36 hrs and 26 minutes

No sleep. Stupidity.... just another project and then distraction when I finally was ready for sleep after I was so ready at 26 hrs. I'm actually okay at the moment. Wonder how long it'll take me to recover from here. Dumb thing is, my project didn't quite turn out like I wanted it to. The results you will be seeing in a few days, I'm sure.... Ooo the suspense! Keep ya up all night waiting and wondering! (Misery loves company...although I have too much fun when I get punch drunk tired - not there yet - to be miserable.) I'm actually doing quite well if I ignore this kind of numb head, buzz thing going on in the region over my ears. So GO TO SLEEP! Drrr!

THE NEWS!!!

I was going to have to wait until my lunch break to find out the news - the posting isn't supposed to be up until about 12, which is when my voice lessons are supposed to be.
But I had to call and reschedule and make it later....he asked if I wanted him to spill the beans.....
He said, "You're Ruth!"

I'M RUTH!!!!!!! I did it!!!!!! AAAAAAAAA!!!!!! Do you realize this is my FIRST real lead??? I'm SO excited!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you for your support! I'm afraid of all of the work it's going to take - but I think it'll come a little bit easier since I'm so familiar with the play! WOW!!!!!
My hands were shaking! Whoo! Breathe! He told me I had some serious competition - I know I did!!! I would have LOVED watching the other girl who was more experienced than me doing it! Her auditions were fabulous! So this was even better than had I just been competing against little inexperienced kids. Wow!!

I've talked with St, the kids, and work about my practice schedule and it seems that it's all going to work just fine - everyone is quite supportive. Rehearsals will begin 9/15 and will be from 5-7. The production will be Nov 13-15, and 18-22. 2 months!!! A ton of work! But luckily, I'm not starting from complete scratch. Hopefully that will help me out!

I'll try to blog about it so I can help you all feel a part of it! I will see what I can do about getting it filmed so I can send a copy of it to you if you want!

I love ya guys!!! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers - but most especially your love! You know, I truly feel humbled by this! I know others could do really well and in some ways better than me! But! I'm finally chosen and wanted! What a great feeling!

The Dramatic Exaggerative Auditions

So yesterday I experienced probably my funnest call backs I've ever experienced. The head of the drama dpt was in charge of this one and he's had tons of acting/stage experience, primarily in Shakespeare. So he had us doing some pretty crazy, but fun things! Here are my notes from yesterday's experience:

I find out tomorrow if I get a part.... I think I'm a top contender still. I made good friends with the other girl they're considering for the part. She's awesome - mom of two kids, great voice, silly as all get-out and really sweet! Can't help but love her! Today's auditions were the dramatic acting parts. Gave us the song to "speak" as though we were telling a story. It started off as though it were a story to 2 yr olds and then he'd switch it to some other kind of style - angry, furious, scared, depressed.... I got sad, fairy-like and Dr Suess-like. How fun is that? And then we had to do a Diva Dramatic SCREAM after each verse. It was hilarious! So I did use my huge operatic voice to my advantage!

Then! We had to do a scene where we try to persuade the "cloistered" 21 yr old kid (Frederic who's lived for the last forever many years on a pirate ship) that, even though I am old at 47 that I am beautiful and he should want to marry me! That was really funny because he told the guy (Frederic) he needed to do everything he could to get out the door - and we were to do everything we could to stop him. Very very funny! My guy did get the door opened, but I was doing some major strong arming and blocking!!! I was always pretty good at blocking... (the only thing I could do well in basketball!) And then he had the four of line up in the middle of the room, and he said just because he loved it, he wanted us to do that DIVA scream again sending ourselves into the back corner. It was hilarious! I was very afraid I'd dump myself over the stuff in the way and follow over a chair and into the clothes rack. I made it to the door somehow and ended up kind of huddled and then a look and a hiccup. Don't know where it came from, but... you just do whatever and it's a riot!

Then we went to another room and he had all of the girls do a line up. We each had to do a cheer leader impression stating our names. We hammed it up, although I had the deepest voiced one - it just didn't come out right... Me and this other girl at one point stepped out in front and had to do it again without anyone else doing it. This one I was able to get perkier and sillier! Yea! And then we had to step back behind the line with a few of the other girls that are in the running for Mabel. So I'm taking that for a good sign. And then it was over!

I am completely the over-exaggerated stage character with my acting stuff (hmm.... wonder where I got those BS kind of genes from, eh?? Dad maybe????), so it fits right in with Gilbert & Sullivan! I think I have a good chance at it! Although if this other girl got it, I'd be so happy for her! She'd be fabulous and I would love watching her!

Listings are to be posted by 12:00 tomorrow! We shall see!!!!

Flit and Flee go the Butterflies in the Tummy!!!!

Quick note because I am SO excited!!!
Auditions for Pirates of Penzance were yesterday. There were at least 60 people there and most everyone there was trying out for 2 or more parts. So it was VERY long!!! (4 hrs!) Luckily it worked well for the kids' schedules. I was really impressed with how much talent was there - and then I was impressed with the people that had the guts to get up there and give it a shot even if they couldn't even find the pitch! I loved it all!
They ended up having the part for Ruth (the lower voiced, silly nurse!) next to last and I felt my "acting" was pretty good even if it didn't sound as nice as I really could do. And I didn't even forget any of the words! Then I stayed on to help sing the chorus part for the Mabel try-outs (the high flighty part... the ha ha ha ha ha part!). And then I thought - WHY NOT?!!! I oughtta do it just for fun and just because I know the part and I'd probably always regret that I passed up the opportunity when I had the chance. So I hopped up there and did it! I just shrugged my shoulders at my voice teacher and went for it. The crazy thing? Ya know the one part that I always slaughter? Doing the scales, and then the High D and the run that goes all over the place? I went for it full throttle and slammed it! I got it beautifully!!! WOW! The best I've ever done! So I lost my breath support on the ha ha ha ha part which bugged me - but who cares? I felt other people would be better on Mabel than me anyway, so it didn't matter. I hadn't bothered practicing this number at all over the last 4 weeks and didn't even go over it in my voice lessons at all. But the lessons have totally helped with what I wanted them to - to get me ready for this audition. When I was leaving, my voice teacher gave me a huge smile and said, "I didn't know you could do THAT!" How cool is that?? So I was really happy with how it went! I was totally excited to just be in the chorus if that's how the cookie crumbles! So many talented people, it's going to be a fabulous production! They can't go wrong with the number of really good people they had audition!

SO.......!!!

YAHOO!!!! I made call backs! I totally wasn't even thinking about call backs yesterday... but this morning it hit me! They always have call backs! So I emailed my voice teacher, but then thought I'd just run over to the theatre dpt and check out the list. There were 3 lists with different time slots... one from 5-7, the other two were for just 1/2 time slots each. The full time list was shorter and had names that I remembered from being the better auditioners.... I'm on the 5-7 list. SO! That means I am in the running for a lead!!! Nerves! Excitement! Nerves! I'm trying to not get my hopes up! In the past I've usually made call backs but don't get anything. I really would be happy to just be in the chorus! It really would be easier on my schedule. But it would SO exciting to get a lead part!!! YEA!!YEA!!YEA!!YEA!! I am happy to just make it to this point! How fun, huh??

WISH ME LUCK!!!!