Thoughts on Casting
I hate casting. But I love casting. But I hate casting.
It's been three years since I've done a musical. My last musical was a very creative approach to The Wiz. I was still green as a director and was still getting my feet at this school. The production was great because we made it great.
Now, Maeser middle school drama has grown into something I could ever imagine. We have a reputation to uphold, there are expectations of quality, and students who have worked with me for three years. I have never felt as much pressure going into a show as I feel about this one.
After the first round of auditions we were left to narrow the field down to just 20 students who could possibly play a lead. As call-back started I was completely thrown for a loop. How on earth are all 20 kids perfect for the part? We start waltzing and they all look so beautiful. Cold reads? Nope all were unique and kept us thinking. When it came time to finally cast the show, we were left with lists of three or four people, all of whom could easily fill each role. This girl could fill these three spots, that boy could be the prince or a stepsister, all three of them would make a great king.
I hate casting. When you have four absolutely solid candidates for Cinderella and you have to crush that majority. Knowing that with a few short letters on a blog, I've hurt some truly wonderful students is the worst feeling in the world.
Yet, despite everything, I have total confidence in our cast. If every single lead got sick and we had to fall back to understudies, I know we would still have an amazing show. I'm so excited to move forward. This will be quite the adventure.
It's been three years since I've done a musical. My last musical was a very creative approach to The Wiz. I was still green as a director and was still getting my feet at this school. The production was great because we made it great.
Now, Maeser middle school drama has grown into something I could ever imagine. We have a reputation to uphold, there are expectations of quality, and students who have worked with me for three years. I have never felt as much pressure going into a show as I feel about this one.
After the first round of auditions we were left to narrow the field down to just 20 students who could possibly play a lead. As call-back started I was completely thrown for a loop. How on earth are all 20 kids perfect for the part? We start waltzing and they all look so beautiful. Cold reads? Nope all were unique and kept us thinking. When it came time to finally cast the show, we were left with lists of three or four people, all of whom could easily fill each role. This girl could fill these three spots, that boy could be the prince or a stepsister, all three of them would make a great king.
I hate casting. When you have four absolutely solid candidates for Cinderella and you have to crush that majority. Knowing that with a few short letters on a blog, I've hurt some truly wonderful students is the worst feeling in the world.
Yet, despite everything, I have total confidence in our cast. If every single lead got sick and we had to fall back to understudies, I know we would still have an amazing show. I'm so excited to move forward. This will be quite the adventure.
Comments
Post a Comment