the quest for Danny

For the next few months, a large part of this blog will be talking about BABY. While nothing new has happened theater-wise since the last post, I'll tell you about the long and winding road it's been to landing my dream role.

In a way, it's a truly romantic story.

I was doing GODSPELL at the Kudzu Playhouse in the fall of 2002, directed by Andy Meeks. In reading Andy's bio, I saw that he had played Danny in BABY, as well as some other roles whose soundtracks I wanted to check out. I was at Media Play one day, and decided to pick up the soundtrack to BABY. (In the "creepy coincidence" department, I remember being torn between getting BABY or BIG RIVER. I later ended up being in two productions of BIG RIVER, one of which just won the Suzi for Best Musical.)

I listened to BABY and instantly fell in love with it. "What Could Be Better" is not only my favorite song in the show, but one of my favorites in all of musical theater. It's not a perfect show (in my top ten favorite musicals list, it's only #6), but the role of Danny has really resonated with me ever since. A young, idealistic musician with perfect pitch. That, and he gets to sing all the best songs in the show.

Ever since that, I started bugging several theaters in town to do the show. It was done only once in the Metro Atlanta area (in 2001), and that production was the Southeastern Premeire apparently. After years of several parties (who know who they are) leading me on and saying "yeah, we'll do it, we'll do it" and then not doing it, the Legacy Theatre in Tyrone scheduled it for April 2010 at the last minute. Trouble is, I really wanted to do GREASE at Georgia Ensemble Theatre, so I was afraid I'd have to make a Sophie's choice between the two. I did two shows with the Legacy earlier this year. I'm quite fond of the artistic director and his wife - they let me literally live with them for 6 weeks (actor housing since I lived so far away). The AD told me that he couldn't really picture me as Danny, but I was welcome to come give it a shot. I appreciated his honesty, but it made me wonder what it was that made him not see the Danny potential in me. I auditioned, and didn't make callbacks. Shortly after that, I got offered GREASE, so I went ahead and took that.

It was around this time that I saw that Centerstage North in Marietta was doing the show in February, and they are submitting the show to the M.A.T. Awards, which is the awards organization for the theatres that aren't qualified to be considered for the Suzis. Plus, Centerstage North holds their own awards at the end of the year (or at least they did, not sure if they still do), so whoever was in their BABY had the potential to be up for two awards. Not that I'm awards-hungry or anything, but it's nice to be in a show that's being considered since the last time I won an award for acting was in 1996. I auditioned last Saturday. Sang "Shiksa Goddess" from THE LAST 5 YEARS. They had me read for Danny and Nick, and had me sing "I Chose Right" (a Danny song). They said they would be letting people know either later that day or the next, since plans for callbacks were cancelled. I got out of there at 3:30. They were seeing people from 2 to 6. At 6:01, the director called me and offered me the role of Danny.

After years of empty promises and discouragement along the way, I finally got my dream, AND I get to do GREASE as well, which is how I wanted it in the first place. The read-through is Monday, and what a thrill it will be to say those lines, sing those songs, and create this character. Finally. And for only the second time on a metro-Atlanta stage.

And the best part is, the story goes on.

Two footnotes:

Certain things I say above are meant to be read as sarcasm or mock anger. I hold no true hard feelings toward anyone.

Baby is not higher on my top ten list because I think its biggest flaw is that it's top-heavy. All the best songs in the show are scrunched together in Act 1. Most of the stuff in Act 2 is nice, but pales in comparison. That's why I like to listen to it on shuffle.