Thoughts on some songs that might be controversial- 1. Daryl is a Boy, which is not from a musical… is this acceptable? 2. You’ll Never Walk Alone, from Carousel… Too well known? 3. Blue Hair? 4. Nothing Short of Wonderful… too recent? too overdone? Any thoughts would be helpful!
- Unless otherwise stated, assume that MT programs require songs from musicals. Hence, "Daryl is a Boy" would not be a good choice (the content of the song is probably not so great for college auditions as well).
- Nettie Fowler in Carousel is a mature adult role (30-60 according to Stage Agent) and is outside the typical expected age range for college auditions (18-25). Hence, "You'll Never Walk Alone" is probably not a great choice.
- "Blue Hair" was way overdone a few years ago and appears on some "Do Not Use" lists, like James Madison: https://www.jmu.edu/theatredance/prospective-students/Musical%20Theatre/musical%20theatre-admissions.shtml
- Songs from *Dogfight* have been really popular for college auditions for the past couple of years. As long as you are OK with possibly hearing the person who auditions before you do your song, then "Nothing Short of Wonderful" is probably not a bad choice.
Thanks so much for the help! This is a long process!
@jessieburnett, I agree with @EmsDad. In addition, your best bet is to find songs that resonate with you…characters you could conceivably play…songs that show you at your best. You don’t have to show them your highest legit note, or your highest belt. You need to show them who YOU are. Sing songs that show off you at your best…not your outer limits. Find songs that are meaningful to you and make you feel something. That’s what they want to see. If they want to see how high (or low) you can go, they will vocalize you in the room. Some people put their range on their resume. Some schools ask you for your range. Sing what you sing well and comfortably. There are SO MANY musicals out there, B’way and off-B’way, to choose songs from. If you are having trouble, I would urge you to hire a coach to help you with song choice…we used MTCA and they were wonderful with that. Best of luck to you!
I agree with the above reassigning. The only song that I would keep up for consideration is Nothing Short of Wonderful from Dogfight. Good structure and character. Only disadvantage would be potentially overdone show to sing from. Some might say you won’t find a perfect song and this is a pretty good choice then. I like to think you shouldn’t settle on song choice and that you can find a perfect fit that isn’t overdone.
So, I’m guessing that songs from other classic shows that are currently revivals on broadway, like Fiddler on the Roof and the King and I, would not be good choices either?
Typically, yes. It’s a good rule of thumb to avoid anything on Broadway: long running shows (phantom or Chicago), new shows (Hamilton Waitress Finding Neveland), or the revivals (she loves me, King and I, Les Mis). You can sometimes get away with singing a song from a revival. The risk is that the show is going to get popular again and the songs could get done a lot. Also, the auditor could be sick of hearing another person sing “Vanilla Ice Cream” since it’s so mainstream with the revival. I’m pretty sure plenty of people get into great school’s this year even though they sang Try Me from She Loves Me. In fact, I sang a song from Fiddler on the Roof this year for my auditions and I got into some decent programs. It’s all about judgment and every single auditor will be completely different. At the end of the day, go with the songs and monologues that you love in your heart not just because it seems to be the least risky.