Choosing Audition Songs

Transcription

1 Choosing Audition Songs The search for a perfect audition song can seem an arduous task with so many songs to choose from. Do I choose a well-known song or an unfamiliar one? Do I choose an uptempo or a ballad? Do I choose a musical theatre song or a Pop/Rock song? This chapter will guide you through the steps of choosing an appropriate song in nearly every situation. Your job is to find the song that is perfect for you and one that will show that you are a smart singer and have carefully considered your song choice. This is your first chance to impress the folks behind the table. Choose wisely. Ask the Right Questions It is crucial that you ask the right questions before you start looking for a song. Consider these questions. 1. What is casting looking for? Research the show or shows for the vocal style and range you should present. You will also need to know where the show falls historically and choose your material accordingly. 2. Where do I fit in this production? In a lead, ensemble, or primarily as a dancer? If you are right for a lead in the musical you are auditioning for, you should choose a song that is similar in vocal demands and sung by a character that is similar (i.e. a romantic character, a comic character, an ingénue, a villain, etc.). If you are a better singer than dancer auditioning for the ensemble, choose an uptempo song or ballad that matches the demands of the show. If you are a better dancer than singer, choose an uptempo that will allow your body to move, but not necessarily dance. 3. What are my strengths? What can can I do that will get their attention? What kinds of skills does the show require? If the show is an operetta or operetta-like musical where the singing is of highest priority, sing something that shows your best classical vocal skills. If the show is comedic, you might consider presenting something that shows your comedic chops. Look for what the show needs and how you meet that need. You are there to solve their problem, not vice versa. 4. Should I sing an uptempo, a ballad, a charm song, a rock song? This is not a question that can be answered easily. If you are a singer-singer (someone who sings very well), consider choosing a ballad if the show has a high degree of lyricism. If you are not a singer-singer, you might consider singing an uptempo. If you get to sing two songs, the primary thing you should concern yourself with is contrast. The contrast will come from the tempo change but it should also be in other areas too, such as a change in character between the two songs, a change in affect (comedy and serious, for example) or a change in style. 14

2 5. What guidelines are given? Does the breakdown ask for a song from a certain period, a certain style or a certain length? It is unwise to go against these guidelines. Period. One qualification must be made when it comes to 16- and 32-bar cuttings. These numbers are, for most people, relative. Your cut needs to feel like a 16-bar cutting rather than be exactly 16 bars. One to three bars under or over is not a problem in most cases. Eight to ten bars over is a problem. Be aware that for songs in cut-time or in 2/4, if may be more appropriate to sing a cut that is double the length of your desired cut. You must use your discretion and, again, it must feel like a 16- or 32- bar cut. See Finding Cuts below. Starting Points There are several places to begin your search. They are all useful in some circumstances but not all are useful in every circumstance. Never limit yourself to one of these starting points. You will become stuck very easily. Of course, the more research your do, the better your results. You must t be familiar with a wide range of songs and styles. Over time, you will develop an audition book that will contain songs that you know and perform well at a moment s notice that are appropriate for most auditions. However, no audition book contains something for every situation. You must continue to maintain and build your repertoire. Here are some of the starting points you can use to focus your research. The same composer The same musical or vocal style The same historical period or location that the show takes place in The same show theme Other roles that the originating actor played A similar character A good first step is to look for material by the same composer. This is especially true for musical from the 20s to the 60s. During this time, the successful composers wrote many shows with similar styles and themes. Some even have similar characters. From the 70s on, there are a greater number of successful composers with smaller bodies of work. You must look for different starting points for this period. Say you are auditioning for Hair. While there are other Galt McDermot shows, very little of this material is right for this audition. You should look for a song from another early Pop/Rock musical or even a Pop/Rock song not from a musical. If you are auditioning for Pippin, there are a number of shows by Stephen Schwartz to choose from but very little of it is right for the Pop/Rock sound of Pippin. Another good early starting place is to look for songs from musicals that share a similar musical style. As you become familiar with more composers, you will begin to see the musical similarity between Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin and Cole Porter, between Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe, and between Leonard Bernstein s shows and Jule Styne s. Singing a song by the composer of the show you re auditioning for isn t always the best thing. 15

3 For instance, when auditioning for Kander and Ebb s Chicago, however, the wisest solution is not to do a Kander and Ebb song but a vaudeville song since that was the model for Chicago. Look for songs from other musicals that share a similar musical style and esthetic. You can find a guide to shows that are similar below. Shows that share a common musical style. Oklahoma! Music Man Legally Blonde Carousel Oliver! The Wedding Singer Brigadoon Hello, Dolly! Big Finian s Rainbow Mame Footloose King and I South Pacific Fiddler on the Roof Jane Eyre Allegro She Loves Me Scarlet Pimpernel Camelot The Rothchilds Cyrano My Fair Lady Plain and Fancy Sound of Music A Tale of Two Cities State Fair Phantom of the Opera Martin Guerre Wonderful Town Bells are Ringing Annie Get Your Gun Best Foot Forward Call Me Madam Jekyll and Hyde Sunset Boulevard Woman in White Lestat Little Mermaid Les Miserables Miss Saigon Chess Evita Jesus Christ Superstar Meet Me in St. Louis Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Damn Yankees Mary Poppins Beauty and the Beast Li l Abner Pajama Game Aida Lion King Ragtime Titanic Billy Elliot Boys from Syracuse Carnival Can Can Babes In Arms Fantasticks High Society Good News 16

