I rushed to the audition. It was for a big show of A Chorus Line in Los Angeles. I was 23 and looked 15.
Rumor had it, if you couldn’t do a double pirouette and a time step, don’t show up. I hadn’t done a double pirouette, or a controlled one, of those in years. So I kept practicing, making myself dizzy.
STEP, KICK, KICK, LEAP, KICK, TOUCH….AGAIN!
STEP, KICK, KICK, LEAP, KICK, TOUCH That connects with…
STEP, KICK, KICK, LEAP, KICK, TOUCH TURN, TURN, OUT, IN, JUMP, STEP
STEP, KICK, KICK, LEAP, KICK, TOUCH STEP, KICK, KICK, LEAP, KICK, TOUCH
TURN, TURN, OUT, IN, JUMP, STEP Got it?… Going on. And…
TURN, TURN, TOUCH, DOWN, BACK, STEP,
PIVOT, STEP, WALK, WALK, WALK.
Time step was no problem. I love tap dancing and style.
RIGHT! LET’S DO THE WHOLE COMBINATION,
FACING AWAY FROM THE MIRROR.
FROM THE TOP. A-FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT!
“God, I hope I get it.
I hope I get it.
How many people does he need?”
Many had already gone through the audition. It was the turn of next group of ten, including me, number 4.
The first person. ONE
They asked her to step forward.
She did. SINGULAR SENSATION
They asked her name.
Carol Megan
Please do a time step. EVERY LITTLE STEP SHE TAKES
She did.
Pirouette. OOPS
She kinda did.
Please step back.
She did.
The second person same routine
They asked her to step forward. ONE
She did.
They asked her name. THRILLING COMBINATION
She told them.
Please do a time step. EVERY MOVE
She did. Sorta OOPS
Pirouette. THAT
She kinda did. OOPS
Please step back. SHE MAKES
She did.
The third person’s turn. ONE
They asked her to step forward.
She did.
They asked her name. SMILE
She told them. AND SUDDENLY
Please do a time step. NOBODY ELSE
She did. WILL DO
Pirouette. OOPS
She kinda did. YOU KNOW YOU’LL
Please step back. NEVER BE LONELY
She did. WITH YOU KNOW WHO
MY TURN! Yikes. I was ready though – I had the pirouette down….SHE WALKS INTO A ROOM ,
Please step forward. AND YOU KNOW HER MADDENING POISE
I did. EFFORTLESS WHIRL
Please state your name. OH STRUT YOUR STUFF, CAN’T GET ENOUGH!
Victoria D’Angelo OOH! SIGH! GIVE HER YOUR ATTENTION DO I HAVE TO MENTION
Please step back. SHEEEEE’S THHHHHE OOOOONNNNNE…….Oops. Not.
Confused, and stunned….I did think; should I have come up with a better stage name? Carol Lombard? No. Maggie Smith? Gale Storm? Should I ask to try again?
After the 10th person, they asked us to exit stage left. I think they named everyone in my line but me to stay for the second round.
I left. Still stunned. Now singing:
“God, I really blew it!
I really blew it!
How could I do a thing like that?
How could I do a thing like…
Now I’ll never make it!
I’ll never make it!
He doesn’t like the way I look.
He doesn’t like the way I dance.
He doesn’t like the way I…
I drove back to watch the auditions to see if I could learn something.
Those that remained were following the dance steps. As I watched, I realized that I was shorter than all of them by at least 3 inches.
Not much I could do about that.
Today, if they had asked me to step back, I probably would have asked Why?
As I think about it, I didn’t walk or step forward like a ballerina either….my toes are generally straight when I walk.
Then again….maybe it was the name. 
c. GCYI