These are a few of my favorite things...

Tonight was our first "rehearsal". Since I didn't know where the Senior Center was I grabbed my GPS and left a bit early. Not surprisingly, I was the first one there. While I was walking in, one of the companies board members said hello and introduced herself to me in the parking lot. I remembered her right away. After I had auditioned for Miss Hannigan in Annie a couple years ago (and didn't get the role), I emailed her because she had introduced herself at the audition and was a member of the board. I asked her if she could give me advice as to how I could improve for my next audition. She replied that she was busy at the time but she would get back to me. You guessed it....that never happened. I was nice to her though. Especially since she did audition for the show and wasn't casted. Yes, board members can audition.
I was given a folder with some music and a few welcome pages and instructed to go into a room and have a seat. The chairs were together in a huge circle. The next person to come in was the girl my friend didn't like who she nicknamed "Purple". I will admit, the girl is a bit...over the top. VERY perky and bubbly and talk, talk, talk. Turns out, she was the one who called me to tell me I was casted. (Of course I had to text my friend to let her know) Soon the room had filled up. I didn't see "Mindy" or "Knees" but I saw the guy who myself and my friend named "the other James (because he resembled her husband) or James2. All I could do the whole time was look around and think "Who are they casted as? Who's Maria? Who's the captain?" I ended up moving down to sit a few seats down from Purple and, as it turns out, the woman sitting next to me was Purples Mom. After introducing herself and asking a few questions of me, she pointed out who was Maria. WOAH! Wait a minute! Mario is a 30+ year old woman?! That was surprising! But the big shock was when she pointed out who was to play the Captain. Wow. This guy is NO Christopher Plummer! I'd say he's in his 50's. And no, not handsome but you could definitely tell he was an experienced musical person. The woman told me that he played Daddy Warbucks in Annie. He even shaved his head for the role; now THAT'S dedication!
The president of the company stepped into the middle of the circle to start the night. He reminded me alot of Cameron Macintosh who's the producer of all the big shows like Le Miz and Phantom. Then another man took over and gave some more info, introduced the board members, blah, blah, blah. Then he had us go around the room, say our names and our roles. During the whole ordeal, we had to go into another room to be measured for our costumes. Thanks SO much to the lady measuring me who said I had a big head. LOL
I got back in the room just as I heard the one board member tell people to get up and go sit with someone else you don't know. I didn't move but some guy came and sat next to me. Whatever.
Then we were instructed to talk to the other person and find out their favorite things. Fine. His name is Tom, he went on for a bit about how he tries to be in productions with his kids (his daughter was in the show too), what sport he liked to play, what tv show and food and band...blah, blah, blah. Then people volunteered when they were ready to talk. It was a long ordeal but basically painless.
Afterwards the head-guy told us the reason he had us do this is because we're not going to see each other for a LONG time. That each group would be working seperately of each other. But this was a good way to make friends until that time. Then he said that we were done for the night and just then the guy next to me....farted...