As I listen to their chatter, I start to worry about the hundreds of girls who won't be chosen. It will be such a shock to them.
Producers have already auditioned 200 children in Wellington, 25 in Christchurch and now have 400 hopefuls in Auckland, just to fill the parts of 22 orphans and three Annies.
If chosen, the girls must take time off school for rehearsals and productions and travelling with a parent to shows.
It's a professional production so they will be paid.
Annie, Inspired by Harold Gray's comic strip in the New York News in 1924, is set in depression-era New York City and offers a hopeful message and a happy ending. It recently ended its long run on Broadway and is set to wow New Zealanders when it tours here with a mix of local and international talent.
No393 in the queue, Satine Finer-Neuhauser, almost 11, is waiting with her father, Grant Finer.
She's worked up to this moment by taking every singing, acting and drama class available at the National Youth Theatre Company.
"I'm doing anything and everything I can - I'm a very busy person," says Satine, an only child who has been out of action for the past seven months on crutches with complex regional pain syndrome.
During that time she still took herself off to tap-dancing class and watched on the sidelines in case she missed anything important. Her biggest role was as "a perfect child" in a production of Pinocchio.
"It's ironic because I'm not the perfect child at all," she says, although she sounds very dedicated to me.
Today she's trying out for three of the orphans and for Annie and "will scream" if she gets the part, as long as that doesn't ruin her voice.
Satine is put into group seven, with 40 other hopefuls of every size, shape and ethnicity. The group is led downstairs (no parents allowed) to learn the audition dance steps before being put in lines to perform in front of associate producer Jon Nicholls.
Some of the girls wear jazz ballet shoes, leotards and buns, while others are more casual in sneakers - usually embellished with something sparkly - and T-shirts.
Asthma inhalers and Mickey Mouse hoodies are left at the front.
"The producers want to see big smiles and energy, don't worry if you forget a step," says the teacher, putting You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile on repeat.
After the rehearsal the girls are taken to a hallway backstage to await their turn.
One girl from group six had a nose bleed right before going on so she's now in group seven.
The girls are asked not to talk, so they hum and dance instead.
None of the girls admit to being nervous, just "really hot and sweaty", as they're called to the stage.
Nicholls is encouraging to the ones leaving: "I hope that wasn't too bad an experience for you and I hope you have many more auditions to come, well done, well done."
A volunteer hands out letters to the ones leaving and says to them: "You did a really good job and you should be so proud, thank you so much for coming."
Nicholls tells me later: "It doesn't take longer to be nice to the girls, many on their first auditions, and it brings out the best.
"Some of them are so cute, you just think: 'Please be able to sing.' There's great talent coming through."
Eight girls are taken to one side and granted instant recalls to the afternoon audition. I notice they're the most confident ones in the group, with the widest smiles. Nicholls says to them: "Well done. The worst part of the audition is getting through the first part."
The others are given another chance to sing and then a handful of girls are chosen to come back. The rest are sent home with many encouraging words.
The chatter in the hallway has been replaced by grim faces, shining eyes and silence.
There are no tears - they come later when they greet their proud parents, whose faces are also soon to cloud over, too.
It's a long walk back from the stage, stepping over nosebleed stains, leading the way back to the ordinary world.
The girls are clearly disappointed they didn't make it through, but, in the words they will probably never want to hear again: There's always tomorrow. And it's only a day away.
