<p>I'm going to be auditioning for some musical theater programs. The school I'm most interested in wants two monologues and a song. One monologue needs to be classical (preferably Shakespeare) and the other contemporary; they need to be of contrasting style. I have no idea where to start. I don't know which Shakespeare monologues are overdone, and I don't know what's acceptable for a contemporary monologue. As for my song, my voice sounds great with "Popular" from Wicked, and I love how it shows off my acting ability, but I'm afraid every third person will be auditioning with that and I DON'T want to be cliche. I would love some advice!</p>
<p>Bri, You are right in thinking that “Popular” is very overdone! I think if you do a search on finding monologues and song choices you will find a wealth of info, also your voice teacher can be of great help. Another thing you might want to think about is auditioning for more than one school. This is a very competitive area, some say that getting into an MT program is harder to get into than medical school. Not trying to scare you, but you should know what youre up against. After you’ve done some searches on this site please come back and ask any questions you may have, there are many folks on here who are happy to share what they’ve learned. Good Luck!</p>
<p>I agree with all of srw’s comments. I would also suggest that you choose more than one song; some schools require two, and I know of many students who have been asked for additional selections. It would be safest to have at least 4 songs that you are very comfortable singing; some should be from the classical B’way era, which is pre-1960’s.</p>
<p>Regarding both monologues and songs, you should choose roles that are age-appropriate. Don’t choose “Send In the Clowns” or “Memory” , for example – find something meant for a younger character.</p>