i'm spending the weekend working on audition material. there's kind of a lot of it. i'm really throwing myself into it with the hopes of digesting most of it down by monday. it's important to me, to get consistently good at auditioning, so if i don't get the job, it won't necessarily be my fault. besides -- what a colossal waste of everyone's time, to go into an audition and not be prepared. and it's tacky, too. it's like, why bother going in at all, if you're not going to learn the material and do your best?
i've got an audition for a martin short play called "fame becomes me" which sounds hilarious. it's broadway bound this fall. they're looking for an understudy for a lead role, any ethnicity. they want someone that's funny and that can improvise -- and God knows, that'll weed 'em out fast. they want me to come into the audition with the sides (which i'm memorizing) and a funny song. my first thought was, i don't know any funny songs but then again, of course i do -- "i'm tired" the song mel brooks wrote from the drop dead funny blazing saddles, as sung by madeline kahn. is that my favorite movie ever or what. and it's the funniest song i know.
wouldn't it be funny if i wore garters and stockings and heels and opened my wrap dress like a robe and dragged a chair around the room like dietrich as i sang it? with a huge angela davis afro on my head, 'cause that's what i'm rockin' these days. nice.
i also have to do impressions. i can't do any famous people. i just can't. who am i, rich little? i'll probably go in there and do my various and sundry family members, which is way, way funnier than it sounds. my father chewing me out long distance about where his grandchildren are that i'm supposed to have given him by now never fails to decimate the crowd.
and then of course there's rockstar: the series. this one is kind of a cakewalk because i already know a slew of rock songs. i just have to pick something that's appropriate and not freak out too much when it's time to get dressed and do something with my hair. they want me to show up with three songs, at least one of which should be a cover. needless to say, i'm leaning towards '70s blues rock that'll really let me sing but that's popular enough to recognize. that bad company song "can't get enough" comes to mind. we'll see. i'm also supposed to download the application from their site and bring it with me when i come in. it asks a lot of pesky questions and yeah, there's legalese to ingest and sign, probably before they'll see me. because isn't that the best way to make sure that i sign everything that i'm supposed to?
i'm going to talk to brad the programmer at Aaron Davis Hall about my one person show on reparations and maybe developing it there. there's an idea that i've been bouncing around with ken roberson about a performance art piece on blues music and a singular migration back down south. and my friend renee is choreographing something interesting that she wants me to be in, so i have to learn a song for that, too. but that's a little further down the pike next month.
so there's a lot of stuff going on. a lot to think about, a lot to organize. my friend is working until tuesday and my roommate went AWOL about a week ago, which has been dreamy, having the place to myself. perfect for walking around the living room in my underwear while i memorize stuff by repeating things like i'm insane and playing songs over and over and over. and yeah, messing with my baby taylor.
2 comments:
I started laughing as soon as you mentioned the song on blazing saddles. Absolutely hilarious film.
I don't know how you all do the auditioning thing. I think that's why I never got into acting - not enough confidence to think I actually have what it takes to get the part I guess.
Best of luck on all your auditions. I'll watch out for you.
:)
if you have talent and if you've refined it, your experience will give you confidence. confidence is easy.
the funny thing about auditioning is that in a wierd way the process doesn't really have anything to do with "having what it takes" to get the part. there are all these other variables, like what you look like or how tall you are -- factors that are completely out of your control.
talent is awfully handy because once you actually get something, it's a really good idea to know what you're doing. here's the kicker: most are so good at playing the game of getting somewhere in this business that they're at a loss when someone finally gives them what they want -- which i think is hilarious.
hey! someone should do a movie about that.
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