4 110 In the Shade Kiss Me Kate Crazy for You Silk Stockings Girl Crazy DuBarry was a Lady Lady Be Good Anything Goes Funny Girl Pal Joey Fifty Million Frenchmen Gypsy Strike Up the Band Panama Hattie Fade Out Fade In Mexican Hayride Seesaw Sweet Charity The Life Little Me A treasure trove of ideas can open to you when you look at other musicals set in the same period or location. This could be Victorian London, late 19th- or early twentieth century American West, New York of the 20s or 30s. When auditioning for 1776, you might consider looking for a song from Ben Franklin in Paris since both musicals are concerned with historical figures from the same period. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and OKLAHOMA! are both about the settling of America. La Cage aux Follies, Falsettos, When Pigs Fly all concern gay characters in about the same historical period. Clue, Something s Afoot, Sherlock Holmes: The Musical and Baker Street are all musical mysteries. You might also look for shows with a similar theme such as a tragic romance, operatic love at a grand scale, a comic mismatch, historical shows, shows that use Country music, shows pertaining to sports, or shows for young audiences. You might find some interesting information by knowing the originating actor for the role you re auditioning for and to research other roles that that actor played. It has been common for actors to play similar roles in their career unless their career is very long and by necessity change the kinds of roles they play. Ibdb.com is the best place to find this information. And lastly, one of the best tools is to look for another character with similar traits and characteristics. Most characters can be seen as an archetype. If you know your character s archetype, you can find other songs sung by a character that shares the same archetype. 17

5 Character Archetypes Look in Joe Deer book Female ingénue Female ingénue (Laurey in OKLAHOMA!, Luisa in The Fantasticks, Julie in Carousel, Peggy in 42nd Street, Anne in A Little Night Music, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Maria in West Side Story, Fiona in Brigadoon, Maria in The Sound of Music, Young Little Edie in Grey Gardens, Janie in Catered Affair, Maria in The Sound of Music, Sharon in Finian s Rainbow, Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden, Cosette in Les Miserables, Julia in The Wedding Singer, Niki in Curtains, Elle in Legally Blonde, Magnolia in Show Boat, Clara in The Light in the Piazza, Hope in Anything Goes, Hope in Urinetown, Cinderella in Into the Woods, Christine in Phantom of the Opera, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Wendla in Spring Awakening Isabella in The Glorious Oncs, Middle or upper class. Ingenues are pretty, petite sopranos (sometimes belters in modern shows) under 25 with gentle, open, innocent, wholesome, naive characteristics. While there is a classic femininity in these characters, the ingenues in musicals since 1943 usually posses a restlessness desire for change in their life. Ingenues tend to be the leads and it's crucial that the audience quickly falls in love with them. Sally in Cabaret, Elphaba in Wicked and Tracey in Hairspray are variations on this type. The ingenue is the love interest of the male ingenue, leading man or hero. 16 to 25. Male ingénue (Matt in The Fantasticks, Billy in 42nd Street, Henrik in A Little Night Music, Lt. Cable in South Pacific, Billy in Anything Goes, Fabrizio in The Light in the Piazza, Clifford in Cabaret, Robert in Drowsy Chaperone, Lun Tha in The King and I, Freddie in My Fair Lady, Marius in Les Miserables, Wayne in State Fair. Melchior in Spring Awakening is a variation on this type. The male counterpoint to the female ingenue is similar in youth, innocence and wholesomeness. He is usually a slim, good looking tenor. He could be the show's lead but more frequently he is a supporting character linked romantically to the ingenue.17 to 28. Tenor. Middle or upper class Hero (Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees, Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, Tony in West Side Story, John Adams in 1776, Woody in Finian s Rainbow). Similar to male ingenues but these roles tend to be less romantic and more dramatic. He is handsome, hard working and strong with an easy charm. 25 to 40. Some are tenors and some are baritones. Middle or upper class, occasionally working class. Heros frequently come to the rescue of the ingenue or the community. Comic Villain or Villainess (Carl-Magnus in A Little Night Music, Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Ursula in Little Mermaid, Fagin in Oliver!, Kodaly in She Loves Me, Bud Frump in How to Succeed, Thenardier and Madame Thenardier in Les Miserables, Sandor in Bells are Ringing, Velma in Hairspray, Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Glen in The Wedding Singer, Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde). On the attractiveness scale, these characters are usually at the ends. Very character-y or stunningly beautiful. 30s, 40s or 50s. 18

