America: Child stars start with The Shining

[Already equipped: Costumes for the drama cast (high-quality)]

[Entry: Vocal Resonance (Passive) is now activated!]

Charles reached out and touched the costume, then left the vicinity of the stage, satisfied.

The staff here were so busy that no one noticed a little child walking in.

Charles felt like one of those elderly scavengers you'd see anywhere on the streets of America, touching and looking around, searching for treasures no one else was paying attention to...

Well, this is fine too, at least the goal has been achieved.

Next, I need to prepare well for the audition for "Oliver Twist" that's coming up later.

......

"Alright, next one."

Clara sat in her chair, raised her hand and waved, signaling the child who had just finished the interview to leave the room quickly.

The room fell silent for a moment.

The screenwriters and staff around them looked at each other, exchanging glances, but no one spoke.

The child stood there awkwardly for a while, his mouth slightly open, his head lowered.

He had only sung halfway when the director in front of him stopped him abruptly, the meaning of which was all too clear.

He didn't even have a chance to fully perform the song he had prepared for so long before he was ruthlessly eliminated.

A few seconds later, the child lowered his head, gave a stiff bow, and then slowly walked out of the room.

That's just the norm for Broadway actors; there's no way around it.

The assistant director hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice:

"Director Clara, actually that child's appearance was quite good, and his age was suitable. Although his voice wasn't particularly steady, but..."

They've almost finished the first round of interviews, but so far, the candidates for several key roles still haven't been decided.

Clara sighed, looked down at the list in her hand, and said:

"They don't meet my standards at all. Next time you bring these actors for auditions, could you please make our requirements clear beforehand?"

She closed the list, looked up and glanced around at the people around her, her tone already tinged with barely suppressed frustration:

"We're bringing the classic play 'Oliver Twist' back to the Broadway stage, understand? This isn't some children's talent show, nor is it one of those cultural festival performances organized by elementary school students!"

"If there's even the slightest flaw, we'll be torn to shreds by those picky viewers!"

The assistant director opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't continue speaking.

No one in the room dared to refute Clara's words, because what she said was indeed true.

Broadway often revives and renovates some old plays, such as "Oliver Twist," which has actually been performed on stage countless times.

Its story, characters, music, and even some stage directions have already formed fixed stereotypes in the minds of the audience.

Now, this heavy responsibility has been handed over to Clara.

She was a rising director on Broadway who had previously directed a new play that received a good response. As a result, the theater handed this difficult mess over to her.

If "Oliver Twist" is performed well, it will definitely receive a good response. After all, it is a classic work with a very wide audience. As long as the news is released, people will definitely buy tickets to see it.

The problem is, it's incredibly difficult to act well.

Reviving an old play is the most difficult thing to do. If she simply copied the old scripts and rehearsed them, she would never make a mistake, but that would be meaningless.

Therefore, Clara had to innovate on the existing foundation, but without completely changing the show.

How to innovate, and how much to innovate, are all very difficult to control.

If the new version is even slightly conservative, viewers will say it's unoriginal; but if it's even slightly radical, they'll say it's ruining a classic.

Clara rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

She didn't want to mess this up; if she could successfully stage this new version of "Oliver Twist," her position in the Broadway circle would be completely solidified.

Therefore, this film is a test for a new director like her. She cannot possibly deliver a perfect score, but she also cannot just barely pass with a score of 60.

Clara had been sitting in the interview room for almost six hours straight.

At this moment, her biggest dilemma is still the casting of the male lead, Oliver.

This role is so important that the audience must immediately like the character the moment they see him.

Therefore, she had to make a careful selection and could not afford to make any mistakes.

Thinking of this, Clara suddenly raised her head and asked:

"By the way, who's next?"

The assistant director flipped through the list in his hand and softly read out a name:

"It seems to be... Ciel. If I remember correctly, he should be that Hollywood child star who's been making headlines recently."

They spend every day in places like Broadway, where they are exposed to a lot of entertainment news, so naturally they are familiar with this name.

Clara frowned.

She did have some impression of the name, but it wasn't a good one.

Clara comes from a theatrical family and has always disliked people who are constantly in the spotlight.

In her view, such actors often lack focus and, although they can act well in movies, they cannot appreciate the charm of traditional drama, and naturally cannot play theatrical roles well.

The Broadway stage magnifies everyone's flaws.

Once an actor steps onto the stage, they must rely on their voice, body, and breath to carry the entire performance.

Moreover, Clara has met many Hollywood actors who wanted to integrate into the Broadway circle, and the vast majority of them failed.

They may appear very charming in front of the camera, but once they step onto the stage, they seem lightheaded and not very popular with the audience.

Broadway audiences are definitely among the most demanding.

Therefore, Clara naturally didn't think much of this child star named Charles.

Of course, the main reason is that she had never seen the movie "The Shining" starring Charles, and was prejudiced by her first impression.

Clara leaned back in her chair and said:

"Alright, let him in."

At the same time, she lowered her eyes and began to look through the resumes of other actors.

After a while, the door was slowly pushed open.

[Equipped: Ray-Ban Sunglasses Lost by Child Star (Epic)]

[Entry: Superstar Aura (Active) has been activated!]

A boy wearing a white shirt walked in.

Instantly, the eyes of several people in the room fell on him almost simultaneously.

Even Clara, for some reason, seemingly influenced by those around her, inexplicably put down her resume, looked up, and stared at Ciel.