Julia Crescenzi: Navigating Auditions in NYC

Julia Crescenzi's journey from ballet dancer to actor is nothing short of inspiring. This week on NOLA Film Scene, we sit down with Julia to uncover her path and how a serious injury pivoted her career towards acting and musical theater in New York. Julia's vibrant stories of snowy escapades and life in the Big Apple bring warmth to our conversation.

Voiced by Brian Plaideau

Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999, specializing in personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously.  If you have been injured, Jana is offering a free consultation AND a reduced fee for fellow members of the Lousiana film industry, and she will handle your case from start to finish. She can be reached at janamccaffery@gmail.com or 504-837-1234. Tell Her NOLA Film Scene sent you

Transcript

Acting Career and Snowy Memories

Speaker 1 0:04

Hi, I'm Julia Crescenzi. I'm an actor and I'm so excited to be on NOLA Film Scene.

Speaker 2 0:17

We're really happy to have you on, Julia.

Speaker 1 0:18

Yeah, I'm excited y'all. I feel like it's been about a year that I've been waiting. You made it.

Speaker 3 0:26

Yay.

Speaker 2 0:28

So we'll just kick right into it. Brian and I normally talk about meeting in the circle exercise, although you and I were in a circle exercise together, and that's the same one that I met Brian in. We had one class together before that. That was the very first class at Jim Gleason's. I forgot what it's called, but it was the very, the very first introductory class, and that is where you and I met. And then we had the. We did the circle exercise together.

Speaker 3 0:58

He calls that the works now, because he gives you the works of everything he has learned to give you a foundation on how to do this career we call acting. Right, that's right.

Speaker 1 1:02

And hi, julia. Hey, hi, I met Brian in the Tuesday morning class. I wasn't sure it's been so long since you moved away from us. It's been about a year, actually, about a year and a month.

Speaker 2 1:17

Time flies Wow.

Speaker 1 1:20

It really does. How's life?

Speaker 3 1:21

in Yankee territory.

Speaker 1 1:24

It's the same. When I came back I was ready to be back here. It's the same, it's cold. I actually appreciate winter now. I didn't and I moved thinking oh, I'll love the warm weather, but I felt weird not wearing a coat in February. So I actually now like winter and I appreciate it and I appreciate the fashion and just having seasons. I can measure time. Right now it's fall. The foliage is gorgeous right now.

Speaker 2 1:50

Sweet. Yeah, I like to joke that we have summer in February.

Speaker 1 1:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, my God, it's hot all the time there. I didn't know what to wear. I was running out of clothes. We were in the 60s. Last week the 60s it was actually really cold. Up here it was cold, but now it's gotten warm again. But soon winter will last forever, once November hits, until about.

Speaker 2 2:17

May, so when will you get snow?

Speaker 1 2:19

You know, we haven't had those winters that we used to have. It used to snow a lot and we used to have snow days. We used to not go to school. But I don't know how that is now because people, I guess, can do school online, but that wasn't a thing. But I remember snow days were awesome, especially in college Cozy days. You just stay inside and play in the snow. I think maybe around January we'll get snow. Sometimes we get in December, but it's not the way it used to be.

Speaker 2 2:44

Yeah, that's the climate, it's weird.

Speaker 1 2:46

Yeah, we haven't had a harsh winter in a while.

Speaker 2 2:48

Yeah, down here either. I think it's been maybe five years since we had a really hard when it snowed up here where it actually stuck to the ground. Well, it was before COVID.

Speaker 3 2:59

I know, in Christmas Day 2004, it snowed.

Speaker 2 3:03

Yeah, that's a special day, huh.

Speaker 3 3:05

Yeah, yeah, I always wanted snow on Christmas. It snowed in 1973. I was three years old, but I have no memory of it. I don't even know if it was Christmas Day. My memory starts about five. I want snow. I see the snow. I see the pictures I see on, you know, christmas specials. The year I decided to become a priest, I was in the seminary. It snowed in New Orleans, 1989. Hell froze over. I went to the seminary it wasn't for me Came back. I didn't lose my religion, but I don't practice religion anymore. I'm spiritual, let's say it that way. So when it snowed on Christmas day, I was actually cooking a turducken, took it out the well, I turned the oven off and ran outside. We were playing and, you know, building snow people and I said, okay, god, who is she? And I met Cherie a week later, on New Year's Day, and we just celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. Wow, and she was born on the day. It snowed in 1973.

Speaker 1 3:56

Oh my goodness, Wow, that's beautiful. Thank you, I didn't know that one.

Speaker 2 4:01

Yeah, that's pretty cool, huh. Well, I guess, if we're going to talk about significant others snow days.

