audition

While the Nor'East may be bracing for one huge storm, I'll be flying to the MidWest today for a mainstage audition for '09.

I'll leave in two hours for the airport, but right now I'm not leaving my bed yet.

Because I didn't schedule a heavy audition season this year (4 total), and we have sung for only a few agents throughout the year at current-yap, I feel actually a bit rusty about auditioning. Not with my repertoire or presentation, but rusty on getting to the point where I walk into an audition, and it's just another audition and I don't care that much.

I mean, of course I care. But my body, my body language, any nerves that decide to mess with me--just the routine of it all is rusty to me, and it's routine that keeps me from feeling anxious about what is coming up.

When I walk into an audition I like to be on top of my game. And I pretty much always feel that vocally-- except if I'm sick. I know who I'm singing for, I know what they're casting, I know which coloratura they had in their program last year, I know which one will want to return this year, and in essence, the one I'm singing against right now to hopefully win a spot in a certain young artist program. (well, those are for YAP auditions).

This is for mainstage, AND I'm being sent by an agent, so I have a new banner over my head.
How do I feel about that?
Wow- who knew that having MY NAME, COMMA, AGENT NAME, could open so many door and feel so different.
The first time (audition1, NYC a few weeks ago) was a breeze- sing durchZ, kick butt, sing Oscar, kick more butt. Wait and see.

No, I am not managed.
This whole firstname lastname that's besides MYname is the work of a wonderful person in this business who I had the opportunity of meeting online and in real life, and this person happens to want to help me after hearing about my situation with next year. Which I'm assuming means that this person believes in my talent enough to put their brand name next to MYname on my materials, and send them out on my behalf.

I do agree that I'm a bit on the "young" side to be managed in GENERAL, but my voice and my experience so far is NOT GENERAL.
I've sung a MAJORITY of the roles that I will continue to sing in my career already--on pretty important main-stages. And if I haven't sung it fully yet, I'm close to memorized and ready to go (Zerbie)

I have not done any official auditions for management, I don't know whether I will do that this fall or not or whether it's even necessary. It's not even something I'm thinking about right now, when my goal really is to fill Jan-May of '08 with mainstage and THEN think about YAPs for next summer.

Am I making the transition from a young artist to a mainstage artist?
Well, I HOPE so, but in the meantime, it's not stopping me from thinking about sending out applications to the biggest summer and season YAPs which I have not necessarily ever auditioned for before, and if I have, it was over 2 years ago.
There are still four companies out there (summer and year) which I've NEVER sung for, and they're pretty big and important, and it's never worked out in my schedule to do either their prelims or finals or both.

So it's a thought in the back of my head, but it's ALSO a thought to talk to current-boss and see if they're actually scheduling their Abduction for '09 and if they'll consider me for it!

Wow, I just went on a large tangent.
Back to the audition.
I'm not nervous. I just don't have that feeling of waking up in NYC for the 18th time and thinking, when is this audition season OVER? Can I go back to sleep now? Ok, let's get this over with...
Which is a great feeling to have when you're singing great, you have confidence, and you couldn't care less about what happens because you KNOW you'll get something because you're putting it all out there and it's the BEST you have.

OK, so that inspired me to TRY and feel that way anyway--maybe going off of my last mainstage performance.
It will be the best I have.
And I'll love it.
AND I get a day off and free dinner and a night in a Kingsized bed in a cool downtown hotel!