A dear friend of mine recently chastised me for finagling my slightly overburdened schedule so that I am constantly RIGHT on time - or worse, GASP, late - to work, a meeting, a callback, a friend date, etc. As such, I have recently incorporated another love's mantra that being EARLY is being on time.
Today was my callback at the Met Opera for Don Giovanni. Knowing the NY subway system as I do, I gave myself ample time (35 minutes) to get only about a mile uptown from my work. Despite my best laid plans, due to some combination of nerves, excitement, and Metro distrust, I was definitely feeling the crunch of my time window.
I left the office and ran into the street in a flurry of wind - and ceramically altered hair - to hail a cab, just to be sure I would arrive with time to spare. Yet, as a lesson to me and anyone who may benefit from this blog, I arrived... 7 minutes before my call time at 11am... only to find that one of the monitors had already been down looking for me!
It was of course not a real issue, as I technically was "on time," even early. Nevertheless, I was embarrassed to have had a member of the casting process come to meet me and help guide me through the bowels of the Met Opera house... only for me to not be there.
From the original 300+ extras who auditioned, they called back 20 of us to learn a gestural combination taught by the gregarious and dynamic choreographer, Ben Wright. (His British accent made me so happy).
Imagine my surprise to also see the familiar, rogue-ishly sexy looking face of Alexander Tressor, Advanced Ballet teacher at Steps on 74th. After further investigation, I found quite obviously displayed on his faculty bio: his teaching credit at the Metropolitan Opera House.
...Suddenly I found myself wishing I had taken MUCH more Russian ballet from him in past years. (You never know who you will see in these rooms, people!)...
Today just goes to show, as my loved ones have said, that you can never be too present in this industry, and you can never be too early. Best believe that I will be in the room (and irresistibly friendly) at the White Christmas call later today... WAY before I am called to dance. Sidebar: I cannot WAIT for my counterpart to come back from her show so that I can go back to part time work and focus my efforts on dancing and auditioning more.
Anyyywayy, the movement for Don Giovanni was fun and tres dramatique (not to mention quite easy if you had any head for counts, which fortunately, I did today). Wright had a great presence, made the audition SO much fun, and would clearly be an absolutely JOY to work for/with.
Doesn't he look friendly?!
Fingers crossed!
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