<p>Ah, the quest to find audition material. Daunting isn't it? I'm going through the same thing.
There are several music books in publication that are loaded with great songs. My advice, check out musicbookcenter.com or borders.com.
I highly recommend: The Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology Vol 2 or 3. It's a compilation of over 100 songs from both On and Off-Broadway musical theatre specifically for different vocal ranges (tenor, baritone ect.) You may also want to check out 16-Bar Theatre Audition. It has songs already cut down to 16-bars, the perfect length for an audition song. Another great one is Tunes for Teens from Musicals: Young Men's Edition. It is really great, it comes with a CD with vocals and without.
Hope this was helpful! :)</p>
<p>I'm currently involved in a fully staged concert version of Camelot that goes up tomorrow night at the Hollywood Bowl (Jeremy Irons, Melissa Errico, James Barbour, Paxton Whitehead, Orson Bean, and a VERY talented supporting cast!), and while listening to Guenevere's material, it thought about your question about material like "Green Finch" and other soprano songs that don't go above the G.</p>
<p>"Before I Gaze at You Again" is a GORGEOUS song with fabulous and full acting values, and I have never ONCE heard it in auditions!!! She's singing to Lancelot (in her mind's eye), begging him to go away so she won't fall in love with him any more than she already has. It is a song appropriate for an older teen to early 20s girl, and deals with a subject that most women can relate to - wanting terribly the guy that you know is wrong for you.</p>
<p>I highly suggest getting the soundtrack and listening to Guenevere's material: "Simple Joys of Maidenhood," and "The Lusty Month of May" are both classic M.T. material, and are really not often seen at auditions. But especially listen to "Before I Gaze at You Again." Dynamite!</p>
<p>And gents, " C'est Moi" is a great choice if you are a baritone - think in terms of "Me!" from Beauty and the Beast (but you needn't be a muscle-beach dude to pull C'est Moi off).</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>eve</p>
<p>Do you know of any good auditions songs for tenors that are not too overdone?</p>
<p>Mama Look Sharp (1776)
I'd Rather Be Sailing (A New Brain)
Fanny (Fanny)
I Will Follow You (Milk and Honey)
Very Soft Shoes (Once Upon a Mattress)
The Only Home I know (Shenandoah)
Sunset Boulevard (Sunset Boulevard)
Barrett's Song (Titanic)
Anything from Floyd Collins!
Promise Me Violet (Violet)</p>
<p>There's a couple to start off.</p>
<p>eve</p>
<p>Let Me Walk Among You; & Apology to a Cow (Bat Boy)
Love Can't Happen (Grand Hotel)
No Moon (Titanic)
Ballad in Which MacHeath Begs All Mens' Forgiveness (Threepenny Opera)</p>
<p>a couple more.</p>
<p>g'night,</p>
<p>eve</p>
<p>Larger Than Life (My Favorite Year)
Use What You've Got (The Life)
Do I Love You (Cinderella)
Later (A Little Night Music) - this is FABULOUS
Broadway Baby; & There's Something About You (Dames at Sea)</p>
<p>Great idea on the voice part suggestions. I'm not really an MT performer and was going for straight acting, but did have to sing for some auditions and had a bear of a time finding good songs for young, non-belting altos. Any suggestions in that direction?</p>
<p>eve, you've been so very helpful and supportive to the kids and parents here. I wonder if you would consider making a new thread which perhaps the moderator could add as a sticky to the top of the page as part of the FAQ, which would suggest songs for the various voice types? I know that it would be an invaluable resource for kids looking for audition material and a good starting point for them in their search. I realize you must be a very busy lady but perhaps you could do it in stages, somehow? Give it some thought, because I can tell how you love to help kids. :)</p>
<p>great idea Alwaysamom!</p>
<p>I'm going to apologize in advance because I anticipate that this question will not make me a very popular poster, especially amongst the students on this particular thread, but here goes anyway......</p>
<p>Eve, I've been following with great interest your repertoire suggestions for the students who have been asking for help with choosing audition songs and monologues and here's my question. Wouldn't these students be better served by starting to learn the PROCESS of how to select repertoire for themselves? Please understand that I think you have been extraordinarily generous with your time and expertise in listing less well known, age appropriate and exciting repertoire for students to consider. Your lists contain such interesting material and make me want to go back and listen to the songs you've suggested. But I'm concerned that if the students get in the habit of having other people e.g., voice teachers, drama coaches, camp counselors etc., spoon feed them song choices, how will they ever learn how to do this for themselves? Granted, it is hard work - it takes research, listening to and really getting to know the shows from which these songs come, learning about the historical context of the shows, engaging in some real reflection and self analysis - all of those exercises that help young performers begin the process of learning about themselves as artists - which characters do they identify with? what character traits resonate with them? what do they feel strongly enough about to want to communicate it through song? - the exercises that will help them grow and take responsibility for their own growth? If these students are really committed to applying to work in an MT BFA program, it is not too soon for them to have begun this work. If they are fortunate enough to be accepted, they will find that this is what will be expected of them.</p>
