If a week ago the narration had said Alex would receive texts and memes (terrible ones, at that) from Moritz, and actually enjoying them... he would probably have believed it; but he certainly wouldn’t have been as pleased as he was now.

After their conversation, Alex and Moritz are slowly finding an easy rhythm to their interactions. Nothing’s changed really, it’s still a cat and mouse game where Alex is playing hard to get, but at least the brunt of the tension is gone. Sure, Alex still refuses to add Moritz’ contact information to his phone, but whenever a message arrives, he does not groan, he simply replies or allows himself to banter. It is impressive how much easier and quicker time pass by when you are not worried about a possible romantic interest or ruining your friend group, due to said romantic interest. The week had been a lovely whirlwind to Alex.

However, Alex is currently worrying about one thing: the auditions.

On the third floor of the university’s Community Center lie five facilities: the Cultural Diffusion Offices, where you can find all of the culture and arts departments on; the Leadership Center, where all the student associations and their leaders work to one up each other to no avail; the Acting Studio, where most of the theatre workshops and the musical’s actors rehearse their scenes, if they are not trying to push each other out of the room; the Dance Studio where usually the general rehearsals for both the play and the musical are held, as well as for most of the dance groups in the university; and, finally, the Music Rooms a set of four soundproof rooms where usually the music co-curriculars are held each morning, but come night, it is where the musicians for all the events, the singers for the seasonal concerts and the musical’s cast come to rehearse. This last place is also the starting place of the auditions.

Alex is currently on the most secluded room of the set, sitting behind a desk, checking on his laptop the registration numbers in real time, all while David and Luna argue for the nth time before the cast auditions start. His friends think, and he has sold them the idea, that he has some semblance of power on this auditions, but the reality is that he is nothing more than glorified secretary and videographer, taking notes and saving numbers so both David and Luna can check them again over the weekend.

He had always thought the “200 hundred girls belting as high as they can” lyric was a riot, until he had heard it screlted by someone for the seventeenth time within minutes from its last rendition, while having to save all his comments on the matter. Now it just felt like an attack.

It had not helped that yesterday, despite his many previous complaints, David had roped Alex to come and watch the musicians audition. It had been incredibly unnecessary to have him there, since the same ten people he had seen over the years playing for the musical and the seasonal contest where the first to come in. Besides that, he’d had to deal with other twenty seven mediocre guitarists, one decent keyboardist and a particularly talented violinist that David had also asked to join the fall concert; and while all this happened he had just sat next to David, calming the nerves of the people and smiling for them, but without sharing his thoughts on the musicians. It had been annoying, but it had ended well.

On that thought, he started wondering if Moritz would try pull a fast one on him again.

After he had left him to check on the musicians audition, Alex had thought he’d just leave without him, but he had waited for him outside of the audition and even brought him some iced tea.

“It’s nicer to walk with someone, and at least I get to avoid the sun today,” he had said. A half truth. Not that Alex minded.

He loses himself on the idea of how many free drinks he’ll get from Moritz throughout the semester —a ridiculous amount— when a student enters to announce that the first group is ready to enter. Alex gets up, thanks him, positions himself behind the camera and waits.

They all come in groups of six, walking into the room single file and then sitting next to each other right in front of David and Luna. There’s a space of about two meters between the casting table and the auditionees and, each of them in the group, will have to stand in that space, sing for about a minute (a cappella or with a track) and hope the tension in the room doesn’t crush their voices right on their throats.

This is not the usual procedure, but it’s worked for the university so far. Having an audience that also doubles as competition can really light a fire for someone, for others it is just traumatic, but David and Luna don’t care much for that. The point is seeing people command that space and show the best they’ve got.

A tiny and thin boy stands up, says his full name and shows his number to the camera that Alex is handling. Luna and David smile and make small talk to ease his nerves, then ask him what will he sing, and off he goes. The auditions have begun.

