sing for the audition. We were then grouped into a boys and a girls section so that we could learn our respective songs. The song that just us boys learned was I'm A Mean Ol' Lion, which is of course sung by the lion. This is when I felt most comfortable because I didn't have to sit by myself. I was able to sing in a group which was easier than expected and although I was a little nervous, I felt much more sure of myself after the singing.

Audition: Now I have played in some pretty nerve wracking, pressure-filled games in my day but I have never felt anything like what I felt the day of the audition. It was primarily because I wasnt as prepared as I possibly could have been and this added to my stress. So as I sat against the wall outside of the black box room, trying to remember mty monologue, I was incredibly nervous. This feeling was compounded when I was called in. As I stood in front of the four directors and leaders of The Wiz I was overcome with emotion. It didnt help that they made me fill out a sheet about what experience I had in the musical field. Of course my sheet only contained my name and a few scribbles I had drawn to draw attention away from the blank space. Finally I began my monologue. At first I completely spaced and just stood there embarrassed but as they urged me on, I gained more confidence. It may not have won me an Oscar but it wasnt bad. I could have put more emotion into it but I was far too preoccupied with wondering what the directors were thinking and trying to rid myself of the uncomfortable feeling in my gut. After that fiasco I was able to sing, my strong suit. This went sooo much better. It was kind of cool seeing the look on their faces as it dawned on them that I have some talent. After singing and thanking the panel, I was filled with a bittersweet feeling. First off I felt relieved that it was all over, but also worried because if I was nervous performing in front of four people, how was I supposed to keep my cool in front of the crowd for four shows. Yikes!

Call Backs: Hey! So I got a callback. A callback is when you get well called back to try out for specific parts. I was so excited when I saw that I had made it, I did a little jig but not too long that would be super embarrassing. Anyways at callbacks, I still felt a little like an outcast but luckily the other performers were extremely welcoming and nice. I made my first connection during callbacks. We had to practice a scene to be performed later and in my group I had two guys, Khris and Oseoba. They are both freshmen but I really enjoyed hanging out and joking around with them. The actual call back didn't go so well because I still am not a good actor but I mean it was still a successful day, I made my first friends. Hopefully more will come!

Well I hope that gets you readers all caught up on what I have been up to.

Stay Classy,
Casey