6 These characters provide the conflict which the other characters must work through. But rather than making them evil, they are softened by their humor. They are the ones you love to hate. 30s, 40s or 50s. Any voice type but usually lower. Lower class or upper class. Dramatic Villain (Judd in OKLAHOMA!, Jigger in Carousel, Bill Sikes in Oliver!, Dickinson in 1776, Javert in Les Miserables, Chauvelin in Scarlet Pimpernel) The dramatic adversary to the leading man. Usually baritone. 30s, 40s or 50s. Powerful builds. Lower class or upper class. Temptress (Lola in Damn Yankees, Appassionata von Climax in Li l Abner, The Baroness in Sound of Music, Linda Low in Flower Drum Song, Heddy in How to Succeed, Linda in The Wedding Singer). Middle-aged woman who is confident in her sexuality which is apparent in her relationship to a younger man. Beautiful, sexy and frequently dances. Mezzo/belter. 30s, 40s or 50s. Lower or upper class. Prince Charming (Lancelot in Camelot, Topher in Cinderella, Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods) Regal, handsome and charming. Tenor or baritone. 20 to 35. Upper class Trickster (Mr. Applegate in Damn Yankees, The Emcee in Cabaret, Og in Finian s Rainbow, Uncle Max in Sound of Music, Witch in Into the Woods, The Leading Player in Pippin, Starbuck in 110 in the Shade, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Wicked, El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Dicken in The Secret Garden. A complex character causing conflict by disobeying conventional behavior norms. They are striking in their differences to everyone else. Often they are associated with magical, other-worldly abilities. Male tricksters are usually slim. 20s, 30s, 40s or 50s. Voice type depends on the show. Classless or lower class. Girl back home (Meg in Damn Yankees, Helen Chao in Flower Drum Song, Eponine in Les Miserables) she is unassuming, easy to be with and doesn't know she's attractive although she is. 20s to 35. Voice type depends on the show. Lower or middle class. Fool (Maurice in Beauty and the Beast, Sipos in She Loves Me, Hines in Pajama Game, Nicely- Nicely in Guys and Dolls, Sancho in Man of La Mancha). 20s 30s, 40s or 50s. Harmless character buffoon. Lower or middle class. Best friend, sometimes called Soubrette, often comic (Ado Annie in OKLAHOMA!, Carrie in Carousel, Ann in 42nd Street, Petra in A Little Night Music, Anita in West Side Story, Ilona in She Loves Me, Gladys in Pajama Game, Minnie Fay in Hello Dolly!, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Smitty in How to Succeed, Hildy in On the Town, Ilse in Spring Awakening, Martha in The Secret Garden, Holly in The Wedding Singer. Paulette in Legally Blonde, Glinda in Wicked is a variation on this type. Companion to the ingenue known for her humor and quick wit. Like the ingenue, she is young, attractive and somewhat innocent but is more confident in herself and her sexuality. She can be either a soprano or mezzo/belter. 20s to 35. Lower class or upper class. Thoroughly Modern Millie is an interesting case where the Soubrette type is the lead and the Ingenue (Dorothy) is the best friend. 19

7 Leading lady (Dorothy in 42nd Street, Dolly in Hello, Dolly!, Fräulein Schneider in Cabaret, Anna in King and I, Mrs. Malloy in Hello Dolly!, Reno on Anything Goes, Marin in Music Man, Guenevere in Camelot, Rosie in Bye, Bye Birdie, Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Mame in Mame, Rose in Gypsy, The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, Fannie in Funny Girl, Helen Sinclair in Bullets Over Broadway, Margret in The Light in the Piazza, Drowsy Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone, Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music. 30 to 60. She is stunningly beautiful, mature and regal Mezzo/belter. Upper class (occasionally middle class). Fantine in Les Miserables is an exception. Chorine, Female singer or dancer in a Musical Comedy, comedic and usually not particularly bright. She is sassy, brassy and frequently has a brittle, inexpressive singing voice and a New York accent. (Kitty in The Drowsy Chaperone, Daisy in The Adding Machine, Lois Lane in Kiss Me Kate, Bambi in Curtains, Olive in Bullets Over Broadway). Pretty dancer usually with blond hair. 25 to 40. Belter. Lower class but trying to climb up the social ladder. Leading man The romantic lead. (Curley in OKLAHOMA!, Joe Boyd in Damn Yankees, Fredrik in A Little Night Music, Sid in The Pajama Game, Jeff in Bells are Ringing, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Harold Hill in Music Man, Emile in South Pacific, Flaminio in The Glorious Ones, Captain Von Trapp in the Sound of Music. The Baker in Into the Woods and Herr Schultz in Cabaret are variations on this type. 30 to 50. Handsome, powerful baritone. Middle or upper class. Antihero (Billy in Carousel, Beast/Young Prince in Beauty and the Beast, Shrek in Shrek, Sweeney in Sweeney Todd, Paul in Carnival) The antihero is a complex, brooding, misunderstood, solitary, unhappy leading character. There are reasons in his past for being the way that he is and usually he isn't presented as a bad guy although most feel that he is. Javert in Les Miserables is a variation on this type. 30 to 50. Slim to heavy build. Baritone. Working class. Sidekick AKA Second Banana (Will Parker in Oklahoma!, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Jeff Douglas in Brigadoon, Chip in On the Town) Comedic, frequently slow witted, but lovable. Frequently they are young, slim Song and Dance men. 20 to 45. Tenor usually. Lower or working class. Wise old man or woman or Earth mother (Aunt Eller in OKLAHOMA!, Nettie in Carousel, Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast, Mother Superior in Sound of Music, Lady Thiang in King and I, Sue in Bells are Ringing, Ben in Secret Garden, Arvide in Guys and Dolls) Warm, parental friend and care taker of all, but especially the ingenue. 30 to 70 or older. Baritone or mezzo. No specific sociological associations. Child (Chip in Beauty and the Beast, Sad Girl in Bye, Bye Birdie, Amaryllis in Music Man, Gavroche in Les Miserables, Oliver in Oliver!, Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods, Billy 20

