Here is a repost from my FB feed.
Barely got a wink of sleep last night. I was too excited. I kept thinking about how everything played out last night, so I thought I'd share it.
***WARNING - Very long post***
Auditions for Hair started at 6:30 last night. It was the 3rd and last day of auditions.
I got to the theater at a little after 6 and stayed in my car for a few minutes to focus on what was ahead.
A few minutes later I got out of my car. I started heading to the stage door entrance and noticed Ben Vereen getting out of his car. He saw me, too, and said "are you auditioning?"
I said, "yes, I am."
"Great!" he said as he motioned for me to come closer. "What's your name?"
"Joseph," I said as he put out his hand for me to shake.
We shook hands and I continued, "we actually met in New Jersey a few years ago. You did a concert in Manasquan and we talked for several minutes after it was over."
"Alright, Joseph. How do you feel?"
"I feel good," I said.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"Yes, a little"
"Don't be," he said. "I'll see you upstairs."
He was so relaxed and cool that I couldn't help but feel at ease.
I signed in, they took my picture, blah blah blah, and then bam it was 6:30. Time for the dance call. I wasn't sure if they wanted me to participate, but they did.
At this point I started getting nervous again. I haven't had to dance at an audition in a few years and the last time I did, well, let me just say that "hot mess" doesn't even begin to describe it. (...and this time BEN VEREEN was going to be judging how well I dance?!)
So there were about 30 people in the room and we all learned the routine. I did as much as I could. After about 4 times through the dance, I was just thankful that I work out regularly. ;-)
We all did the routine together without the choreographer. After we finished, Ben told us that we were all so concerned with getting the steps/moves right that we weren't actually FEELING the music.
He said, "I don't care if you know the steps. I want to see that you feel the music inside you. For your songs - I don't care if you know the words. I care if you feel what you are singing. You all seem like you are afraid. That's good, though. If you move towards your fear it can help you. If you run from it, it will only hurt you. Your fear can make you better."
(I just now realize how much this advice sounds like something Darth Vader would say. :-p)
After that he split the men and the women. First a group of 3 men. Then the rest of the men. There were 4 in the second group and that is the group I was in.
We danced. Ben looked at me and said, "I want you to move more. You can't do the steps, but you can do other things to make us see you on stage."
We did it again. I changed it up a little.
"Better," he said. "Okay, the women now."
The men went to the side and watched as the women danced. I couldn't sit still, though. I was really feeling the music by that point.
The women finished up dancing and Ben said, "okay, that was good. That was good. I want to see my guy again."
He was looking at me as he spoke.
As I began to move toward the center of the room, Ben said, "Don't worry about the moves. I don't want the moves. Just do what you do. Show me how you dance. Rock it out."
Everyone was watching, but I felt good. The nervousness was completely gone.
I had no idea what I was going to do as the music started, but I felt completely focused and in the zone and I just made it up as I went along.
I spun around, I popped wheelies, I hopped up and down in my chair, I flailed my arms around, and I finished with my arms up and a smile on my face.
"Fantastic!" Ben said. He paused and then said, "So, can you sing?"
"Yes"
"Okay, let me hear you sing."
"Right now?" I asked.
"Yes, now."
"Can I get my music?"
"Go ahead and get it," he said.
As I went to get my music the person sitting next to Ben told him that the pianist had left the room. He hadn't noticed and neither had I.
Ben said to me, "Can you do it a cappella?"
"Yes," I said.
"Alright. Do it."
All of the other people that were auditioning were STILL in the room.
I sang.
Halfway through Ben said, "Stop moving. Just sing."
I didn't realize how much I had been moving around while I was singing, but I heeded his request.
I finished.
"What are you doing in September?" he asked.
"Hopefully doing this show."
"Well, you got it. You're in," he said with a smile.
I was in disbelief. I couldn't say anything except "thank you" over and over again as I began to cry a little bit.
The other auditioners were blown away. Several told me that my performance was amazing and that they'd never seen anything like that happen at an audition before.
Almost forgot! The show is in Venice, Florida. Performance dates are Tuesdays through Sundays Nov. 10 – Dec. 12, 2015.
