When I woke up this morning, I had no idea that I’d be auditioning for Nickelodeon executives, and I have two key people to thank: my friend Anna for passing the audition information on to me, and my agent Ron for getting me on the inside and setting up the appointment.
It all started yesterday. I got to Chelsea Studios early so I could have a moment to relax before I went in for the Nickelodeon Presents: Storytime Live! audition. I sang Those Magic Changes from GREASE! and Endless Night from The Lion King. They liked my voice so they gave me some sides to look over. They called me back in after a few minutes of pacing and mumbling awkwardly to myself in the hall. I read the sides, took the director’s notes (always take the motes!), re-read the sides and then they invited me to stay for the dance call. I foolishly left all my dance gear (I say it like I actually have dance gear) at home and I didn’t have enough time to run back and get it, so I danced in my audition clothes. You ever hear of that old theatre adage “fake it til you make it”? It works. I am not a dancer. But dammit I looked good last night. My bare feet weren’t always doing the right thing and my technique was definitely lacking, but my face proved otherwise and the lines and stage pictures I hit put me over the edge. They emailed me later that night and asked me to come in the following day.
When I went in today I did the exact same audition. Twice. They gave me one new side to look at (My name is Moose A. Moose. But you can just call me Moose.) and after I read it they sent me home. I’m trying to email my agent the whole way home, but sometimes my phone acts up when I’m at Chelsea Studios, and then I was underground on the train, so whatever. I get home, to take my stuff off, pour a bowl of cereal (my first meal of the day), and I get a voicemail from Ron. They wanted me back at Chelsea Studios as soon as possible to read for another part so I raced back and read. While waiting in the hall the director comes out and tells us that we’re it. He’s seen so many people and we made it all the way. He’s casting from those of us chillin out in the hall and that we’ve made his job “very, very difficult.” Then he tells us that over the next few minutes or so the room is going to fill up with a bunch of people from Nickelodeon. He assures us that the audition is over, that we are the cream of the crop, and that the Nickelodeons don’t have any say over who does and who doesn’t get cast, but that they just need to see us for themselves. So we all go back in, one by one, and audition. I mean, seriously? I don’t care what he says. We were singing and reading sides in front of Nickelodeon execs and they were talking about us behind closed doors. It was an audition.
I wish I’d worn a tie.