Speaker 2 4:07

My wife is from Oklahoma, but she went to undergrad at a college in Iowa and they would have, you know, big, five foot high snowdrifts. And she was talking about one day walking from here to there on campus. And she was walking, she'd take a few steps and then she would face plant in the snow and then get up and do it again. Snow, and then get up and do it again, and about the third or fourth time she fell and smacked her face on a boulder that was under the knocked herself out cold in the snow, yikes, yeah, I miss having snow, though.

Speaker 3 4:39

I thought you were going to say that you were there to pick her up, you know.

Speaker 2 4:42

No, no, that was, that was before we met. But that story comes up every time it snows, cause the last you know, when we had the big snow here, we were pulling the kids around in the backyard behind the tractor, on one of those donuts that you, you know, pull behind a boat. We, we aired it up and pulled it with the tractor Nice.

Speaker 1 5:02

You went not all the time.

Speaker 3 5:04

You went land tubing.

Speaker 2 5:08

I can hear the country song already. Nice, what's it like up there with acting? Are you getting a lot of stuff up there? Auditions, are you doing theater or what you got cooking up there?

Speaker 1 5:18

Originally I was a dancer and then once I got injured, then I got into acting and then I really got into musical theater and New York is the place for musical theater and it's a little bit easier to get auditions for theater because they post on Playbills and sometimes they'll post online auditions. But it's not really like that. Most of it's in person. But anyone can also submit. So I go to those auditions that are listed on Playbill. So it's for theaters all over the country. They come to New York and they will have either a dance call or they'll have a singing call. So I have like a repertoire of songs that I'll sing. I'll sing like a 16 bar cut.

Speaker 1 5:55

I auditioned for Anastasia recently. I'm trying to think of some other musicals Kinky Boots, theaters, cutthroat everywhere in the country. Since I'm not in the union, I am thinking about joining the union. Actors that are in the union get an appointment, they get to sign up, they get to show up to the audition. I have to wait online. Usually I'll get there really early in the morning. People get there around like sometimes three in the morning.

Speaker 2 6:15

Wow.

Speaker 1 6:16

And they put a list up outside. Sometimes when I get there at like seven in the morning before the doors open, like there's already 80 people on the list and that's just non-union members. So the equity members that get to sign up in the portal there may be like I don't know 200 of them. So I go in once the door is open and Equity shows up. Then Equity gets to audition and so I wait all day because I'm not priority to be seen for these auditions. So sometimes I'll wait till four or five, thinking about I think they might be bringing it to Broadway and I didn't even get seen for that day. I think there were four people before me. Like if I had gone a little bit earlier I could have been seen and I remember I had a wedding that day. It was on a Saturday, the audition.

Speaker 1 6:57

So it is hard if you're not in the union I'm thinking about joining the union but it is harder to book because you're in the same room as people who have been on Broadway and things like that. And even if you have been on Broadway, people still do regional theater. There's regional theater. There's a lot of theater in Connecticut On the East Coast. There's tons of summer stock theaters that actors want to book. So, yeah, it's very theater based. You have to keep up with singing and dancing and acting. But when I moved to Louisiana, I really focused a lot on TV film and I did some theater there too, which was great for my resume. But I think that it's a totally different animal, because TV film you really get most of your auditions through your agent but you can do a lot of theater just on your own up here Different types of people too.

Speaker 1 7:37

TV film people and theater people are very different.

Speaker 2 7:41

I could say that. Tell us more. Can I ask a quick question about the one you just talked about for Black Swan?

Acting Industry Audition Guidelines

Speaker 1 7:58

You said you were almost there and didn't get seen. Did you get to come back another day and audition, or that's it that one day if you don't make it through the line then you're out of luck. That isn't open to the public. Theaters, legally here, have to post that they're doing an open call. So let's say I actually I have my old dance teacher opened up her own equity theater in upstate New York and so she told me she apparently there's some guidelines within equity that she has to post on Playbill where everyone sees the audition and even if she's not hiring through those auditions, she has to have those auditions.

Speaker 1 8:29

She could hire whoever she wants like. So she knows you, she'll hire you. She's told me before I host these auditions just because I have to, and sometimes I'm not even gonna cast anybody there because I already have in my idea who I'm gonna hire. She's like I will not hire anybody that I don't know because she's like I've done that before and you know it's been a nightmare and I've had to fire people. So sometimes I'll go to these auditions and I'll just go because I want to be seen by casting, just so they get to know me.