#hair #musicaltheater #benvereen #peace #love #understanding #harmony
Barely got a wink of sleep last night. I was too excited. I kept thinking about how everything played out last night, so I thought I'd share it.
***WARNING - Very long post***
Auditions for Hair started at 6:30 last night. It was the 3rd and last day of auditions.
I got to the theater at a little after 6 and stayed in my car for a few minutes to focus on what was ahead.
A few minutes later I got out of my car. I started heading to the stage door entrance and noticed Ben Vereen getting out of his car. He saw me, too, and said "are you auditioning?"
I said, "yes, I am."
"Great!" he said as he motioned for me to come closer. "What's your name?"
"Joseph," I said as he put out his hand for me to shake.
We shook hands and I continued, "we actually met in New Jersey a few years ago. You did a concert in Manasquan and we talked for several minutes after it was over."
"Alright, Joseph. How do you feel?"
"I feel good," I said.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"Yes, a little"
"Don't be," he said. "I'll see you upstairs."
He was so relaxed and cool that I couldn't help but feel at ease.
I signed in, they took my picture, blah blah blah, and then bam it was 6:30. Time for the dance call. I wasn't sure if they wanted me to participate, but they did.
At this point I started getting nervous again. I haven't had to dance at an audition in a few years and the last time I did, well, let me just say that "hot mess" doesn't even begin to describe it. (...and this time BEN VEREEN was going to be judging how well I dance?!)
So there were about 30 people in the room and we all learned the routine. I did as much as I could. After about 4 times through the dance, I was just thankful that I work out regularly. ;-)
We all did the routine together without the choreographer. After we finished, Ben told us that we were all so concerned with getting the steps/moves right that we weren't actually FEELING the music.
He said, "I don't care if you know the steps. I want to see that you feel the music inside you. For your songs - I don't care if you know the words. I care if you feel what you are singing. You all seem like you are afraid. That's good, though. If you move towards your fear it can help you. If you run from it, it will only hurt you. Your fear can make you better."
(I just now realize how much this advice sounds like something Darth Vader would say. :-p)
After that he split the men and the women. First a group of 3 men. Then the rest of the men. There were 4 in the second group and that is the group I was in.
We danced. Ben looked at me and said, "I want you to move more. You can't do the steps, but you can do other things to make us see you on stage."
We did it again. I changed it up a little.
"Better," he said. "Okay, the women now."
The men went to the side and watched as the women danced. I couldn't sit still, though. I was really feeling the music by that point.
The women finished up dancing and Ben said, "okay, that was good. That was good. I want to see my guy again."
He was looking at me as he spoke.
As I began to move toward the center of the room, Ben said, "Don't worry about the moves. I don't want the moves. Just do what you do. Show me how you dance. Rock it out."
Everyone was watching, but I felt good. The nervousness was completely gone.
I had no idea what I was going to do as the music started, but I felt completely focused and in the zone and I just made it up as I went along.
I spun around, I popped wheelies, I hopped up and down in my chair, I flailed my arms around, and I finished with my arms up and a smile on my face.
"Fantastic!" Ben said. He paused and then said, "So, can you sing?"
"Yes"
"Okay, let me hear you sing."
"Right now?" I asked.
"Yes, now."
"Can I get my music?"
"Go ahead and get it," he said.
As I went to get my music the person sitting next to Ben told him that the pianist had left the room. He hadn't noticed and neither had I.
Ben said to me, "Can you do it a cappella?"
"Yes," I said.
"Alright. Do it."
All of the other people that were auditioning were STILL in the room.
I sang.
Halfway through Ben said, "Stop moving. Just sing."
I didn't realize how much I had been moving around while I was singing, but I heeded his request.
I finished.
"What are you doing in September?" he asked.
"Hopefully doing this show."
"Well, you got it. You're in," he said with a smile.
I was in disbelief. I couldn't say anything except "thank you" over and over again as I began to cry a little bit.
The other auditioners were blown away. Several told me that my performance was amazing and that they'd never seen anything like that happen at an audition before.
Almost forgot! The show is in Venice, Florida. Performance dates are Tuesdays through Sundays Nov. 10 – Dec. 12, 2015.
#hair #musicaltheater #benvereen #peace #love #understanding #harmony
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