What I learned from my first Broadway audition
“Will you still love me tomorrow?”
My first Broadway audition was a callback for Beautiful the Carole King story. I was living in Chicago at the time and I was so broke my parents offered to pay for my plane ticket to New York. Spoiler, I didn’t book it. But here’s what I learned.
My initial audition, which led to this awesome New York callback was held in Chicago at the Actor’s Equity building. I auditioned with several cast mates from Paramount Theatre’s production of RENT. We all got a callback and did the dance call together before our Sunday matinee. I didn't move forward. I received great feedback from the casting director Stephen Kopel (he’s awesome by the way) but he couldn’t sign off on me because my movement wasn’t strong. My agents urged me to take some dance classes so that I could have more successful dance calls.
I took lessons at Lou Conte for a bit off and on, but I really didn’t improve my skills much. That lack of improvement would be to my demise later that year when Stephen Kopel reached out again a few months later to call me to New York for an immediate replacement for the ensemble. I was very excited, but also nervous because I knew I hadn’t made any strides in the dance department.
I give a play by play of the audition here on my Youtube Channel.
Here’s what I learned from my audition:
If casting tells you to work on a certain skill, do it! Without delay. And If you haven’t worked on that skill, don’t waste their time during a callback.
Acting and telling a story through the song is important. Even if you think the song is just performative, it’s still an opportunity to tell a story. Don’t pass up any opportunity to tell a story in front of casting and creatives.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. What is meant for you, will be for you. Just do your best, and keep it moving.
I am so grateful that I had a chance to test the waters on a Broadway level before I got the opportunity to audition for The Lion King. I am also grateful to Stephen Kopel for not dismissing me after my first couple of auditions with him. I’ve gotten a chance to audition for him several times over the years, and I hope that he can see my growth since my first audition with him in 2014.
Remember, at the end of the the day, what is for you, will be for you, and everything else is just a lesson to be learned.
Cheers,
Adrienne