Speaker 1 8:52

But you don't even they don't have to cast you. They could already have, you know, an idea. They literally have to have those auditions. It's not even like they're looking for anyone. Sometimes they'll say you know, this has been cast, like on Broadway. They'll say this has been cast. So some people just go because they want to be seen by casting and it's part of the rules. So, to answer your question earlier, if you have a good agent, maybe you could probably get an appointment on another day that isn't open to the public, because when you go with the public it's like a cattle call of people that show up. It's just hundreds of people. So I went to the Equity Chorus Call. We have things called ECCs and EPAs, so there's an equity principal audition. And so I went to the equity principal audition because I knew I would get seen, because that's when you sing and most people aren't going to think, oh, I'll go to Black Swan and sing for them. What music is in the show Black Swan? They don't sing in that movie.

Speaker 1 9:36

So I just went there to be seen by casting. No one showed up because no one thinks, and I thought maybe I won't get seen at the equity chorus call, where everyone's going to show to dance. So I went to go sing. I did get seen by casting and they said I sounded good. They probably already have their leads, because when you're singing you're usually auditioning for a lead and I think they'll probably hire some principal prima ballerinas from, like, new York City Ballet. That's what I think. I'm not sure what they're doing with that. That's just my idea. Usually the principals, they have an idea. Chorus I hope I didn't lose anyone. No, no, it is so different from TV film and it's so hard for me to keep up with everything at once. I feel like if I'm focusing a lot on acting, I'm like, oh, I haven't gone to dance class in a while. Dancing, you know, it's kind of like working out. You've got to go, and your voice is also a muscle as well. I sometimes go to a voice teacher, but everything costs a lot of money here.

Speaker 2 10:24

Yeah.

Speaker 1 10:25

The acting classes here are expensive. I loved going to gym in the South. I was like, oh my God, this is so affordable and I don't have to pay for the train.

Speaker 2 10:33

Well, is it the same rules with that union as it is?

Speaker 1 10:41

with SAG Once you. Some people, if they do a non-union production they'll change their name, I think. So they can do a community theater play and not get caught. But I do know if you go equity that's it. You have to be your equity for life. I believe I don't know all the rules. I am eligible to join. I might join, but a lot of theaters have non-union contracts and since I am a dancer first in the musical theater world, a lot of the non-union contracts they get paid less and that's usually the ensemble.

Speaker 1 11:15

So it's tricky but it is quite challenging to book, but I've also seen people land Broadway and I've seen miracles happen. Is what I'm saying. I don't want to say anything else. Seen some crazy things happen.

Speaker 3 11:27

And unlike Louisiana, New York is not a right to work state.

Speaker 1 11:31

It is not.

Speaker 3 11:33

So you could be in a union and work in a non-union thing here, because that's what right to work does. I still don't know if that would get a union actor in trouble with the union. You have the right to do it, but wouldn't the union get mad? I don't understand that and I'm okay with that because I'm not eligible yet.

Speaker 1 11:49

Ah, I see Okay.

Speaker 3 11:50

Yet.

Speaker 1 11:51

Uh-huh. Yet I think here, if I join the actors union, I think after a year I'm eligible to join SAG. If I'm in the actors union actors equity because I did a role in a show where I spoke and I guess that's proof. I don't like I had a speaking role in one of these musicals. That's what I heard.

Speaker 3 12:10

Yeah, Speaking part in SAG or in a I don't want to say a joining union, but, like you're talking about, a stunt person would be eligible for SAG but they might even have merged. You can work SAG background on three different projects. You get three vouchers. It might have to be nine hours each. But I also found out, I believe if you work a SAG low budget and get a line, you're in, but if you work moderate low budget or ultra low budget, you're not. Ah, I just didn't think ultra low budget.

Speaker 3 12:38

But like background, those add up to eligibility, I think.

Speaker 1 12:42

Uh-huh, okay, okay, okay. I just did a SAG. I think it was ultra low budget and I had lines.

Speaker 2 12:48

Yeah, yeah. I've only done ultra low budget productions. I've never done. I've never done one where I'm eligible.

Speaker 3 12:55

You were saying how New York and New Orleans, North and South, how the people are different.

Speaker 1 13:00

And.

Speaker 3 13:01

I have no experience with the acting in New York and you were saying it's more cutthroat, maybe a lot more people for a lot less roles. Could you expand upon that a bit without getting yourself in trouble with your peers?

Acting Opportunities and Friendships

Speaker 1 13:13

I think that actors from my experience in New Orleans were very humble. I thought you know, new York is flashy, not that people aren't. Just you know calling out some of the differences that I noticed in my experience. Theater people in general are very extroverted, very, very different, also because they sing, so they talk a lot. They're a different breed of human and I think the training you get in theater and just your personality and the way you present yourself sometimes doesn't really work for TV film.

