<p>I had students get into CMU, UM, PPU, and NYU doing monologues that are solely from movies - so it's ok in SOME cases. But play monologues are definitely "safer."</p>
<p>MTpolk: It's fine. Don't worry about it.</p>
<p>thanks to soozievt coachc and doctorjohn.
that'll help me keep my confidence up about the monologue: that's so important for the audition..</p>
<p>Ok i have ALOT of questions.<br>
1. A request acutally- can we go back to giving song suggestions to students? I know many of the parents think its a bad idea but i also think that they dont know how hard it is for students to find songs that arent overdone.
2. Ok, im going to be selfish now. I am applying to MT schools as a transfer student (I currently go to UC Berkeley). I am a coloratura soprano and an alto (i know its weird but thats the truth). I was thinking of doing "Wild and Reckless" from "drat the cat" and "moonfall" from "the mystery of edwin drood." Are these overused? I would really not like to do moonfall though because it has no acting in it, it just sounds pretty. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
3. What about shows that can be both musicals and operas? i.e. porgy and bess, show boat, street scene, and allegro. Is it ok to do a song from a show that the authors labled as an opera but the rest of the world calls it a musical?
4. Are there monologues that are overdone and do the MT auditioners care? I am guessing that they do i just am not sure which ones are overdone.
5. Earlier people were talking about age appropriate monologues. I really want to do a monologue from "the bad seed" by a character that is 40 years old or so. I know its not my age but i feel like i can nail this monologue, should i not do it just because the character is not my age?
6. Last question! Is it risky to do a song from little women, aka astonishing, because it is so new? I heard that everyone sang defying gravity a few years ago before wicked got famous and it was completely overused but not something you could predict was going to be over used. So is it too much of a gamble to use songs from new shows like that, aka little women, light in the piazza, etc, etc, and so forth.
Thanks for everybodys help!</p>
<p>CCM says don't do anything from Edwin Drood, and I think it's probably a good rule. Also, Moonfall has a TON of acting in it! The character is basically being forced to sing a VERY suggestive love song to this guy she finds utterly repulsive, and she knows that he's practically drooling all over her performance of it and that's even grosser. It's a super-icky song, when you think about it.</p>
<p>Shows that are "both musicals and operas," as you put it, are fine, as far as I know. But I don't recommend doing anything from Showboat, or at least not the most well-known songs. Bill and Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man of Mine are just so done and done (and I mean by recording artists the world over.)</p>
<p>There are overdone monologues - almost anything in a monologue anthology is overdone, for example. Read lots of plays. Or at least skim through them looking for characters that match you that have monologues.</p>
<p>Do a monologue that is your age. It's just not a good idea to play a character way older than you.</p>
<p>I would say you probably could do a song from Little Women, since it wasn't successful on Broadway. You just want to avoid the ones that are new AND wildly popular.</p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>So, how is a monologue from a speech and debate competition?
But, that's not my favorite one, so I don't really mind if I can't do it. Here's the question...I LOVE "the complete qorks of shakespeare abridged". Can I do something from that for a monologue? I mean, it's not on any list as a "DON'T DO". And as much as I know, it's not done by a ton of people....</p>
<p>I also need a song that's under 90 seconds, and up-tempo. I have a pretty big range...and I'd like to belt...or something similar to that. </p>
<p>Can anyone help me? Please?</p>
<p>Opranoodle-</p>
<p>1- I have previously played the part of Rosa, and that is one tough acting peice. If you read into it, and take it in context. I have been told, however, don't sing Drood. No matter how 'unknown' the show is, its been overdone. I wanted to sing Rosa's Confession myself, and it was quickly negated.</p>
<p>2- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not sing Astonishing! Bad show, AMAZING song. Such an amazing song that over 10 of my friends that are auditioning for MT for colleges are using it. My guess is that it is this years overdone song- and next years addition to the please dont sing me list. Save yourself- don't do that, or Piazza. A Light In The Piazza just one best score, and the most tonys out of any musical. That means- STAY AWAY. I mean, I wish I could do The Beauty Is, but I can't. Also, Adam Guettel writes insanley chalenging Piano parts. He's up there with Sondheim and Jason Robert Brown.</p>
<p>Leo-</p>
<p>1- No, we can't choose a song for you. We dont know you, don't know your voice. That has been asked countless times, I'm sorry.</p>
<p>2- I am currently IN The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare Abridged! Its with 10 people, instead of three thought. We are having SUCH a blast. Monolouges I can see done- </p>
<p>Jess- The Shakespeare Revivalist Preacher (thats me!)
