After a psychologically grueling week of auditions, I’ve landed the role of Judge Turpin… well, sort of. I was probably the leading candidate for the role when a rather amazing talent from New York arrived to audition. Jimy (Foreman, our director) liked my acting and the newcomer’s singing too much to pass on either, and so decided to split the role between the two of us. The other guy is likely to see the majority of our five scheduled performances, but that’s all right– as the weakest vocalist among the principals, I feel fortunate to have landed a major role at all.
The first day of rehearsals was at once humbling and exciting. The intricate harmonies of the opening number proved a challenge to most everybody, especially myself and the rest of the untrained singers. On the plus side, as a relative rookie to the Broadway production, I learned that the show is much funnier than I ever suspected… and that I might have one more song than I realized.
Until tonight I’d never heard any reference to Turpin’s “Johanna” (a.k.a. “Mea Culpa”). Should the musical director decide to keep the number– and this is by no means a certainty– I will have a chance to perform one of the most skin-crawlingly creepy numbers in the history of musical theater. Seriously: as it’s written, a partially-disrobed Turpin actually climaxes with the song. Also, a whip is involved.
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