Speaker 1 13:45

So actually a lot of I think theater actors struggle to start TV film work because theater is just such a different scale and I know that sometimes I slip into some of those bad habits where I'm just showing and not really feeling and thinking. So we don't audition in person for TV film anymore. So I don't really have the experience in person the way I used to, like I would like here, like, but I started at 14 in New York. So when I started I did go in person for auditions, but not the way I do now. I used to just do commercials and very few TV film auditions. I get so overwhelmed to go into a theater audition. I get very overwhelmed. People are talking a lot, they're chatty, it's like nervous energy it's. It's a lot. It's kindty, it's like nervous energy it's. I mean it's a lot.

Speaker 3 15:10

It's kind of like they're letting their energy out where you want to just go into yourself.

Speaker 1 15:14

Yeah Center.

Speaker 3 15:15

And you want to hold it until you get on that stage or where I'm assuming, you audition on a stage for in the theater we actually don't just in the studio.

Speaker 1 15:22

We don't get to, we don't. Audition on the stage.

Speaker 3 15:24

It's not like a chorus line.

Speaker 1 15:26

No, it's not like that. It's just Pearl Studios we go to, or Ripley Greer Studios, the theater district. It's the buildings that you'll run into, everyone you know also.

Speaker 1 15:35

So, like a lot of my friends, I went to school in. Connecticut was only two hours away, so I run into usually someone from school. I say hello, or you know someone from class. You always run into someone you know in the theater district. Even though New York City's big, once you go to the theater district it's small. I hope I answered your question. You were like what are the differences?

Speaker 3 15:52

No, no, I spiraled. No, no, no, that's not a problem. But for me, the stereotypical or the TV version of New York is hey, I'm walking here, you know, and people are walking fast. If you walk slow on the sidewalk they're going to run you over, that kind of thing. And that's what it sounds like to me, that city and that lifestyle. It's like condensed, where we're the big easy down here. So it's like, ok, relax, you know. Yeah, we might have less opportunities.

Speaker 1 16:17

You have a lot of opportunities. I'll say it was eye opening going to Louisiana.

Speaker 1 16:23

We don't know about the TV film scene down there and I had so many auditions before the strikes happened. You guys have a lot of opportunity and also, especially even in the theater scene. Like you've got Tulane Theater. That's an equity theater. You know. You could work there for the summer and get like it is so hard to book an equity theater here. I booked like two theaters there. You could keep doing the Jefferson Performing Arts if you want to audition for their shows and build a resume and then come to New York.

Speaker 1 16:49

It is so hard to start in New York and build the resume. I booked a short film in Louisiana. You can really build. I would rather do that and then move to New York or Los Angeles. So I felt like, oh my goodness, because some of my friends who live in New York most people are not from New York that try to pursue this career. So I'm like, oh, you guys have this resume that you got to do in, like Georgia or Chicago. I didn't get to start there. I started at this really high place and I just want to build my resume so badly, but it's just so hard to book here. Well, it depends on your narrative. I find it quite challenging. I told Brian earlier my very first audition in New York City with my manager. I went in for my first commercial and booked it at 14. And I thought, oh okay, this is so easy. I had never been to an acting class.

Speaker 2 17:34

I had just done a middle school play.

Speaker 1 17:36

And then from there I was like, oh no, this is not like going to my first audition, I guess.

Speaker 3 17:40

I was just fearless yeah.

Speaker 1 17:42

Had no fears then and you were right for the role I was. I had beginner's luck, but you guys have a lot of opportunity in Louisiana. I think you can make opportunity anywhere.

Speaker 3 17:51

Yes, you really can. I didn't want to downplay. I am appreciative and I do see opportunity and it's starting to increase, since we're post-strike and hopefully by next year things will really be flowing. But, I had pictured LA and New York as the centers of acting, so I thought you'd have more opportunities there, but more people trying for it too. So that kind of generates the cutthroat attitude of I can't be friends with this other actor because I need that job. Oh you know.

Speaker 1 18:17

Oh, that depends. I've had a couple of like some of my best friends book roles over me and that'll happen. I guess you know if you're in the industry long enough, any of these things will happen. It's happened to me a couple times One of my best friends. She was very gracious about it. Other times it has ended the friendship which is kind of sad.

Speaker 1 18:34

I guess the friendship wasn't very strong enough to begin with. One of my friends that I've had for a very long time. When she booked it she was so kind about it. I was like I'm so excited to see it because you know, you have to just realize that we want our friends to succeed but we also want to succeed as well. So just being mindful of being nice about it and just approaching it in a nice way, yeah.

