Ah rehearsal, the best night so far if I might add. I walked in, rehearsal skirt swishing about my ankles, boots clicking gently on the carpet of our auditorium and off we went. After giggling through the very best of the song "Pick a Pocket or Two". Once they were done setting that our director called me to the stage and off we went. The little kids looked up to me always, like I'm the coolest. We're in character even when we're not on the stage. You see, around those kids and our lovely Mr. Fagin I am Nancy! The younger ones, especially the child playing Charley Bates, are all adoring me and crushing on me and acting bashful and vying for my attention, while the girls are caught in the hallways singing my songs, wanting to be just like me. It's unreal, we giggle and we laugh and then we're right back down to business again. The best part was actually setting the song, it's so flirtatious the whole time! Full of curtsies, bumping Fagin out of the chair with my booty, flirting galore, kisses on the cheek, and yes even a sort of line dance. It's playful, it's flirty it's fun, and as of late it's my favorite song I get to do. Did I mention I LOVE playing Nancy? There's nothing else to say about the amazing night I had except that as of today... "Mine's a fine, fine life!"
I ask you ladies and gentlemen, what happens when track, play, school, and life in general meet at the same time. Two words. Word the first: Physical. Word the second: Exhaustion! Well we started track this week, and I've been using muscles that not only did I not know existed, but also ones that are now aching. Can you say hurts to and move in the same scentence?! We had musical today and the little kids didn't right down their blocking *groan*. Frustrating much?! ON the upside I heard the guy playing our Bill Sikes sing today. Ugh! Maybe I just have a soft side for that character but it gave me chills. He doesn't think he can sing, I beg to differ on many occasions. Chills, hardcore chills! But yeah so I'm aching from track every day while trying to keep up with musical and not fail geometry. Just to give you a light run down of what I'm dealing with here, track tomorrow from 3-5 (and a conditioning week no less!) And musical DANCING rehearsal from 5:30-8 in heels. Like I said in the title of this little entry, perseverence is getting a brand new meaning. *sigh* this is insanity at it's finest, I guess all I can do is grin and bear it. Hehe, speaking of exhaustion, guess who's going to bed. Hm...that would be, ~Lil Miss Me
Well I went to see Oliver Friday night and it was FANTASTIC!!! That's the second time I've seen it live and boy was it something! It was the same group too. I love their Bill Sikes, his voice is like thunder it sends chills simply radiating down your spine when he sings. I'm really excited, tonight's our first read through of the script. We're also getting fitted for costumes and all sorts of crazy fun things in the like. Lord 'elp me I'm SO excited I could scream. Well I suppose that's all for today, short? yes. Pointless? aren't I always. But read cuz you know you love to.
Oh boy *sigh* another long and hard rehearsal. We had chorus practice today from 3-3:45 and of course I had to be there because Nancy leads the Chorus in a round of Oom Pa Pa! It wasn't all that bad I suppose, I mean the lady that's our director stopped in for the first time today. It's the first time he's heard me since auditions. She smiled so I guess I did alright. So anyway, you know how celebrities get recognized when they go out in public? I got recognized this weekend, not even j.k.! It was after a band concert for the whole county when a couple of ladies stopped me. One was elderly with wrinkles etching at her sweet smile and stormy grey eyes to match her silver hair. The other was wearing a red jacket and had her brown hair poofed to no man's land. The older of the two stopped me in total rapture. "Aren't you starring in (insert my hometown name here) musical this year?" "OH my yes!" Cried the other "Oliver! isn't it? Miss Nancy?" I nodded smiling. "Yeah," I said, my heart swolen with pride. "Yes that would be me." "When is it," the brown haired of the two asked. "We'd really like to go." I was on cloud nine, I was used to other members of the cast or friends at school calling me Nancy, but I had just been recognized by people I didn't even know. Talk about a celebrity experience!! My other good news pertaining to the production is that I am going to see a production of Oliver! not too far from here Friday night. This is trully one of my better days. Off to rehearse now lovies, ta!
