<p>One of my D's former voice teachers did warn that the piano accompaniment on this one was tricky (like a lot of Sondheim).</p>
<p>What do you think about the ingenue songs of "Meet me in St Louis"</p>
<p>Actually, it's pretty easy for a Sondheim piece. I can play all of it, though there are parts I can't take up to tempo, and I'm a pretty bad pianist. It's almost all repetition of chords, and it's not too fast.</p>
<p>how do you guys feel about "you oughta be here with me" from big river?</p>
<p>Actually this is about any school that wants a classical monologue. If they say classical, and "pre-1900" and then say "for example shakespeare and the greeks" then is that a hint that they don't want to hear anything past 1700? (even though it said pre 1900?) hope that is clear.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Im a senior in high school amd i want to audition for MMC in NY and one of there request is that you have to sing a song from a musical before the 1970's. And reading the discussions and ethinic song chioce. So can some one help an african american MT student. P.S. im a male and baritone / 2nd tenor.
Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Anyone out there who is familiar with The Secret Garden and can think of some suitable songs and short monologues if I'm auditioning for Martha?</p>
<p>My d played Mary last year. You really need to have a British accent down pat (actually, I think Martha is more "Welsh" or cockney; can't remember!) The song "Hold On" is a great one and easy to get music for, if you want to do something from the show. It belts to a B at the end and you have to hold it for a while. Monologues, I'm not sure of. Martha does have some short monologues, from what I can remember, but her lines are mostly interspersed with dialogue w/Mary. Good luck - it's a great show, and beautiful score!</p>
<p>The dialect is Yorkshire - a fairly difficult one. However, many casting people/directors won't expect you to have mastered that by the time of your audition, so find out if you are required to do so before you inject it into your audition. If they don't require it, then don't do it - it's better to have a great audition than make a weak attempt at a dialect (unless, of course, you already know it or can master it quickly - but it's different from High British or Cockney).</p>
<p>Break a leg - it's a wonderful show!!!</p>
<p>CoachC</p>
<p>Just a double check here...we're talking about dialects for a "real" (= not college) audition, right? I thought for college auditions, NO DIALECTS was the rule so I'm just checking. !!</p>
<p>That's always been my understanding, but I'm NOT a monologue expert - my gig is song selection/repertoire and song coaching :) - maybe Mary Anna will chime in when comes "back" to CC after the holiday - at which time I will unfortunately largely "disappear" again, after a lovely break that allowed me A LOT of time to be on CC - as I delve back into grad school finals mania!</p>
<p>But yes, I think you're correct!</p>
<p>Chris, Elphaba is auditioning for a role, not a college audition, it appears. She wants to try for the role of Martha in Secret Garden. CoachC is wise in advising that she may want to find out if they expect her to use dialects at the audition or if not required, then wait until they teach it to her if/when she gets cast.</p>
<p>YOU are right that for college auditions, don't use dialects in your monologues. There was a big discussion on that here last March or April. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>I know this has been asked before, but I can't find the discussion if there is one. </p>
<p>Does a classical monologue include Shaw always, or only if Shaw is mentioned specifically? If the school means only Shakespeare or the Greeks when they say classical, will they specifiy this?</p>
<p>thanks to the knowledgeable ones!</p>
<p>When an audition calls for a "contemporary" monologue, how far back does "contemporary" span. Obviously, something from the 1900s would work, but compared to say, Shakespeare or the Greeks, is a monologue from 1850 contemporary?</p>
<p>When we ask for a contemporary monologue, it usually means something that has characters with more contemporary venacular and grammar - something, say, from the mid-1900s on that is not written in more antique language (such as the old English used in Miller's The Crucible, even though written in the 1950s).</p>
<p>When asking for a contemporary piece, we are looking for honesty and believability - hence the request for material that will be conducive to that end.</p>
<p>"Classic" would include Chekhov, Shaw, Strindberg, Ibsen, and others that are (approximately) pre-1940s. Williams, Miller, Albee, O'Neill, Odets, Wilder, Chayefsky, etc. can all be considered "contemporary" authors. Think in terms of "Modern American Realism," and you should be fine.</p>
<p>eve</p>
<p>chrism - </p>
