Most overdone audition songs right now — Page 4

#76

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 12/20/08 at 11:06pm

When I directed The Rocky Horror Show last year so many girls sang Take Me or Leave Me from Rent. After about the 10th time i started putting every girl that sang it in the rejection pile no matter how good. I was just so sick of hearing that song!

Updated On: 12/20/08 at 11:06 PM

#77

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 12/21/08 at 12:18am

Happy Birthday

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"I wouldn't let Esparza's Bobby take my kids to the zoo...I'd be afraid he'd steal their ice cream and laugh."- YankeeFan
"People who like Sondheim enjoy cruelty."-LuvtheEmcee

#78

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 3/13/09 at 2:50pm

Lately I've heard some pretty butchered:

Beyond My Wildest Dreams
Listen (Dreamgirls film)
Astonishing
Take A Chance On Me
She Loves Me
I'm Not Afraid
Tonight At Eight
What You Own

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And you think of all of the things you've seen, and you wish that you could live in between ,and you're back again only different than before... After the Sky. -Into the Woods (Jack)

#79

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 3/13/09 at 3:37pm

Not For The Life Of Me from Millie is SO overdone.

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I'm a professional. Whenever something goes wrong on stage, I know how to handle it so no one ever remembers. I flash my %#$&. "Jayne just sat there while Gina flailed around the stage like an idiot."

#80

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 3/13/09 at 11:34pm

I've heard a lot of songs butchered in general. I don't understand how people don't understand when a song just isn't in their range. If you can't sing it better than the original, then don't attempt it. If you're going to sound like Idina Menzel strangling a cat while beating beaten with a bat, don't sing the song! It's that simple.

Also, no "Wild Party" (Lippa).

Your best bet is to fine a fun, obscure off-Broadway show and find a good 16 bars from it. It always makes for an interesting audition when you sing a song no one knows. But I honestly can't tell if a cast director would prefer a more obscure song or something they know.

#81

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 7/4/09 at 2:03pm

And if anyone can think of more obscure musical numbers for sopranos created before the 1960s, feel free to share.

Updated On: 7/4/09 at 02:03 PM

#82

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 7/4/09 at 2:03pm

I wanted to know if anyone could help me decide which songs I should keep for possible auditioning material (for both schools and local theatres in my area) and the ones I should chuck. Here is my list...

He Plays the Violin - 1776
Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye - Anything Goes
Before I Gaze At You Again - Camelot
Follow Me - Camelot
Look to the Rainbow - Finian's Rainbow
I've Never Been In Love Before - Guys and Dolls
Will I Ever Tell You - The Music Man
Home - Phantom

I know the general rule is don't sing anything created before the 1960s, but I didn't know if I should rule out Phantom because of this.

Let me know if you guys think any of these are overdone or are just bad auditioning material.

Thanks!

#83

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 7/4/09 at 2:26pm

In some 'True Life' on MTV about theatre camp, every girl sang "Astonishing" from "Little Women" so that might be one...but I would say that if you can actually belt the money note at the end of the song, don't worry about it and do it!

I have also heard many Millie songs too:
For guys "What do I need with Love"
and for girls...I believe it is "Gimme Gimme"

"Shy" from 'Mattress' is done a lot but...I would suggest that if you want to sing from that show (and are a girl) look at "Happily Ever After". I've only heard that ONCE at an audition and it went over really well.

#84

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 7/4/09 at 8:27pm

Anything from Millie or She Loves me is really popular with teenagers.

#85

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 7/4/09 at 10:44pm

Millie, Lippa's Wild Party, any Lloyd Weber, any Wicked, JRB.

Imo - Scott Alan's stuff will soon join that list too.

Really, you should just sing stuff that you personally connect to - anything that you do really well and shows you in your best light is the only thing to do for an audition.

#86

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 7/4/09 at 11:19pm

Do you know what REALLY urchs me? Being a high school student, I see lots of underclassmen going into our theatre dept auditioning with "So Much Better" from Legally Blonde or that "I'm telling you" (i dont remember the title) song from Dreamgirls.

No. No. NO!

