Grease and the 8th grader in high school

Normally when you see an audition notice you will often be provided with a character breakdown. In the character breakdown it will list each character and provide their descriptions and even their age range. When I was little I thought these age ranges were set in stone and you couldn't work around it.

One day while my mom was searching through audition notices she spotted a post for Grease auditions at Lewis Family Playhouse. I looked at the post and saw that they wanted people from the ages of high school and up. Currently at that time I was in 8th grade. The auditions were several days away and I was protesting the entire time because I wasn't old enough. My dad then said something that changed my views on auditioning. "Just lie about your age.... it's called acting". These 8 words convinced me right away that I should audition for this show.

Audition day came around and I had my audition song ready "Angel Baby". This audition was before I had my growth spurt. Practically Hobbit height... maybe a little taller. This theatre is a part of Victoria Gardens (a huge outdoor mall) and the building was bigger than I could imagine. As I walk to the audition area I start to see everyone dressed in their "audition attire". My "audition attire" for this show was my pink Riverdance shirt, jeans, black converse, and my hair up in a ponytail. I freaked out because I thought my chance for getting in the show was crushed because I didn't look like everyone else. My mom filled out my audition form while I stared at my sheet music making sure that I had a proper cut for the vocal portion. People are called in one-by-one and finally my name is called. I slowly walk into the room to see the Director and Assistant Director sitting next to the producer and the musical director at the piano. They greet me with open arms and I suddenly feel at ease. I introduce myself and my piece and start singing, next thing I know the director stops me and goes to the piano. He asks if we could to the most known part of my song. I do as he asks and he tells me to stay for the dance call. (the dance call is really a blur and I remember nothing) I got a callback for Jan. I went to the callback and there were a butt load of people there. We started off by singing in a huge group then we split into pairs of four and sung for the musical director. Next was reviewing the dance from the audition day and we split into small groups. The director then split us up into two large groups. He sent my group outside of the room. At that moment I thought I was immediately cut. Turns out it was the exact opposite. We started practicing our sides and music. There were only two people called back for Jan. It was between me and a 21 yr old. Finally it was time for the big bedroom scene with all of the pink ladies. We did the scene with someone for each character and constantly switched around (except for me). The final run of the scene and they set up the group of girls ( I was in that group). The director and assistant director started asking me many questions while in front of the other group. "Do your parents know what this show is about?" "Are they okay with you being in this show?" I reassured them that they fully supported me ....but what I didn't realize was that this was the start of me being the baby in the group. In almost every show I am always the youngest. I left the audition feeling very confident....and the next day my mom got a call saying I was Jan.

This show was my first real experience that I had with adults. I never envisioned that I would make friends with people much older than me. We grew very close together as a class. Being the youngest I felt as if I was the fly on the wall. Watching everything that was happening around me and not really being in just one "group". The closest group I bonded with was my pink ladies.

Throughout this process I was able to gain the confidence I needed to be in big productions. Some of the best parts about this show were the weird things that were never planned. 

1) Somehow my shoes kept getting switched out for bigger sizes. My director referred to them as my boat shoes. They were practically flip flops by the final show. 

2)Our preview had a mishap at the beginning of Act 2 for the prom. We had a scrim that was supposed to go up but it didn't and the music was playing. I was always taught no matter what keep the show going. Half of us were separated from our dance partners but we danced as if they were there....and then the director started it over. 

3) While getting fitted for costumes the costumer was having trouble finding a prom dress for me. I opened my big mouth and said my mom could make one by the time dress rehearsals started. Somehow I forgot that it was Easter weekend coming up. But my mom was able to make a light blue dress that was exactly the style of what I wanted. 

4) The Pink Lady jackets are very important to the characters in the show. In ours we only had 3 sizes (S,M,L). During quick changes it was very important to get the right jacket or else there will be an awkward moment on stage. There were at least two times where we got our jackets mixed up. 

5) Maggie (Rizzo) and Zach (Roger) decided to prank the entire cast and utilize their stage makeup effects. One by one everyone in the cast is fooled into thinking that Maggie was hurt from falling down the stairs to the dressing room. Not cools guys. 

