Not a dream after all – Behind the scenes at auditions for the upcoming ‘Les Mis’

Before I made my way to the callback auditions, Theatre Baton Rouge’s Keith Dixon warned me I would be walking into a zoo. I didn’t realize just how right he was.

The lobby was crowded with poised men and women, all hopeful that they would earn a coveted role in the theatre company’s summer musical, Les Misérables. As actors trickled in for callbacks, I was amazed at how Production Stage Manager Mary Pyform and volunteer Cathy Steward were able to keep everything moving smoothly in what was obviously a mind-blowing turnout.

And it really was just that. According to Dixon, the managing artistic director, Les Misérables produced the largest audition turnout in 10 years—more than 300—bringing out even more hopefuls than the cult classic Hairspray.

While selecting Les Misérables as the summer musical is a “no-brainer” for Dixon, with the popularity of the big-screen version last year, the show is demanding and requires a vast amount of musical skill, dedication and preparation from its cast—all of which Dixon and Music Director Terry Bowman are meticulously searching for. “The show is through-composed, so there is no dialogue,” Dixon says. “You need really strong vocalists, bottom line.”

When I sat in on callbacks, the team was auditioning actresses for Cosette, one of the four leading female roles. While the musical itself is known to be tragic, the story of Cosette is uplifting, even inspirational. So none of us was surprised that more than 15 young women piled into the theatre’s quaint audition room for the chance to embody the character.

A piano was pushed to the side of the checker-tiled room and space was made to accommodate a large table, seating Dixon, Bowman and Steward. The Cosette hopefuls lined up across from them against floor-to-ceiling windows. As daunting as it may have seemed to someone like me, it did not sway a single actress to stand before the TBR staff with nothing more than sheet music in hand. One by one, they approached the center mark lined with colorful tape, using only the opening bars to the song “In My Life” as their cue.

The actresses continued to follow this process for more than an hour, and not one seemed out of her element while belting out the lyrics, each exuding confidence in her ability to bring Cosette’s character to life.

As I sat silently in the corner, I noticed the stage-like atmosphere the room itself provided. When Natalie Dixon took the floor—no relation to Keith Dixon—I could see how she was embracing, even welcoming the attention, much like she was already performing for an audience. As musical theatre buff-turned-opera enthusiast Jessica LaLibertč began to sing, the sunlight pouring through the windows hit her in just the right way, putting her at center stage and in the spotlight.

When the Cosette casting session ended, the lobby was yet again flooded with people, each anxiously waiting for his or her moment to shine in the roles of other characters. While some of the Cosette hopefuls left after auditioning, others stayed behind to show support or to audition for other roles.

As my day at TBR came to a close, I still sensed that excited but nervous energy flickering through the theatre—everyone huddled into groups, either rehearsing or pressed against the windows, deep in conversation about the next session to take place behind the closed doors of the audition room.

Although every performance I witnessed was wonderful, only 13 of those 300 made the final cut and will proceed to take the stage, including Natalie Dixon as part of the ensemble.

Bess Yunek ultimately won the role of Cosette. “She has this innocent quality about her,” Keith Dixon says. “This optimistic, bubbly quality that is inherently Cosette.”

Reflecting on the audition process, he says, “Really, there were so many people to audition that it made the casting process difficult. But I don’t feel like we went wrong with any one of them.”