The Song (Musical Auditions)

While play auditions have you perform a monologue, musical auditions require you to perform a musical piece. Finding a song that suits you is very similar to finding an appropriate monologue, although there are some important differences. Firstly, singing takes a greater toll on your voice than speaking; secondly, singing requires you to not only convey a particular emotional message, but reach the proper notes while doing so.

When deciding on a piece of music, you must keep the style of your intended musical in mind. The song you choose displays your skill at singing a particular genre of music, so that genre and the musical’s style should line up very closely. You should not choose songs from the musical itself, however, unless the auditions call for it. A song that is specific to you allows the director to remember you, while a song from the musical may be used by multiple performers and become less distinguishable. Your song choice also needs to fit your vocal range. Do not choose a song if you can only hit the right notes some of the time; stick with a song you’re certain you can consistently perform well. For more help determining the right songs for different shows, read Daren Cohen’s The Complete Professional Audition and David Craig’s A Performer Prepares; both of these books provide a great amount of detail about proper song choice.

Songs require a different type of practice than monologues, because of the stress singing puts on your throat. If you practice a song too many times before an audition, you may wear out your voice. You don’t want to have a worn-out voice when performing; not only is it painful, but no one sounds better singing with a sore throat than without. When you practice, drink plenty of water, and avoid performing too many times in quick succession. Spread your rehearsal period over multiple days, and take a break if your voice starts to waver.

Citation: Cohen, D. (2005). The complete professional audition: A commonsense guide to auditioning for musicals and plays. New York, New York: Back Stage Books. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MzVDeYiZRhoC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=Theater audition

Craig, D. (1993). A performer prepares: A guide to song preparation for actors, singers and dancers. New York, NY: Applause. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZKuhRkx8fQUC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=Theatre audition preparation&ots=tdaDVx_E6H&sig=gFj_qH04SB6ZCJV_NTDgnrLRZdY