Musical Theater Audition Help?

Question

I'm a 14-year old guy entering high school in the fall. I am auditioning for the fall musical and since I have aspirations to become an actor, and I have a lot of fun doing this sort of thing, I would like a big part. I consider myself to be fair at singing, but others say I am pretty good. I need an audition piece that would show off my vocal ability. I am a baritone, but could sing tenor or bass. I would prefer to sing a ballad-y show tune from Broadway that is fun, yet shows off my vocal ability, but any mainstream song that is fun and shows my vocal ability would do. Also, should i buy sheet music for my audition or should i buy a karaoke version of the song. What do people usually do for this stuff?

Answer 1

Sheet music is appropriate,  They will have an accompanist there.

Here's a list of baritone songs from Broadway musicals:

At Night She Comes Home to Me (from Baby)

Camelot (from Camelot)

Clap Yo' Hands (from Oh, Kay!)

Closer Than Ever (from Closer Than Ever)

Come Along With Me (from Can-Can)

Comedy Tonight (from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)

Easier to Love (from Baby)

Eating Myself Up Alive (from A New Brain)

Get Me to the Church on Time (from My Fair Lady)

How Lucky You Are (from Seussical)

How to Handle a Woman (from Camelot)

I Could Write a Book (from Pal Joey)

I Got Plenty o' Nuttin' (from Porgy and Bess)

If Ever I Would Leave You (from Camelot)

I Can't Love Her (from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast")

If I Had My Druthers (from Li'l Abner)

In Praise of Women (from A Little Night Music)

It's All Right With Me (from Can-Can)

I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face (from My Fair Lady)

Just One of Those Things (from High Society)

Lullaby of Broadway (from 42nd Street)

Make Them Hear You (from Ragtime, the Musical)

On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever) (from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever)

Razzle Dazzle (from Chicago)

Talk to the Animals (from Dr. Dolittle)

Thank Heaven For Little Girls (from Gigi)

They Call the Wind Maria (from Paint Your Wagon)

This Can't Be Love (from The Boys from Syracuse)

Too Darn Hot (from Kiss Me, Kate)

Try to Remember (from The Fantasticks)

Where is the Life That Late I Led? (from Kiss Me, Kate)

Where's the Girl? (from The Scarlet Pimpernel)

A Woman is a Sometime Thing (from Porgy and Bess)

You Can Have Your Shadow on the Sea (from The Boys from Syracuse)

You Mustn't Kick it Around (from Pal Joey)

Also check out Spring Awakening and some other, more current shows.  

Don't go crazy with an out-there tune, make sure it's similar to the show you're auditioning for stylistically and content-wise. Singing a song by the same composer from a different show is always a good bet.

Good luck!

Answer 2

That's a great song list from the first poster, but I would argue that you should stay away from current musicals like Spring Awakening (and Wicked, Hairspray, Legally Blonde) as they tend to be very over-done.  You need to pick a song that is similar in style to the show that you're auditioning for, and if possible, from another show by the same composer - and unless it's an Andrew Lloyd Webber show, don't sing one of his songs, and the same goes for Sondheim.  Don't buy a backing track, get the sheet music so that a) you can learn the song properly and b) the pianist can take it at the tempo you want to take it at, rather than be stuck with the tempo the backing track is at.