If you ask Bob Linebarger, he will tell you he normally doesn’t get nervous, but he’s nervous for this audition. This audition is different.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous about something,” Linebarger said.
Linebarger, along with junior Ali Watson and sophomores Marlee Johnson and Rachel Schulte, is auditioning for “Glee.” Producers of the popular Fox television show are holding a nationwide, open casting call for the show’s second season.
However, Linebarger knows he can’t let his nerves get in the way.
“I don’t (normally) get stressed out by auditions,” Linebarger said. “I can always produce the best I’ve got.”
The auditions require applicants to submit a video on MySpace in which they deliver a one-minute statement about themselves in addition to singing a song previously sung by the “Glee” cast.
Linebarger chose the song “Can’t Fight This Feeling” for his audition. He wanted to do something that would really make an impression.
Linebarger thinks the vast majority of people participating in the auditions don’t really know how to sell themselves, and to him, that’s the important part.
“Talent is part of it, but you’ve really got to sell yourself,” Linebarger said.
Because it’s such a competitive process, Linebarger wanted to do something in his video to keep the judges from clicking quickly to the next applicant.
In the very beginning of his video, Linebarger does some impromptu dancing. He also broke some rules as far as timing during the song portion, but nothing he thinks that will hinder his chances.
“I’m going to take these risks that one time,” he said. “I’m not going to be known as the guy who plays it safe.”
Linebarger and Watson both asked senior Justin Whittaker to help film and edit their audition tapes.
“I like helping out my friends,” Whittaker said. “It’s fun to see them get all excited.”
Watson said one of the reasons she decided to try out for the show is because she loves it so much.
“It’s my favorite show, the perfect combination of really awkward humor and musical numbers,” she said.
She doesn’t quite know where the audition process will take her, but getting a call back to go audition in Los Angeles is what she’s hoping for.
“They don’t quite have the ‘Ali Factor’ yet,” Watson said, explaining a term she uses to describe what she could bring to the show.
“I want to stand out as much as possible so I can get someone’s attention,” Watson said.
She wants to display as much personality as possible to show judges she can sing, but also has the personality required to add something to the show.
Her ultimate goal is to end up in the show’s cast.
“First of all, I would scream and cry because that would be phenomenal,” Watson said.
Although Linebarger isn’t counting on it, he would be pretty excited as well.
“If I get anything or a call about this, I’d probably faint,” Linebarger said.
However, a realistic Linebarger realizes that more than 12,000 people have auditioned for the cast, and many more will likely audition by the time auditions close Monday.
The first step in acting is just getting noticed, and that’s what Linebarger is trying to accomplish.
“Might as well just do it,” Linebarger said. “I’m not going to expect anything out of it, it’s just a starting point.”