No Call Back...

So my girl Vikki, at the Goodman Theatre, suggested I audition for Yolanda - a 22yr. old, Brooklyn fireball in the upcoming Crowns play. Perfect, Yeah?!? Except I've never auditioned for anything theatre related...ever.  I've sung...a lot, which is like performing on stage, but it ain't acting.  Still I'm honored Vikki believes in me so Saturday, I'm on the curb, with a bunch of 20 somethings, waiting in the cold for the door to open and the games to begin. I met Isabel who is a pro at this- having recently waited for hours to audition in Lion King, sang octaves with

fellow laborers in the art and due to nerves- delivered a B- monologue.  I couldn't get lost in the character.

Anywhooo, I called my ubba Christian and ubba successful Hollywood friend, Naima Lett for help and consultation. Both which she happily obliges and I literally learned how to do a theatre resume and monologue from her the night before.  We recap afterwards (what went right and what went wrong)  and the convo changes direction in which Naima asked me "If you had God's great big YES, what one thing would you be doing in life?" I muster up as much courage as I can and admit- I'd be singing on the same scale as Whitney Houston was. Big production, great fashion, extraordinary choreography and the music would be Christian/Inspiration.. a quality of performance that has never done before by a Christian artist". I mean sure Madonna, Cher, Beyonce,Prince, Celine and Janet have all done it, but not one Christian artist.  She delicately replies, "Then why are you auditioning for someone else's play when you should be focusing on how to get your production off and running. You're a singer.. why haven't you given yourself permission to be the best at that"?

OUCH  Naima!!!

She proceeds by saying, "You're not focused, I mean laser focused " and generously calls out why...(reasons which will remain private.. thank you very much). What could I say, she was right, it hurt, I needed to hear it...and now I'm focused!

You gotta laugh at God's irony though: I sit in the cold to audition for a part, that I don't get a call back on, only to admit that I should not have been outside, waiting in the cold from the start. For me, it was a distraction...a cop out and I knew it but I couldn't have seen it, if it weren't for my good gal friends. So thanks Vikki for giving me the opportunity and  thanks Naima..for helping me live truth!

FOCUS.