She’s Gleeking out! Her “Glee” audition callback

The last time we caught up with Penn alum actress Jess Garvey (C’09), she wiped out on her Nickelodeon surfer audition. That’s the biz.. some days are better than others, but in today’s installment of “Starter Actress”,  Jess has had some (more) good news.

Today, Jess fills us in about her journey auditioning for “Glee”!

After the jump,
1) watch the passionate audition tape that helped get her a callback
2) find out how she got the audition and what it was like going into her audition for Glee casting directors
3) and learn what the current status of this whole journey is!

Jess gives us the details:

“It was about a year and a 1/2 in the making as I galavanted into the casting office for “Glee”. Yup, mama said it…”Glee”. I have been stalking everyone I know since I got to LA to help me get on “Glee” and I guess my shpial about how I am perfect for the show because I am sooo unassuming. Meaning I look like a little china doll but I sound like a big black woman. Yes, you have probably heard that before..everyone has!

It was not an easy road. I know you cannot believe this but The Starter Actress had to fight to get into casting. The agency I work with was going back and forth all day and then casting asked if I would put myself on tape so they could review it and decide if it was worth calling me in. I found out they reviewed the tape and wanted to see me the next day! I had put “Something to Talk About” on tape so I wanted to come in with something else. Mariah? Whitney? Britney?  Soo many good songs to sing, so many troubled divas. Then, I thought about it and the show and what its all about and came to the conclusion that the song had to be from a Musical. Rent! Perfect! My Childhood…def saw it no joke eight times and in two different countries.

When I walked into the waiting room I realized that you could hear everyone’s singing through the wall. Ummmmm freak out! Everyone was sooooo amazing sooo pretty sooooo not me! Nooo, I actually got really nervous and then one of the casting directors stepped out to move his car and I started to breath again. I asked for some water in the interlude and one of the women goes OMG I know you! Ummmm..you do? Yup, the agency had sent over my reality series as part of my package for the casting directors to review and she had remembered it. Get it Starter Actress. I love that shit!

When I went into the room, I was feeling much more at ease after talking to one of my very own fans! Obvi! We talked for a bit and then I sang “Take Me or Leave Me” from Rent! I sang my little Tushy off and could not have done any better! I am really happy with my performance. I of course, was thinking about it afterward and realized that I was singing away like I was doing “theatre for the dumb and deaf.” Hahaha ahhh soo my style. I might as well have been making heart shapes with my hands and making wings out of my arms. But ohh did it feel good!

I will keep all of you updated as soon as I hear. Cross everything! Fingers, toes, eyes, hoochie mama legs, everything!

And here’s the impassioned audition video that “gave them something to talk about” and got her a call back:

If you’ve at all been watching “The Glee Project” on Oxygen, you’ll know it’s a mix of talent and personality that helps creator Ryan Murphy want to write a role of an individual. On this note, as you may have noted from Jess’ past “Starter Actress” episodes, I think it is important to note Jess’ fearless personality, confidence, enthusiasm and overall “sass”.  It’s this package that has and will continue to make her shine.  Keep it up Jess!

More Penn alumni on TV HERE

• audition
• Glee
• Jeni Sue Birnbaum
• Jess Garvey