Rising Star

Actress, Dea Julien, on the red carpet. Source: Getty Images.

On the 12^th floor of a Midtown West building, a petite 24-year-old woman with brown hair and big doe eyes is sitting in one of the studios, waiting to sign up for a chorus call. A woman is reading names off a list and handing out green cards with audition times to the corresponding young actress. When Dea Julien receives her card, she frantically ushers me to a smaller studio down the hall with full-length mirrors, a piano, a desk and a chair. “I have five minutes to get this working,” she said pointing at her vocal cords. “I thought I would have more time to warm up so I did my hair and make up instead this morning.”

She starts with lip and tongue trills before moving on to humming and scales, all while penning down highlights of…