8 in Billy Elliot, Annie in Annie, Colin in The Secret Garden, Louis in The King and I). 7 to 15. Unchanged voice if male. Upper class or lower class usually. Nebbish Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Benjy Stone in My Favorite Year, Leo in The Producers, The Man in the Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone, Marcellus Washburn in Music Man, Cornelius Hackl in Hello Dolly, Motel in Fiddler on the Roof, Frank Cioffi in Curtains, David Shayne in Bullets Over Broadway. The Nebbish is nerdy, awkward, sometimes effeminate, mama's boy, frequently Jewish. 20 to 35. Character tenor or baritone. Lower class or working class. The Queen Buffo Trevor Greydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie or Ivan in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown The Worldly Girl With a Heart of Gold, Charity in Sweet Charity, Ella in Bells are Ringing, Babe in The Pajama Game. Working class or lower class. Attractive without being soft. 20 to 35. Knowing the age and sociological associations of the roles you audition for will help tremendously in choosing material. Be aware that casting for musicals doesn t always follow the kind of casting your find most often in film. You don t necessarily need to be 16 to play a 16 year-old, but the material you choose needs to keep the age, class and physicality of the character in mind Further exploration: Use these archetypes to your advantage when preparing to audition. First, identify the archetype that is closest to you naturally. I know none of my readers is a villain in real life but maybe you have some personal or physical traits in common with one or more types. Ask your friends where they would put you. Try this: Imagine what a stranger would say after knowing you only a few minutes. That's what it's like in an audition. You walk in and immediately you are placed into a type. But the important thing to remember is that you can affirm their assumptions or change them. I know this is difficult and humbling. Compile all your research and search your heart for the type you think is the closest fit. When I do this exercise, there isn't one specific type that is obviously me. Physically, I don't match both physical and personality traits of any single type. I don't feel like a hero but I know that it's my closest fit. Knowing this and knowing that there are a limited number of archetypes appearing in musicals, it's clear that I need to present myself like a hero.dont MAKE THIS PERSONAL Now look at the roles in this archetype. Can you think of other characters in this type? What does this archetype look like? What do that sound like? How do they carry themselves? How do they 21

9 speak? What do they think about themselves? How do they see the world? Compile as many songs as you can sung by this archetype. Try them out. As always, some songs will fit like a glove while others will be completely wrong for you. Now think of as many actors in your archetype. The easiest place to do this is ibdb.com. Find the show and character, look for who replaced the original actor, look for who played the role in revivals. Look to see what other roles these actors have played. What actors have played that role? You could click endlessly on this website and continue to learn new things. I work with young actors nearly everyday and I'm very aware that talking about type can be depressing, especially if you're under 25. This is normal. You are a unique, interesting and valuable person. Give yourself time if this is too hard to do now. Typing is just a natural part of the business and you mustn't let it stifle you and your creativity. Think of types not as a box you must fit into but instead as an outline for you to fill with your artistry, personality and heart. Auditioning for the ensemble If you believe that you will not be considered for a leading role, what do you sing? The first place to start is with the vocal demands and style of the show. Your choice or choices should help those you are auditioning for see you in the musical. Your choice should also consider the physical life of the characters in the ensemble. The ensemble for OKLAHOMA! and On the Town have very different expectations even though the shows opened less than a year apart. Remember that at a singing audition, the primary thing people are looking for is if you can sing the score and if you fit into the director s vision of the show s world. Finding cuts GIVE INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT MAKING AN ACTUAL CUT. START BY DECIDING WHAT YOUR CUT WILL BE THEN SHOW HOW TO CUT AND PASTE. Creating a great 16- or 32-bar cutting isn t as difficult as you might think. The first thing to look for is the most musically or lyrically special or identifiable moments of the song. You will also most likely want to sing the song s climax. The second thing is to sing the parts of the song that are the best for your voice. If, however, you don t sing the last high note well, you should probably choose a different song. The origin of the 16- or 32-bar cut comes from a time when most refrains were 32 bars long. A 32-bar cut then would mean to sing the refrain, but not the verse. A 16-bar cut would mean to sing the last half of the refrain. If your song is not in a standard form, as is the case for many contemporary songs, it is still preferable to start at the end of the song and work your way backwards. By the way, if the last note is sustained for several bars, only count that bar once. It is crucial that you mark your music clearly so that the pianist cannot be confused by your cut. The best way is to present your music with only the bars you are singing. Nothing else should be 22

