Les Miz at the Community Theatre
So, the whole point of community theatre is that it's open to the community. Meaning that the glee kids could have tried out just as easily as anyone else. And who wouldn't try out for a standard like Les Miz? Here's my take on what would happen during the production from auditions to rehersals to open/closing nights.
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the rights to GLEE, Les Miserables, "Friend of Mine," or "Half-Life." They all belong to their respective creative inventors, publication, and production entities.
Chapter 1 - Auditions
When she heard Mr. Ryan telling Mr. Schue about the open tryouts for Les Miserables, Tina pulled out her cellphone and started texting her mom, telling her that she would be home later than usual. Even though she wasn't as outspoken about it as Rachel, it was Tina's dream to become a star. Unlike Rachel, she didn't need to have the lead role in everything she did because she knew that it wasn't always the main character that audiences connected and fell in love with. Nothing made her feel more alive than when she was up on stage doing what she loved.
Before her family had moved to Lima, when she was in middle school, she had actually been really involved in the dance and theatre scenes, both at her school and in the community. It was a big change coming to this backwards town where football was king and the only kind of dramatic performances happened almost nightly at one thirty in the morning at one of the various trailer parks. Not having a performing outlet had caused her to lose her confidence and become shy and withdrawn which lead to the creation of the stutter and the the acquisition of the goth-punk style.
After Glee practice was over, Tina walked with Kurt and Mercedes out to the parking lot and headed straight to her car instead of standing around gossiping like usual. Once she was on the road, she started up the stereo and switched the cd over to her tryout cd. This particular cd was filled with a variety of songs that she had used in the past or considered for use that were perfectly suited for her style of singing as well as her vocal range. She skipped over the songs from Les Miz as it was really amateur and immature to audition with a song from the show you wanted to be in.
I've known you for so long
You are a friend of mine
But is this all we'd ever be?
Yes, this was the one! "Friend of Mine" would be the perfect song for someone auditioning for Eponine. It didn't hurt that the song was by Lea Salonga, the first actress that came to mind for that role, and an Asian actress. It was as if Fate was guiding her stereo as she hadn't switched it off randomization when she got in the car. Decision made, Tina harmonized with the vocals and got into the mood of the song.
She pulled into the theatre parking lot, popped the trunk, got out and rummaged around for the sheet music for the song. Once inside the building, she ducked into the nearest restroom and began toning down the eye makeup. The clothes would have to stay, but as she mused it over, she thought they gave off a modern day version of what Eponine's character would look like. Instead of being a gutter rat in rags and oversized coats, she would instead be in torn hose, fluffed black skirt, striped arm warmers, and layered key necklaces.
Walking into the auditorium, she was a little shocked to see there were already carpenters and set designers fast at work and a five piece band on hand. There was a frazzled, overweight man sitting in at the director's desk in the fifth row. Tina took a deep breath to fortify her confidence and marched over to him.
"Hi there," she said, passing him her headshot and resume. "Tina Cohen-Chang auditioning for Eponine."
The director didn't even look up from his papers. "Well, let's see what you've got."
Tina walked up to the stage, handed the sheet music to the pianist and grabbed a microphone. She walked to stage right and turned so her back was to the director to begin.
"I've known you for so long
You are a friend of mine
But is this all we'd ever be?
I've loved you ever since
You are a friend of mine
And babe is this all we ever could be?"
Tina turned to face her audience and began to walk towards the box steps that were set up behind her.
"You tell me things I've never known
I shown you love you've never shown
But then again, when you cry
I'm always at your side
You tell me 'bout the love you've had"
She climbed the first two steps, then sat down and rested her chin on one of her fists.
"I listen very eagerly
But deep inside you'll never see
This feeling of emptiness
It makes me feel sad
But then again I'm glad"
She stood up and continued her climb to the large platform on her left during the instrumental section.
"I've known you all my life
You are a friend of mine
I know this is how it's gonna be
I've loved you then and I love you still
You're a friend of mine
Now, I know friends are all we ever could be"
During the last few lines, she had brought her hand to her chest and had an honest tear running down her face. 'Maybe this song wasn't such a good idea after all,' she thought to herself. It was bringing too many ideas that she hadn't given thought to into her mind. Quickly, pushing the thoughts aside, she turned and retraced her steps back down the platform steps.
"You tell me things I've never known
I shown you love you've never shown
But then again, when you cry
I'm always at your side
You tell me 'bout the love you've had
I listen very eagerly
But deep inside you'll never see
This feeling of emptiness
It makes me feel sad
But then again
Then again
Then again I'm glad"
As the final chords drifted off, Tina had a gentle smile on her face as she wiped away the tears that had escaped. She looked out to the director, who had actually stopped his frantic writing and was staring at her.
"Well, that was something I wasn't expecting. We'll be letting you know in a few days." And with that he went back to himself and Tina was left to wonder about her fate.
***
As she got back into her car, Tina allowed her body to shake off the nervous tension that always came after an audition. Dancer's anxiety, they called it; the nervousness that most people got before doing something, she didn't experience until after the fact. She took long, deep breaths and tried to clear all thoughts of what went on during her time up on stage from her mind. What was done was done, she knew that and felt she had done her best, but that didn't stop the shaking from abating just yet.
Tina reflected back on the feelings that had surfaced while she was singing. There was an unsatisfied feeling in the pit of her stomach. Even though she loved Artie, she had the sneaking suspicion that it wasn't a romantic love, more of a deep friendship type of love. If that were the case, she would need to figure it out because it wasn't fair to either Artie or herself to continue on the path they were on if she weren't feeling the lovey-doveys back for him.
"Well, crap," she mumbled to herself.
