I'm back, baby!

hey everyone,

I know I've been in hiding lately since I've been diagnosed with nodes. Since I haven't been able to sing, I've sort of been sitting OUT this season, unfortunately.

Recently, I went "home" to Center Players in Freeehold, NJ to see my friends in a production of "Tuesdays With Morrie". While I was there, I was approached to audition for the summer childrens' production of "Little Red Riding Hood". This version, is a musical...

DUN DUN DUN!!

The question became-could I do it? Was my voice healed enough to carry me through this simple audition (I was told it was a "light" musical. No song is more than 2 minutes long. I went to my speech therapist, and explained what I had been told. Her response? Sing something SIMPLE. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", simple, one melody, one voice range-no bopping up and down, nothing too extremely difficult.

YES!!! I could pull off doing this audition for this very simple, light musical!

I went to the audition, and was the OLDEST one in the room, looking to fill the roles of the young women in the show. The grandmother role was already filled, we were told.

I sat there, quietly humming to myself, going up and down the scales to warm up my voice. Did a few massages on my vocal cords by massaging my neck, ran my fingers over my face to make sure I was loose enough to do this--after all, the audition nerves had taken over just like at every other audition. I just couldn't go up there tight due to the nodes.

ANYWAY-the person before me goes up there and does "do a dear" from "The Sound of Music". Really? Really? I'm supposed to follow that with "Twinkle twinkle little star"? The musical theatre performer in me pretty much stamped her foot and refused to move until I mentally opened my box of musical theatre songs I had been working on in therapy-desperately trying to pick something better than "Twinkle...".

I get called up and the director gives me the simple command.

"Sing..anything you want. I just wanna hear you sing."

Okay. I took a breath, and before I knew it, I was singing "On the Steps of the Palace" from "Into the Woods"!!!! I had been working on it in therapy, and did a decent enough job that I didn't feel as if I were straining myself of my precious cords. I should also mention I only did the FIRST verse, as after that, the song gets rather high, and I'm not mentally prepared again for that quite yet, as I haven't sung for real since MARCH.

She asks me to do an improv scene in which I'm a caught lightning bug. I have her, the other actors, the producer and the stage manager ROLLING.

To say I felt good about this audition would be an understatement!

She promised to let me know by the end of the week (this was MONDAY), if I had gotten a part or not.

THE WAITING GAME!!!

This went on for 2-3 days, watching the phone, watching facebook-waiting for ANY sign as to whether I had picked up this project or not.

Then, FINALLY, on Wednesday my phone rang. I picked it up, and a cheerful voice said:

"Hi, Sami! This is the stage manager for 'Little Red...' and I just wanted to call and CONGRATULATE you on getting the role of the storyteller...we'll see you Sunday morning for our first rehearsal."

YES!!!!!!!!! A new project, a new show, a new cast, in my "home base" theatre!!! I couldn't believe it! I knew I had a good feeling at the audition.

So, now here we are...ankle deep (it goes deeper and further up the body as I get closer to tech week) in rehearsals for this children's show. And I am having a BLAST!

I'll keep everyone updated as the rehearsals go! Also updates about my new play coming soon, as well!

It's great to be back on the boards!!!

Until next time....