10 visible. This will take extra time on your part but it is worth it. An exception to this rule is when you are doing a standard that has a first and second ending at the conclusion of the piece. The pianist will assume that you are singing the second ending. Frequently Asked Questions 1. Is it a good idea to choose unknown material? Probably not in most situations. It may seem like a good idea to do a rare song to assure that you are unique, but it is often not a good idea. If you are singing a song from an unknown or rarely performed musical, the people behind the table may spend your audition wondering what the song is or why you chose this song. It may seem counterintuitive, but you want your audition to be focused on you, not your song. Most people do not tire of hearing If I Loved You, Almost Like Being in Love or Unusual Way. 2. Should I do a special fancy arrangement? Imagine that you have a friend who is a gifted arranger who has done a special treatment of your Standard Ballad or maybe you have found an interesting arrangement that a recording artist has done. It is not a good idea to do these arrangements because, again, you want the focus to be on you and not the song or arrangement. A traditional arrangement is preferred especially if you are doing a so-called Standard or a musical theatre song. 3. Should I choreograph or stage my audition? No. A singing audition s primary purpose is to see if you sing well enough for the production and to see if you fit into the world of the musical. Leave your dance skills to the dance audition. You also should not have a great deal of movement in your audition. All movement should be based in the character and situation and should not distract from your singing. 4. Are there certain composers I should avoid? If you are auditioning for a Sondheim show, it is acceptable to sing Sondheim. Otherwise, it s probably not a good idea. His songs are complex for the singer, the pianist and the listener. You often hear that you shouldn't do Adam Guettel, Jason Robert Brown or Michael John LaChiusa because they are too hard for the pianists. I've been on both sides of the argument but I now think that if the song is right for you, do it. As a pianist, I make it a practice to learn new, difficult scores and when I hire pianists, I make sure they can play the hard literature. But songs by these composers don't cut well and are in generally complex and extended forms. That's a better reason for not singing these composers. Choosing Pop/Rock songs for auditions In increasingly greater situations these days, people would rather hear Pop/Rock songs rather than Musical Theatre songs. Everything from Hair to Les Miserables to Next to Normal to Rock of Ages to The Lion King to All Shook Up, Pop/Rock songs are being asked for. Here are some qualities that make a good Pop/Rock audition song: 1. A good Pop/Rock song is melodic. If the song is pleasant to sing and recognizable withou t accompaniment, it is probably a good choice. Don t choose a song with a limited pitch range. You want a song that can show off your voice. 23

11 2. A good Pop/Rock song should be well-known or at least somewhat well know. It is wise to choose a song that was released as a single and charted fairly highly. 3. A good Pop/Rock song should work with piano accompaniment only. Don t choose songs whose best attribute is its groove. If the song s best quality is rhythm, it s likely not a good choice. Look instead for songs with a strong harmony. 4. A good Pop/Rock song has real Rock energy with a strong back-beat. The drums should be playing for most of the song. 5. A good Pop/Rock song is better if it is more positive than negative. You will need several Pop/Rock songs in your book. These include at least one uptempo song from the 50s or 60s with a fun Rock or Motown groove. You will also need an uptempo and a ballad from the 80s to today. It s not a bad idea to look for piano-based songs by Billy Joel, Elton John, Carley Simon and Ben Folds. Guitar based songs can work as well if they are strong melodically and harmonically. The Beatles songs, although often guitar-based are wonderful because they are well-crafted and melodic with strong, interesting harmonies. Here is a short list of the artists that have a discography of great choices for auditions. Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Bonny Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Rick Springfield, Melissa Ethridge, Phil Collins, Queen, Donna Summer, Sheena Easton, Janis Joplin, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Kelly Clarkson, Diane Warwick, Tina Turner, Styx, Journey, Christopher Cross, Bon Jovi, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Kenny Loggins and Michael Jackson. In choosing a Country song, many of the same guidelines apply. Choose something with a good melody, something that charted and something that will sound good with a piano. Many of the Country songs of the last 15 years or so have much more in common with Pop/Rock songs. It is better if you find a song in a real Country style. Don t neglect the songs from the early days of Country music. List artists. Special Situations What if you are auditioning for a season of 5 or 6 musicals? The first thing to remember is that you cannot hope to show something for every show in a 16-bar cutting. If you will most likely be considered for the ensemble, follow the suggestions above for an ensemble audition. If there is a lead you are right for, follow the suggestions for auditioning for a lead above. What if you are doing an audition such as Midwest where you are auditioning for many different companies? Sing something that shows that you understand your type and how you will likely be cast. If you could fit into several types of shows easily, you must simply make a choice. You must also choose something that you sing extremely well. Audition Case Study Here are a few real life examples of finding the perfect audition song. 24

