What do Mamma Mia and Lady Gaga have in common?

Apparently a super spunky audition sequence with some flashy jazz hands at 10 in the morning, that's what.

 

So today began like most of my days: up early at the alarm clock, coffee, omelet, brush teeth + mouthwash if I'm lucky enough to remember, quick run/workout, shower (or birdbath... hopefully) then pack my stuff for a day of auditioning/tutoring madness.

The Mamma Mia audition is easier - in some ways - than most, because the dancers in that show wear street clothes, minimal make-up (a.k.a save your false eyelashes and blood red lips for Chicago and How to Succeed), and do almost nothing to their hair (otherwise known as, leave those curling irons at home, ladies!)

I knew I was going to have a hard day's transit so I texted a friend to sign me up around 8am, so I was #44 on the unofficial non-union dancers' list, but then I stupidly went to get coffee for her and print some head shots at the critical audition moment: when the Actors Equity monitor shows up and stakes her territory by tearing up the unofficial list.

At this point, one of two things happens:

1. The girls in the room bend to their internal moral compasses and do the right thing by transferring over the names - in the same order - from the non-official list to the official non-union dancers list.
2. There is a mad dash for the new list and all of the opportunists [sometimes physically] fight with each other to get as close to the top of the list is possible. 

There are variants along the spectrum of these two choices (I will never forget the hair pulling I witnessed at the epic Evita singers call, those b$&%*es are craaazy), and today's was unfortunately closer to the second of the two. So whilst in a Starbucks line, I found myself bumped down to number 84 on the non-eq list, with about 100 equity girls to audition before me and the other non-union dancers.

Some days, that bump down may have made the difference whether I was seen and had the opportunity to audition or not. Fortunately, today was a day where they were moving QUICKLY in the room, and so the Mamma Mia team from Tara Rubin casting company saw everyone - union and non union dancer alike. 

People in the room:

Janet Rothermel - Dance Supervisor

Ryan Sander - Dance Captain on Broadway

Lindsay Levine - Casting Associate from Tara Rubin Casting

Lesson from the day: wake up earlier for the next audition and don't leave until my name is on the official non union list. oy.