Get My Brother on Glee!

As I've mentioned before on this blog, I used to be in show choir. My high school experience was a real-life version of Glee, complete with cheesetastic dance routines, peppy pop songs, melodramatic showmances, and ruthless group politics. I was a far cry from Lea Michele's Rachel Berry, though—I didn't have her voice, drive, or confidence. (I did have an impossible crush on one of the cumberbund-clad boys in the group, but that's a post for another day. Like, the one that comes after never.) Brighter Side, for me, was just something to do that wasn't sports—a way to make friends and have fun, not a vehicle for stardom. I loved being in the group, but I'm much more comfortable in the audience than I ever was onstage. My little brother, on the other hand, is a born performer. So much so that even though he's four years younger than I am and we were never at the same school at the same time, I somehow spent much of my "theater career" in his shadow anyway. Everyone knew and loved Scott. At district-wide concerts, for example, revered upperclassmen fawned over him as if he were a celebrity, and in the days after, my own teachers approached me in class to tell me "what a joy it was to watch Scotty onstage." (To be fair, they usually made sure to throw a compliment my way, too, but in my angsty adolescent mind, it sounded like, "You were good, but your brother was great!")

At the time, I resented my brother for always stealing the spotlight. I didn't want it, but I did want to make some kind of a name for myself—and "Scott's sister" wasn't it. Only after I moved to New York and got my own life was I able to appreciate just how talented he really is. The first time I saw him in a starring role, as J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, I cried. I barely even recognized the boy onstage—he was nimble, funny, self-assured, and completely mesmerizing. You couldn't take your eyes off of him. I've never been a big believer in destiny, but watching him that night, I had the sense that he was exactly where he was meant to be, doing exactly what he was meant to do.

After that, I flew home as often as I could to see him perform. I've logged countless miles traveling between JFK and LAX (thanks, Dad!), sometimes arriving the day of a show and then leaving the very next morning. It's exhausting, but every production—from Beauty and the Beast and Damn Yankees to Hamlet and Waiting for Godot—has been more than worth the 12-hour round-trip and recurring jet lag. I know I'm biased, but I honestly think Scott gets better each time I see him. And I'm not his only fan (though I would argue that I'm his biggest). Complete strangers seek him out after every performance to offer well-deserved praise, and industry insiders have repeatedly encouraged him to pursue his dream. Just last month, he was signed by a commercial agent, and last week, he was accepted into SpringboardNYC, an audition-only boot camp for college students looking to break into the business. He's been lucky, sure, but it's not luck that got him this far. It's talent, passion, hard work, and perseverance. It's faith. Strength of character. Courage.

I've never told my brother this, but I really look up to him. He's not only one of the most gifted people I know—he's also one of the bravest. In life or onstage, he goes all in, all the time. To be honest, I'm still a little jealous of him for that. But mostly I'm proud. And today I consider it an honor to hold the title of "Scott's sister."

So, without further ado, I present to you his Glee audition videos from MySpace. For those of you who don't know, the producers of Glee are holding an open casting call on the site to fill some of the new roles they're developing for Season 2. Wannabe Gleeks can throw their hats in the ring by submitting a song, along with a monologue explaining why they want to be on the show. My brother's entries, unsurprisingly, are awesome. Watch them below, and then go to myspace.com/gleeauditions to give him a gold star (or 20, if you're feeling generous). His personalized link doesn't work, but if you search for "Takeda," he's the only Scott listed. Let's get this guy on Glee!

Glee monologue

Glee | MySpace Video

Glee song

Glee | MySpace Video