My First Broadway Audition

I was 19, and auditioning all the time. This is back when I was attempting to get my "big break" (whatever that is) in the musical theatre scene. I had arrived ridiculously early at the Actors Equity building, and had been waiting all morning with hopes that whatever I was auditioning for would have time to see me. After a few hours on the wooden benches, the monitor came to us to let us know that there would not be time for us to be seen, BUT, the audition for the upcoming Broadway production of Wonderful Town was wide open.

The audition for Wonderful Town was being held at Chelsea Studios, which is 20 blocks (about a mile) from Equity. It was a beautiful day, and I figured I could walk over, which would be faster than the train due to construction. I wanted to be quick, in case word got out that the audition was empty and every actor in New York decided to head that way, too. I didn't even change my shoes, in order to save time.

I walk/jogged to Chelsea, signed in, and was seen right away. As I walked to the piano, the Casting Director was staring at my shoes, which were these tan platform things that were new, clunky, and didn't really match my dress. As I sang, the Casting Director kept looking at my feet, and I was beating myself up about wearing the "wrong" shoes. I don't remember how well I sang or acted or anything... Both the CD and I were clearly thinking about my unfashionable footwear.

Puzzled, I gathered my stuff and got as far as the bathroom when I saw it: thick, crimson, blood was all over the side of my tan wedge shoe, and still continuing to pour out of my left foot, right where the strap and buckle were digging into my flesh. I hope I wasn't making puddles on the floor of the studio as I auditioned. In my excitement to audition for Broadway, the adrenaline pumping through my body, and my knowledge that sometimes shoes need to be broken in, I didn't even feel the tear in my skin that was upstaging me during my audition! I was horrified, but I shrugged it off as a memorable first audition for Broadway; comforted by the thought that my future auditions for the "Great White Way" would probably be less gory.

Do YOU have a crazy/memorable/embarrassing/hilarious audition story?

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