The process repeats itself several times over. Single file, sit, stand, small talk, sing, stand, sing, stand, sing, stand, sing, stand, sing, stand, sing, stand, sing, goodbye and... repeat. Luna and David take notes quietly, Alex halts or starts the camera in silence, sometimes they comment or ask for an encore. From an outsider’s perspective it might be dull, but no group is ever the same and no audition is ever uninteresting. Terrible? Maybe sometimes, but always fascinating.

When the musical had been approved by the board, Alex had wondered how it’d affect the auditions. Legally Blonde is, after all, one of the most beloved properties ever and he was curious to see what would people bring as their audition material.

Turns out it did not change much from other years.

Throughout the afternoon Alex sees several attempts to defy gravity ending in crash landings; he hears the entire Alan Menken songbook, spoonfed to all of the auditionees since childhood; witnesses several men get “Lost in the Wilderness”, and probably on their pitch; discovers more people than he expected knew “Corner in the Sky”, but none of them can choose which verse should go with the high note; withstands enough “Hallelujahs” to feel he’s actually gone to church on the past year, and he tries his best to not look at the casting table each time someone dressed in pink enters the room preparing to bet they will utter the “P” word.

Of course, there are also beautiful ballads, acting choices that make some tears arise, inspired song choices and, altogether, a marvelous amount of talent this year. However, just by looking at David and Lune he knows they haven’t found what they are looking for.

By the eighteenth group the regulars start showing up.

Jaime is the first one to come with a delightfully toxic rendition of “Freeze Your Brain” which, effectively, leaves the next guy on his group extremely rattled. Then Jimena arrives with her “Suspended in Time” leaving some girls crying on her trail. Whenever one of the old guard appears, David and Luna smile, they are sure to get a show.

However, it’s not all of the old castmates make the cut. It pains Alex to see some flop due to overconfidence or comfort. Sure, some of them will still get in as pit singers because David already knows how good they can be, but they don’t even try to do their best. It is sad. Alex worries about some, some have grown a little too comfortable for their own good.

The process keeps going, and when the twenty second group is leaving, he feels his phone vibrates.

La “Eva-siva” Acosta

R u ready 4 us? 😉💖

His grin grows wide. This is his favorite part and the reason he never wants to give his friends notes, he loves seeing their auditions for the first time when they are on a high. They always make him happy.

Alex

Bring it on! 😃

He is so happy when he sees Eva and Carlos turn on the corner with the rest of the students.

“Hello,” Eva says in a sing song voice. “Happy to see me? Ready to have fun?”

“Took you long enough to come,” David says with a smile.

“Good things come for those who wait, David. That’s why I’m here!” she replies with a wink, turning later to Alex and waving a little while Carlos just nods. Alex just beams at them.

“Anyway, you know how this works,” Luna says with a smirk. “Step up, name and please do your best to not bore us.”

“Hahahaha, when have I ever bored you, Luna?” Eva says, plugging her phone to the speakers and hitting play.

When Eva had told Alex “I’m Too Pretty” was her audition song, he had several doubts. It is an amazing comedic song, but such songs require a certain flow and narrative, so that made this it incredibly tricky to cut for an audition, not to mention she’d have to find someone to do the arrangement for her if she wanted a track.

Eva is glorious: rich tone, heartfelt, innocent and a little bratty. It is impossible not to grin at her and believe that, yes, she might actually just be too pretty to have to deal with everyone in the room. As she finishes, Eva just turns to Luna and winks. 

“See? I’m too charming to be a bore,” she says with a laugh. 

Then it’s Carlos’ turn and it is business as usual, taking his charm up to eleven for his “First Impressions” but with an edge of vulnerability. A classic leading man.

The rest of the group goes on, and despite how good his friends have been, the newbies auditioning with them are not quite left behind. It is a great group, overall. Alex is sad to remember that, sadly, not everyone can stay despite how good they are. Such is theatre.

As the group exits Eva comes to hug him. “We’ll be waiting outside, there’s only two groups left anyway”. Just like that she is out.

“She’s become something else, hasn’t she?” Luna says with a smile.

“Yeah, she just keeps growing,” Alex says.