What do callbacks mean?

[Theatre dweeb]

Posted: 11/7/15 at 9:01pm

I had an audition for Fame the musical today and felt really confident and thought it was one of my best auditions. I'm really hoping to get Serena, but callbacks are tomorrow and I still haven't heard back. What does this mean?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/7/15 at 9:08pm

It means you're in the chorus at best. 

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 11/7/15 at 9:29pm

No. 

 

It means that the director already knows where he/she wants you and does not need to see you again. It could mean you are in an ensemble role, it could mean you have a supporting role, it could mean you got a lead, or it could mean you didn't get cast at all. You can never read too much into these things, it'll only stress you out and make the wait for the cast list more difficult. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/7/15 at 11:31pm

But after a while I caught on... I mean, I saw what they were hiring. I even swiped my dance card after an audition once...

[tazber]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 6:25am

It means better luck next time.

[Dave19]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 6:30am

It seems that TheGingerBreadman is the only one who understands life and showbizz. The rest of the reactions are quite bitter and delusional to say the least. The world would be an ugly place if we would all think and act like Phyllis.

 

So basically yes, it could mean anything. Let us know how it went!

Updated On: 11/8/15 at 06:30 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 7:45am

I'm assuming this was for high school or community theater?

It could mean many things, but it most likely  means you are no luck get being considered for major roles.  You might have been placed in a smaller role, chorus, or not cast.

 

Feeling confident in your audition is great, but you might not be what they are looking for for any variety of reasons.  

 

MY callbacks are usually about being "good enough", but determining if one is RIGHT enough.  I have never cast a MAJOR role to someone that did not get a call back... even if I'm fairly certain on a part....they also need to be seen with other actors to be sure the fit is right.

[Dave19]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 7:50am

I did an audition once and did not get a callback either while my colleagues did. Then, weeks later, I received a call with an invitation to go straight to the finals for a role.

Casting can be a strange process.

 

[tazber]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 8:49am

Dave19 said: "It seems that TheGingerBreadman is the only one who understands life and showbizz. The rest of the reactions are quite bitter and delusional to say the least. The world would be an ugly place if we would all think and act like Phyllis.

 

 

 

So basically yes, it could mean anything. Let us know how it went!

 

"

Don't think racism had a hand in all of this Dave?

[Dave19]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 8:53am

Why the race card again? There is more to people.

[Theatre dweeb]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 9:59am

dramamama611 said: "I'm assuming this was for high school or community theater?

 

It is

 

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 10:04am

"It seems that TheGingerBreadman is the only one who understands life and showbizz."

 

At least you're finally admitting that YOU DON'T.

[Hamilton22]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 10:14am

Phyllis Rogers Stone has never gotten a callback, so he wouldn't know. 

[tazber]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 10:56am

Hamilton22 said: "Phyllis Rogers Stone has never gotten a callback, so he wouldn't know. 

 

"

How do you know?

 

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 11:00am

Hamilton22 said: "Phyllis Rogers Stone has never gotten a callback, so he wouldn't know."

 

When you're offered the role in the room, you don't need one.

[AC126748]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 11:21am

Dave19 said: "I did an audition once and did not get a callback either while my colleagues did. Then, weeks later, I received a call with an invitation to go straight to the finals for a role.

 

Casting can be a strange process.

 

 

 

"

No offense, but their first choice probably fell through in that instance. 

[Hamilton22]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 11:30am

^ Daaaang   so much shade in this thread.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 11:31am

Hamilton22 said: "^ Daaaang   so much shade in this thread."

 

Like when Hamilton22 said: "Phyllis Rogers Stone has never gotten a callback, so he wouldn't know. ?

[tazber]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 11:31am

Hamilton22 said: "^ Daaaang   so much shade in this thread.

 

"

 

Some of it posted by you. So why the fake surprise?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 1:49pm

I hope you get the part of Coco!  Tres jolie!

[Dave19]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 5:00pm

AC126748 said: "No offense, but their first choice probably fell through in that instance. "

 

No offense, but I think you have tunnel vision.

While your scenario could be perfectly possible, it could also be that they just changed direction, or that they wanted me in the final from the start. No matter what's behind it, I still was invited for the finals for the role.

 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 5:15pm

PRS accepts offers only.  And gets them.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 11/8/15 at 10:41pm

Whatever role you wind up getting Dweeb....best of luck to you!

[xxdrewboy85xx]

Posted: 11/9/15 at 12:06am

dramamama611 said: "It could mean many things, but it most likely  means you are no luck get being considered for major roles.  You might have been placed in a smaller role, chorus, or not cast."

 

"MY callbacks are usually about being "good enough", but determining if one is RIGHT enough.  I have never cast a MAJOR role to someone that did not get a call back... even if I'm fairly certain on a part....they also need to be seen with other actors to be sure the fit is right."

 

Way back when I was in High School I had done professional regional and stock shows and was always under the impression that if you didn't get a callback you weren't cast in the show at all. Whether it was for a lead or chorus and when doing school shows I assumed it was the same. 

 

I had a pretty big ego being young and naive and My freshman and Sophomore year in HS I was cast as pretty major supporting characters in my school show. Being a [male] dancer though, I knew I would always get a dance role even if I fought for or was right for a lead. So when my junior year rolled around and my school was doing a big dance heavy show I assumed I would absolutely get the role I wanted and had practiced the song for callbacks for weeks before the audition. The callback list came out and my name wasn't on the list at all and I was devastated, pissed, and stunned. 

 

I stayed at school the day off callbacks and as soon as they ended I went and talked to the director and music director to calmly and nicely ask why I wasn't called back. Turns out they didn't call me back because they figured they were just going to offer me that role and didn't need to see me at callbacks. However, during the callback process they realized there was a senior they could use in that role and it didn't have to be a dance heavy role and another  supporting character needed to be a dancer. So they offered him the role and gave me the other role..... The show was 42nd street and the role I wanted was Billy, but ended up getting Andy the choreographer. 

 

I guess my point is that sometimes you can be considered the right person for a role and the creative team decide they don't need to see you at callbacks. But in my case, not getting the callback didn't allow me the chance to read and sing for the role and prove I was the right person. If they had called me back and I still was offered Andy-- that is another story. Or even if they chose to lie to me and tell me they already knew I was going to be cast as Andy I would have accepted that. 

 

So it does happen..... However, as a director even if I think I know who is going to be a specific role and that I don't need callbacks for that person, I absolutely will still call them back because of that experience in HS. Haha