<p>This is not the first thread on this forum in which students have asked for help with song and monologue choices and for the most part, while those who have gone before are willing to share what choices they have made, we have also almost uniformly advised students about the steps they can take to start to find and analyze rep, rather than make assumptions about what songs or monologues would work for them because we don't really know them. </p>
<p>Again, please understand that I raise this issue with all due respect to the enormous amount of time and energy you have already spent sharing so much valuable information with parents and students alike. I really am very interested in your opinion about this process. </p>
<p>I know this has become something of a cliche (and sometimes sayings become cliched because they have value and are repeated ad infinitum), but I can't help thinking of the saying that goes something like this, "Give me a fish and I'll eat today. Teach me to fish and I'll eat for a lifetime."</p>
<p>Music Theater
Applicants must be prepared to sing three pieces: one classical or art song, one classic Music Theater piece written prior to 1970, and one contrasting Music Theater piece of the applicants choice. Applicants must also perform a monologue of not more than three minutes. Optional dance leveling in ballet, jazz and tap will be offered</p>
<p>to Theatre mom.
You make a geat point and this is why I have not suggested any specific monologues by name on CC. I HAVE suggested ways to FIND monologues and given advice.</p>
<p>Having said that, I really do believe "It takes a village". I think it is a process that begins and ends with the input of (often) many people. When I work with a student, first, I have them get plays from the public library and explore playwrights they are attracted to. I have them go to the theatre alot and I have them google sources. I ALSO bring them plays and sometimes monologues to read. But I know these kiddos and have a working relationship with them. (and they are paying for my help)
In the end, the students are the ones who have to perform the material and need to resonate with it and love it. Often, the final choices come from an idea that originated from me but was expounded on by them! </p>
<p>My husband and I were just talking about this yesterday as a matter of fact. I told him I could never suggest audition material to an actor without knowing them. I feel that with songs, it might be a bit easier, but then again, I am not a vocal coach, so what do I know? </p>
<p>I think the Prof. is very generous and knowledgable. I would take her suggestions seriously as a starting place and go from there. It just may provide a much needed spark!</p>
<p>Thanks for your response Mary Anna. It was a great clarification of what I was trying to suggest. Anyone who has read what I write here knows my committment to helping kids be successful in this process and it is clear that Eve lives that committment every day in her professional life. (Wouldn't I love to have been able to offer such a resource to my D when she was knee deep in MT songbooks!) I think the middle ground is just as you suggested and a pointer towards less well known musical theater shows and suggestions as to how and where to find them is a great place to start. I know that when my D began the process of searching for classical material for the NFAA competition, she was in way over her head. Her voice teacher gave her a list of composers and art song anthologies to consider and sent her off to the library to listen. After just a few hours of listening, she had a sense of those composers whose work "spoke" to her and was then able to bring material back to her teacher for them to consider together. While I remember her saying "Why can't she just pick out some songs that would be right for me? - I don't have time for this now!" at the beginning of the process, I know that sifting through the choices and feeling drawn to some things and put off by others was a real light bulb moment. I also remember that at CMU pre-college, there were two vocal performance teachers - one gave each of his students specific material to sing while the other made the kids spend hours in the library looking for rep. I was so appreciative that my D was in the latter class. I'm sure you can imagine how much she was loving me that summer when I expressed my support for her teacher's choice.......</p>
<p>With support and a little guidance, the process of choosing rep can be such an enlightening endeavor. Thanks again Mary Anna for sharing your approach to the process. You said it perfectly - It does take a village!</p>
<p>I know when my D started this process a year ago, she had no clue about appropriate and inappropriate material, and no idea how to choose a song. Her voice teacher was great at musical instruction but didn't really know the fine points of auditioning for colleges. There was no MT or audition coach, and she didn't attend CMU or one of the places that prepares one thoroughly for auditions. </p>
<p>So while it might be inappropriate to "give" songs to a student, SOME direction is extremely helpful. And any instruction on the right way to choose a song. </p>
<p>So we'll have a test: audition results last year having little idea of all this, and audition results next year with some knowledge of it!</p>
<p>Hi, all:</p>
<p>Yes, I was hesitant to suggest titles; but in my experience, this is indeed a "launching point," as students inevitably don't take my suggestions (oh well..), but it does give them an idea that sparks the journey to find great songs/composers for their sensibilities.</p>