12 I was coaching a young women who was interested in Martha Jefferson in I thought she was perfect for it. She had the classical acting background as well as the vocal power needed for He Plays the Violin. The challenge was finding the right song that would allow the panel to see and hear this. Since Martha Jefferson is a historical figure, we struggled with finding material that could fit into the world of Colonial America. The song is a sweeping, rapturous waltz of the character s immense joy in the love she has for her husband. Martha s essence is youthful but classic. We decided that the emotional sweep of the song was the primary thing we needed to capture. A waltz would be outstanding. And if it had the opportunity for high mix/belt, that would be even better. There are no other suitable songs by Sherman Edwards and there are precious few musicals that have the historicity of After thinking of every musical theatre waltz we could and every classic young character of her age in the literature, we landed on Wonderful Guy from South Pacific. There were some things we had to tweak to make it fit. In South Pacific, Nelly is running around the beach in 1944 in shorts. Martha would be wearing petticoats and her world would be more formal. I asked if she would sing "He Plays the Violin" imagining she was in the world of the show with its formality and sense of proprietary. Her physicality would need to be different than Nellie s but she could sing the song with the sound she wanted for He Plays the Violin. It worked beautifully. I was coaching a beautiful soprano with real comic chops interested in Cinderella in Into the Woods. Okay, let s all stop and consider how difficult it is to audition for a Sondheim show. You can t sing from the show you re auditioning for and there are no two Sondheim shows that have remotely similar sounds. So where do you start? The answer to that question is you always start with the character and then consider what she has to do. This Cinderella is different from other Cinderellas. She s more grounded and funnier. She s a bit clumsy and seems to find herself in embarrassing situations. The role calls for a soprano, but a unique kind of soprano one that has to sing quickly and make quick beat changes. We asked ourselves: What are the best Sondheim soprano songs? The most obvious is Green Finch and Linnet Bird but Johanna is very different younger and less experienced. I Remember and Take Me To the World were also wrong. Does she panic? No. She knows she needs to be aware of the character above all else. She most wanted to find Cinderella s strong desire for something better while at the same time questioning herself. After singing nearly every female (and some male) Sondheim songs, the one she felt most related to her sense of the character was Isn t It? from Saturday Night. The song concerns the conversation two young people have at a dance. The girl is trying to get to know the boy but she questions everything, mostly herself. The idea of meeting at a dance had, of course, immediate resonance. The challenge was to remove the song from suburban New York and put it into the world of Into the Woods. The range is lower than she wanted optimally and she considered raising it a step or two. But ultimately she decided she would just sing it as written. She sang with the voice she heard as Cinderella s voice while seeing the character s world around her. It couldn t have been more Cinderella-ish. Of course, she could have decided not to sing a Sondheim song and that s perfectly okay, though perhaps not ideal. The reason it s not ideal is that there is very little out there that matches his 25

13 quick wit and musical sophistication. But, I do believe that it is okay to not sing Sondheim for one of his shows if your best option is someone else s music. Please do try to stop all the crazy thinking I ve experienced when people talk about Sondheim. While his music is brilliant, we can t, as his interpreters, actively worship his music while we sing. We will only get in our way. I want you to love his music and study it throughly to understand its intricacies. But for goodness sake, look at it as any other song you are to sing. Be smart about it but don t worship it. My main point is that you should look closely at the character you are auditioning for: his physical attributes, archetype, personality, vocal colors and his world in general. Chose a song that you can show us your version of that character. You could choose a song by the same composer, the same era and style, the same archetype or any number of other routes, but keeping looking until you find the right song that fits you like a beautiful garment. Overused Songs Here is a list of overused songs. Overused songs come and go. What is out of fashion or hackneyed one season may be okay in four or five years. Use this as a reference but not as gospel truth. Adelaide s Lament All That Jazz Anthem Astonishing Big Spender Broadway Baby Can t Help Lovin Dat Man of Mine Corner of the Sky Don t Cry For Me Argentina Embraceable You Gimme, Gimme Good Morning Baltimore Gorgeous I Don t Know How to Love Him I Enjoy Being a Girl I Get a Kick Out of You I Hate Men I Know Things Now I m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair I m Holding Out for a Hero I m Not That Girl In My Own Little Corner Let s Hear It For the Boy Little Girls Maybe Music of the Night Guys and Dolls Chicago Chess Little Women Sweet Charity Follies Show Boat Pippin Evita Girl Crazy Thoroughly Modern Millie Hairspray The Apple Tree Jesus Christ Superstar Flower Drum Song Anything Goes Kiss Me, Kate Into the Woods South Pacific Footloose Wicked Cinderella Footloose Annie Annie Phantom of the Opera 26

