Songs: Audition Cuttings Part 1 - The Verse and Chorus

So you’ve picked your song. First suggestion – learn the entire song.

Will you ever do the entire song for an audition? Probably not. Should you know the entire song? Yes. Why?

What if?

I have heard the stories. OH the drama! The fun! The “Oh-my gosh I’m so lucky –I’m so screwed!” – Stories!

·         An actor finished their 16 bar cutting and then they were asked to do the entire song.

·         An actor finished their cutting and they were asked to do 32 bars, or the verse and the chorus.  

·         An Actor finished their cutting and then they were asked to do another song. “Start from the beginning and go until I stop you.” (SO RARE, so Lucky IF you can do it)

·         An Actor finished their cutting and then they were asked to tell the story of the song they just did the cutting from.

It happens. Not often, but it does happen.

So – be prepared.

How do you cut a song?

You want to show off your voice AND tell a story. That seems impossible in 16 bars. It’s not. It’s just a very short story J Let’s start with something easier.

Today let’s talk about the request for the “Verse and Chorus”. Please remember these are not hard and fast rules. They are however pretty great guidelines that have worked for me and other actors I know.

VERSE AND CHORUS

v  Verse and Chorus

o   I usually start at the chorus and then go into the last verse. I do this because well – the chorus starts at a high point and then usually keeps building in intensity. It's INTERESTING. In most songs the last verse goes someplace new musically. That place is -usually -DYNAMIC! Doing this part of the song shows off your range and often the last verse has a money note. Think about it.

§  These are NOT SUGGESTIONS just EXAMPLES

·         Defying Gravity

·         The Wizard and I

·         There’s a Fine, Fine Line

o   The story is usually exciting at the end the song. Often at this point the song is telling the end of the story. Sometimes there’s a reveal. It’s wrapping up. We humans are pretty good at putting together what happened to get us to the end of the story. So you’re telling the climax of the story. The EXCITING part. You want to sound good. You need to sound good. But you need to tell the story. So as always:

Don’t forget to act!

Musical Theatre - Where to Start

Musical Theatre - Where to Start

First of all - Listen. Listen to musicals. I continue to be amazed that people venture into the world of Musical Theatre but don't know much about the canon. You must know your material as well as your craft.
Knowing  Wicked, Next to Normal and Avenue Q - is not enough. So today before we "Figure out Your Voice Type". Ask -"Should I take lessons" (The answer is yes and btw more voice teachers to come but check out the ones I already posted) "What song should I sing?"" What should I have in my audition book?" "How do I talk to an accompanist?"  "What should my audition cut look like"....oh yes many posts to come!

Before all that a SHORT Quiz / homework. Ready?

Sondheim and Webber: Is there really fan rivalry? ( don't know who these two are? hmmm)

Who is Patty Lupone?

Who is Mandy Patinkin?

Who is Sutton Foster?

Ok - if you know the cannon - come back later this week. If not - here are just a few OH so few musicals for you to listen to and get to know. I believe all of these are before the 90s. Here we go.

A Chorus Line. (Every Little Step is a great documentary to go with this)
   This is the first musical I fell in love with. Sadly I was cursed with movement dyslexia and will never be a dancer.

Into The Woods, Assassins, A Little Night Music
Evita
Anything Goes
Oklahoma
Fiddler on The Roof
Show Boat
The Secret Garden
Grease (The Musical - not John and Olivia much as I love them!)
West Side Story

This is just a starter course - smaller than an appetizer. Seriously - if you don't know these musicals hop online and read about them. LISTEN to them. Go see them if you have the opportunity.

What's New Wednesday! Shoshanna Bean

It's the Holidays! Solstice, Hanukka(Chanukah), Kwanzaa, Christmas! New Year around the corner. So there is a PLETHORA of holiday outings and events. What about those college students home for a visit wanting to keep their skills sharp, Professionals looking to keep their skills sharp or those who took vacation in hopes of finding non-traditional events.
Seattle has the answer! I want to highlight one event and pre-promote next week's event.

Shoshanna Bean is coming to Seattle!  (picture from Shoshanna's FB fan page photo credit Matthew Murphy)

She's doing a one day Master Class and Vocal Interpretation of Song . Although the performance slots are full, there are still observation slots available. Click on the Master Class link for more details!

For those of you who don't know - Shoshanna took over for Idina Menzel after she left Wicked and made a lasting mark on the Broadway community. She is originally from Olympia, Washington. A kicking voice and beautiful spirit, this class is going to be amazing! If you have a chance to go - do it! Check out her website- check out her voice - If you don't know who she is you are missing out!

New Voices 10 - The Best of New Voices - is next week's "What's New Wednesday" post - I mention it now because tickets fly!

Do you sing?

Do you sing? Most people answer yes. In the shower, with the radio in the car. So my next question is - Are you a singer?

If you are a singer you have technique, you at least work on being able to read music, perhaps you sight sing (if not - work on that!) you may have been in a choir, you take voice lessons.

I have met a lot of young actors who love musicals. The American Musical has made a huge comeback. Wicked, Next To Normal, American Idiot (hate it or love it!) just to name a few have drawn in a whole new generation of Musical Theatre Fans. Ten years ago you could count on your hands the number of Universities that had legitimate B.F.A's in Musical Theatre. Now - close your eyes, open the directory of schools and point - they are everywhere.

It doesn't mean they are all good - but that's another post!

Because of this love and enthusiasm for the material a lot of people want to do musical theatre. Well then -get some training. Why?

Technique. Your voice will not get through the run of a show if you do not have technique. You will lose your voice, you won't sound as good night to night - you will hurt yourself - the list goes on. The voice is an instrument. You wouldn't pick up a trumpet for the first time a couple days before an audition. So why would you do that if you're a singer?

 Some quick bullet points that we will explore in more detail in later posts!

• Find a Voice Teacher
• Practice Everyday
• Speak Well - don't gutter out.
• Limit Caffeine and Alcohol (moderation!)
• Drink Water. Make it a habit
• Get enough sleep
• Protect your voice.

Your voice is your instrument. Treat it with respect.

The Musical Theatre Audition

The Musical Theatre Audition

Let me first say – have you read the fundamentals I posted earlier in this blog? Yes – Good! No – after you read this run on sentence – Stop – go read them- come back. Are back? Let us begin.

Auditioning for a musical is the same as any other audition with a few more elements thrown in. Singing and Dancing. Here is the thing. Singing is not just about sounding pretty. It is, or it should be, about acting the song.  Dancing is about – well – I’ll leave that to the experts (guest bloggers) but for me – it’s about doing the best I can and trying really hard to get them to look at my face – not the rest of my body! Over the next couple of posts we are going to talk about choosing an audition song. We will talk about ballads vs. up tempo, how to organize your book, how many books you should have, acting a song, where to find music, voice lessons etc.

We will also have some discussions and posts from some Music Directors, Choreographers and maybe a couple surprise visits!

In the mean time, keep singing. I hear Carols are hot right now! ;0