It would be great if accepted students would post what audition songs and monologues they used
Just my opinion: Not sure how that would be all that helpful to know because the right song for someone else is not going to necessarily be the right song for you. And in the end, that is what matters. Schools don’t accept based on what song you pick.
Also, these songs and monologues will in all likelihood remain in the student’s repertoire. Most will not want to share their finds.
I agree - D is using one of her college monologues for summer stock auditions this year
While I understand @toowonderful and @vocal1046, I think @soozievt has the best answer. We sometimes have the same kids use the same songs but most of the time we want the personality of the kids to come inside the package. There are no “best” songs that get kids heard better but there are those you shouldn’t use. Most colleges will give you the list of “no go” songs. Packages are hard to put together and people can give you ideas but in the end it is best that your D or S LOVES what they are doing and that they can do it well. There are some great sources out there. We have our kids start looking by listening to as many older musicals as they can. The pre-65 songs are the hardest ones to pick out. It takes lots of ground work but it is worth it!
Part of the journey is choosing your songs and making them your own. Short circuiting the process may be easier, but in the end, you won’t learn as much. I do believe there is a point to the process itself.
I agree with NAtlantaStudio and would add the pre 1965 uptempo are particularly difficult! Esp. for them to make sense in short cuts! So my humble advice: You will need a Golden Age for some schools, and for a couple, a 16 bar cut. So make that a ballad or legato line song, and find a contemporary uptempo to contrast. Lots more to choose from in the contemporary uptempo rep.
I like Rogers and Hart for uptempo pre-1965. I guess I feel less protective of D’s songs - after all, there are only so many out there. Plus, I read somewhere that it is NOT a good idea to use a song that the auditors have never heard before- they might spend time trying to figure it out rather than actually listening.
The auditors know a LOT of rep, especially classic MT! So it’s not like you have to sing something overdone just to make sure they’ll know it. A lot of times they’ll compliment you on finding material that’s closer to obscure…I think a good goal is to bring in pieces they “forgot they loved.”
My classic song was from 1964 (thankfully no schools on my list required pre-1960, although I have one in my book) and it was an up-tempo belt. I was wary of the pre-1960 ballads being to “ingenue-y” because I’m a definite character actor. It was hard to find a contemporary ballad that wasn’t totally belty though!
There was an explicit explanation from at least one school that with the request for pre-1960 they are looking for a sustained legato line that is seldom seen in more contemporary pieces. I’d say that’s best satisfied by a ballad. If your ballad is contemporary but has a sustained legato line then you can go with a jaunty older uptempo.