Adam- The biography on Shakespeares life
Daniel- Opening Act 2 (Cover the Sonnets Speech)</p>
<p>Those are really the only monolouges in the show that can be used out of context, and aren't true Shakespeare. Good luck!</p>
<p>I agree about Astonishing. Perhaps other songs from Little Women would be all right to use but Astonishing is going to be OVERUSED at this point in time. It is akin to using Millie or Wicked the past two years. All of those are way overdone at college auditions. Ask around and you will discover that Astonishing is now a song that many want to do. Great song to use for a local audition but not for college audition ones.</p>
<p>I also agree that Astonishing will be this year's overdone song. I have heard so many girls singing it already at a local level for things. </p>
<p>I do have a question for anyone out there. My daughter is auditioning for Gertrude McFuzz in Seusical in a few weeks. I read somewhere that there were some cc girls doing that part now but I can't find where I read it even with a search to ask them what may be a good audition song for that kind of part. The director is very big on auditioning with something similar to the part. We don't know the play well (have recently got the soundtrack though) and my daughter is not sure of some good songs similar to that part. Any ideas?</p>
<p>How about My New Philosophy which is somewhat similar to the "All for You" song.</p>
<p>overdone + Character song + meant for Kristen Chenowith = bad choice.</p>
<p>Since I was responding to a direct question about auditioning for Gertrude in Suessical, I offered a song that the person cast in one of the two productions of Suessical my daughter did last year used.
And it may be overdone- but my daughter got into Interlochen with it, so for some it must not be a bad choice.
A different caution is if the accompaniest doesn't know it, it can be tricky to synchronize.</p>
<p>use something else from steven flaherty and lynn ahrens. Like Once on This Island (a little overdone, but as long as it's not a big national show or something like that, it shouldn't be a problem) or even Anastasia. Anastasia is technically a movie, but it's good.
I was Gertrude in the past year. It was a lot of fun, but it's vocally challenging. Find a song that will allow your daughter to belt a 'd' or even a little higher, and maybe a song that allows her to go high as one of the songs ("Amazing Gertrude") goes up to a high, high D at the end.</p>
<p>Just a simple observation, but I am amazed at the fixation of contemporary music selections for audition pieces. Is there anyone out there planning to perform old classic MT pieces for auditions?
Just wondering.</p>
<p>SUE</p>
<p>My D is using a 2 Cole Porter songs - and uptempo and ballad (from different shows) from the 1920's, and a ballad from the 1970's</p>
<p>Sue,</p>
<p>That is refreshing to hear!! One of my Ss did a ballad from the operetta "The Great Gatsby".....and it provoked quite the converstation in auditions as to why he picked it!!</p>
<p>Cole Porter is wonderful and Gerswhin is another favorite.</p>
<p>Hope your D does well!</p>
<p>SUE</p>
<p>Be careful - some schools specify no operetta - at least UM does.</p>
<p>One of my songs is classic Rodgers & Hammerstein.</p>
<p>Eek, I think I just ruined my manicure typing that!</p>
<p>Also, for me personally, the older songs usually don't focus on a belt mix, which is my most marketable asset right now. My other song is contemporary, and I chose it specifically because it shows off a high belt mix range - think Carolee Carmello, that sort of thing. It's an ability that not everyone has (yet!), and I was constantly getting asked for coaching on how to do it by the other girls at the U of Arizona MT program. I just can't think of any older musicals that use belt mix at all.</p>
<p>Inarguably, the funniest play I have EVER seen. Everyone in the audience was HOWLING. The actors at this performance were absolutely hysterical. You must be having a blast!!
Also - question about belting. How high should an MT major be expected to belt? I.e. what do most musical directors look for? Just curious. My d is a soprano and can't belt too high.</p>