<p>So, I'm not a huge fan of ballads. Since young tenor "male ingenues" are usually the lovers, it seems like a lot of tenor ballads depicting undying love to the love interest. I am not against love songs in the slightest, but it seems like all of the non-oversung, approved-composer audition ballads are talking about the same thing. For future reference, I shall call these "safe ballads". I have a couple questions about what is "acceptable and what auditors would prefer to see" in an audition ballad:</p>
<p>1.) Is material from new shows okay (e.i. Book or Mormon or Newsies)?
2.) Is material from jukebox musicals okay (e.i. Jersey Boys or Boy From Oz)?
3.) What about music that changes speed throughout the song? Does a ballad always have to be "slow" or it just be...for lack of a better term, ballad-y?</p>
<p>What I am looking for:
1.) A tenor song (or song that can be transposed in a tenor key) that shows off my range and acting-through-song abilities
2.) Something that's NOT oversung...in fact, not something that's somewhat-known that the auditors are trying to remember where they heard the song instead of listening to me sing
3.) Material that's suited to my age. I will be 21 at the time of auditions, but I look 16, but I still have a "presence" that sets me apart from people who are legitimately in their adolescent years. Maybe something that suits my look and type (most people say that I resemble young Elijah Wood with dark red-auburn hair*).
4.) Something that really makes me stand out and that I can relate to (terribly amateur and vague of me, I know, but who isn't looking for this?)</p>
<p>"Safe Ballads" I am considering:</p>
<p>1.) "It Only Takes A Moment" from Hello Dolly!
2.) "Come to Me, Bend to Me" from Brigadoon
3.) "Young and Foolish" from Plain and Fancy</p>
<p>Ballads that I really want to do (in no particular order):</p>
<p>1.) "Why God Why?" from Miss Saigon
2.) "Seven Wonders" from Catch Me If You Can
3.) "Run Away With Me" from The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Browne (is this one over-done?)
4.) "My Eyes Adored You" from Jersey Boys
5.) "Don't Cry Out Loud" from Boy From Oz
6.) "Pity the Child" from Chess
7.) "We Can Never Go Back To Before" Ragtime (traditionally sung by Mother, but I can see it being sun by a man
8.) Santa Fe from Newsies</p>
<p>Composers/musicals (whom/that I love) and I know I'm supposed to avoid:
1.) Sondheim
2.) Jason Robert Browne
3.) Andrew Lloyd Webber
4.) Wicked
5.) Les Miserables</p>
<p>I want to have at least two ready to go at the audition.</p>
<p>*As a bonus question, I have red hair. It's not ginger or "bright" red hair -- it's auburn, so it's mixed with dark brown and it shines as lighter red in the sun on the top. It's very fine in texture and very straight. I have it cut in a "Disney prince" haircut. My question is, I know people are sometimes perceived as "character actors" if they're redheads. I also know that red hair is a recessive gene and very rare in men. Because I'm a man and my hair is of a darker-auburn shade, am I still going to be seen as a character or might it actually help me because so few men are redheads? I am willing to dye it brown or black if it would help me out.</p>
<p>Suggestions for ballads? Thoughts? Anyone know about redheads?</p>
<p>Thanks so much, sorry for the novel.</p>