Post by MizzouTiger on Jan 21, 2008 19:09:18 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/story/452506.html
Royals auditions draw an interesting crowd of hopefuls
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
The line snaked around a post and through the great hall at the Overland Park Convention Center. All anyone wanted was to stay warm, put on a good show and sing the national anthem at Kauffman Stadium.
Was that too much to ask?
One after the other, sometimes in twos or threes and one group of five, more than 60 Royals fans waited as long as three hours for their chance Saturday to audition to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a home game. Some also sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” for a chance to perform during the seventh-inning stretch.
It was the first time the Royals held auditions, but entertainment coordinator Kasey Schweitzer said other teams hold similar events to fill some of the slots for their 81-game home schedule.
When they pushed open the door, the show began. And it wasn’t always pretty.
They came from as far away as Junction City, Kan., and Bella Vista, Ark., for the chance to stand in front of a few thousand people before a Royals game and try not to forget the words.
Maybe they would fare better under the big lights. Under the soft fluorescents at the convention center, some could not shake the nervous lumps that climbed up their throats and sometimes twisted their tongues.
The twilight’s last leaning?
Through the perilous flight?
The ramparts we watched, were so gallantly screaming?
John Parcell didn’t give himself the chance to flub lyrics. The Kansas City music teacher stood in line nearly an hour, keeping his fingers warm enough to navigate his trumpet.
“I think I stand just as good a chance as anybody else,” he said.
One performer finished her version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in about 10 seconds, a nod to a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. Carol Royster brought along her daughter and an offer to sing the Japanese national anthem if the judges were interested.
They were not.
Instead, they listened as Royster sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” while her daughter watched. When they left the room, Schweitzer and judge Kirby Anderson, a member of the Royals’ K Crew, assigned Royster a grade between 1 and 10.
Schweitzer said only performances graded about an 8 or higher would definitely be booked to perform before a game. Anderson, a professionally trained singer, wrote notes during each audition.
“We don’t want any more OK national anthems,” Schweitzer said.
Many of the hopefuls Saturday had music experience. Others, sadly, did not. When those performers left the warmth of the audition room, the judges did not always need to say anything to register a cold response.
After one audition, Anderson looked at Schweitzer and opened her eyes wide in shock. The look said plenty.
“Yeah,” Schweitzer said, “I don’t think so, either.”
Some performers did not leave quietly. Parcell, the trumpeter, stayed in the room during the next performance. He listened as his successor, a singer, performed the national anthem and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Parcell’s audition had been held to the one song.
“Hey,” Parcell said from near the door. “Do you want me to play ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame?’ ”
“That song is really better if you sing it,” Schweitzer said.
“I’ll sing it, too,” Parcell said.
“No. Really,” Schweitzer said. “That’s OK.”
By the time all the performers had waited out the cold and the line, Schweitzer and Anderson had three stacks of papers: one for those who definitely will be booked this season, another for possible performers and another, much thicker stack, for those whose chances ended Saturday in Overland Park.
Schweitzer was optimistic she would be able to fill more than a handful of home dates because of Saturday’s audition.
“I think we’ll have at least 15 or 20,” Schweitzer said.
Then she picked up the stack of definites and flipped through the pages.
She smiled.
“OK,” she said. “Maybe 10 or 15.”
Royals auditions draw an interesting crowd of hopefuls
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
The line snaked around a post and through the great hall at the Overland Park Convention Center. All anyone wanted was to stay warm, put on a good show and sing the national anthem at Kauffman Stadium.
Was that too much to ask?
One after the other, sometimes in twos or threes and one group of five, more than 60 Royals fans waited as long as three hours for their chance Saturday to audition to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a home game. Some also sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” for a chance to perform during the seventh-inning stretch.
It was the first time the Royals held auditions, but entertainment coordinator Kasey Schweitzer said other teams hold similar events to fill some of the slots for their 81-game home schedule.
When they pushed open the door, the show began. And it wasn’t always pretty.
They came from as far away as Junction City, Kan., and Bella Vista, Ark., for the chance to stand in front of a few thousand people before a Royals game and try not to forget the words.
Maybe they would fare better under the big lights. Under the soft fluorescents at the convention center, some could not shake the nervous lumps that climbed up their throats and sometimes twisted their tongues.
The twilight’s last leaning?
Through the perilous flight?
The ramparts we watched, were so gallantly screaming?
John Parcell didn’t give himself the chance to flub lyrics. The Kansas City music teacher stood in line nearly an hour, keeping his fingers warm enough to navigate his trumpet.
“I think I stand just as good a chance as anybody else,” he said.
One performer finished her version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in about 10 seconds, a nod to a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. Carol Royster brought along her daughter and an offer to sing the Japanese national anthem if the judges were interested.
They were not.
Instead, they listened as Royster sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” while her daughter watched. When they left the room, Schweitzer and judge Kirby Anderson, a member of the Royals’ K Crew, assigned Royster a grade between 1 and 10.
Schweitzer said only performances graded about an 8 or higher would definitely be booked to perform before a game. Anderson, a professionally trained singer, wrote notes during each audition.
“We don’t want any more OK national anthems,” Schweitzer said.
Many of the hopefuls Saturday had music experience. Others, sadly, did not. When those performers left the warmth of the audition room, the judges did not always need to say anything to register a cold response.
After one audition, Anderson looked at Schweitzer and opened her eyes wide in shock. The look said plenty.
“Yeah,” Schweitzer said, “I don’t think so, either.”
Some performers did not leave quietly. Parcell, the trumpeter, stayed in the room during the next performance. He listened as his successor, a singer, performed the national anthem and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Parcell’s audition had been held to the one song.
“Hey,” Parcell said from near the door. “Do you want me to play ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame?’ ”
“That song is really better if you sing it,” Schweitzer said.
“I’ll sing it, too,” Parcell said.
“No. Really,” Schweitzer said. “That’s OK.”
By the time all the performers had waited out the cold and the line, Schweitzer and Anderson had three stacks of papers: one for those who definitely will be booked this season, another for possible performers and another, much thicker stack, for those whose chances ended Saturday in Overland Park.
Schweitzer was optimistic she would be able to fill more than a handful of home dates because of Saturday’s audition.
“I think we’ll have at least 15 or 20,” Schweitzer said.
Then she picked up the stack of definites and flipped through the pages.
She smiled.
“OK,” she said. “Maybe 10 or 15.”