<p>Since you originally asked your question about CMU, I wanted to let you know that the word I got from a current CMU actor is FOR THEM, do Shakespeare unless you have a particular mastery of the Greeks. This is one student's advice, but a very accomplished and respected student in their program. I am working with this student tomorrow and will verify, but he said this explicity (as we were working on a high school student's audition material). CMU seems to prefer pre-1700, as you asked earlier - of course there are no hard-and-fast rules, and again, I am NOT a monologue coach, so maybe others can chime in (CMU-ers especially, or those who have successfully auditioned for them). I know that ALL of my students who have been admitted to CMU have done Shakespeare, but that's just a correlation, really - lol, there goes my science brain, ready to go back to school!</p>
<p>Speaking of CMU-ers - Mary Anna, I saw your freshman MT at the recent freshman cabaret (I was there cheering on some of my own students), and he did a really nice job! I look forward to watching this group of freshmen "grow" for the next 3 1/2 years - always such a neat process to observe!</p>
<p>Happy Holidays, all!</p>
<p>CoachC</p>
<p>ok...posting FROM CMU this time :) - the Drama student to whom I am talking about this monologue stuff said by classical, CMU means pre-Chekov - and things other than the Greeks are also acceptable (Marlowe, for example), again if you have a REAL affinity for a piece which DISPLAYS A FACILITY for non-"modern" language - usually some type of verse - but he also said to beware translations of the Greeks that are too Anglicized (his word), since they don't display any ability with verse!</p>
<p>Again, one student's word, but it's a small program, as you all know, so I feel as if the students all get the same info from on high...</p>
<p>Hope that help even more!</p>
<p>CoachC</p>
<p>CoachC,
I'm a long time lurker who has learned a lot from the many posters on this forum. I have a D who is a junior. She is preparing fo her college auditions next fall. The theater teacher at her H.S. is also starting to think about what productions to do next school year and is interested in featuring my D. Here's my question. My D is broad shouldered, tall - 5 feet 8 inches, she is a highly skilled dancer, and is definitely not an ingenue. She is a very attractive girl, but because she tends to speak at the bottom of her vocal range and the fact that she projects a very self-confident manner, no one thinks of her for the young, sweet thing type of parts. She is a legit soprano, just beginning to learn to belt, and has a wide vocal range. She easily sings a 6th below middle C, but her voice teacher likes her best in her upper range. The songs she does best are things like, "Green Finch and Linnet Bird", "Unexpected Song", and "So In Love" from Kiss Me Kate. I know that "Green Finch" is frowned upon for college auditions since it is Sondheim; it also seems wrong for my D because Johanna is an ingenue. I'm not sure about the character who sings "Unexpected Song". "So In Love" is sort of my D's signature song. The role of Kate seems made for her. Kate is the strong woman type of character that my D does so well. She's a Katherine Hepburn sort, not a sweet innocent. Do you have any suggestions for songs? How about musicals other than "Kiss Me Kate"? D's theater teacher is unlikely to choose to do "Kiss Me Kate" next year because the school did the show 3 years ago. I'd really appreciate any suggestions you might have.</p>
<p>Hi there Anon.- </p>
<p>Just wanted to let you know "CoachC" now has to become "GradStudentC" again - entering into 2 1/2 weeks of finals mania and end-of-semester clinicial work - so I'm unfortunately unable to have the fun of answering your questions about show choices (although DirectorC loves them)!!! As for song choices, I reserve that advice for my students - cause CC is my hobby, but coaching is my job! :)</p>
<p>A word of concern, though, from GradStudent/VoiceTherapistC - you say that your daughter "tends to speak at the bottom of her vocal range." If she is TRULY doing that, it may be unhealthy - we optimally should speak near the MIDDLE of our vocal ranges. Many people have a HABITUAL speaking pitch that is NOT the same as their OPTIMAL speaking pitch (the one their voices naturally, anatomically and physiologically, "want" to achieve) and eventually, that can lead to vocal problems. And as I think I've stated here before, on the Medical Voice thread, most singers' vocal problems are related to their SPEAKING habits. Of course your D isn't having vocal problems now, and she may never - but often problems don't manifest in YOUNG singers with vocal tension or other injurious vocal habits - but they will manifest eventually. I don't mean to alarmist - but you may want to ask her voice teacher about your D's SPEAKING pitch - well-trained voice teachers also have an ear for these things!</p>
<p>Good luck with everything!
CoachC</p>
<p>Definitely no expert here, but your description of your daughter brought to mind a potential musical show for her. How about "Hello Dolly"?</p>