To Those Performers Out There: Whats In Your Repotoire When You Audition?

Pardon me while I put in a plug.
I am a vocal coach in NYC who specializes in audition material and performance presentation. If there are any performers here who are...
...uncertain of what to sing at auditions
...having difficulty finding good audition songs
...lacking confidence in your approach to material
...choosing inappropriate repertoire for your type,

please don't hesitate to contact me about your coaching needs.

Thanks for the opportunity. Now back to the thread.

Updated On: 1/29/04 at 04:57 PM

Hasn't there already been a thread on this? I'll play anyways
This is Not Over Yet-Parade

IMHO, I'd avoid Gethsamane, Bri69, unless you're auditioning for the role, and Bring Him Home, which is by now a cliche.

I usually just like to wing it....j/k
I thought there was just a post on this too. I know i'm not going crazy.

I usually sing Matchmaker from Fiddler, On My Own, or Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile, depending on the subject matter of the show and such.

"Bring Him Home isn't a cliche when I sing it."

Why, hello, Mr. Wilkinson! So nice to meet you!

I was really trying to be humorous - didn't mean to offend anyone. However, I do believe that Bring Him Home is a gorgeous song and the right singer makes all the difference - as another member posted, referring to "Mr. Wilkinson." Just as "Music of the Night" is considered by many to be an old cliche until Michael Crawford steps on stage to sing it.

There are many old songs (and some not so old ones) that are considered "tired" and "cliched" until you hear a great performer singing them. Any song will become old and boring very quickly if it's sung by a crappy singer.

MusicMan, you are a vocal coach, so you probably hear more than your fair share of "Bring Him Home" interpretations, but I can guarantee you, being a performer myself, people still go bonkers when they hear that song.

Updated On: 2/1/04 at 12:35 PM

Honestly, as one who has done his share of casting, I couldn't possibly care less what the actual song people are singing for me is. Someone picking a cool song is worth about one tenth of a second of novelty before I just worry about whether or not they can do anything with it. I know a lot performers who think WAY too hard about what they're auditioning with instead of worrying about the actual audition.

Just my nickel of thoughs.

"Unusual Way" with a differently arranged ending, "The Sun Whose Rays are All Ablaze," "Aldonza," and "Adelaide's Lament." I'm a soprano who can belt

The audition song is an actor's calling card and one of the few measures of control one has in what is an imperfect, uncontrollable system. Hence, it's advisable to give the matter some judicious thought.
First off, since musical theater is a genre that demands vocal AND acting ability, the material needs to be active and actable, giving the actor something to play and demonstrating actor "chops."
Next, not only should the songs give an idea of what the performer's vocal abilities are, they should accurately reflect his/her physical type (choosing inappropriate material sends out mixed messages and suggests the actor does not have a handle on the image he/she projects). For example, if you're a character actor, you do yourself a disservice singing leading man material (unless with specific intent).
Careful selection of audition material or tailoring the songs to specific auditions or roles, when possible, gives evidence that the performer is a hard-working, thinking actor, someone with "actor smarts." Bringing in overused or unconsidered or baggage-laden (Don't Rain on My Parade, for example) material, no matter how well sung, only demonstrates an unimaginative and lazy approach to acting and the audition process. If you can "teach an old dog new tricks," great. But given the incredible wealth of material out there, why rely on the cliche? THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
Finally, the actor should choose material with which he/she can identify and personalize. The audition process may concern itself with the actor as a "commodity" but the commodity on display is, after all, the actor's SELF, the sum of his/her life experience and being. The audition experience is an opportunity for the singing actor to express the TRUTH (a much-abused word) about him or herself. And, ultimately, isn't THAT the reason why we're in this business?

Updated On: 2/1/04 at 07:23 PM

I'm not a performer, but I think that this song WOULD make a good audition piece...

'You Were There For Me' from 'Stages'

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The emotional arc of Being Alive is designed to evolve from an indictment of intimacy and commitment to a heart-rending plea for the very same. By singing the number from "SomeBODY hold me too close," the actor deprives himself of half of the song's function, purpose and activity because it tells only half the story (t's like doing a monologue without the setup---why shortchange yourself??). Correspondingly, the number is too long and repetitious to do in its entirety. It's specifically for these reasons that Being Alive is not optimum audition material (unless your auditors want to hear a bit of legit after you've done your uptempo/ballad). There are so many, MANY more songs in the canon that not only allow the singer to demonstrate his vocal prowess but let him take a full and completely active journey, tell a complete and rounded story, sometimes even in as little as 16 bars.

Updated On: 2/2/04 at 04:37 PM