report from new orleans auditions
Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 9:07 pm
Its been 10 years since the last time I tried out for millionaire. That was in 2002 the very first road auditions for syndebam. My wife and I happened to be in montgomery, alabama at the shackespear festival that same weekend. We both tried and both passed the test. Back then they tested 75 at a time--only 8 passed. WE did not receive a post card. Since then I figured the show would come to new orleans sooner or later , especially after Katrina. Finally they decided to go to New orleans this year on a friday, meaning it was just me this time wife could not get off of work.
I drove in from my current residence in new iberia Thursday late afternoon and stayed at my mother's house--which by the way is located less than a mile from the levee breach that flooded the city--am very proud of her determination to rebuild her home exactly the way it was pre-storm. Got up at 5 am, ate breakfast and headed out arriving at the aNew Orleans fair grounds racetrack at 6:30 or so--there were already 200 people standing in line. This sorta amazed me since I didn't think the show was still that popular. Any way I joined the line and soon started talking to others. The key question all wanted to talk about was if anyone had done thi sbefore. Most of th epeople in line were younger--like 30 and below an dmost had not done thi sbefore. Thus I came across as a veteran having auditioned twice before and havin been on the original show but not making the hotseat. Because of my experience, I soon became the center of attention the immediate area of the line. People had numerous questions about my past experience.
Right at 7 am the doors opened and we started filing in--they stopped the line right at me, apparently bing number 200 in line. I quickly turned around in it appeared more than 200 but not much more were behind me. I assumed they were testing 200 at a time
We were led well within the racetrack in the grandstand are where we were seated at small tables four to fiveat a table. My table had four people--me, a college student from lafayette, L ( about 2.5 hrs away) and two oriental ladies from Houma ( about 45 mins away) The college student drive in that morning leaving at 3:30 am after partying the nite before clebrating the end of his summer school exams.
While waiting for the test to begin T-shirts were tosed to the crowd, test procedures were explained and a local theme warm up questioned was tossed out---what is the bus and street car pass used by new orleans public tranist riders called ? (Jazzy pass). People were having a fun time , making fun of the idiotic questions on procedure that were being asked by some wanna be contestants and then the two ladies from Houma remarked they were having a exciting time and didn't care if they didnt pass it was fun just being there and participating. It soon darned on me that if I didn't pass it would be rather embarrassing since the people around me assumed I would not have a problem wit the test.the test started--30 questions in 10 minutes--perhaps I'm remembering incorrectly but I thought past tests had more time--anywho I knew immediately I was in trouble --way too many recent pop culture questions--at the five minute mark I was only on question 12--I picked up th epace--not bothering to read all possible answers when I recognised the correct answer--I finished at the 9 minute mark--went back to rethink a few questions and decided to change two answers---What does the T in epcot stands for--went from technology to tomorrow--I orginally thought they woul dnot dublicate tomorrowland but then I remembered the correct answer and also changed my answer on the actrees who finished runner-up in Miss America-for some unknown reason I went with ashley Judd---fortuneately the question had the clue of being from --on second thought I realized Halle berry was from Ohio--I quickly changed my answer just as the gun sounded--still, I was not confident and even made the statement I think I did not pass when my table mates looked at me with that how did u do look on theor faces.
We waited like maybe ten minutes or so--once again as T-shitrs were being tossed and the race track monitors played tapes of old shows--then they annouced the lucky passers--we were told the numbers were announced in no particular order an dthe losers could keep their millionaire pencils they had handed out to use on the test.
I didn't think to count the number of passers but it wqsn't more than 40 or so--about half thru , my number was called--as was the college student at my table--the two ladies did not pass--we were herded out and told to come back at noon for the audition process--it was a bit before 9 am as I got in my car and went back to my mom's for a nap and ,later, lunch.Much to my surprise the show came on in new orleans at 9:30 so I watched followed by the view--with regis as a guest--I took that as a good luck sign--Regis did not, however, even mention WWTBAM--not that was any reason to raise that topic.
I got back to the fair grounds at 11:55--most people were already there--I roughly counted 47. We sat around waiting for our names to be called. I thought it starnged th e powers that be just started calling out names to come forward--no discussion or explanations at all about what to expect---It was a bit after 1:30 when my name was called along with one other--that left the waiting area a bit less than half full--but the passers from the other test groups were told to arrive at 1PM--it seemed overall between70-75 passers--certainly no more than 80---I'm guessing a bit more than 400 took the test.
Anyway we two were led down a hall to a meeting rorom with two tables set up as separate desks--I sat in front a young twenty something male while my fellow passer wa seated in front of a same age female. My interviewer took lots of notes on my application and asked a lot of questions--we even got into an actual discussion ( about my 13 yr old daughte'rs gymnastics and pole vaulting career--adn the interview lasted twice as long as my previous ineterview in Alabama---but sad to say I was not directed to the taping room---it ended with a handshake while telling me to expect a card or an e-mail in 4-5 weeks telling me if I got into the contestant pool. I left a bit disappointed, especially since I felt the interview went rather well as per above. While walking out I said good bye to starngers I had met thruout the process and stopped for brief conversations--it was clear that the only people I came across that were invited to th etaping room were younger--like under 35 and maybe even under 30.
