Adventures in Florida

After a ten month absence, I returned to my second home last week. Orlando was bright, sunny, and filled with hope of a better future for our little family. No pressure, though.

Thursday Adam and Andrea Daveline picked me up from the airport. They are great friends, and it was so much fun to see them. They took me to "Office Night," which is a weekly tradition I started last year in order to help Andrew Hill get his wife Kristi hooked on the show. Nice to see it is still going on. I saw Jamie (yeah!) and Amy (yeah!) and it was good to be back. But I had serious butterflies.

The next morning Adam, Andrea, and I travelled to the DAK rehearsal building for the audition. I was surrounded by folks who were professionals and had worked and auditioned for Disney a zillion times (was I good enough?) as well as clear college program students who took their headshot against the venetian blinds of Vista Way the night before and were suffering from delusions of grandeur despite no apparent training or talent (at least I know I'm not in that category). Sorry, folks, but being in your high school drama club and having a dramatic flair are probably not qualifications enough.

We had arrived early, so I was the second to last person in the third group (in other words, I was the 29th person to audition). In order to keep my nerves in check I spent the moments leading up to the audition getting into character and making sure I was coming from some place with the piece (Side note: Christian gave me the monologue, and it was very funny). It was nice to know what I was doing.

I tried not to pay attention to the other auditioners, but I couldn't help it out of the corner of my eye. First two: call backs. I thought maybe they were calling everyone back! No such luck... next two, nothing. One kid's monologue was two minutes of yelling something that I'm sure he found to be clever, but before you could say, "Where dreams come true, but not yours," he was out of there. Next guy, too. Then, I stopped looking.

When the person in front of me finished, I slipped into the room shrouded in all the confidence I could muster on my small but extremely attractive frame. The casting director's greeting was warm, my response was jovial. Just like old friends. So far so good.

She said, "Whenever you are ready." I ignored my impulse to respond, "in that case, I'll be back next Thursday" and instead started my analysis of the possible conditions that would lead a person to eat another human being. I'm not sure her reaction during the monologue, I was too busy concentrating on the blind date I was trying to impress and engage in conversation. I love that you don't look at the casting directors during an audition. I wasn't trying to be funny; I was just trying to be real. I ended my performance, and handed my immediate future over to her Disneyfied hands.

"You are very talented," she said. Well, so far she knows what she's talking about. "But at this time we don't really have any openings for which you would qualify." Oh, dear. But before I could form a coherent reassuring thought, her follow up was much more encouraging. "Would it be too much trouble to have you come back for our audition on the 19th?"

"Of course," was my immediate response. Could I really? It was too late, I already agreed.

"We are opening a new show in April; it is going to be a Stitch show using digital puppetry. I really want you to come back and audition for it."

"Why not?" I thought. My wife is Hawaiian after all. And I like Elvis. I could see she sensed these things about me.

She looked at my resume again. "Do you currently live in Utah?"

"Yes," I said with the usual mix of pride and shame that accompany that question.

She sat in thought for just a moment, thinking I can only assume about the excellent skiing the state provides. Or maybe the excellent performers the state provides. Either way, after a moment she said, "how about we just have you come back down for the call back?"

Really? Hurray! "That would be fantastic!" I responded with elation stemming from the fact I was going to come for the call back and also because I didn't have to try to find another round trip ticket for the next week. She explained that the call back would be in early January, which is just as my current position is ending. Wonderful, wonderful news. She then went on to explain that they had not yet figured out anything about the call back or what would be going on, so as soon as she had all that information she is going to email it my way. She did tell me to work on my Stitch impression, however. I thanked her with absolute unadulterated sincerity and left, doing mental bell kicks all the way down the hall.

It is an extremely gratifying feeling to take a risk and have it pay off. True, I don't have the position yet, but my efforts were good enough to keep going. It is my dream to be a professional performer at Disney in some capacity. I couldn't be happier about what happened.

So now I'm going to watch Lilo and Stitch, Stitch gets a Glitch, and Leroy and Stitch as many times as possible. I don't know much else about the show except what is posted on DisneyAuditions.com. Here is the posting:



Stitch's Supersonic Celebration Male Actors and Male Vocalists

For: Walt Disney World

Audition Location: Disney's Animal Kingdom Rehearsal Facility - Orlando, FL

Looking For: Singers and Actors

Disney Auditions is seeking male vocalists and male comedic actors for two new shows in the Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort. Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration incorporates cutting edge technology, comedic improvisation and dynamic choreography. Shows will open in Spring 2009.

Performers employed by the Walt Disney World Resort are covered under the terms and conditions of a Collective Bargaining Agreement with Actors' Equity Association.

Seeking the following roles:
Male Vocalist / Emcee - Needs strong interactive skills and the ability to move well.
Male Comedic Actor - Needs strong improvisation skills and the ability to do specific character voices. Video gaming dexterity a plus.
Male Comedic Improv Actor - Young and hip with strong interactive skills.

Apparently it also involves dancing:

Stitch's Supersonic Celebration Dancers

Disney Auditions is seeking male and female dancers for a brand new show in the Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort near Orlando, FL opening in April, 2009! Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration will incorporate cutting edge technology, comedic improvisation, and dynamic choreography all set to energetic, stylized music that will make this party out of this world!
Performers employed by the Walt Disney World Resort are covered under the terms and conditions of a Collective Bargaining Agreement with Actors' Equity Association.

Seeking the following roles:
Male Dancers - Hip hop / break dancers of all heights. May be asked to demonstrate other styles of dance.
Female Dancers - 5'4" - 5'7" with strong background in jazz and ballet.
Requirements:
Applicants must be at least 18 and authorized to work in the United States.
Please bring a current headshot and resume.
Dancers should be warmed up and ready to begin at the time listed. Please wear form fitting attire to show your silhouette.

I can't imagine what it will be, but I know I will be involved! Hurray for risk-taking!