"That wasn't it, something's always wrong. Its been too long." Maria sang.
"Cut!" The director called.
Maria sighed. Ever since she got the part of Corrine, the director complained about everything. Not that she was a bad actress or singer, but he was known in the industry as very hard to work with. However, every play he ever directed was a hit. Johanna Porter smiles sympathetically. She was the costar of the musical adaptation of "Flowers of the Attic," Maria played Corrine, the cruel greedy mother that locked up her children in the attic. Johanna was the star, she played Cathy.
The press made a stink about the mixed race actors. But the director insisted on modernizing the story for today's time. Besides other than changing the story a bit, it was close to the book as possible. The thing he did was aging up Cathy from fourteen to eighteen. Due to the sensitive nature of the story, especially the romance of Cathy and Chris.
Johanna auditioned for Cathy, due to her younger sister's begging and whining. She loved her sister's voice, and insisted on her older sister auditioning for the play, especially since Johanna was the gifted singer of the family. Johanna was in Brooklyn, visiting her younger sister, Julie and her boyfriend, Patrick Morris.
Julie was a member of the New York Symphony. She played the piano and sometimes the flute. She moved to New York years ago to attend Julliard after she graduated. As a member of the New York Symphony, competition was tough. Especially when she was so young. Luckily she played often in many Broadway shows. When Johanna came to town, she was stoked about musicals and often went out to see many plays as possible.
It was when there was a open audition of a new play being produced in Broadway, is when Julie and Patrick begged Johanna to audition. Johanna refused to go to college, she said she hated high school despite being very intelligent. She instead traveled across the country with some musicians performing at various venues and bars. She had a brief romance with one of the singers, but it fizzled out when he quit and moved back west.
It was when she was talking to Julie on Facebook from an Internet cafe is when she asked Johanna to come visit. Since Johanna had nothing better to do she hopped on a bus and headed to New York. She fell in love with the city and whenever she wasn't staying in Brooklyn with Julie is when she performed at various coffee shops and amateur plays.
Johanna to shut up her sister and her boyfriend, reluctantly came to audition. When she saw Maria Slater there, she was intimidated. Her hopes to get the part of Cathy waned. Maria was a very talented actress and singer. Not to mention a true professional. But the director was impressed with Johanna's stage presence and talent and asked her and Maria for a second audition. A few weeks later, they got the leads.
Johanna fell in love with the stage right there and then. She and Maria became friends. They both worked their asses off for opening night. Julie and their parents were proud. Especially her old friend, Elizabeth Wakefield. All four usually met up for coffee and sometimes drinks to let loose.
Maria was in the back drinking water. The director called for a fifteen. The play was due to open in a week and Johanna was terrified. Maria wasn't worried. Johanna was a star in the making. She worked in Hollywood, she saw the signs. She was going to become the next Ethel Merman. Legendary musical actress.
Maria wasn't jealous. Acting was in her blood. She was already semi famous. She hoped this role pushed her to superstardom. At least on Broadway. She was careful to keep her ego in check, she didn't want to end up in rehab like many of her former costars. Looking at the clock, she had to return to stage. Her scene with Cathy in the ballroom was on next. Especially when her character's daughter slept with Corrine's hubby, Bart.
Later that night, when she got home to her shared apartment with Elizabeth, she was surprised to see she was still up. Elizabeth was a early bird. She never stays up late, even for a deadline. She claims her best work was done in the morning.
"Surprised to see you up. It's after midnight. Don't you have work in the morning?"
"Jessica called."
"Oh?" Maria was surprised. Jessica rarely called, unless it was a family emergency. The last time she called it was to tell Elizabeth Billie's water broke. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. She called to say her former boyfriend Nick Fox is alive."
"Nick? I thought he was murdered. How?"
"Witness protection. Apparently they caught the kingpin of a major drug cartel. Nick is on the news giving a press conference. Did you know he is a ATF agent now?"
"Wow. I knew he was a cop. He must really hate drug dealers."
"He does. He saved Jessica from getting framed by Celine years ago. Ever since then he vowed to take down any drug dealers. Especially the one that supplied Isabella Ricci with those drugs that sent her in a coma."
"How is Jessica taking the news?"
"In disbelief. Out of all the guys Jessica dated, Nick was the one that gave her the most meaningful relationship. She almost joined the army for Nick. She confided to me she was thinking of proposing to Nick after college. When he 'died,' it almost destroyed Jessica. Luckily Nick found her before she took those pills."
"Wow. Like, are you and Jessica talking again?"
Elizabeth shrugged. She missed their twin relationship. But the pain of what Jessica did still haunted her. But maybe it is time to fly out and visit Jess. But since Jessica mentioned that her, Lila and Brooke were flying in, maybe she could get them tickets to Maria and Johanna's new play. Have a old fashioned sleepover. Just like old times.
''Maria. Is there any way I can have three extra tickets?"