Upbeat Pre-1960 Song

[flyinghighwithwicked]

Posted: 8/26/13 at 4:44pm

Hi,
I posted about "overdone" audition material a while back, but I'm auditioning for a few Musical Theatre Programs this fall/next spring and this time I am specifically wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a good upbeat Musical Theatre song that was written before 1960 that has really strong lyrics that dive into some sort of strong relatable emotion. I am totally lost on this one. Most of the songs I have found either do not fit my type, are on every overdone list, or both.

My type is a 5' 10" blonde tenor, I am in good shape, I have a moderately high speaking voice, so most of the butch or overly masculine roles would be out of the running, though it's not unnaturally high, just high enough that if I were to audition for a tough guy role, it would not fit at all. I have a somewhat young looking face. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

[ARTc3]

Posted: 8/26/13 at 4:55pm

It might be fun to try, Never Neverland, from Peter Pan. Even though its written for a voice slightly higher than yours, it could be transposed. I doubt it is often sung by a man, even though written for a "boy".

Just an idea, although it may not be "upbeat" enough.

Updated On: 8/26/13 at 04:55 PM

[jnb9872]

Posted: 8/26/13 at 5:00pm

I've never entered the audition circles for musical theatre so I can't speak to overdone or not, nor can I guarantee it's the kind of emotion you want to delve into, but "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love" from FINIAN'S RAINBOW is a great song with really fun lyrics.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/26/13 at 6:23pm

All I Need is the Girl from Gypsy. I did a search and it is from 1959, so it is right on the cusp.

[After Eight]

Posted: 8/26/13 at 7:49pm

Here are a couple of suggestions:


Bianca (Kiss Me Kate)
From This Moment On (Out of This World)
My Home Is in My Shoes (Top Banana)
The Girl That I Court in My Mind (Three Wishes for Jamie)
On the Street Where You Live (My Fair Lady)

And if you can include upbeat songs from film musicals, then Dick Powell's songs in the Busby Berkeley musicals would fill the bill.

Good luck!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/26/13 at 9:05pm

"All Or Nothing" or "Kansas City" from Oklahoma

"I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean" from Brigadoon

[Kad]

Posted: 8/26/13 at 9:11pm

"When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love" from Finian's Rainbow could work- it's upbeat, though more in the "fun" category, with clever wordplay.

Updated On: 8/26/13 at 09:11 PM

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/26/13 at 10:10pm

I'll repeat my mantra about the idea of a song being "overdone" in auditions. Don't worry about it! If the song fits your vocal type and you can knock it out of the park then use it. Since it sounds like you have time to really prepare then use that time wisely. Having some of these classic pieces in your audition book that are "overdone" (such as "All I Need Is the Girl" and "On the Street Where You Live") is actually quite important.

I've worked many an audition where somebody walks in with some obscure piece that they think will wow everyone in the room, and then the people behind the table ask them to pull out something they know. It's better to have the people you are auditioning focusing on what you are doing, rather than trying to figure out where this obscure song comes from and whether any of the choices you are making with it are even remotely appropriate for the piece itself. And of course you never know just how great of a sight reader the accompanist may be. Even the worst accompanist can probably pound out all of the "overdone" pieces pretty easily (and yes, the accompanist can totally make or break your audition).

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/26/13 at 10:38pm

"They Couldn't Compare to You" from Cole Porter's Out of This World might work well with your look.

[flyinghighwithwicked]

Posted: 8/27/13 at 12:50pm

Thanks y'all. AEA, I would never do something obscure for the sake of doing so, but I don't want to go in there and be just another person doing *insert overdone song title here*. I have 3 minutes to show off, and I would like to stand out, which is why I am attempting to avoid things on that list.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/27/13 at 1:15pm

"I have 3 minutes to show off, and I would like to stand out, which is why I am attempting to avoid things on that list."

What AEA AGMA SM is saying that it doesn't matter if the piece is overdone, what is more important is how well you perform.

I'd rather hear someone perform "On My Own" for the 10,000th time, and knock it out of the park, instead of some less popular song (in hopes of being "original") and do an okay job.

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/27/13 at 1:21pm

How about Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat?

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/27/13 at 1:29pm

I would agree that Sit Down, You're Rockin The Boat is the best option thus far. It is not "overdone" but is a popular pick for college auditions (comedic uptempo from 50's or earlier). And there's a reason it's popular... it works!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/27/13 at 3:12pm

Does it have to be from a musical? Orange Colored Sky is a fantastic upbeat song from 1950 that really works well for auditions. The trick is to really personalize the lyrics rather than simply doing a Nat King Cole impersonation.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 8/27/13 at 6:34pm

I think that is really good advice from AEA above. I would only quibble in the cases where every girl (or every boy) in NY is singing the big hit from last year's Tony winner: "The Impossible Dream" in its day; "Another Hundred People" and "West End Avenue" in the early 1970s. At some point it's simply impossible to hear one more rendition.

But the OP should be safe with pre-1960 material; even if a few others sing the same song, everyone won't.

Updated On: 8/27/13 at 06:34 PM