Leaning her head back, Tina closed her eyes and let faces drift into her line of vision. This was an exercise that she used to do when she was younger and practicing how to focus on different emotions. Finn was a carefree, dopey feeling. Kurt was a haughty, look down your nose attitude. One by one she went through a bunch of people that she knew until she came to Puck. She was confused about him. While on one hand she could feel the badass attitude run through her, she also remembered the times that he had shown a different side; a more gentle, almost caring side.
Puck was a lot more complex than he lead others to believe. A thought of Puck turning his soft, golden eyes on her was enough to cause a delicious shiver to shoot down her spine. He was certainly a sexual creature and he knew how to manipulate that fact to his benefit. But what would he be like if no one else was looking? That thought in mind, Tina started up the car and headed towards home.
Puck wasn't the first person one would think of as a theater guy. And to an extent, they were right. He thought that showtunes were for people like Rachel, but he also new that chicks dig actors. By trying out and then getting a part for this "Lay Miz" thing, he'd be opening himself to a whole new world of not only theatre chicks but the women that went to go see the shows.
So, after school, he headed over to the community theater, a place he was only able to find because he remembered that it was down the street from Breadstix. He grabbed his guitar and headed into the building. When he got to the auditorium, he realized he'd have to wait as there was someone already walking onto the stage. 'Oh well, what's a few more minutes,' he thought to himself as he took a seat back in the shadowy part of the theater.
He heard a guitar intro that he had never heard before followed by a voice that was sweet, clear and vaguely familiar. Squinting, he focused on the singer, but even though her back was turned the goth clothes were a dead give away. So, he wasn't the only glee member trying their hand outside the club. As she got further into the song, Puck found himself thinking it was a shame that she didn't get to show off her voice more often, but with an attention whore like Rachel it was inevitable.
She walked up the stairs on stage and there was something about the way she moved that caused Puck to lean forward in his seat and focus on her. There was an honesty about her movements that could pull you right into her world. He saw the lights twinkle off her cheek and realized that she was crying. 'Now that's some acting.'
As the song was winding down, he felt something tighten in his chest. 'What the heck?' He couldn't remember this ever happening to him before. He was the one who caused girls to forget to breath and swoon after him, not the other way around. This just wouldn't do. He was trying to patch things up with Quinn he couldn't afford to get distracted by a pretty face.
'Wait. Pretty face?' Puck refocused his attention on Tina just as she was stepping off the stage. Yeah, she definitely was pretty, especially now that she didn't have a bunch of that crap smeared over her eyes. How could he have not noticed that before? She certainly did a good job of distracting with her look, and not in the conventional way.
Standing up, Puck pushed the thoughts to the back of his head and walked up the aisle to the director's desk.
"Hey, I was wanting to audition."
"For what part?" asked the director leaning back in his seat as he examined Puck.
"I don't know. Isn't that supposed to be your job?"
The director almost laughed aloud. This kid definitely had attitude, now to see if he had the pipes to back it up. "Well, what's the name, tough guy? Then we can see what ya got."
"Name's Noah Puckerman and you better believe I got the goods." With that, Puck walked to the stage, took his guitar out of the case and walked up to the center mic. His fingers moved over the strings, a different song than than the one he had originally decided to playing flowing out. Mentally shrugging, he figured he'd just go with it.
"Afternoon
I fell asleep in the living room
It's one of those moments
When everything is so clear
Before the truth goes back into hiding
I wanna decide 'cause it's worth deciding
To work on finding something more than this fear
It takes so much out of me to pretend
Tell me now, tell me how to make amends"
Images of Quinn floated in his mind as he sang the words. He really was scared of what would happen to the two of them after the baby was born. He had no idea how to bridge the gap between the two of them. How could he possibly make things right whenever there was another person involved? He hadn't meant for any of this to happen and it really was exhausting to pretend he was the same unaffected, badass as always.
"I keep trying to understand
This thing and that thing, my fellow man
I guess I'll let you know when I figure it out
And I don't mind a few mysteries
They can stay that way it's fine by me
But you are another mystery I am missing
It takes too much out of me to pretend"
His thoughts shifted midway from Quinn and her mysteries to the newly uncovered mystery of Tina. Women as a species were full of mysteries, that was a piece of wisdom that he could actually credit to his father. And some mysteries were worth finding out.
"Maybe I need to see the daylight
Leave behind the half life
And don't you see I'm breaking down
Oh, lately something here don't feel right
This is just a half life
Is there really no escape, no escape from time
Of any kind"
Maybe it was true. That until this point, he had only been living out half of himself and that half was keeping him closed off, in darkness. That was a really emo way of thinking but what if it were true? What if he allowed himself to feel something else, detach himself from the past, would things change in his life? Could focusing his energies elsewhere, on someone else help to make things better about himself?
"Cause lately something here don't feel right
This is just a half life
Without you I am breaking down
Oh, wake me I want to see the daylight
Save me from this half life
Let's you and I escape, escape from time
Come on let's fall in love
Come on let's fall in love
Come on let's fall in love again"
Looking up from the frets, Puck saw the director gathering up his papers and rushing towards the exit. "We'll let you know by next week."
Puck looked over to the band guys who just shrugged as they too started packing up their stuff. "Lame." He walked over to his case, put the guitar away, and headed back out to his truck. There were a lot of thoughts running through his head that he'd rather not have to sort through, but that was pretty unlikely to happen.
A/n: This is my first time using song lyrics in a story. I'm not sure if I like it, but the songs I used aren't well known and I tried to fudge it by describing what Tina/Puck were doing or thinking while singing. Love it, hate it, know how to change it, let me know either way! R&R