6) One of the crew members brought in food for the cast that day. It was left over from a baby shower that day. Little did we know was that the food was out in the sun all day. The Pink Ladies attacked the food like we hadn't eaten in years. We started feeling a little sick as the show started. It didn't help that the AC was broken and no air was flowing backstage. By the time the handjive came in that's when it went downhill. One by one as each pink lady finished their mini dance break we ran off stage (in character of course) and either puked off stage, passed out, or cooled down so nothing bad happened and we could be comprehensive for the next scene. LESSON #1 don't eat any food that someone brought in because it was leftover. Stick with baked goods.

7) We had a pick up rehearsal but all of our T-Birds had conflicts so when it came to Greased Lightning the Pink Ladies gladly stepped in and took over. LESSON #2 pick-up rehearsals are times to remember everything that you might have forgotten from the past week....but feel free to play around a little because you might find some new things about your character that you didn't know existed 

8) I absolutely despise Twinkies. Twinkies are Jans main treat. During the bedroom scene I'm supposed to eat a Twinkie. I was given a Twinkie every night in the plastic wrapping. Trying to avoid eating the horrible treat I pretended like I couldn't open the wrapping for the life of me. Every night I worried that I would accidentally open the Twinkie. Don't get me wrong ....I would have eaten that damn thing if it opened. But I would have just had my dads voice in the back of my head saying "it's just acting" and ate the Twinkie with a smile on my face.

9) I remember hearing John Lalonde was going to be our Teen Angel. His name was known around the theatre community but I have never met him. To me he was a real Angel. He walked in halfway through the first act and I remember seeing glitter at the corner of his eyes. He floated as he walked and I had to stop concentrate soo hard during Beauty School Dropout because his voice was soo angelic. 

10) My mom and dad once forgot I was at rehearsal.....

Being the baby of the show isn't that bad. It just means that everyone looks out for you. They make sure you are safe, happy, and learning.

 I give credit to my Roger for putting up with me and working with the youngest in the group while everyone else was interacting with people their age.

Together as a group the T-Birds and Pink Ladies had some drama but that's what was perfect for this show. Also drama is inevitable when combining a bunch of teenagers into one room for a period of time.  I wouldn't trade this group for anyone else. 

I love my Pink Ladies. They are probably the closest thing I have to being in a sorority ( a very, very small sorority). Rehearsals often consisted of long nights and they would watch over me while I napped during breaks and they helped me learn my parts making sure I was comfortable in my role. The best part about Facebook is I get to see them succeed and do great things in their life. All of them have graduated from college as I just started college.

Grease started the big fire in my life that has never stopped. From then on I did about 5-8 shows a year. I don't think my parents realized what they were getting themselves into once I got into this show. Once you get bit by the performing bug expect to be in for the ride of your life. 

Dipping My Toes Into Musical Theatre

About 7 years ago I auditioned for my first musical. Being new to the theatre world my mom looked online for anything she could find. She came across an audition notice for 'Will Rogers Follies' at Performance Riverside. Mind you we had no idea this was a professional theatre. We decided to both audition for the show and we went to the music store to buy sheet music. I had no idea where to start so my mom taught me "16  Going on 17" from Sound of Music. All day and night I practiced to the CD that was included with the sheet music only looking at the music to see the words. Audition day came around and I was ready to sing what I had learned. When I got there they split up all of the adults and children and had the children go into the theatre and learn a song that was sung by the kids in the show. The theatre seemed bigger than anything I had ever seen before. I was mad the entire audition because I didn't know the song that they were teaching us and I wasn't given the opportunity to sing my song. After I was cut my mom went to do her audition. We both left that day feeling unsure about doing musical theatre. I waited and waited to hear back from Performance Riverside and nothing. It wasn't until we received a letter in the mail from them. Little did I know is that they send rejection letters. Of course they don't do that anymore ... thank god. When I got that letter I was so mad that I ripped it into a thousand pieces. I told my mom I would never audition for another musical ever again. 

Well I sure didn't follow that vow. Mom made me try another audition but this time it was for a smaller theatre and for a show that we really didn't have any clue what it was about. The show was 'Pied Piper the Musical' at Chino Community Theatre. I practiced my song more and more hoping I would get to sing it this time. There was no telling what was going to happen at this audition. I get to the theatre and there are barely any kids there.... then I realized I was there the second day of auditions. There were only three boys and me. We all go into the audition room and I am terrified. We sing our songs (THANK GOD) and then we do readings. It was probably my worst reading ever because I thought we were just supposed to read the words....not act at the same time. 

