Love, Learn, Play: Chicago Audition

One of the main reasons that we keep pursuing acting opportunities for the boys is that acting has opened up a world of opportunities that we would otherwise never be able to provide for them at this age. And yesterday was no exception. Monday afternoon the boys received a call for an audition for the lead role in a wonderful Christian feature film- in Chicago! We've been meaning to take them to Chicago, especially during this train phase of theirs, though we could never seem to make it work. But we didn't want to pass up this opportunity- so after a quick call to daddy, we confirmed our audition. Which brings me to the other main reason we've continued to pursing such opportunities for the boys- it challenges them in such unique ways. For the audition the boys had to learn an entire page of script and the first verse of Amazing Grace. They had to memorize 8 lines in a back and forth discussion with their character's dad and I'll be darned- the boys had the entire scene memorized in less than an hour! So we spent all day practicing their scene and learning the words to Amazing Grace. And let me just tell you this: If you are ever in a bit of a tough place or having a rough day, teach your 3 year olds to sing Amazing Grace. It will melt your heart and lift your spirits like nothing else in this world can- maybe because it is, by nature, beyond this world. Working with the boys on this song was the sweetest, most wonderful experience a mother could ever hope for. We actually found a video of the real life boy of their character singing the song- and to watch the boys as they were totally mesmerized by him was just breathtaking. I think we watched that video over 50 times and each time it brought tears to my eyes.

So anyways, after an entire day of learning and practicing- we packed up the car and left home at 5:00am to head to Chicago! I'm not sure how we were blessed with such wonderful travelers, but the boys were angels for the entire five hour drive. We arrived near the casting office which was in the most amazing part of town and had breakfast at the best Whole Foods store in the world (thanks to some industry friends for the recommendation!) Then it was time for the highlight of the day- THE TRAIN! It was the boys' first subway ride and they were more excited than a man on the moon! Thanks to an old friend who helped us navigate the trains and busses (gosh- I've got some awesome friends don't I?!), we arrived at Shedd Aquarium for the day. We only bought general passes, but somehow (and this one is thanks to the little bit of my mom that I have in me!) we ended up seeing the entire aquarium minus one exhibit and one show! The boys saw jellyfish and paddlefish and whales and dolphins and penguins and piranhas and anacondas and crabs bigger than their heads! By the time we were done in the aquarium it was warming up outside a bit so we got to go out and see the lake and the skyline and play on the giant steps to the aquarium. Then it was another train ride back to the casting office for their audition.

The tough thing about taking three year olds on auditions is that you have no idea what happens on the other side of that door. The best we can hope for is that the boys separate from us easily and walk into that room with a smile. The rest becomes a mystery! This time the boys actually did tell us a little bit. There were three people in the room- two women and a man. They had to stand on a square on the floor. And there was a "standing up camera with three legs". I didn't say they told us anything useful now did I?! But Matthew did say that he didn't sing :/ I don't know if that is true or not- three year olds are not known for accurate descriptions or honesty (at least not when it matters!) but I have a sinking feeling that he was telling the truth. My heart broke a little. Not because I felt he blew the audition- I know they had very little chance of booking this job no matter how amazing their audition may have been (have you ever seen a movie where they entrusted the lead role to a 3 year old?!)... but my heart broke a little because he had worked so hard on that song and it was truly the sweetest thing one could ever hope to hear. But song or no song- both of the boys burst out of the casting office door with ear to ear grins yelling "I DID IT MAMA! I DID IT!" And to us- that is an overwhelming success. Our three year olds just walked into a room full of strangers, acted out an entire scene they had memorized in less than 24 hours, and walked out smiling and full of pride. After a dinner of Chicago style pizza and a bit of playtime at a great park- I've got to say it was a perfect day!!!

Matthew practicing Amazing Grace