Lol, but seriously, songs with Big belty high notes at the end are so over rated. You heard one person belt their face off, you've heard them all. The audition world is not like that show "Glee" (which I love) where you stun everyone with your big, powerful voice or whatever. I would rather people be honest in their art than put on a huge spectacular. That's what theatre's about.

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Whoever says money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to shop. - Bo Derek

#87

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 7/4/09 at 11:38pm

is She Loves Me really popular, devilish?

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When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

#88

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 7/5/09 at 1:16am

I have been on the NY audition circuit for about 4 years now and I can offer these two pieces of advice to females: DO NOT sing Gimme Gimme, you will hear it about 4 times in ever group of 20 as you stand on line at Chelsea Studios, NOLA, Ripley Grier, etc, and even though it hasn't been on Broadway in years, Always True to You (in My Fashion), from Kiss Me Kate is a horrible choice, as nothing is worse than hearing it sung by 3 people in line ahead of you as you wait for your chance. Trust me, good songs, but don't even bother!

Updated On: 7/5/09 at 01:16 AM

#89

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 9/14/09 at 5:46pm

Is "As long as he needs me" ( Oliver) , "Something wonderful", and "My Lord and master" ( The King and I) overdone? I'm thinking of using these songs.

#90

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 9/14/09 at 7:12pm

Avoid ANYTHING Andrew Lloyd Webber.

#91

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 9/14/09 at 10:44pm

Never sing:

Andrew Lloyd Webber
Wicked
Disney
Les Miserables (especially on my own)
Rent
Guys and Dolls

Try to avoid:

Corner of the Sky
A Chorus Line
Spring Awakening (you'd be surprised at how often its used)
Sound of Music (the actual show)
If I Loved You
I Could have Danced All Night
Some Enchanted Evening
there are other quite famous R & H that preferably should be stayed away from
The Impossible Dream
Kiss Me Kate
Anything Goes
West Side Story

Good Ideas:

It's best to go as obscure as possible, I've found casting directors really appreciate if you can sing sondheim very well, but thats my own experience.

#92

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 9/14/09 at 11:12pm

If it's an audition you'd be allowed to say "****" at reasonably, sopranos may want to look at Lucy's Poison Aria from The Threepenny Opera.

#93

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 9/14/09 at 11:23pm

The advice Kevin Stites once gave to me is not to pick an incredibly obscure song.
He said that the people on the other side of the table spend your whole audition wondering "What is that from?" or "Who wrote that?" or "What are the Circumstances? Why can't she run away to Cuba with a sailor?" Also, they are less likely to remeber the girl who sang... what was it from... Weird Romance?
A safe bet is to pick a standard that you can connect to and personalize. That way no matter who else does it, they can't be confused with you unique take on the material.

#94

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 9/15/09 at 12:11am

^ I agree with this. If you can knock a standard/older well-known song out of the park, do it.

#95

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 9/15/09 at 12:15am

^Ditto. I'm the only person I've ever heard do "Impossible Dream" for an audition, and it always goes over well.

#96

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 9/15/09 at 12:21am

Is "The Light in the Piazza" overdone?

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Your latest 7in sounds obscene unless you spin it at a 45.

#97

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 9/15/09 at 12:26am

Only the title song. The rest is not overdone, primarily because it is incredibly difficult to sightread.

#98

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 6/21/11 at 12:43am

My current audition songs are:
Superboy and the Invisible Girl (Next to Normal)
Frank Mills (Hair)
Dearly Beloved (American Idiot)
Pulled (The Addams Family)
Whispering (Spring Awakening)
There's a Fine, Fine Line (Avenue Q)
Any of these overdone or a bad choice? Also, does anyone see the song Fly Fly Away from Catch Me If You Can becoming really popular in the next few years?

#99

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 6/21/11 at 1:01am

^^I was just about to say the exact same thing about "Fly Fly Away" from CATCH ME as being a new audition song that will soon be overdone.

#100

re: Most overdone audition songs right now

Posted: 6/21/11 at 1:12am

It's a shame because it's a really good range for me and I sound rather good with it. I'm trying to find the music for it before it becomes too overused.