<p>If you'll note, the lists is varied in style/period, and hopefully gets the young student (who in many cases may be doing this all on their own, with no teacher/coach assistance available) motivated and excited to research.</p>
<p>And I will definitely start a new thread (audition titles they haven't often heard, or something such as that); and then experienced actors and coaches can chime in with other titles, and/or tell me I'm full of bull if they HAVE heard these a lot (make sure we aren't insulating ourselves from all markets in this great country). I'll begin ASAP. Thank you for the suggestion!</p>
<p>eve</p>
<p>I suspect as students search for audition materials...whether through using Eve's (and other's) proposed selections....or through their own methods of perusement (is that a word?)....they will hone in on composers and music which "speak to them" in ways others don't. I know my own daughter was given suggestions of music from her voice teachers...and had the pile (nearly as tall as she!) of library-loaned librettos...and went through her own music books...and listened to loads of cds to finally find the songs she wanted to use. She discounted more than one song that was "suggested" to her by a teacher. If it didn't "fit" she just didn't enjoy singing it. And that was perhaps the best advice I remember hearing when picking your audition material. You must love it...a lot. Because you'll be doing it for months! And if you hate it, it will show in your performance. So, be sure you love your material! I know my D discovered several new composers in her search that she will always go back to because she connects with them in a way the others can't approach. It is a real journey to travel!</p>
<p>We would appreciate some suggestions. My d has found several classical/serious monologues but is having a very difficult time finding a comedic one. We have bought several books etc and time is getting closer and she wants to have a few to choose from. She would also like to read the play it is from. As I mentioned earlier in a thread, she loved the
Wonderbread Passion but we can't locate the play. Probably never published . Anyway, suggestions would be very helpful. She will be a young 17 auditioning - petite, generally cast as (chest) as eve posted definitions earlier.</p>
<p>Thank you </p>
<p>Lexismom</p>
<p>This is about a few posts back, but as a student I can attest that getting suggestions for audition material really does jumpstart the search, and not hurt the students ability to find music themselves. My problem, as a rising senior was that I didn't have any good suggestions and ended up singing something from Rent and a musical from an obscure book of material pulled together with keys changed and all. Both frowned apon.. [I didn't get in, by the way. of course...] I actually laugh at myself when I think of how I must've looked singing Rent. But after finding some people who had a good repertoire I got some good suggestions and that's when i really started to look outside of the DO-NOT-SING material (I didn't end up using any of the suggestions anyway.) Because up to that point (maybe it was because i went to a school where no one ever goes to college for MT) nobody i knew had heard of anything other than les mis, rent, or annie. I really needed someone who could recommend some older more obscure material to lead me in the right direction. At that point i didn't know it was bad to sing from the big shows...
So now it's time for me to find new material for my transfer audition and since then i've gotten my hands on over 60 musicals which i've bought or borrowed (all on my ipod.. what a handy tool!), looking for material. although i have yet to find a song that hits me over the head as what i NEED to sing (ps, I don't believe that will ever happen) I DID discover certain actors with voice types like mine- Gavin Creel for example. I discovered that listening to Millie, but I know better than to sing something from that show. So I'd be better off singing something from Honk! for example (he premeired the lead in that show for MTI) but I've played that same part too, so that's supposed to be a no-no too. (If I'm wrong, please someone interject and let me know! I'm just trying to share my knowledge to help out in the conversation a bit!)
Something that has worked for me, as silly as it seems, is to use amazon.com as a means of exploring ideas. An example (using what I mentioned about Gavin Creel) is that say I listen to Millie, and feel that Gavin's songs fit me. I could use amazon to find other shows he's been in, and listen to clips. From there you can just keep following links and eventually you can end up with some good stuff.
That's my input anyway. :)
I do have a question about a particular song though? All I Need is the Girl from Gypsy... I've never really seen it on a 'freqently sung' list, but it was just revived a few years ago, and it seems like it would be overdone. But that's just a feeling I have, I don't know if that's at all true or not. Is that a song I should avoid?</p>
<p>I hope this doesn't come across as a stupid question. Here goes . . .
In researching vocal audition requirements, Syracuse and a few other schools I am considering suggested using ballads from prior to 1960 because they tend to have a "sustained legato line." Does anyone happen to know what a legato line is and its significance?
Thanks</p>
<p>Please be aware that schools that mention a pre-1960 song are not giving it as a suggestion but as a requirement. Several BFA programs have this requirement. Syracuse is one of them. </p>
<p>A legato line is like a smooth held phrase. There is no pause between notes. It is the opposite of staccato. A legato line is sung in one breath. On the music, it is often indicated by a slur line (a curved line above the notes). A legato line is often found in a ballad.</p>