“What was your Broadway debut like?”
“I had a really crazy experience. I auditioned for the national tour of Matilda and had all these callbacks. After the second to last callback, all my friends who were there started texting me that they had gotten a callback. I was staring at my phone, and it wasn’t ringing. I thought I did a good job and they liked me, but I didn’t get a callback.
On the day of the callback, I took off work and went to ballet class. After class, I was still bummed, so I said, “You know what? I am not done dancing. I was supposed to dance all day. I am going to go to a jazz class too.” After jazz class, I look at my phone, I have two missed calls, three text messages, and a voicemail from this New York number that I don’t know. I listen to the voicemail, and it’s someone from casting at Matilda. She says, “So we accidentally threw your headshot away in the no pile, but we really wanted you to be here today. Where are you?” I had no book, and I didn’t have appropriate dance clothes for the audition, but I went anyway. I was there for almost six hours, dancing, singing, and reading. It went well, and I left thinking that I got it.
I get a phone call the next day asking if I would take the tour if they offered it to me. Next week comes and goes, but I don’t hear anything. A month goes by, I don’t hear anything. I get a text from my friend, “I just want to let you know that I got an offer for that track.” It stung, but I was very happy for her and moved on with my life.
A month later, it was the day they were starting rehearsals for the tour or really close to it. I was sitting on the couch. My phone rings—and it’s a New York number I don’t know, which makes your heart stop. The casting director says, “Hi, Amanda, we just want to call and let you know that casting for the tour has been completed, and that’s going to be the end of the road for you there.” In my head, I am thinking, “Duh, they start rehearsals today, and I am not there.” But I say, “Thanks for letting me know.” Then she says, “But we have an opening in our Broadway company, and we want you to join us there instead.”
I could not believe what she had just said because that was never on the table as far as I knew. I didn’t know that I was even being considered for Broadway. I had no clue. I have no idea what she said after that because I was in shock. I remember I hung up the phone and called my dad. Called my grandma. And then I was getting up to leave, and I couldn’t even really put on my coat. I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t really react other than call my family. I got home, and I remember sitting in my kitchen just sobbing. I was supposed to start rehearsals three days later. My entire life got flipped upside down. It was crazy.”