At any rate the powers to be at Belfry decided to put on the musical “Damn Yankees,” which would star Harrison Ford as Joe Hardy a member of the Washington Senators who would go on to try and defeat the "Damn" Yankees in the World Series. Now there was a part in the script that called for a slightly bald, middle-aged, paunchy-type man to play the part of Joe Boyd, a dyed in the wool Yankee-hater. While I certainly didn't have all of those qualifications, I felt that perhaps with the help of a lot of make up and padding here and there I might fit the part. I tried out for the part and believe it or not — I got the part. When it came time for the dress rehearsal the make up person asked the director what he should do to me in order to fit the part.

Now this really hurt! The director said "Don't touch a hair on his head — he's perfect the way he is.” What did he know. He was the director, however, so I didn't argue. The first night went off like gang busters!!!! The house was packed and I personally received many accolades from the audience. I might mention again, that this theater was a converted Mormon Church and the full seating capacity was 80 people. The house was usually sold out every night — sold out to people who had season tickets; it was virtually impossible for anybody with out a season ticket to get in to see a play at the Belfry Theater. A great portion of the season-ticket holders were either friends of mine or friends of my family or neighbors or what have you. This might explain why the audience was kind to me.

Back to the ad in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Now here was my chance to once again show off my skills as an actor in front of a whole new audience. There was no question in my mind that I would get the part of Joe Boyd. After all I had played the part once before with Harrison Ford. It wasn't that long ago that I had wowed them at The Belfry Theater (well maybe 30-35-40 years ago, but who's counting). I don't think that I have changed that much. The part called for a middle-aged, slightly-balding Yankee Hater. I got the part before and I should get it again, after all hadn't I co-starred with Harrison Ford in this very play just a few seasons ago?

Now there was a hitch. The play was to run for three weeks in June and I had already purchased my airline tickets to return to Wisconsin for the summer. I guess this wouldn't really be a problem, because I'm really kind of a soft touch. By that I mean after the try-outs and a little coaxing and cajoling from the director, I could be talked into canceling my trip home for a week or two and then let my understudy take over. OK!! I started loosening up my vocal chords for the try-out. The ad read that you were to bring your own music, but that certainly didn't apply to me. Joe Boyd is to sing "Good-bye Old Girl" and I knew this song backwards and forward — after all hadn't I sung it many times when I starred in this very same play back in The Belfry theater in Williams Bay in the very same play where a young actor named Harrison Ford also got his start? Oh, I ran over a few lines that I remembered but for the most part I kept loosening up the old vocal chords with "Good-bye Old Girl"

I called the theater in Bradenton to get the directions on to how get to the audition. I told the person who answered the telephone that I was coming from Venice. I was told that one of the costume designers lived in Venice and made the trip every day. I was given the proper directions and was also informed that the trip would take anywhere from forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on the traffic. That really wasn't too bad, and after all I'd be back doing my stuff as Joe Boyd, the man who hated those "Damn Yankees!”

The day came and off I headed for The Bradenton Little Theater and all the way up there I would bellow out the song "Good-bye Old Girl" and frankly, I think I sounded really better than I ever had before. As I neared the place where the theater was located I got kind of a surprise that I really wasn't quite prepared for. Across the front of the theater was a huge marquis with flashing lights reading "Coming Soon — The Musical Comedy Damn Yankees". This was not a Belfry-type theater that I had sort of pictured. Actually this theater was a lot like, and perhaps even bigger than the Chicago Theater. There were myriads of people of all ages and all sizes going into the theater. I parked my car and asked one of the people nearby what show was going on right now that all of the people were going in to see. I was told that there wasn't any show going on but actually the people streaming into the theater were all trying out for the forthcoming musical comedy "Damn Yankees.”

All of a sudden I got cold feet! All of those people trying out for " Damn Yankees!" That was more people than we ever had in the audience back at the Belfry Theater. There was a marina a short distance down the street from the theater and I nonchalantly strolled past the theater toward the marina and proceeded to inspect the boats while also casting sideward glances at all of the people entering the theater to audition for "Damn Yankees.” The thought entered my mind that maybe I should forget the whole thing and go back to Venice — maybe time might have taken its toll and I was no longer suited to be an actor. All of the people entering the theater looked so young, so very very young. Then I thought “what the heck, I've come all this way and no one knows me so what have I got to lose.” Anyhow all of those young, very young people were probably all trying out for roles in the kids chorus, or maybe for members of the baseball teams. So I bit the bullet and climbed up the stairs into the theater. When I say climbed I mean I walked up the flight of stairs, while many of the aspiring "kids" would run up the stairs, rushing past me almost knocking me down — me, the person who would be playing the part of Joe Boyd, one of the starring characters in "Damn Yankees!” After all, hadn't I been a smash in this very same role just a few scant years ago while working with Harrison Ford?