The two directors said the first general meeting and read-through were that following day (on Monday) and we should here about whether or not we were in by the end of the night. I wait and wait ...nothing. No calls. I start getting dejected so my mom takes me to the theatre the day or the meeting to see if I was cast at all. We walk up to the director and ask if I was even cast in the show. She looks at her clipboard and says " Why of course! You are playing Melanie the Messenger". I was filled with excitement and felt soo accomplished. When I think about it now my mom is pretty intimidating and the director probably made up a role for me right there. But it doesn't matter now because that small role started a life that I never expected to happen. 

A little back story

My life is very strange. Why not share it with everyone? I hope this blog will be able to provide people with reason why I am the way I am. I am proud of who I have turned into and I want to share my story. Being someone who loves to share it would make sense to write a book... but that's just a lot of work when I don't have someone writing it for me. So hopefully this can be an online version of my story.

Let me give you a little back story to... well me

I was born in San Antonio, Texas Sept 1,1996. My mother was in the Air Force and my dad was in the Marines. Meaning I was born as a military brat. If I had it my way I would never would of had it this way, but as everyone says everything happens for a reason. My family moved everywhere. We moved to Florida then to Germany... then to Arizona and then finally California. These moves were never easy for anyone. When in Germany my mom was stationed in Kosovo for several months.

Right when I was born I became a pageant child.... no not toddlers and tiaras version but if I actually liked doing pageants trust me. I would have been a classier version of honey boo boo. While in pageants I heard a song that one of the older girls was singing. 'God Bless America' I told my mom I wanted to learn that too ( think its also because that girl won and I wanted to win my group). When we moved to Arizona my dad started working at the Boys and Girls Club. There I was able to sing at the sports games and talent shows. I was even able to win over my version of Ms. Trunchbull of a kindergarten teacher by singing. I sung God Bless America at my kindergarten graduation .... I thought I was the shit pretty much. I was even able to perform at the World Series Game 6 2001. After this I stopped singing. There wasn't really a reason to this, all I know is that I only stuck to singing in music class. I joined a karate class with my best friend because I wanted to do what she was doing. Months pass and our instructors split .... half of the group stayed at the community center and the other half went to train in a garage. OF COURSE I went to train in a garage. We were the best group and our instructor was a professional UFC fighter. Mind you this was Arizona where the hottest temperature I have ever lived through was 127 degrees. This was some of the toughest training I had ever gone through. I remember leaving jugs of water in his freezer and then putting them on the sidewalk so they would melt by the time our warm-up was over. The best part was that we kicked each others assess and never got in trouble for it. We trained for competitions... a lot of competitions. My strongest groups were fighting and musical weapons. Yes I said musical weapons. I was a pro at what I did. Soon enough I became the state fighting champion for my age group. People would drop out of my category because they didn't want to fight me. Musical weapons was the best because my mom choreographed my numbers. She watched many karate videos to figure out the best moves for my bo staff. I only worked with a bow staff where others used kamas, swords, fans, and even whips.... these were just very dangerous and sharp. My mom wanted something to impress the judges so she found fast songs. The first band she thought of was Metallica.

As a "performer" in the Musical Weapons category you often didn't want to have any lyrics during your piece because it would distract from your moves. She was able to find a CD that was by a String Quartet that did a full tribute to Metallica. Master of the Puppets String Quartet this song was my life for the longest time. Between this and Enter Sandman I won trophies that were several feet tall.

My UFC career ended when I moved to California ( thnxs mom and dad). No one wanted to honor my belts and wanted me to start from the beginning so I could go to competitions for them as a "lower level" and win more trophies for their studios. I wasn't interested in contributing to something they really didn't care about, it was only about the money for them.

I wasn't active in any way for several months. So my mom made a bracket chart. In each bracket it had a different type of sport listed in it. She said I had to choose something.....I somehow chose soccer. Maybe I thought I was Mexican enough for it. I played for about a season but I quit after that season because my team honestly sucked. We were pretty much the soccer version of BenchWarmers.

                                         
That is when I was introduced to the magical world of MUSICAL THEATRE. Mom said she had done theatre in college and I could try it since I sang. who knew that it was going to lead my to this crazy path that I am on now.