It was 1972, could have been 1973 (could have been 1873), and there were open auditions for Equity members for a production of Promises, Promises at the Woodminster Amphitheatre in Oakland, California. I had just starred in a production at the Long Island Beach Civic Light Opera [now closed], but it was non-Equity. The auditions were in Oakland at the theatre.
I flew myself up on a $29 round-trip flight, took a cab to the theatre in the woods somewhere, got lost, wound up on the campus of Mills College, asked, as fate would have it, a passing theatre buff where the theatre might be, got directions, got half the fare taken off, and made it as the last to audition. As I was singing, a gnat flew into my throat.
It went well. I told them I was Equity. Big lie. They said, “Okay, it's yours.” I flew home with the Xerox of my contract (right then and there) and went to Equity to join.
1873 was the Girl Scouts, I'm pretty sure.