Speaker 1 18:54

And there's a nice way to go about that. Yeah, you know, it is a funny thing, because sometimes you know you'll just run into a friend and you're like, oh hey, no, but my close friends here, we're all different types and we all have something to offer. Like one of my best friends, she's a redhead, she's an insane actress, you know. So when it comes to theater roles, I'm really a dancer first. So you know, I live in the ensemble world and some kind of speaking featured because I do sing too. But we're two totally different people. So we go after different roles and we can support each other. She'll book something and it's great, it's a fit for her. Like she booked in the Sound of Music the Mistress, if you remember, and so she booked that and that's like a role for her. That's great. But I probably I don't know if I would audition for that role. Everyone's so different, everyone has so much to offer and you kind of learn that you're not really in competition with your friends.

Speaker 3 20:07

But not as much as you would think, because I also went to a performing arts college and, yes, you know, at the end of agent since last December I've booked my second commercial recently. By the time this comes out, it might even be out and I won't say anything about the role. But the guy was a schlub, you know what I mean. He didn't have to be a pretty boy, matter of fact. That was a benefit. So when that role hit and you know I happened to get the audition boom, I was the guy and it was comedic. So that lends it into my wheelhouse anyway you know yeah.

Speaker 3 20:27

But there are other times that's not going to benefit me.

Speaker 1 20:30

Right yeah.

Speaker 3 20:30

We need a serious action star. I can try. Well we'll see.

Speaker 1 20:37

There's work for everyone.

Speaker 3 20:38

Yeah, yeah, that's a fact.

Speaker 2 20:59

We just need more of it. Yes, because there's a lot of actors.

Speaker 3 21:02

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 21:03

The live train ride, one that they do in several locations in the country. I know it's going to be a big surprise, but I auditioned for Santa Claus and I did not book it, but that was an interesting process. That's the first in-person audition I've done, you know, other than live callbacks, just a completely different process. For me it was fun. It was fun prepping for the audition and actually doing the audition. I don't normally dwell on not booking stuff, I just move on to the next one and don't look back. But this one I was a little bummed that I didn't book it, because I think it would have been a really fun production. Long, I mean it runs from right after Thanksgiving until New Year's, so it you know it was a pretty long production, but it is what it is.

Speaker 2 21:50

When they were doing the breakdowns, they sent all of it at once and it tells what you need to do for each role, the ensemble, and there are certain groups. They had to sing, they had to come up with an original song, and my weakness is singing and my weakness is dancing and I'm reading and I'm panicking. I'm like, oh, wait a minute, because Brian and I both took singing lessons with Olivia Peck. But I do not consider myself a singer. I've had to sing in an audition twice now and not pretty. It's not pretty at all that one, santa Claus doesn't have to sing, santa Claus doesn't have to dance, so it was right up my alley, speaking to the job for everybody. But I guess I wasn't. I wasn't a good fit. I mean, I'm not. I'm scarier than the average Santa, I think.

Speaker 3 22:41

You need my belly is what you're saying.

Speaker 2 22:45

I mean, I wasn't going to say that because after the audition they measure you for everything, and it made me feel good. The lady put a tape around me and said oh, we're going to have to get you some padding.

Speaker 1 22:55

Oh, I didn't mean to cut you off but I was excited to tell you something that I learned from theater school is they will always book the better actor over the singer and I have seen some people that I think could barely sing on pitch but they are just so good at acting If you can go into the audition and just think about the story and it takes a while to understand like what songs fit well on your voice. And I have a repertoire of songs that I sing and sometimes I'll sing Carrie Underwood, like before he cheats, like if I have like a comedic audition and it's funny. It might not even fit the show but I'm just presenting myself in a way my acting's good on the song, it's funny. People are like that's an interesting choice and you just you kind of want to book the room in that way. But I was always told in theater school the better actor over singer or dancer, like technical dancer, it's not. It's always about storytelling first. So if you can act and just forget the way your voice sounds and just be comfortable with it, I have seen people I never thought were vocally that strong book Broadway and book regional theater.

Speaker 1 23:57

But it takes a while to get used to auditioning in person like that and just going over the pianist if you had one and just singing like that. But once you start doing it then you can just rip it off like a bandaid and almost like you're having fun. Every time you go in You're like I get to do karaoke today. You know I'm excited to tell people that because for the longest time I thought you know my voice isn't where I want to be. I sing well, but I have friends. They just have crazy pipes. But if you, their pipes are great. But If they can't act and tell the story, then people aren't going to be interested.

Speaker 2 24:24

Yeah, that makes sense.

Speaker 1 24:25

It's always the better actor that books. At least, that's what I was taught. Some people get hired because they do have great voices.

Speaker 3 24:30

Yeah.

Navigating Acting Auditions and Opportunities

Speaker 1 24:30

If the director is smart, if the casting team is smart, they know the story comes first and that's why I go to acting class first, before everything, because that's the most important and I was going to say, it's also sometimes the look more from the tv movie side but, you know they might say oh, I need a bearded guy.

