My Fair Lady: Mixed feelings

[bookzombie]

I was able to take the opportunity last night to get some feedback from Neil (Musical Director) and Chris (Director) about my audition.

Neil was quite cautious - having been burned before he was only willing to talk about the musical aspects. For Higgins, he was quite happy that I could put the singing across, especially after the stuff I did for the concert. For Freddy, he had a bit more to say. Basically I'm not a lyric tenor. I can reach the notes and I'm in tune, but I can't really do that sort of song (On the Streets Where You Live in this case) justice. I don't really have any problem with that - it matches my own feelings about my voice.

I had a very interesting conversation with Chris. Basically it was a very, very close choice between me and Paul for Higgins. On another day it could have been the other way round. It wasn't really something he could pin down that made the difference; Paul had perhaps a little more of a twinkle in the eye, a little more relaxed at the shoulders (I know that I really don't spend enough time on the movement for acting auditions - so a lesson learned there).

What was interesting was that one of the reasons that they decided to ask me to be Pickering, rather than doing some of the smaller bits and pieces, is that they think I am a good actor and could really do the role justice and it would be a waste to just have me in singing roles.

Frankly this is a bit of a revelation to me; I've always thought of myself as a mediocre actor at best, but obviously I perform better than I think!

It was also a great relief to know that it was not a political decision, as I had been given to believe.

I've auditioned for a number of 'lead' roles over the years and always seem to have been second place. It was nice to be reassured by Chris that it isn't a waste of my time to keep auditioning for those parts (though I really need to play to my strengths and go for the character parts - Nathan Detroit rather than Sky Masterson, if you see what I mean). Sometime you wonder whether people are just being nice when they tell you it was close. Auditions take a lot out of me and if I really didn't have a chance I would like to know so that I don't waste my energy.

Comments

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

I think it is the height of coolness that you actually went and ASKED them what the deal was. (Rather than just speculating in a depressed state over a beer at home, as I would have done.) Bravo, you!

Often I think the character parts are more interesting in musicals. They often get a real crowd-pleasing solo turn: Donald O'Connor in Singin' in the Rain. "Shipoopi" in Music Man, the character name escapes me. Or the two Princes in Into the Woods ("Agony"). The dad in Bye Bye Birdie leading off into "Ed Sullivan."

[dotar-sojat.livejournal.com]

I can see you as Higgins. You have the leading man material in abundance.