14 My New Philosophy New York, New York Not for the Life of Me Over the Rainbow Part of Your World Ribbons Down My Back Seasons of Love Shy Someone Like You Someone to Watch Over Me Somewhere That s Green Summertime Take Me Or Leave Me This is the Moment Tomorrow What I Did For Love You Can Always Count On Me You re a Good Man, Charlie Brown New York, New York (movie) Thoroughly Modern Millie The Wizard of Oz The Little Mermaid Hello Dolly Rent Once Upon a Mattress Jekyll and Hyde Oh, Kay! Little Shop of Horrors Porgy and Bess Rent Jekyll and Hyde Annie A Chorus Line City of Angels Some shows to avoid: Wicked Phantom of the Opera Cats Grease Les Miserables Annie Anything by Jason Robert Brown Jekyll and Hyde Thoroughly Modern Millie Any show in the current season of the company you are auditioning for. DISCUSS WHY YOU SHOULDN T SING THESE SONGS. Finding the perfect audition song is never easy. It is vitally important that you are familiar with as much of the repertoire as possible. Always be on the hunt for new songs. For Musical Theatre songs, you must be familiar with the original cast recordings for style and performance practice. That doesn t mean you have to follow the cast album slavishly. It also doesn t mean you should learn the song by listening to the cast album. For songs such as the so-called Post-millennium repertoire, the best place to go is YouTube. But YouTube shouldn t be the place you go to to listen for original cast albums, unless you find those there. Choose many songs and try them all out with a friend or a teacher. While you may think a song is perfect, it is only perfect for you if it fits your voice, your personality and your type. Don t put songs in your book unless you love them. Work diligently on developing an audition book that has songs for many, if not most, situations and do not forget to have a wide variety of songs. 27

15 Include comedy songs, standards, uptempos and ballads, as well as the many types of contemporary literature. 28

16 The Complete Audition Book Song Give lots of ideas for songs in this chapter. Disney, rock. It s not important to have a Rock musical. Say why. Contemporary MT is in choice songs. Operetta-look in Carter s book/ Take out the songs from the previous section The following song types should appear in your well-organized audition book. 1. Operatic aria or classical art song. The piece should be something that shows technique and range. 2. Operetta. The Merry Widow, The Desert Song, The Student Prince and others by Romberg, Friml and Victor Herbert. 3. Gilbert and Sullivan. These songs show diction, vocal technique and a sense of humor. Choose a song that fits your vocal range and type. Young mezzos can skip this category as all the mezzo arias are for the older, character actor. 4. Early Musical Comedy/Tin Pan Alley or a Vaudeville Novelty Song. Choose an up-tempo song that is catchy and straightforward that shows your charm, personality and sense of humor. This is especially important for character men and women. 5. Standard Ballad and Up-tempo, pre George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin are the places to start. You want to find something that you can both act and sing well something that shows your voice and your essence. Up tempos should be something that allows your body to respond to the rhythm of the song. 6. Golden Age ballad and up tempo. Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Loesser, late Porter, late Irving Berlin and many, many others. Choose something from a book musical between 1943 and the late-1960s that fits your type. Depending on your type, it s not a bad idea to have several in each category. 7. Top 40 songs from these eras not from musicals: A) Early Rock and Roll Uptempo. Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Early Beatles, Girl Groups B) 1960s/1970s pop/rock. Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Simon and Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, mid- to late-beatles and others. This category is not absolutely essential to your book but is a helpful addition. C) Country. From any period, by keep it faithful to the original. Don't make fun of the style. Choose something that's real Country and not pop/rock Country of the last few years. That style should go into one of the next categories. D) 1980s Pop hit Uptempo and Ballad. Some suggestions include Elton John, BillyJoel,Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Bonny Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Rick Springfield, Melissa Ethridge, Phil Collins, Queen, Carly Simon, Donna Summer, Sheena Easton, Janis Joplin, Beach Boys, Kelly Clarkson, Diane Warwick, Tina Turner, Styx, Christopher Cross, Bon Jovi, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Kenny Loggins and Michael Jackson. E) Contemporary Pop/Rock, two contrasting songs from the last 15 years or so. Perhaps one song is a Pop song from the radio and the other is from a less-popular Rock band. There are 9

