Care to answer a few questions about the music portion of my musical theatre auditions?

Question

I will be attending University in the fall, and hope to be involved in their theatre program, which will mean doing several auditions, one or more of which will require singing. I can't afford voice lessons (I had them briefly in the past), but I have a friend who's an excellent pianist and can help me be the best I can technically. My questions are these:

1) What do I need to know, or make myself aware of, aside from technical proficiency (by which I mean hitting the right notes at the right times, etc.)?

2) Is it better to go for something slightly overdone that shows a fuller range, or pull back a bit for novelty?

3) Is it okay to use a song that originally was an ensemble piece or a duet, or is it preferable to stick to solo pieces?

4) If there is a long instrumental section in a song, should you count it in the 16 required measures?

I've done a bunch of straight plays, but I've never auditioned for a musical with a piano accompaniment, so any and all advice is appreciated.

Answer 1

1- The key to proper singing is finding a natural, tension-free way of breathing and carrying yourself. Don't suck in your gut, puff out your chest, or raise your shoulders when breathing or singing. Your "soft pallete" (the part of your throat at the top, behind the front part directly behind the teeth where it's hard) should be comfortably raised. Your jaw should be open, but not too far open; if you can't possibly sing an E vowel with your jaw in the same place you have it for an "Ah" sound, it's too far open. Don't be afraid to let the sound resonate a bit in the nasal cavity; if you don't you'll have a muffled sound that doesn't carry at all. If it's TOO nasal it'll be shrill, however, so find a nice balance. And don't force a vibrato; better to have none than to have an unnatural sounding one. Don't do any sort of staging or choreography for your vocal audition; let your expressiveness come through in your face and eyes. And don't stare the auditioners in the face; instead, pick a spot on the wall or something a bit above and behind them to sing to.

2- Stay away from the "overdone" pieces. Even if you sound brilliant singing it, the auditioners won't be left with a memorable impression if they've heard the song a million times. There is a LOT of musical theater out there outside of Wicked, Rent, the various works of Andrew Lloyd Weber, etc. It won't be too difficult to find good material that suits you and hasn't worn out its welcome.

3- There are three main things you need to think about when choosing a piece: if it showcases your talents, if it evokes something that belongs in the show you're auditioning for, and if it allows you to tell a story from the specific point of view of a character of some sort. If an ensemble piece or a duet does that, then so be it, but it's unlikely that an ensemble piece will fall into the third criteria.

4- They dont want to listen to the pianist play; he or she's already got the job. They want to hear 16 bars of you singing, no more and no less.

Answer 2

I am a musical director!

1) Show some personality! Auditioners love smiles and pizazz. It is what sets you apart from choral singers.

2) Overdone is boring and any auditioner will have heard the song sung a billion times better. Not as an insult, but most directors have their favorites. Research their repertoire because a director may have recently partook in the show!

3) NO. NONONONONONONO. Do not do "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent. NO. Pick a piece, use only your range, don't answer back and forth, and please GOD no. It is embarrassing to see a duet done by one person unless the song is a continuous story. An ensemble piece is generally best with the chorus in tact or background melody. Try a solo please!

4) Do not pick a song with an instrumental break that long. You have about 2 minutes to impress me and I don't want to spend it listening to the music. I want to see YOU.

Here are some great songs for my range which is Second Soprano or Alto:

1. Honeybun - South Pacific

2. Happily Ever After - Once Upon a Mattress

3. Somebody to Love - We Will Rock You