Most overdone audition songs right now- Page 5

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 1:45am

I always hear Home (Beauty and the Beast), Good Morning Baltimore, Not For The Life Of Me, and My Favorite Things all of the time.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 1:46am

I wouldn't say any of those are terribly overdone (MAYBE Superboy and There's a Fine, Fine Line) but you need to round out your rep. All of the songs you listed are pop/rockish. Get more classical stuff in there.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 1:51am

Also, anything from 13.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 1:56am

I'd be inclined to stick to the Gershwin catalogue.

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 1:57am

I was talking to an accompanist today and her big pet peeves are:

Anything Wicked
Tell Me On A Sunday
A Cockeyed Optimist
I Could Have Danced All Night
Anything The Last Five YEars

[Broadwaygeek13]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 2:00am

BwayTday. Alright, thanks. Any songs you would recomend?
Updated On: 6/21/11 at 02:00 AM

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 2:16am

Glitter and be Gay will just make you seem like you've got a giant pole up your a**...even if it is 7am...

[Barcelona]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 8:39am

I've heard people complain that Kerrigan-Lowdermilk's "Run Away With Me" and "How to Return Home" are starting to get old

[MeggilyWeggily08]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 8:45am

I can't tell you how many times I've heard Superboy and The Invisible Girl being sung by people ahead of me, or how many times other girls have told me they're singing it at auditions.

[Jon]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 11:04am

"Times Like This" (the dog song) from LUCKY STIFF.

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 12:01pm

I heard "Fly Fly Away" at an audition last year. It's already overdone.

"Much More" from The Fantasticks is sooo overdone.

[Branson East]

Posted: 6/24/11 at 8:41pm

To borrow a computer acronym this post perfectly documents the GIGO syndrome that's destroyed musical theater: Garbage In (crappy musicals) = Garbage Out (auditioners singing songs from crappy musicals). The cycle repeats endlessly, and the musicals get crappier.

I do understand Candide being on the verboten list; one wonders if it would be immortal without the '56 cast album and Barbara Cook. I understand Guys and Dolls too; if Lady Gaga could sing "Adelaide's Lament" anybody can -- and frequently anybody does.

I guess I've always been an old fogey but if I knew someone trying out I'd suggest some early Jerome Kern, like "They Didn't Believe Me". I fear, however, that in auditioning too many do the total torch song, and you can't torch-song Jerome Kern -- which I guess is why Show Boat's on the list. I might also try "A Kiss in the Dark", which means I must really be from outer space. How many can sing those songs adequately, yet alone beautifully?

One irrelevant personal note: Years ago I knew a young woman who represented our state in the Miss America pageant. She had a fine alto voice quite like Judy Garland's. For the talent competition she sang "Believe in Yourself" from The Wiz. She didn't advance. Now and then I've asked myself if the song was to blame.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 8:46am

This happens to EVERY popular show.   

[JennH]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 10:00am

dramamama611 said: "This happens to EVERY popular show.   

 

"

Exactly and it's my personal rule of thumb that if it's currently on Broadway or was/is one of those popular juggernaut (aka SUPER popular) shows then don't sing from it. This applies to musical films too. I can't tell you how many times I heard the songs from Enchanted after it was released. On the flip side, Enchanted wasn't juggernaut status, BUT the trend is usually to sing from a new musical film. Because it waned in popularity (its' already 10 years old...my gosh), I'd say it's possibly safe to sing Enchanted again or anything similar to it as it never reached "standard" status either. On another flip side...singing from those types of things also would possibly tell someone that you didn't care to branch out of at least moderately well known material. 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 11:12am

To be honest, I've never created a "no sing" list when I'm having people audition. I will have people prepare more than one uptempo, and one ballad. I can listen to Defying Gravity all day, because I'm always looking for someone who will spin the song, or add something different that will help them stand out from the crowd.

I will say that Dear Evan Hansen (esp. Waving Through A Window), and that audition song from La La Land are appearing more.

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 12:16pm

I don't know if anybody already linked this, so apologies if this is redundant, but I found this post about overdone audition songs on tumblr a few years ago and it's pretty comprehensive if you ask me (and it was written by someone who works as an accompanist, so I'd assume she knows what she's talking about): 

http://i-remember-there-was-mist.tumblr.com/post/109747286464/overdone-audition-song-list 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 8:24pm

IMO, it doesn't matter what you sing as long as you do it really, really well. Do whatever song best shows you off and try to make it in the style of the show your auditioning for. The end.

Just don't do "On My Own" and you'll be fine.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 9:29pm

I have to imagine that "Burn" has been popping up significantly more.

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 9:50pm

I can only assume that most of the Great Comet solos are going to be popping up a lot: Charming, No One Else, Sonya Alone, Dust and Ashes, and maybe Pierre. Also Waving Through a Window, Requiem, and For Forever will probably have the same fate. 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 7/3/17 at 7:34am

The Distinctive Baritone said: " . . . Just don't do "On My Own" and you'll be fine."

It worked for Rachel Berry!

 

[Patash]

Posted: 7/3/17 at 8:38am

My how times change.  I remember back in the 70s when every other girl auditioning could be counted on to sing one of the following:  "Sixteen Going on Seventeen", "I Enjoy Being a Girl", or "Cockeyed Optimist"

[BroadwayLover4]

Posted: 7/3/17 at 8:55am

Just heard "Dear Evan Hansen" last week at an audition.

[The Josh]

Posted: 7/3/17 at 1:46pm

Speaking as someone who's heard a million renditions of "Pulled" from The Addams Family, I truly feel it doesn't matter what's "overdone" if you sing it the best.

[CallMeAl2]

Posted: 7/3/17 at 8:54pm

The Josh said: "Speaking as someone who's heard a million renditions of "Pulled" from The Addams Family, I truly feel it doesn't matter what's "overdone" if you sing it the best"

By all means if you can sing defying gravity good enough to take the role on Broadway, then go for it and blow away the competition. Otherwise do find songs no one else is doing that show you off and people will remember. Rule of thumb: Find a great songwriter and pull a song from a flop show or a cut song. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/5/17 at 10:31am

BroadwayLover4 said: "Just heard "Dear Evan Hansen" last week at an audition."

The whole show?