On Broadway

I could distinctly hear something distant, something buzzing, shrieking, almost angry, pulling me away from sleep. The far-off trilling was thudding closer, and suddenly, I heard it, a dreadful murmur creeping into my subconscious, ridding me of all my joys, something awful, my alarm. I groaned deep in my throat beneath a mountain of covers that, subsequently, almost suffocated me. However, realizing that I should get up, I planted my feet firmly on the cold and hard wood floor of my brother, Jordan's apartment.

Classier than most, Jordan's apartment was on 87th street. Inside there is two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a bathroom. Luckily enough, his bedroom was spare this weekend, which was perfect because I needed it. Today I was auditioning for Tarzan, one of Disney's Broadway shows and although I knew I might be wrong for the part, I was going for the role of young Tarzan. The age range for the role was nine to eleven and I had just turned 13 at the time. I had auditioned for many shows since I was young but this was different for me. This would be my first real Broadway audition, and hopefully the first of many more to come.

I walked into Jordan's room; He grumbled, as I jabbed at his shoulder while I wondered how on earth it was that I had managed to locate it through the layers of blankets and pillows. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to wake him from his deep sleep, so I decided to go in the shower. After my shower I got dressed and Jordan was ready to go, forgetting to eat breakfast because I was so overcome with excitement. We stepped into a smelly city taxi and we were on our way to the audition.

On the way there, I gazed out the window of the cab contemplating what I was about to do and about how much I would love to live here in the future. It is the greatest place on earth, I thought to myself. We arrived at Ripley Grier Studios and an excited rush came over my body. I stepped into the building with my resume and headshot in hand. I felt a sudden nervousness creep up from my head straight down to my toes. There was a lady at a desk straight ahead, and she smiled at me as I walked toward her. I handed her my paperwork and she handed me back a form as she wrote my name on what seemed to be a very long list. She greeted me again warmly and pointed me toward the waiting room.

About 15 individuals looked at me when I walked in the room, mostly sets of parents, stage mom's, with their children. They all seemed younger than me, but not by a lot, although many probably looked younger than they really were. I sat in an empty chair next to a boy who looked about 12, his dark brown hair reached his shoulders and he very much looked like young Tarzan. I could feel the tension in the room right down to my bones as I watched him walk into the audition room. As I was listening to him sing, I realized that he sounded very good. He walked out of the room smiling brightly, saying how well it went to his father. I knew that it was my turn to audition. This was my only chance to impress the panel that I had what it takes to be on Broadway.

I walked into the room and it was a completely different atmosphere from the waiting room. This room was all white, in the corner stood a piano and a table. I walked in and smiled politely. “Hello” I said as I walked over to the pianist. I then explained the details of my song, such as where to stop, where to end, and how fast the song went. When I was done explaining, I walked over to the “X” and stood on it. I introduced myself and told the panel what I was singing. They were scary but nice at the same time, a very strange combination. I began singing and I felt my legs wobble against the floor. As I sang their eyes watched intently and I wished I knew what they were thinking. When my song was complete they smiled and complimented me kindly. I thanked them and walked out of the room casually.

When I walked out of the building I called my mom, the cool air felt nice against my flustered face. It was almost as if I could breathe again. It was nice to hear my mom's voice, "How was it?" she asked. "Fine," I answered. We stepped into a cab. I would never forget this day.