Backstage Drama

The Announcement

Chapter One

The Announcement

Hayley's POV

I am going to miss this so much. The people. The show. The rehearsals. The performing. Everything. This show was the best experience of my life. And I would do anything to have 'The King and I' go on for longer.

I got out of my red and gold costume for the last time. My flower dress was clean and floating at my knees. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to this amazing experience yet.

"Could the while cast come to the green room please?" Our director, Dene said over the backstage speaker. "I have exciting news to tell."

I quickly slipped on my shoes and got all my stuff together so I could quickly get everything once it was time to leave.

The green room was loud, exciting and full of kids. The youngest girl was only 10 while the oldest boy was just 18. This was the best musical I've ever done. I wish it would never end.

Lewis came up to me. He was the oldest, he played the King, and I was one of his wives (wife 1 according to my script if you want to get technical). He is now one of my best friends and I love him to bits.

"Hey Hayley," he said, offering me a hug. I took it and squeezed him back. "I am going to miss you so much."

"Me too," I said, thinking of all the things I'll miss about this show.

Dene had finally made his way to the green room. By now everyone was wondering what was going on. Dene has acted and directed before in professional productions and had all his contacts come to see the show, but luckily he only told us once the show was over every night. Otherwise we would've freaked out. He even had some really famous theatre critics come to see the show, and, according to him, they all loved it.

"Alright everyone! Quiet now!" He yelled over the noise of the whole cast and crew. It took a few more tries, but he finally got us all quiet. "That was a brilliant show," he began. The whole room burst into cheers after that. Then a wave of sadness splashed over us. That was the last show of the run and this cast was a family. I don't think a group of people could get much closer and understand each other more. 

"Anyway. Edmund Bumble was in the audience every night over the last week..."

That made a few people (including me) gasp. Edmund Bumble was the head of professional theatre in Sydney, he could make or break your career. We had all heard by now that he was looking for a youth musical to put on professionally in Sydney for the June to October season. Knowing he was in the audience made everyone think that we're in the running. And a huge part of me was hoping that it was good news.

"He and his team made his final choice on which youth musical got the Sydney Season..."

The whole room couldn't have been quieter. Everyone was holding their breath. Hoping and praying that the next sentence would be what we hoped it was. I was holding Lewis' hand in my right, and in my left, I was holding Heather's hand. All three of us, hoping and praying for the news that would make our careers...

"We, the youth cast of three different Catholic high schools, St Mary's, St Catherine's and St Edmunds Schools, out of over 50 other youth theatre productions, have been so lucky to receive that season pass..." Dene barely finished. You could tell he was bracing for the loud impact to come.

The whole room burst into screams of happiness. There wasn't one person that didn't want to be there, and now we wouldn't have to say goodbye yet. I couldn't even believe it. We were going to be doing this for another four months. I was hugging everyone, I'm pretty close to all of them. They are the most perfect show family I've ever had.

Once we had all settled down (which took a while), Dene had to explain all about our contract. It was confusing to say the least (Or maybe I was still in shock, but this is what I remember).

We will getting home-schooled by a tutor during the day from 10-3 Tuesday to Friday. We will be sharing a hotel room with one other person of the same gender, and one adult between four of us. We will be getting all meals, tea, coffee, other drinks and snacks provided for us. And we will be doing seven shows a week. One on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday and two shows on Saturday with Mondays being our day off, where we are supposed to sleep, which is why school won't be on Monday and why it will start so late in the day, to give us the chance to sleep before we get up and ready for the day ahead. We also get drama, dance and singing lessons provided for us to make up for the ones we'll be missing out on while we're over there.

And the best part? We get paid almost $20,000 over the whole season. 

I couldn't believe our luck to get a pass like this. I couldn't wait for the season ahead!