Find your Performance Class Musical and Choose ONE side (scene) and ONE Song to prepare for your audition. Guide Vocal tracks and Instrumental Tracks are above the listed songs. For your student's audition, they will need to use the Instrumental Track.
Any student who wishes to have a lead part and or featured part (soloist or drama part) must participate in the audition....both singing and acting.
All students will be in the musical and will have special parts so.....NO WORRIES. There are lots of chorus parts. We want this to be fun experience. If a student does not want to be considered for a major role in the musical, then he or she may sing “Happy Birthday” for their recorded audition or they can elect not to sing at all. Either is fine!
If your child is auditioning for a lead or featured part, please RECORD them saying one of the sides and one of the songs. Please have them say their name at the beginning and tell what side and song they chose.
If your child can do any special tricks or dances, please record them doing this as well.
Once you have recorded their audition, please send to the GOOGLE DOC that will sent to you via email by August 12th.
Callbacks for lead parts will happen on Saturday, August 15th. You will be given an exact time if you are called back. If you do not receive a call back, this does not mean you didn't get a part.
Casts will be announced the first week of classes.
Audition Notes
Vocal Auditions 1) A musical theater vocal audition is NOT "American Idol". This is an audition, not a “sing-off”. It’s all about storytelling. The directors aren’t so much listening to voices as looking for who can tell a story with their voice, face, and body.
2) The directors have a problem. They need to put together a big puzzle and find just the right pieces to put it together best. They are not there to “judge” you – they are really hoping that you’ll be the right fit for one of the puzzle pieces. Your job is to help the directors solve their problem. So, there’s no need for you to be nervous!
3) If you’re nervous anyway, “hide” behind the character. Remember that it’s not “you” up there; it’s your character. Tell your character’s story the entire time when you audition. Get involved in telling the story and don’t spend time thinking about how your voice sounds when you sing. Make a strong, active choice for your character, and play it fully. We can't tell anything about your character if you don't show us an active personality.
4) Try to be aware of what your face and body are doing when you sing. Regardless of how your song sounds, if your face doesn’t tell the story of the song, the audience isn’t going to understand the story. Our brains process pictures before they process words, so if your hands are busy doing something unrelated to the song (for instance: tugging at the bottom of your shirt) the audience is going to think your song is about something else (a shirt), no matter what words you’re singing!
5) Use clear diction. We need to understand every word that you sing.
INTRODUCTION TO “SIDES” Please select your musical and you'll find audition reading cuts (or "sides"). Try to memorize your side for your audition.
The words in “italics” are "stage directions.” They describe how the show will look to your audience, including the physical appearance of the stage and any important physical actions performed by the characters. Sometimes stage directions also help the actors understand why characters say and do certain things. Stage directions are not spoken aloud.
The number one mistake in cold reading is speaking too softly. If we can't hear you, it doesn't matter how great your reading is. Also, speak clearly and not too quickly. Another common error is "singsong" or repetitive speech patterns -- using the same vocal pitch patterns for every line. Often, new actors begin lines on a higher vocal pitch and end on a lower vocal pitch (or place the ending words of a line in the back of the throat and speak them with a croaking sound). This is called "dropping the line", especially if the end of the line is harder to hear than the beginning. Avoid "dropping the line" at all costs.