Speaker 3 24:46

Here comes tj, here comes brian, then here comes, you know super studly guy with no beard and hi there, and they're like we don't need the beard, it's a crap shoot, for you never know why you don't get it. You just have to find your faith in your own abilities casting has no imagination too.

Speaker 1 25:01

If I'm going for a role where the girl should be blonde, they can't imagine me blonde for some reason. They need to just see it right in front of them, right, right. Unfortunately, sometimes they do, I don't know. It's easier to just already look the part.

Speaker 3 25:12

Yes.

Speaker 2 25:13

They don't have to do all that work in their imagination. Yeah, that makes sense. Are you doing any film and television auditions at all? Are you focusing solely on theater?

Speaker 1 25:22

I am doing TV film auditions, not as much as Before the Strike. I do theater auditions because they're easy to go to. I don't need my agent to go, I usually do get seen. I might wait all day for hours, but I usually do get seen. Recently I went to like Final Callbacks for something for two different productions. I didn't book them. I don't think One was for White Christmas so I had to tap dance too. That was humbling and we had to do jazz dance and we sang and we did a little bit of acting. So it was a whole day. But I do a class every week for TV film. Right now I'm looking I feel like I'm always looking for more new representation. I have one in LA right now, but I think I need one for New York for theater. I would like more assistance in theater. I'm constantly doing something like. I think I've done 50 auditions this year.

Speaker 3 26:10

Wow, nice.

Speaker 1 26:12

It's a mixture of theater, commercials and TV film. I've only done maybe like five TV film co-star auditions. One was like for a Netflix Amy Schumer project and I don't know the rest. But yeah, it's been dry for TV film but a lot for theater. It's just, I don't know. It's a really hard process.

Speaker 1 26:31

I also have a lot of nerves because when I'm auditioning for a dance you really have to be spot on and focusing. They're teaching you a combination and you have to be so good at picking up the choreo and just doing it and like, if the style doesn't fit me, that I might get a little nervous and shaked up. And then you'll have to go like one by one and you just learn this dance within 20 minutes and like, people here are quick, they can pick it up quick and I'm ballet trained and that's another problem is that my roots are in ballet and then I got into theater kind of later in life. So I do jazz well, but I am you can tell that I have such classical training. So some people are a little bit. They flow better with jazz. I'm fine at it. But you can see that I'm very classically trained and everything is my technique is too clean.

Speaker 2 27:13

That makes sense.

Speaker 1 27:14

It's like an opera singer trying to do rap. I suppose that might be drastic.

Speaker 3 27:19

But I really want to hear Pavarotti sing iced tea now.

Speaker 2 27:26

My daughter is doing the Nutcracker right now.

Speaker 1 27:28

Oh nice.

Speaker 2 27:29

I think this is her third year doing it and she just rapped Harry Potter and that was her first high school play and she ended that and went right into the Nutcracker but that one. It's such a different audition process between the two because there's no speaking lines for the Nutcracker one. It's just really cool to see her process and at the same time she also auditioned. They have Talented Theater, which is the regular high school plays. Any of the students can audition, but the Talented Theater students, much like Equity, get the first crack at it.

Speaker 2 28:04

And then the other students can audition. So it's a little bit of a challenging process and I guess they do that to make it kind of more like the real world because of what you explained at the beginning of having to wait in line. If you're not equity, it's kind of the same thing for them. If they're not in talented theater, then they have to wait to audition Kind of cool.

Speaker 1 28:23

Wow, that's intense.

Speaker 2 28:24

Yeah.

Speaker 1 28:25

Yeah, and the ballet world is different from the theater world you don't really have. The ballet world is very strict. That's what I grew up in. No one really is allowed to speak in class. You have to wear your hair a certain way. They stick to their roots on the ballet training and then theater. It's more expressive and creative and you're allowed to like make a mistake and it's art.

Speaker 1 28:45

like in ballet, you make a mistake, it's like you made a mistake yeah, and you're gonna get fined in the ballet world if your shoes aren't tied right and you're dancing on stage, so that just their whole mindset ballet world is different it's kind of like ballet versus theater, is baking versus cooking?

Speaker 3 29:02

you know cooking is an art, know baking is a science. As I understand it because I don't do either I just eat. So you have to follow the rules in baking and be perfect. And then theater versus acting. I haven't done theater. You have to be so broad to reach the back row and catch that person. But, in acting the camera's right on you, so you need to be not necessarily small, but you don't have to push.

Speaker 1 29:22

Yeah, you don't have to push. It's such a different experience, especially like if you're in a coaching and you get that coaching done and you're like, oh yeah, this is how it feels to be in a scene and feel emotions and everything just flows so much better. And when you're not in that you're pushing. You don't know what's going on, you're blinking or like you're doing some tick because you're just not in it. You're not in the scene at all, you're just an actor trying to act.