Well when I heard what musical we were doing I was in instant heaven. I LOVE using a british accent and for those of you not familiar with Oliver! ....it's a cockney accent all the way. My immediate assumption was that the choir teacher's pet would be the recipient of the lead part. I didn't even dare hope for Nancy. I figured I'd try out for Mrs. Sowerberry and be happy to have that part. After all, that part was some of the best comedic relief I've ever seen. So I went about looking for an audition piece and low and behold, a song from My Fair Lady that held all the right attitude and more importantly accents. I rehearsed it about twice before I was ready to rock and roll. At tryouts I was estatic! I blew them away, it was probably the best audition I'd ever done in my life. And I hadn't even thought I'd done good until I started comparing myself to the others. Even miss teacher's pet was sort of a let down. Inside I was already bragging...but on the outside I just played it cool. I tried out on a monday and callbacks were not until Wednesday night. They said we'd know by Tuesday evening whether we were required to be at callbacks and not to worry if they didn't want you there because that didn't necessarily mean we hadn't gotten a part. But I'd tried out two years ago, and I knew that was a lie. I was so nervous Tuesday night I could've thrown up, even though I thought I'd done good one can never be too sure. I had every phone on a charger and had kept my brother at bay for a good two hours before the phone call was supposed to be made. At six o' clock I was holding my breath, they said we'd know by then. Sure enough at six on the dot, the band/orchestra director called and informed me I'd gotten the callback. I believe they call the place my emotions went to cloud nine. At call backs we (meaning the girls) were given the ending measures to Nancy's big solo. We all went to practice in the art room for ten minutes. Then we would have to preform. I had seen the play, I had loved the part, I knew just how to handle it. While other girls were putting their own little twists on the song or singing in a light feathery voice, I stepped up to bat and belted that song with all the emotion and talent I posessed. And of course, my best cockney accent. Try-outs couldn't have been more tailored to my talents! Next was a reading of a really dramatic scene. Not only do I do my best cockney accent when angry, but I also do my best acting when being dramatic. I was doing the sign of the cross and thanking Jesus by the time I stepped up to read. Wham-oh! Another home run, or at least as far as I was concerned. The only other real competition was Lil Miss Teacher's Pet. *gulp* I hadn't dared to hope for the part, but there the opportunity was staring me in the face. Was it possible I could have a shot?! My stomach was in knots the night before the list went up, I didn't sleep a wink. The day of the listing we weren't being told until after school. Talk about torture! Not only could I at that point not think straight, I also felt physically sick with anticipation. I mean, all I needed was a chance to shine, I loved the part of Nancy, and lord help me I had a shot! The last period of the day was the worst. I was sitting there knowing the cast list would be up any minute. When the bell rang I flew down the hall, my tennis shoes slamming the tile as hard as they could. A bunch of girls already dressed for Basketball practice were there, pointing at the cast list. They called my name and pointed to Nancy. I thought they were making fun of me, that I hadn't gotten the part. But when I looked at it I saw my name next to hers. My heart did summersaults, my brain went into overload. Hot salty tears assaulted my cheeks as I opened my mouth and screamed in raw shock and joy. I'm pretty sure my facial expressions ranged from- (due to image limits insert confused, tongue bearing, freaking out and smiley faces here) In a span of like three seconds. So there's the shortened version of the try outs. I will give you more in the life of an actress when I am less tired. It's late, I've had a long day, and I've got an even longer one tomorrow. This little actress is off to bed for the night. ~Lil Miss Me
Well I came to this sight basically for the blogs. Now ordinarily I'm a writer, straight up fiction and all. However, when a friend let me in on this sight I had to try it, especially with how exciting life's been lately. My amazing news, I've been cast as the lead in the school play, beating out several seniors for the part. Tehe Nancy is the part, Oliver is the play and I've never been more happy in my entire life. There's been a lot of people really bitter about what's been going on. I mean if you were a senior who got beat out by an underclassmen you'd say mean spiteful things too. It's so much fun though. All day in the hallways people call me by my play name and greet me with ways that remind me of the part. My life revolves around this part now. When I wake up in the morning I have to make sure I'm dressed for sucess, I'm like a mini-celebrity. Which, I'll admit, is strange because I'm not used to caring how I look but now I have to. I'm still figuring it out . I wait for any chance I can get to look through the play book. I carry the script and the song book with me everywhere for the pure sake of memorization. Not that I need it, my memory skills are just uncanny but I have a huge part, I don't want to mess it up. I work dilligently all day getting as much as I can done because my evenings are consumed by my efforts to play this part flawlessly. I have rehearsals after school, less since the director decided I didn't need as much practice. To tell the absolute truth, I'm really nervous about the whole thing. The girls that I beat out are being so mean that I'm terrified to mess up. I mean, it's like they're EXPECTING me to fail. That's a lot on one girl's shoulders especially while trying to juggle school, friends, family, cheerleading, and track. But I'm gonna do it. I'm in for one wild ride, and guess what all ye of blog-dom, I'm dragging you with me. From now on I"m pulling you all through the life of an actress. Starting with a post about how I got the part and ending with my thoughts after the closing night of the show. Welcome to my life, and a day in the life of an actress.