A New Musical

1

1

I dash down 8th Avenue, trying to push past anyone and everyone I can. No one is easily moved by my taps on the shoulder, so my attempts at pushing turn into shoving. I struggle to keep my phone against my ear as I try to hear my agent Denice on the other end of the call we're currently having, while sprinting.

"You had one job," Denice says dryly on the phone.

"I know and I'm really sorry" I pant "I'm trying to get there as fast as possible, I had to wait for my relief at work."

"Honestly Ash," she says "If this keeps up, you know it'll mean a conference call with the team and a discussion of keeping you on or not."

I let out a breath, and not from all the running I've done. I try to figure out a response. "I know, but I promise I'm gonna get this one."

"No buts, they're full of shit. That's what you said about the last audition you bombed this week." I wanted to say something back, but Denice was saying the truth. There was no point in fighting her on it. "You better get this one. I pulled a lot of strings for them to even consider you. Get your ass in gear and get to that damn audition."

With that, my sweet loving agent Denice hangs up on me. She's a very understanding 60-year-old lady, as anyone would've gotten from our call.

As I rush down the street, I almost bump into a woman walking out of the coffee shop. I yell sorry, but I leave her behind before she can even hear my half-ass apology. I can't afford to miss this audition. There's been enough failed attempts this week and I'm sure my loving Denice wouldn't be thrilled. I'm sure she's running out of options for me, I mean there are only so many casting directors in New York City. Soon enough I'll be in an audition room with one of them again, and they'll remember my failures. They won't even waste their time with me and cut me before I can sing my first note.

I make it to the door of the building where auditions are being held. I've been here a couple of times before. It's a common place for casting teams to hold auditions for musicals, plays, shows, or even movies in New York City. I swing the entry door open but before I can catch myself I crash into a tall, well-built, man. Thankfully it was because of his sturdiness, he didn't fall. Unfortunately I'm not spared, and fall straight back on my ass. All my sheet music went flying around me. I see the phone he was holding has flung out of his hand and towards the ground, but thankfully I catch it in time before it can crash into pieces.

"Shit!" I mutter to myself. I'm about to get frustrated with him, before I remember that it was me, who rushed through the door and crashed into this man. "I'm sorry It's just- I'm running late fo-"

"The musical audition?" the man laughs, as he helps pick up my sheet music. He has a very attractive British accent, to be honest, but I ignore it because that's not my focus right now. I hand him his phone back, and he gives me my music in exchange.

"Yes," I respond.

"Well, you better get a move on," He looks down at me smiling, as he hands me my papers.

"Thank you" I blurt out, bolting upstairs to the rehearsal space.

Once I get to my designated floor, I walk up to a table with an older lady who looks like she would prefer to be doing anything but her job. She slowly looks up at me, in a deadpan. Almost as if she's the sloth from "Zootopia"

"Last Name?" she says unenthusiastically.

"What?" I pant, still out of breath.

She rolls her eyes. "What's your last name?"

"Rowan," I state "Asher Rowan, I'm here for the ensemble auditions."

"You and everyone else hun." She says, looking back at her papers. "Yeah, I see you here. Do you have your cut for the pianist?"