Ragtime!

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Ragtime!

Posted: 7/3/06 at 6:09pm

Would it be bad to sing a song for college auditions from ragtime if im not..well..ethic.

cause i love the heart and soul that coalhouse's songs get...

Just and idea.

Cheers,
Jeff

IAP ALUMNI -Music and Theatre Major Class of 07.

This is a tough question. Some people say that you shouldn't just because it's too out of character. But I say go for it, (my theatre teacher influenced this opinion). Sing what gets you emotionally. If you connect with it, and sing it well, the auditioners shouldn't care, as long as you're not auditioning for the show and don't think you're going to be cast as Coalhouse Walker.

re: Ragtime!

Posted: 7/3/06 at 10:13pm

I've heard conflicting views on this so I say, go with your gut. I'm currently working with my voice teacher on "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" which she is encouraging me to do for college auditions. A few years ago me and a few other actors from my school auditioned for the Illinois All-State production of Ragtime, and one of them (not black) sang "Wheels of a Dream," and he made it - ironicly as Willie Conklin!

"Who is Stephen Sondheim?" -roninjoey
"The man who wishes he had written Phantom of the Opera!" - SueleenGay

GO CARDINALS!!!

re: Ragtime!

Posted: 7/4/06 at 12:36am

ragtime is one of those shows in which the characters have to be race specific for the plot of the show, which you probably know. personally, i would not go in there to the faculty of the colleges whom you don't know and sing that song. you never know their views on the "topic", it might offend some, and to some it might seem like a good idea. better to be safe than sorry.

re: Ragtime!

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:17am

Here's what I think. You're not auditioning for the show itself, so the song is out of context. It shouldn't matter what race the character who sings it is if you're not performing it with the rest of the show behind you. If you can sing it well, then why not go for it? I think it would be worse to use it as an audition song for the actual show. But who knows? I might ACTUALLY be crazy.

"The stage is where I live and come alive and act out all the things that go on in my life. It's not just what I do for a living, it's my shrink and my love affair. No one in my life has ever or ever will kiss me on the mouth like this lover called my relationship with my performance."

re: Ragtime!

Posted: 7/4/06 at 2:01am

The song has no reference to race in it at all.

Akiva

re: Ragtime!

Posted: 7/4/06 at 11:53am

That's true. If the song was like, He Wanted to Say and you had the line...Go back where ya came from cracka!

Then I'd be like..well the answer is obvious.

I think you should sing it. And if the directors don't cast you because of that, then they're very unprofessional. And I doubt that will happen.

re: Ragtime!

Posted: 7/4/06 at 7:59pm

I say go for it. It's just like a boy singing a girl's song, and vice versa. As long as the song doesn't HAVE to be sung by a person of a particular race in order for it to work. I am assuming you are talking about "Make them Hear You". The song doesn't need to be sung by a man of color in order for the message to resonate, imo. If you've got the pipes to sing it, sing it, boy!

"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert

re: Ragtime!

Posted: 7/5/06 at 1:07pm

Thanks guys...i was saying in general song wise..i love them all..im officlly a grade 12. im so excited for these auditions even though there forever away.

you guys rock
jeff

IAP ALUMNI -Music and Theatre Major Class of 07.

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