Accolade copy editor junior Serenity Li auditioned last semester to join the cast of the spring musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and director Annie Pagano — theater teacher Christian Penuelas’ substitute director — cast Li as one of Joseph’s brothers’ wives. With Penuelas’ approval, the junior will document some of her experiences — before and during rehearsals — leading up to opening night, Friday, March 7. Be sure to stay tuned in the A&E section to read the rest of her entries.
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, last semester, I saw a post on the Lancer Theater Company Google Classroom titled “Joseph Audition Form.” Though I was never in any theater classes at Sunny Hills, a friend shared the classroom code with me so I could join the Unscheduled 6th improv team earlier in the year. It was a Google Form for anyone interested in auditioning for the Lancer Theater Company’s spring musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
The musical mixes the Old Testament Bible story about the son of Jacob, who gets betrayed by his brothers and sent to Egypt, with fun, upbeat songs to make it engaging and humorous to the audience.
When I auditioned for this production on Tuesday, Nov. 19, I considered shooting for a lead role, which would earn recognition among friends and family who would come to watch, especially since this would represent my first foray into the world of theater at Sunny Hills.
But I didn’t want to dive head first into the spotlight, recognizing its similarity to many established programs (including here at The Accolade); a newbie needs to start at the bottom of the totem pole.
So, I settled on a supporting role and decided to audition as one of Joseph’s 11 brothers, which would get me time in front of the stage but not 100% of the spotlight. The musical portrays them as unserious, funny guys, exactly the kind of role I found appealing even though the brothers had villainous intentions.
Auditioning wasn’t a simple process — at least not for me. I had to scour my calendar and talk with my parents to see if I could handle rehearsals and practice on my own time alongside the Advanced Placement/honors workload of school and other extracurriculars. Unlike many of my castmates, I would have to figure out how to travel from Irvine, where I had piano lessons, all the way to Fullerton and back to attend rehearsals.
So I sat at the dinner table to ask my parents about their thoughts, and they chimed in with questions.
“Will you be able to handle practicing and doing your school work at the same time?” my mom asked me.
“Who’s going to take you to school for rehearsals?” asked my dad.
After a bombardment of questions, I figured I could handle school and the musical much like the semester before when I participated in the school improv group. I also got my older sister’s clearance to take me to rehearsals which meant I was all set.
Once my schedule and parents were OK with this new addition, I submitted a Google Form stating information like my name, height and a mugshot and agreed to a Terms of Conditions about the musical. Then, I picked a piece of music to sing and a time slot for my audition. Spoilers: it was very French.
We had to use a fake French accent, saying “ze” and “en bien!” The whole concept of the song was the epitome of a French stereotype, one that makes you think of the Eiffel Tower, berets and baguettes. The 11 brothers performed this piece, and I needed to know and sing it to audition as one of them.
After the heart-pounding audition, the only thing I could do was wait, and a week after my audition, I saw a post on the Lancer Theater Co. Google Classroom titled “Cast List,” which was posted a few days before the year ended and our winter break started. This was it; did I get the part? I opened the Google Doc excitedly, watching the loading circle go round and round.
First, I looked at the lead roles to see if my friends got the part they wanted. I felt a burst of happiness as I saw their names under each main character of the show. Then I looked at Ensemble to see if other friends were joining us for this process. I didn’t find my name there but saw some recognizable names.
Then I checked Brothers. Was I the first name listed? No, but I kept reading. I didn’t see my name anywhere on the list until I scrolled down and saw I was chosen as one of their wives. All of a sudden, I felt disappointed I didn’t get the part I auditioned for but excited for my new one, which didn’t require me to memorize so much and was similarly as prominent as my original choice.
During my vacation period, I listened almost religiously to the playlist, trying to familiarize myself with the music, and I watched the movie version of the musical available on YouTube. I made a note of when the wives were onstage and how they interacted with the brothers.
As the date of our first rehearsal, Tuesday, Jan. 7, approached, I became more and more nervous about my capabilities. Could I really juggle this in my junior year?