17 many, many modern shows that require a wide variety of different styles. Try to find songs that are suitable for shows such as Spring Awakening, Rent, High Fidelity, and American Idiot. 8. Sondheim. Choose a song that shows intelligence, maturity and strong musicianship. N.B. Funny Thing...Forum doesn't qualify for this category as it is so different from the style of the rest of his shows. 9. Rock Musical (Ballad and up-tempo). Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Godspell, Hair, Dreamgirls, Chess, etc. The challenge of singing this literature is in the combination of singing style and acting skills. For success in this style, both aspects must be strong. When I have my students create their audition book, I take this category off the list as casting directors usually want you to sing a real rock song and not one from a show when they are casting a Rock show s/1970s Show tunes (Ballad and up-tempo, not pop/rock) Kander and Ebb, Cy Coleman, Jule Styne, Jerry Hermann. 11. Contemporary musical theatre (Ballad and up-tempo). Jason Robert Brown, William Finn, Ahrens & Flaherty, Andrew Lippa, Michael John LaChiusa and others. Choose songs that reveal something true about you. ADD MORE COMPOSERS FROM CHOICE SONGS. 12. Disney or film tune. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz songs are often over-sung. It s better to choose an earlier Disney song like the Sherman Brothers or any great song from a movie (especially 1960s to 1980s). These songs are often very straightforward and well known. The point is to sing a well-known song well so that they can really hear the strength your voice. Avoid songs from Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Pocahontas. Look for songs from earlier Disney shows. Really well know Film tunes, like Moon River or It Might Be You can also be great for this category. 13. Contemporary Art Song. Ricky Ian Gordon, Adam Guettel, Georgia Stitt, John Bucchino. Something that shows both acting skills, singing skills and strong musicianship. 14. Post-millennium (since 2000). Please be aware that not everything since 2000 qualifies for this category. The Post-millennium style is best represented by folks like Kerrigan & Lowdermilk, Joe Iconis, Peter Mills, Seth Bisen-Hersh, Chris Miller, Scott Alan and many others. See Appendix Specialty number. This could be anything that shows something unique and special about your abilities. Yodel, high soprano, comedy, patter, super high belt are some possibilities. Be creative and outside the box. 16. Gospel Song. African-Americans should have a Gospel song in their book. 17. The Money Cutting. Regardless of style or period, this short cutting (you need a 32-bar version, a 16-bar version and an 8-bar version) shows you at your very best vocally and matches your personality and strengths as a performer. Some final thoughts and instructions Depending on your vocal and character type, it may not be necessary to have absolutely every one of these categories. Some exceptions can be made for having Gilbert and Sullivan and/or Operetta. However, everyone should have something that allows your singing technique to shine. Prepare each song in its complete form (60 to 120 seconds. You don't need to do repeats), a 10

18 32-bar cutting and a 16-bar cutting. Music should be copied double-sided. If the music is on just two pages, present it in your book such that the pianist doesn't need to turn pages. To avoid confusion, eliminate extraneous markings on your music. Clearly indicate introductions and endings. None of the music should be cut off the page. Check the tops and bottoms of the pages carefully. Reduce the copy ratio as needed. 90% generally works. Follow these guidelines with assembling your audition book. The first page in your audition book should be a table of contents organized by style or time-period. Make all marks in dark pencil or black pen. Write legibly and do not use cursive as it can be difficult to read. Please do not use a highlighter on music. In certain lighting, it can obscure the music. Erase all markings that do not pertain to your performance. A fermata over a note that s left over from another singer will confuse the pianist if you don t observe it. Audition books should be three-ring binders, no bigger than 2 inches wide. The super-large binders make turning pages difficult. Loose pages have a way of falling off the piano. Write indications such as ritards and fermatas in the piano part, not the vocal part. Nothing should be cut off the page! This includes chords symbols at the top of the page and the left hand piano staff at the bottom of the page. Reduce music, when copying from music books, to 90% to 92%. Most sheet music folios are larger that 8 1/2 X 11. The lyrics on the music must be the lyrics you are singing. If a pianist sees other lyrics, they will assume they are in the wrong place. White out old lyrics and carefully and clearly write in the new lyrics. All music should be double-sided. If your cutting is only 2 pages, present the music without a page turn. When making cuts in a song, present the music so the pianist sees only what she will be playing. In other words, don t just make X s through the music or draw arrows where the pianist needs to go. Be sure that the title, show, tempo, style (such as Swing) and composer/lyricist are at the top of the page. This is especially important if you ve made cuts where this information is left off. When purchasing music from musicnotes.com or a similar website, make several copies so you will have a clean copy as a back up. Use handwritten scores only when they are the only resource available. You may be fortunate to have access to Piano/Conductor scores. Please use these only if they are not heavily marked up or if it is the only resources you can find. The best way to double-side music is to place single-sided music, blank sides facing each other, taping the sides at the top and bottom and three-hole punching the music. 11