I entered the theater and there was a huge foyer with a table and a grizzly old coot sitting at the table "interviewing" the people coming in for the try-outs. The guy in front of me was a very young forty-year-old (give or take a few years) and he was asked what part he was going to audition for and he told the guy that he was there to try out for the part of Joe Boyd. Joe Boyd, the part that I had "locked" in my back pocket, this young kid — there was no way he could do the part. Oh, maybe with the aid of makeup and what have you perhaps — but I knew that he was wasting his time. The guy behind the table asked me if there was something he could do for me and I told him that I was here to try out for the part of Joe Boyd.

He replied something like “Hmmmmm. OK fill out this application and bring it back to the table.” He then motioned me aside, took my picture, attached it to the application and told me to wait — that someone would call me. I stood against the wall and watched the "young kids" in their leotards doing their stretching and limbering exercises while others were loosening their vocal chords and what have you. I could hear people coming in and greeting each other with "Dahling how nice to see you again. You were just mahavelous in "Guys and Dolls," and all sorts of greetings like that. Every so often I would see one or two of them cast glances my way. I'm sure they felt — or maybe even knew — that I was a shoo-in for the part of Joe Boyd. Soon one of the younger players came toward me and I knew that she was going to offer me some sort of a compliment. "Sir,” she said "You look kind of tired. Could I go and get you a chair to sit on?” This did not set too well with me, but I figured when the final casting was done she would come to appreciate my talents.

I'll have to admit that along about this time I again was beginning to get cold feet. I had accepted the offer of a chair and I was sitting near the exit door. I thought, “I could get up, walk out, climb in my car, and go back to Venice. Nobody would know where I had gone and I would be safely on my way to Venice and the Bradenton Theater could put on their production with all of these young kids with out me and they, the Bradenton Little theater, would be the loser.”
I was bought out of the lethargy when I heard "Rollin, Rollin, Johnson! are you here?” I responded by saying, "If you're calling Roland Johnson that's me .” " Oh, OK Roland you can get ready for your audition; the director will see you next". Then I heard "OK Roland you can walk down to the stage and the director will accept your audition.” The director greeted me with "Hello Roland, I see that you would like to try out for Joe Boyd.” I responded in the affirmative and I think that I noticed that my vocal chords were a little more tense. I also noticed that the director was about the same age as one of my grandsons. The director added " I see you came all the way from Venice. That is very nice of you.” I replied "Yes, but that's Venice Florida, not Venice Italy!” I could see that he didn't think that was very clever. As a matter of fact, now that I look back, I don't think it was too clever, either.

The director then asked me if I had brought my music, and I told him that I didn't have any music but that I knew the words and music to" Good-bye Old Girl.” After all, this was Joe Boyds' big solo and hadn't I sung this when Harrison Ford and I starred together, not that long ago, at the Belfry Theater? It was then that I noticed that while The Belfry little theater had a capacity of eighty people, the Bradenton Theater could probably seat about eight hundred people. I think my vocal chords tightened up a wee bit more. "Well Roland,” the director said, "If you know the "Good-bye Old Girl" why don't you hop up on the stage and we'll start the audition.” I didn't "hop" up on the stage, but there were stairs along side of the stage and I climbed slowly up the stairs, turned, faced the audience (there were a handful of aspirants in the audience) and I started “Good-bye old girl, my old girl” when the director interrupted me. "Roland, please wait for the piano before you sing.” I told the director that I was sorry, but I hadn't noticed the piano. The director nodded to the piano player who started to play and I started to sing. “Wait,” said the director, "that's only the introduction.” The piano player started again and this time I got it right — so I thought. The piano player said, "I don't think you're hearing the piano, let's try it again.” Try it again we did, although this time I got through only about two lines when I forgot the words and my vocal chords were really tense. I told the director "I'm sorry but I think I've forgotten the words.”
The director said "That's OK Mister Johnson. Here, let me help you down the stairs and thank you very much for coming all the way from Venice to try out for this part.”

I was helped down the stairs and started up the aisle toward the exit door. Man, was that a long aisle; I thought I'd never get to the exit door!

I didn't look left nor right; I didn't sign out as had been requested, but went right out the front door, climbed in my car made and illegal U-turn, screeched the tires and headed for home. What the heck, even if they would’ve offered me the part, I would have turned them down 'cause I already had a scheduled flight home to Wisconsin. It's possible — just barely possible — that eighty years of age is just a wee bit past the middle-age stage. That doggone piano player. He screwed me up. If only they would have suggested that I sing it acupulca I would have gotten the part hands down!!! OK OK! I know it's Acapella Not Acupulca.!!!!!!!