Page 49 of Curtain Call
“Suzette? Oh my God, what are you doing here?”
“Filing some paperwork for a new musical pitch,” she had this gleam in her eye when she said it, “and I had to come out when I heard your name on the radio receiver in the office. You have to come on board and help me once we get this off the ground.”
“Um, yes, would um love to,” Jax is star-struck and Riley has never seen them this way before. Usually, Jax is brimming with confidence.
“Hi there,” Suzette is now looking Riley up and down.
“Where are my manners,” Jax intercepts, “Suzette, this is Riley Cooper, he is auditioning today for the revival of Tootsie.”
“Those are some tall heels to fill,” she smirks while lifting her own heels in the air.
“Suzette and I met when I first started in the business. She was a mentor to me early on.” Jax says grinning ear to ear.
“And it paid off,” she adds.
“It’s really a pleasure meeting you, but I must get upstairs for my audition.”
“You as well,” she gives him an encouraging nod.
“Find me after?” Jax asks.
Riley gives Jax a hug, and a small wave to Suzette before he turns back around toward the security guard.
“At the end of the hall to the left, there are stairs to the second floor if you prefer, or the elevators are right behind me,” the guard said while handing Riley his visitor badge.
“Thank you.”
Riley took the badge and pinned it to his shirt.
“Break a leg.”
As Riley makes his way down the hallway on the second floor, he checks his watch and realizes he’s about fifteen minutes early. He can hear singers belting out songs, dialogue, and laughter coming from some of the studios. The energy in the air feels light, and he wonders if he chose the right song. Maybe he should do something a little more upbeat.
Riley reaches for the oversized oak door just as someone pulls it open and he practically falls into the space, and into him.He wasn’t sure of the guy’s name, but he has seen him at auditions before and he just finished his contract with Hamilton. The guy is good. Was he auditioning for the same part as Riley?
Riley feels like he could puke.
He imagines Colin rubbing his back to help calm his nerves like only he knew how. He did it before every audition and show in high school. He did it at the train station.Fuckin’ Colin. The last time he touched Riley’s back, he knew. He knew about the lack of eating. There is a pain deep in his gut, and he knows how badly he’s hurt him and that makes Riley feel worse.
Riley makes his way into the room and checks in with a young girl at a small desk. As she is confirming his audition, and takes his headshot from him, he glances over and notices one of the casting directors pointing toward him while waving his pen back and forth in the air as if drawing lines to cut Riley in half. He’s leaning into the woman next to him whispering something. The bald guy next to her starts nodding and taking notes.
Riley shakes it off.
“Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Riley Cooper, and I will be auditioning for the dual role of Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels. During my career, I have played comical roles such as Elder Cunningham in the Book of Mormon and in the current Broadway Across America performance of Wicked as the understudy of Fiyero. Today, I wanted to sing something that showcased a different side of my acting and singing abilities. A song that has been resonating with me over the past forty-eight hours.”
“Lovely. Please proceed when you’re ready,” the woman wearing jeans, a gray V-neck t-shirt, and a black cardigan told him.
Riley walks over to the piano to turn in his sheet music just as the pianist walked out from behind the curtain. Riley’s breath hitched at the same time his feet stopped moving. The resemblance is remarkable. He’s heard of doppelgangers before, but never in a million years has he been face-to-face with one. The pianist reached out his hand to take the music and placed it on the stand. The mirrored image of Colin playing the piano looked at the top sheet and smiled.
“Really?” The pianist whispers with wide eyes.
“Is it a bad choice,” Riley grimaces, and his palms start to sweat.
“Not at all. I love this song but it’s deep. You’ll need to feel the emotion. Express it, and I’ll keep the tempo to what you’re feeling. If you need to, look at me during the audition and I will play into it for you.”
Riley took a deep breath and gave the pianist a tap on the shoulder.
“Make me sound good,” he grinned.
