Musical Josh

 Josh in the chorus concert

Josh at a band concert, with his red medal for passing off the songs in the book

Josh at the auditions for Gavroche for the play "Les Miserables" which our local college is performing in July.  Josh worked hard all week, practicing "The Beggar Song" with great actions and facial expressions.  2 men in our ward are in the cast of "Les Miserables," and one of them had been Josh's "vocal coach" that week.  Josh did a wonderful audition.  He absolutely nailed it.  The blonde boy on the far left sang timidly, without moving, and the director said, "You look like you're standing in a bucket of cement.  Try it again and move around and look mad."  So he got to keep singing, with coaching.  The other boys who sang timidly were told, "Thanks.  Next!"  Then the 2 boys called back were:  the blonde boy and Josh.  (The boy in the black coat did a great job and I was sure he would be the one called back with Josh.)  So I started to get the feeling that they really wanted the blonde boy...  especially as (I found out later) his sister is in the play already and his family knows the judges.  Josh did a fabulous callback, while the blonde boy did okay and got better each time he sang at callbacks (with coaching-- once again they let him sing the song multiple times).  So I was disappointed, but not surprised, when they announced that the blonde boy had the part of Gavroche!  But then they said they still want Josh in the play as a street urchin and understudy of Gavroche.  So that's exciting.  (And we've heard since then that the director decided that Josh might get to perform as Gavroche in some of the 7 shows.)  Complete strangers told Josh after the audition, "If it makes you feel any better, you were the best," and people told Josh during it, "You've got this!"  "You're a shoo-in."  But I guess it's a good life lesson that there are other things involved in auditions, job interviews, etc, even after you've done your very best and performed the very best.  There's also politics, who you know, what you look like...  quite a disappointing day.  But Josh is resilient and soon was just excited to look over his script that he was given and to anticipate the whole experience of being a part of such a great show.