Speaker 3 29:48

Trying to do what's right and give them what they want, but you don't know.

Speaker 1 29:52

Yeah, and I forget that. And you're like, oh, I have to switch this on again, right, oops.

Speaker 3 29:57

And the funny thing is TJ and I both studied voice acting and the voice acting is closer to theater than acting, because you have to do everything with your voice yeah, yet still be real right, depending on the role in comedy versus drama and cartoon versus, you know, the realistic animation. Oh, I broke my brain and they and you move.

Speaker 2 30:17

I mean you're, you're moving gestures and all that stuff helps help with. Helps with it yeah you have to be mindful of your distance to the mic and overpowering it, and it's more than what people realize to do voice stuff. I've done a lot of voiceover auditions and I really like taking the voice classes. The voice coach that I'm using right now is really really good and in fact he helped me record my voice demo recently and he'll say no bigger, move your arms, get your arms into it, do the gesture, just like you're doing it in the real world.

Speaker 2 30:51

I'm like, ah, because I thought I had to be completely still and not make any, any movements, and I'm nervous about bumping the mic or whatever. But, once you get a feel for the space, that said, I haven't done a lot of voice work in one film and that's it. I haven't done a lot of voice work in one film and that's it.

Speaker 3 31:05

I haven't done any work for it, but in a class, just like you said, my arms were really getting into it and I was going, and it's go too expressive too.

Speaker 1 31:15

Yeah, that's funny. I have no desire to do voiceover work. I have zero desire because I have too much going on in the theater world. Like I can't add another thing. I'm already. I got to go to so many classes. Yeah, I got to keep up with so much. I just can't. I know people do it. I couldn't put another thing on my mind.

Speaker 2 31:33

Yeah, I hear you. Yeah, it's a lot.

Speaker 1 31:35

Although it's awesome. Especially, some people book video game voiceover work. That's cool. I'm dying to do one of those. I just worked on a short film with one of the actors and he said he was in Red Dem Redemption. I think that video game and everyone loves that game.

Speaker 3 31:49

I played that game Our buddy Creek Redemption Creek Wilson was in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Speaker 2 31:57

And I talked for a living. That was easy for you to say Sorry, we'll fix it in post.

Speaker 3 32:02

We'll fix it in post. We'll fix it in post if it can be fixed.

Speaker 2 32:05

That's coming on a t-shirt. I'm telling you, we'll fix it in post is going to be one of the t-shirt designs.

Speaker 3 32:11

We are. Can we say it's not open yet? Might be by the time of this recording, but could be a store in our future.

Speaker 2 32:19

The store is set up. The website is live and within a couple of days it will be connected to the actual podcast website. Nice, just take some steps to get things set up. Yeah, we're going to have some t-shirt and some merch and shameless plug.

Speaker 3 32:35

Maybe we should have a contest for someone to design it. That's a fantastic idea.

Speaker 1 32:41

Yeah, hey.

Speaker 2 32:42

Keep that. Keep that one in mind. We'll circle back to that one.

Speaker 3 32:45

No hair, lots of area for brain, oh my goodness. So another question we frequently ask, julia and you have the expansion of with theater is there a dream role for you that? My example for me is Star Wars. If I get Star Wars, and especially if I get turned into an action figure, that's it, I'm done. You know what I mean? I can die happy.

Speaker 1 33:06

Yeah.

Speaker 3 33:06

So is there something that you secretly dream of?

Speaker 1 33:14

like I want to do this. Yeah, that's actually so funny because with TV film you're usually always auditioning for a new work. With theater, part of your job is to look at all of the roles that fit you and try and find a rep to work on. So when that audition comes up you go in for it. So I've auditioned for the show Anastasia probably 10 times. I got close in the Broadway tour recently, just a month ago I got to final callbacks because it's a ballet focused, the ensemble is ballet focused and ballet is kind of a dying art. So whenever there's a ballet audition I go and I usually get very far in the calls. So that's funny because I have like a list of roles that I want to play and sometimes it stinks because the shows close on Broadway If the ticket sales aren't, you know, going. So maybe they'll get a celebrity to do, like they have had so many celebrities in Chicago that just replaced Roxy Hart and the show has been running forever. So the celebrity you know calls in ticket sales.

Speaker 1 34:01

But for me, some of my dream roles, some of them I think I might have aged out of, it's okay. One of them is, dear Evan Hansen, zoe Murphy I auditioned a long time ago for the workshop production of it in Washington DC and then it moved to Broadway and they raised it like a half note the score, and before it was like it could fit perfectly in my voice, but now it's like just a little. Like I can hit the notes but they don't sound as lovely. I'm more of like a mezzo-y soprano. So Zoe Murphy and Dear Evan Hansen, but you know they have like she's a high school. In theater you can flirt with age because it's not as intimate with the camera.

