This month brought my interests and job together again; one week on the other coast to cast another production. It’s Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish again, except we’ve got to cast this from the ground up in a completely different space.
Pictured above with my boss, Choreographer and Associate Director, Staś Kmieć, and Producer, Brandon Ivie of Center Theatre Group
Auditions are some of the most fascinating events. This might be the only career where you can walk into a job “interview”, do something for 30 seconds and potentially be told to leave. Last week we saw hundreds of actors and dancers based in Los Angeles for the new production and it was one of the most inspiring yet.
This is a remount of our award-winning production from New York with our decorated director, Joel Grey (featured on the thumbnail on a sun break) There’s a lot of cast turnover but there was loads of talent to choose from in LA. That’s the hard part. Lots of people are really great and can do it all; unfortunately, it doesn’t always equal a job.
The inspiring part is people performing in the room. When they do it right, you see no just their technique or abilities, but how badly they want this job. How are they are willing to work for it. Not everyone has that ability, but when it comes through, it’s engaging. Compelling. And I think this effect is unique to dance.
You can absolutely see when a singer or actor’s heart is in a work and how much effort they have put in or are willing to put in, but the physicality of dance brings a whole other dimension that’s unmatched by the other two art forms.
Often, it’s not the '“best” person that gets the job. It’s a combination of technical abilities, talent, look, and drive. And of course, in this production, the language factor!
Performers lucky enough to make it through an initial pass, usually get handed new material or “notes” that need to be applied to their performance in the moment. From that, we get an even greater sense of your true abilities. Did you just put on a nice performance the first time or do you have the skill and training that it takes.
Most is revealed the first time around. But yes, there are a couple who slip through the cracks and then you question the strength of the performer. This isn’t as condescending as it sounds. I still actively perform, so it’s especially hard to be sitting behind the table, staring at headshots, and judging everyone; but that’s precisely the job as a choreographer. I’m grateful for years I’ve spent training with great teachers, so that I have the ability to distinguish between someone doing a good job and someone else doing a great job.
This isn’t even to mention the amount of self-tapes and live, zoom auditions we saw.
Everyone who came out did a tremendous job. They had everything thrown at them. But when I say we have an incredible cast lined up for performances in Downtown Los Angeles, I mean it’s going to be the best yet.
Keep your eye out. February and March, 2027