is it really that easy?

Ok, I did wake up and felt like someone had punched me.
It was at 3am. You know, one of those times (when does this NOT happen to me?!) that I'm scared I will sleep through the alarm (that could never happen), so I toss and turn. Finally falling into the deepest sleep around 7am, only to wake up to the alarm at 8.

Exhaustion aside, I trekked my way to the West Side, warmed up at NOLA (don't like paying their prices, but they were closest to the audition site), and had audition#1 for, hmm, how shall I put this-- big-ole-opry-house-that-considered-me-for-5-minutes-for-real-2-wks-ago.

Now, I began with Chacun.
Here is where it gets interesting.
I used this aria as a starter about 2 or 3 years ago. With a g in the first cadenza and then a fun sing/act piece.
I was always surprised and a bit giggly at the panels' reactions.
Head up- what--did she just? Was that a..?
Head down- furious writing and typing.
Head to the side- to confer with neighbor about the cadenza.

All in the first 3-5 seconds of the piece.
They get all peppy in their seats, straighten up a little, pay a little more attention, are really WITH me when I continue on with the piece, possibly waiting to hear more surprises (which, yes, I do have in store).

AND THEN they always comment about it!
Is it such a shocker that I do this? I mean, more than one person has posted on nfcs that they sing this note and add it into cadenzas. I didn't think I was the only one by any means. Perhaps the only one with a full-voiced g? Usable? Sustained? not just tapped?

I just don't get it.

And afterwards- they pick my FAVORITE pieces second!
DurchZ and Zerbinetta (and they heard it from NOCH GLAUB and not just from So War!)

AHHH!
So is this really my starter now?
It kind of feels like a trick in some way...I don't want to be a one-trick pony (which is why I know they ask for Mozart-y/lyrical stuff like DurchZ and Zerbie afterwards), but is that really all it takes to get them excited and want to hear more?

It's just a bit odd.
I think if I would have started with DurchZ they would have chosen Oscar 2nd and that would have been that.
They heard the solid E, they saw the good acting, and basta.

Right?

So even though the entirely of the low/middle of Chacun lies lower than the low-middle of DurchZ, they still prefer this one, and I get better feedback and attention paid to me in the following piece, simply because of this one note at the first cadenza.

I suppose I'll take it for now.
It feels kind of like cheating. It's just so easy for me--and to see that kind of reaction, I feel like I should be working harder to earn it.

Oh well.
First two auditions down, however many more to go.
Early wakeup tomorrow, and my weird bronchial cough is back. Perhaps it's time for some theraflu.