Speaker 1 34:38

They've got 30 year olds playing high school kids. That's one of them, anastasia, phantom of the Opera also closed on Broadway, but that that's one of them.

Speaker 3 34:58

Anastasia, phantom of the Opera, also closed on Broadway, but that was a ballet based show.

Speaker 1 35:01

What else? Charity, Sweet Charity. If you know the musical, they have a movie on it. I'd love to be in Chicago. Lot of different representation now with people, so Broadway's always changing. There's not too many right now that like I'm, like I have to be in this show. I'm blanking right now. It comes back to me.

Speaker 3 35:16

No, you're doing good. Nine to five, also Nine to five.

Speaker 1 35:21

If you've seen nine to five, the musical is awesome. You know what's hard about theater. You know why people don't like it and like going to it. It's so hard to find a show where the storyline's good, the music's good and the dancing is good and it doesn't look too overdone and cheesy. It's very hard to find. I actually rather do theater than watch it sometimes because there's a lot of bad storylines out there that just aren't believable. So that's why I think it's not that popular. But you have to see Wicked if you ever come to New York or if Wicked ever goes to that theater. The Sanger.

Speaker 2 35:50

Theater yeah, I saw it.

Speaker 1 35:52

Oh yeah, that's just breathtaking, and they're coming out with the movie.

Speaker 2 35:56

Yeah, I saw it when they were here, probably 2016, 2017, somewhere along there. It was incredible.

Speaker 1 36:04

Yeah, very well done. Okay, you liked it yeah.

Speaker 3 36:08

I just don't go out too much, especially with my work schedule.

Speaker 1 36:11

That's the thing Like you have to go out to go see the theater and like it's hard to do that and it's expensive.

Speaker 3 36:16

Spamalot came to town and I am a huge Monty Python fan.

Speaker 1 36:20

Uh-huh.

City Living and Nightlife

Speaker 3 36:20

Uh-, and the thought of going to sit and watch. It was like not anxiety, but just oh God. You know, you would think someone from New Orleans who can deal with motor car crowds will be OK with other crowds, but it's just the opposite, you know.

Speaker 1 36:33

Yeah, and the seats are small.

Speaker 3 36:35

They're not comfortable seats, and I am not.

Speaker 1 36:39

And it's like you got to make sure you get to the theater, you got to get your tickets. It is a hassle.

Speaker 3 36:49

It's nice. Afterwards You're like, oh, that was good, I got myself out. Yeah, once I get to do acting as my only career and I can drop my cleaning, I'll be going to more theater, hopefully, well, hopefully, I'll be booking every day, but I'll have more free time. We just want Joe Rogan levels of money so that we don't we can quit our other jobs.

Speaker 1 37:01

I know yeah.

Speaker 3 37:03

Even half that.

Speaker 1 37:04

I'm a server. I've been serving for 10 years 10 years.

Speaker 3 37:09

You got to sacrifice for your art, yep.

Speaker 2 37:12

Do you walk everywhere up there or do you drive?

Speaker 1 37:15

I live outside of Manhattan. It's about 35 minutes for me. I take the train in. I don't like to drive around Manhattan, but I'll drive in the suburbs outside of the city. When I did live in Manhattan, didn't have a car. No one has a car in Manhattan. It's just so expensive to have one and your rent's already so expensive, so I take the train subway.

Speaker 2 37:30

Yeah, because you got to pay for a parking spot, right?

Speaker 1 37:33

Oh yeah, that's expensive and you can't even it's impossible to drive in the city. But something I'll say about New York City compared to New Orleans, everyone kept saying oh, new Orleans is like this party city. You're going to be like partying all the time in New York City. I don't drive, okay, so the party doesn't stop because you don't have to worry about drinking and driving. Hello.

Speaker 2 37:51

That's a good point.

Speaker 1 37:52

There's a bar right outside your house. Everywhere you go, there's a bar. You know so New Orleans, and we're open till four. I know, you guys have 24 hour bars, but I always felt like I. Maybe the cold weather makes you party too.

Speaker 2 38:07

Maybe Makes you want to drink too. That makes sense.

Speaker 3 38:10

We might might've lost a lot of the 24 hour bars you know From COVID maybe. I think we've hit that magical moment where we're going to call it it's time. Okay, all right, we're done with you, julian. Yay. Done with you, julian. Yay. Hope it didn't hurt too much I finally got you on here, yeah you did it sweet cool it was nice seeing y'all, y'all yay, not only nice seeing you, we're glad to give you the opportunity to say y'all again, y'all I still, I still say it