Do not use list for auditions

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>Sondheim is generally a no – unless you can handle it and you KNOW FOR A FACT that your accompanist can handle it too. I’m using a Sondheim song for my pre-screens, but that’s only because it shows off not only my voice, but my castable-type and because my accompanist can play Sondheim backwards and forwards, but I would never walk into a college audition and hold out said song. I’ll have it in my book just in case, though.</p>

<p>Especially for guys, NO BOOK OF MORMON. It’s incredibly popular now and even non-theater nerds know of it. It’s generally advised that you do not sing “Run Away With Me” from the Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Browne. It’s a beautiful song that shows off beautiful tenor voices with big ranges, and if you’re handsome, teenage girls are liable to fall in love with you while you’re singing it, but that’s exactly why everyone is singing it.</p>

<p>I’ve accidentally spoke with professors and theater admissions officers from various schools and most of them are open to contemporary songs, a lot prefer them.</p>

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<p>Bumping this thread - also I found a list on Illinois Wesleyan University’s audition page of generally overdone material, and figured it couldn’t hurt to post. Here’s the url: [Illinois</a> Wesleyan: Overdone songs Document](<a href=“http://www.iwu.edu/theatre/overdone-songs.html]Illinois”>Overdone songs Document | Illinois Wesleyan)</p>

<p>_
Overdone songs Document</p>

<p>BFA Music Theatre:</p>

<p>A Partial List of Some of the Most Overdone, Uninspired, and Inappropriate College AUDITION Songs:</p>

<p>It is a good idea to avoid radio hits, signature songs (Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Cher, Madonna, Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland, etc…if someone somewhere is doing it in drag avoid it) and anything that is currently playing on Broadway (this means Evita, Godspell, Spiderman,Wicked, Newsies, Anything Goes etc…), Off-Broadway, or is currently on it’s first National Tour (Book of Mormon, American Idiot).</p>

<p>Avoid the “rediscover” trap. No sooner than Chicago was revived on Broadway and made into a hit film then everyone “rediscovered” those songs and now those of us behind the table are sick of “All That Jazz”.</p>

<p>Avoid music that has intricate or difficult accompaniment (many Sondheim, LaChiusa, and Guette songs fall into this category). Rock and pop music can be a pitfall as well. Even if it is from a Broadway score it may not be appropriate for an audition. If the song sounds weird without drums and guitar to back it up then it should be avoided (Jesus Christ Superstar, Rent, and The Who’s Tommy are all good examples of great Broadway scores that contain songs that may not work in an audition). Don’t cross gender or do solo versions of duets or group numbers. There are too many great songs out there to choose from so don’t cheat. Below is a short list of songs that MUST be avoided.</p>

<p>Any songs from a Disney Animated Feature or Disney Broadway show</p>

<p>Any songs from Annie</p>

<p>Any songs from Grease</p>

<p>Any songs from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat</p>

<p>Any songs from Little Women</p>

<p>Any songs from Seussical</p>

<p>Any songs from Thoroughly Modern Millie</p>

<p>Any songs from Urinetown</p>

<p>Any songs from You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown</p>

<p>Any songs by Jason Robert Brown, specifically Last 5 Years and Songs for a New World</p>

<p>The faculty want to hear your voice but they also want to see YOU. Be yourself, not an imitation of a Broadway cast album.</p>

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<p>Hello everybody! I was just wondering if I could get some advice. For one of my main two songs I have been rehearsing, Fly Fly Away from Catch Me If You Can. Are a lot of people doing that now (because it is a pretty recent show) or do you think its an okay audition song?</p>

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<p>I did hear that several times at Unifieds in Chicago this past year</p>

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<p>Nerdgirl: Fly, Fly Away was one of my D’s audition songs this spring and for what it’s worth, she did well with it.</p>

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<p>I need opinions! Do you think Mama Who Bore Me from Spring Awakening would be too recent to sing at an audition?</p>

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<p>Laneybug, I know that for just about every performance audition I’ve had, Mama Who Bore Me would be a no-no. It’s incredibly overdone in that field, it doesn’t show range and ability very well (same melodic line, and in a college audition you shouldn’t riff what isn’t in the score is what I’ve heard no matter what happens on the stage), and it was on Broadway less than five years ago. I would recommend finding something else–there are plenty of contemporary musicals in a similar style that would be better for a college audition–but I haven’t been through the college audition process yet!</p>

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<p>Jumping in with ‘age appropriate’ thoughts for my S… He is 5’3" and young looking at 16 (hoping to grow by next year). Playing with the following as a starting point for songs:</p>

<p>UPTEMPO
Winter’s on the Wing (Secret Garden)
One Knight (Wonderland)
BALLAD
Come to me, Bend to me (Brigadoon)
Momma, Look Sharp (1776)</p>

<p>He will have summer program auditions in a few months. :)</p>

<p>Thx.</p>

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<p>MTmom,</p>

<p>All of those seem fine to me except the Secret Garden one. Many colleges have that show on their “Do Not Sing From” list.</p>