Overall the experience was cool and fun--I know my chances at a happy postcard are nil but at least I left with the satisfaction that I'm still perfect on test taking--indeed I have done everything the show has asked of me but sit in the hotseat or stand at the podium---that said, I'm pretty much resigned to thi sbeing my last attempt at getting on the show--unless of course they somehwo bring back the phone game--that is all, signning off--M.Craig7155536
I drove in from my current residence in new iberia Thursday late afternoon and stayed at my mother's house--which by the way is located less than a mile from the levee breach that flooded the city--am very proud of her determination to rebuild her home exactly the way it was pre-storm. Got up at 5 am, ate breakfast and headed out arriving at the aNew Orleans fair grounds racetrack at 6:30 or so--there were already 200 people standing in line. This sorta amazed me since I didn't think the show was still that popular. Any way I joined the line and soon started talking to others. The key question all wanted to talk about was if anyone had done thi sbefore. Most of th epeople in line were younger--like 30 and below an dmost had not done thi sbefore. Thus I came across as a veteran having auditioned twice before and havin been on the original show but not making the hotseat. Because of my experience, I soon became the center of attention the immediate area of the line. People had numerous questions about my past experience.
Right at 7 am the doors opened and we started filing in--they stopped the line right at me, apparently bing number 200 in line. I quickly turned around in it appeared more than 200 but not much more were behind me. I assumed they were testing 200 at a time
We were led well within the racetrack in the grandstand are where we were seated at small tables four to fiveat a table. My table had four people--me, a college student from lafayette, L ( about 2.5 hrs away) and two oriental ladies from Houma ( about 45 mins away) The college student drive in that morning leaving at 3:30 am after partying the nite before clebrating the end of his summer school exams.
While waiting for the test to begin T-shirts were tosed to the crowd, test procedures were explained and a local theme warm up questioned was tossed out---what is the bus and street car pass used by new orleans public tranist riders called ? (Jazzy pass). People were having a fun time , making fun of the idiotic questions on procedure that were being asked by some wanna be contestants and then the two ladies from Houma remarked they were having a exciting time and didn't care if they didnt pass it was fun just being there and participating. It soon darned on me that if I didn't pass it would be rather embarrassing since the people around me assumed I would not have a problem wit the test.the test started--30 questions in 10 minutes--perhaps I'm remembering incorrectly but I thought past tests had more time--anywho I knew immediately I was in trouble --way too many recent pop culture questions--at the five minute mark I was only on question 12--I picked up th epace--not bothering to read all possible answers when I recognised the correct answer--I finished at the 9 minute mark--went back to rethink a few questions and decided to change two answers---What does the T in epcot stands for--went from technology to tomorrow--I orginally thought they woul dnot dublicate tomorrowland but then I remembered the correct answer and also changed my answer on the actrees who finished runner-up in Miss America-for some unknown reason I went with ashley Judd---fortuneately the question had the clue of being from --on second thought I realized Halle berry was from Ohio--I quickly changed my answer just as the gun sounded--still, I was not confident and even made the statement I think I did not pass when my table mates looked at me with that how did u do look on theor faces.
We waited like maybe ten minutes or so--once again as T-shitrs were being tossed and the race track monitors played tapes of old shows--then they annouced the lucky passers--we were told the numbers were announced in no particular order an dthe losers could keep their millionaire pencils they had handed out to use on the test.
I didn't think to count the number of passers but it wqsn't more than 40 or so--about half thru , my number was called--as was the college student at my table--the two ladies did not pass--we were herded out and told to come back at noon for the audition process--it was a bit before 9 am as I got in my car and went back to my mom's for a nap and ,later, lunch.Much to my surprise the show came on in new orleans at 9:30 so I watched followed by the view--with regis as a guest--I took that as a good luck sign--Regis did not, however, even mention WWTBAM--not that was any reason to raise that topic.
I got back to the fair grounds at 11:55--most people were already there--I roughly counted 47. We sat around waiting for our names to be called. I thought it starnged th e powers that be just started calling out names to come forward--no discussion or explanations at all about what to expect---It was a bit after 1:30 when my name was called along with one other--that left the waiting area a bit less than half full--but the passers from the other test groups were told to arrive at 1PM--it seemed overall between70-75 passers--certainly no more than 80---I'm guessing a bit more than 400 took the test.
Anyway we two were led down a hall to a meeting rorom with two tables set up as separate desks--I sat in front a young twenty something male while my fellow passer wa seated in front of a same age female. My interviewer took lots of notes on my application and asked a lot of questions--we even got into an actual discussion ( about my 13 yr old daughte'rs gymnastics and pole vaulting career--adn the interview lasted twice as long as my previous ineterview in Alabama---but sad to say I was not directed to the taping room---it ended with a handshake while telling me to expect a card or an e-mail in 4-5 weeks telling me if I got into the contestant pool. I left a bit disappointed, especially since I felt the interview went rather well as per above. While walking out I said good bye to starngers I had met thruout the process and stopped for brief conversations--it was clear that the only people I came across that were invited to th etaping room were younger--like under 35 and maybe even under 30.
Overall the experience was cool and fun--I know my chances at a happy postcard are nil but at least I left with the satisfaction that I'm still perfect on test taking--indeed I have done everything the show has asked of me but sit in the hotseat or stand at the podium---that said, I'm pretty much resigned to thi sbeing my last attempt at getting on the show--unless of course they somehwo bring back the phone game--that is all, signning off--M.Craig7155536
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