As recently I’ve been itching to work and get on with this whole musical theater thing, I’ve been browsing the web for auditions for theater in Germany. I stumbled upon an open call for Tokyo Disney, auditioning in London….and I took a little looksy…
As it turn out, Tokyo Disney is the 2nd largest theme park in the world….and they get paid almost $1,000 BIG ONES per week! Housing, a per diem, and round trip travel to and from Japan is taken care of for you. Contracts run for a minimum of 6 months.
DUDE!!!! What an amazing opportunity! Ideally, this would be a FANTASTIC way for me to save a little bit of money while getting some professional theme park experience! I’ve heard from others that Disney really takes care of their performers. And yes, I know, Tokyo? Really?! That’s pretty crazy, but if this where to work out, I wouldn’t be able to say no.
So I checked, got the time off, bought the flight and booked a hotel within the next 6 hours. It was a very spontaneous decision, and I am investing a significant amount of my wages in this audition, but it is worth it just to get the experience. And I thought, hey, if they wave me away from the second I open my mouth, at least I’ll be in LONDON and I can go frolick for a day! I ironed my awesome green dress and I’ve selected “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret and “I Whistle A Happy Tune” from the King and I. I figured it would be best to show my classical training, because that’s what I’m strongest at, but in the Cabaret number I’ll show them that I can belt a little bit. I think the main objective for the first round of cuts is to wear something memorable (green dress and big blonde hair, check) and show as much personality as possible.
So here I am. It’s 6:40am, and I’ve already checked out of my hostel. I left at 6 this morning to go to the Studio where the audition is held to hold my place in line, but when I got there, there was NOBODY THERE….I started to panic a little bit thinking that maybe I had the wrong day….but now I’m sure I haven’t. I’ve just heard over and over from my friends in New York that when an open call states “Check in is at 9am”….that means you need to arrive at 6 am to hold your place in line. Oh well. This way I’m waiting until 7am and then I can grab the free breakfast here at the hostel I “slept” in last night….I was far too excited and nervous to get a solid sleep. But I feel vocally great, so no worries. Hopefully this buzz will hold today…..
So, theoretically, I could be cast as: A lead/understudy/ensemble member of “Wicked”, a 40’s big band singer, a lead/ensemble in their big Western dinner/theater show, or a stunt woman in some crazy monster show. I’m hoping at best bet that I’ll stand out enough to be considered for the ensemble. I know this is absolutely NUTS, but the truth is, I know that if I never put myself out there, I will never get anywhere! You have to really take chances in order to make yourself available for these opportunities….nothing ventured, nothing gained after all! And, at the very least, I will have experienced my first professional “Cattle Call” audition and spent the day in London!
Let me just say….I’ve only been here for a few hours, but I’m staying in the Borough of Camden, and this place is AWESOME. So much character! I cant really describe it….something among the way the buildings are carved out, and the way the cobblestone streets jam together and the appearance of the taxi cabs and double decker red buses floating around! ( I rode on a bus last night from Victoria Station to my hostel!) I’m thinking I might try to catch a show in the west end tonight…that is, if I can find a cheap enough ticket! The only other thing that I have to worry about is getting myself to the Stansted Airport to fly back to Germany at 7am tomorrow morning. Les Mis? Legally Blonde? Hm….
I wish I had more time to spend here, however I know that I don’t have the funding to really experience London. I think Dad and Matt should come here. I also had the thought….would it be possible for me to move here and pursue my theatrical ambitions instead of New York? Would I need a visa or a work permit of some kind? Could I audition for some agencies here? Obviously I would have a better shot if I had more training….which is why a Master’s degree is appealing to me right now….There’s a FAB program at the Royal Scottish Academy in Glasgow that I would love to be accepted in. It’s only one year, so that’s less money to spend and less time before I’m actually able to be out working in the real world.
You know, I really believe that moving to Germany has tripled my independence level. I always felt independent at home, especially from being constantly encouraged by my AWESOME parents…from the first time I got my first job all by myself to the second I paid off my last bit of debt at the bank….I really think that I could go anywhere and accomplish anything. And, especially now that I’ve gone to live in another country and learned to communicate successfully in a mere 6 months…it was extremely difficult to be separated from my family at first, but now I’ve managed quite well! The prospect of taking on this audition is NOTHING compared to what I’ve already achieved in the last 6 months.
PART DEUX:
Life is just a funny funny thing. People are funny. The way people and opportunities are woven in and out of your life.
I was second in line to the Pineapple Dance Studios for the audition this morning. The first in line was a lovely girl named Amy, also American, and as it turns out, she was my saving grace today. Without her, I don’t know how I possibly could have navigated this crazy city.
The turn out for this audition was definitely eclectic….but everyone was relatively young. Most people didn’t turn up until between 8:30 and 9, and there seemed to be only about 75 people there to audition. We waited for about 3 hours before they actually started calling numbers. I was number 16. Most of the people there truly looked terrible…wearing awful trashy things that weren’t at all appealing. The people ahead of me in line were all relatively whiney and belty. I walked in with total confidence and sang my little heart out. They responded graciously for my efforts to come all the way to London, and then thanked me for singing for them. Fini. I took this as “Thanks, have a nice life!”
I totally am not torn up about it….the reason I invested in this trip was to see a little bit of London and also to get this kind of experience. As I’m reflecting, I know that these people have been casting for Tokyo Disney for 10 years, and they’ve been doing the same shows for 10 years. They have a very distinct formula for what they’re looking for in a Disney performer, and honestly….I’m sure they know if you fit the mold the minute you walk in the door. And I felt SO good about my singing, and I knew that I was better and more prepared than the other 6 or 7 that went in before me. It’s a corporate thing. And, this just means that I am available for something else to happen to me! Maybe Wicked in Oberhausen will work out after all.
So, for the rest of the day, dear precious Amy lent me her debit card, cell phone, map, and knowledge of the area to help me get around. Our first goal was helping me get my ticket back to the airpoirt for tomorrow morning….and the second was showing me around! We stumbled to St. Paul’s Cathedral, across the Thames to the Tate and the Globe, getting a great view of London and Tower Bridge. Then, we moseyed back to Leicester Square, where we sat at T. Square for about an hour and just talked about theater and life. She just finished her Masters in Acting from a school in Birmingham, and she’s planning on moving to London in a few weeks! She also offered her couch to me should I ever come back and audition! Seriously, I would have been COMPLETELY lost and disoriented without her….she seriously was my angel today. Funny how that worked out…like she was just sent to that audition to look after me J
After Amy caught her train back up to Birmingham, I stumbled over to the National Gallery and saw some Caravaggio and Leonardo da Vinci works, went to Westminister and saw Big Ben and the Parliament buildings….Westminster Abbey, and also tried to find Buckingham palace without much success. I suppose I could try to go see it now…
My treat to myself was to buy a student rush ticket to see Wicked in the West End! So now, I’m waiting until 7:00 when the doors open! I am so thrilled! And then after that, I catch the train back to Stansted Airport where I will most likely pass out waiting for my plane. I have to be there at 6 am anyway….so I thought best to just sleep there. Anywho…Maybe I should try to make it over to Buckingham Palace today….I do still have one hour before curtain, and I don’t think that Buckingham Palace is far from here. Maybe I should find a map…..Silly Sara. Trying to navigate London without a map. Thank goodness I met Amy.
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