Rocket Boys: The Musical

I always thought it was so cheesy when people would say that 'It couldn't hurt to just ask' or 'The worst they could do is say NO' when you were really nervous about delving into something. But that is exactly what I was telling myself a few weeks ago and now I'm so happy I had the guts to try.

On a Monday morning a couple of months ago I was laying in bed, listening to the radio (my alarm) and trying to convince myself that it was time to get out of bed...and myself was not at all pursuaded to move. So I focused on the radio talk show that just happens to be a usually entertaining look into the real Alabama (the call-in quiz show tends to be horribly embarrasing), but that morning they were interviewing one Homer Hickam. He was discussing a book he'd written about his youth in West Virginia - basically he grew up during the Space Race admiring Dr. von Braun, developed his own rockets with high school friends, and ended up as a NASA scientist. This book is wildly popular across the country and taught in many schools...you may recognize the title: Rocket Boys. The other reason the plot may sound familiar? It's also been made into a little movie called 'October Sky' with Jake Gyllenhaal. Well, the reason Homer was being interviewed that day was because a musical adaptation of his book was/is in production and a full-fledged stage reading of the show was going to be performed at the end of May here in Huntsville. I was laying there thinking - 'Science and musical theatre together. That's amazing!! I wonder if they're holding auditions?' So I hopped out of bed and started searching online for the website. But my hopes were all too quickly dashed...I learned that the auditions in Huntsville had been the weekend before.

Oddly, though, the idea of the show was stuck in my head the rest of the day as well as the crummy sayings I mentioned before. So I finally brokedown and sent an email to the director just to see if I could send in an audition tape...expecting nothing to come of it. A few days later I heard back and after a bunch of talking back and forth I ended up getting a part in the show!


So for the week before Memorial Day I worked with about 20 other actors to learn the music...and, well, the entire show. Yup, all in one week. I quickly learned the benefits and downsides to doing a staged reading vs. a full production: while we get to use the scripts and music during the show...we have a very short time to work on character and to really get comfortable with the show. Plus we have to learn to work with a book in our hand - almost more complicated than it's worth! It was a very stressful week but very much worth it. I got to work with some amazing actors from New York, Huntsville, and across the country. Heck, there were even a few from St. Louis! Oh, and I got to chat with Homer Hickam at some rehearsals - he's a really great and genuine guy.

Check out the website: www.rocketboysthemusical.com
You can see pictures from our production and hear some of the songs we recorded! (Listen for me in 'Dorothy Plunk' and 'Rise' - I've got solo lines :)
Never again am I going to not try to do something I want to do...this would've been too cool of an experience to miss out on just because I was chicken.