Hudson Reporter Archive

From vision to reality Creating a musical production from the ground up

Editor’s note: This is a three part series that delves into the world of theater, from the auditions to the lengthy rehearsals to production. If you missed any part of the series, visit: www.hudsoncurrent.com.

Part One: the audition

Aluminum chairs line the hallway, while dozens of hopeful actors occupy their time by practicing their monologues or quietly singing a few bars of a song.

Expectant eyes turn towards the stage door every time it opens.

Who will get called next?

A young mother smoothes back her daughter’s long hair one more time as she prepares to audition. Out of all the actors, it is the young girl who looks the least nervous. To her, acting is still fun. It doesn’t hurt that her mom was a professional actress too, before she transferred that energy to her daughter, Leah.

And so, the actors wait, which is probably one of the hardest parts of their job. The audition itself takes a mere 3 to 4 minutes.

There is a mixed age group for this audition at DeBaun auditorium in Hoboken. The casting call for adults and children is for the musical Seussical, which opens on Feb. 8. The musical requires strong singers and actors with imagination, who can bring the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss to life.

First impressions

When Leah Greenhaus, 11, gets called, she enters the doors confidently and smiles when she reaches the stage. As any actor knows, sometimes a first impression can make or break you, with so much of the job based upon physical appearance.

She is greeted by Billy Mitchell, director/choreographer, Liz Gerbi, musical director, and David Zimmerman, executive producer.

Leah, who wants to play one of the leads, “JoJo,” has a sweet voice and an enthusiastic delivery.

Mitchell only gives her one correction during her audition. He asks her to repeat part of the monologue “as a little boy.”

She repeats it, changing her body language as she recites, which elicits a laugh from her audience.

Then she thanks them and heads back to the hallway.

Leah, who is studying voice and acting in school, seems pleased with her audition. She says, “They are nerve wracking at first, but they are fun in the end.”

Her mother, Randy, said that Leah has already been in shows, including Meet Me in St. Louis at the Paper Mill Playhouse.

Leah, not to be outdone, says that she always wanted to be an actress because of her mom, who used to act.

Randy smiles and adds, “A really long time ago.”

A few adjustments

A pretty teen named Emma enters the auditorium next. She initially seems nervous as she eyes the empty stage and the long table. But director Mitchell eases the tension by asking, “Are you singing or monologing first?”

“Singing first,” Emma says.

“Excellent!” Mitchell answers.

After singing a fair version of “Any Dream Will Do,” musical director Gerbi asks her to sing a song in her lower range.

After a few more adjustments, it is clear that Emma should be singing songs in a lower pitch.

Next, a young woman named Kristen auditions. Mitchell tells her to “sing towards them.”

At the end of her audition, she makes sure to move the chairs back to their original position, which perhaps will earn her a few points for attention to detail. But the real question is: does she have the talent necessary to sing in harmony?

A few adult women audition. One named Molly earns a nod from musical director Gerbi, who says that she has “perfect pitch.”

A skinny young woman enters with a lot of energy. Not only does she sing a very enthusiastic version of “Put on a Happy Face,” she dances along with it – earning a laughing applause from the judges.

A tall young man named Zachary enters. He gives a reading of a monologue first and then sings a sweet rendition of “Alone in the Universe.”

Yet, Gerbi doesn’t seem satisfied with that song and asks for something else. Zachary performs a rousing “Run Freedom Run” from Urinetown.

Zachary, who lives in Jersey City, is fairly relaxed after his audition as he greets his friends in the lobby. His confidence comes from his experience, which includes 25 shows.

He says he normally picks a song closest to the show, and rehearses for a week.

“They asked for a second song, so I think I did okay,” Zachary says as he heads into the night.

A waiting game

As the night wears on, the work is just beginning for the casting directors, who huddle around the table to sort through the piles of headshots. For actors, the hardest part is waiting to hear if they’ve made the cut.

They discuss each actor in turn, comparing notes, as they shift the pictures into piles for call-backs, maybe, and no. Sometimes an actor is cut because they don’t physically fit a role; other times it is because they just don’t have the skills necessary for an extravagant musical dance production.

“You’re kind to the first people,” says Gerbi, “because you don’t have anything to compare it to.”

Gerbi says that the ones more difficult are the people with pitch issues.

Call backs are a week away which will hopefully help separate the great from the merely good, but then the more daunting task emerges with weeks of rehearsal – how to turn two dozen actors into a seamless ensemble group.

Comments on this story can be sent to: current@hudsonreporter.com.

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