Despite the high, vaulted ceiling, the light is dim. The windows come to a gothic point, as does the fireplace, which is big enough to walk into. The walls are stone. Padded chairs are stacked against a wall. A lone balloon with an incongruent, jaunty yellow ribbon nestles against a ceiling timber, a reminder of more frivolous events in this room.
Today is a quasi-private audition rather than an open call.
Hangen contacted agents he's worked with and asked them to send singers they think are right for the parts. Hangen knows they will tend to send young singers rather than their big guns. Instead, the company tries to grab promising young singers on their way to major careers. The hunchback role calls for an older man with a mature baritone. He waited for his agent to arrive.