<p>Could any of you tell me the rules on using numbers from movie musicals for auditions? Some of my favorite songs come from the movie musicals of the 1930s and 1940s, in addition that kind of style of singing is what I am best at. Are there rules against using songs from movie musicals for an audition?
Ha sanybody ever used a song from a movie? What were the results?</p>
<p>For some of my D's college auditions, her pre-1960 song was written by a well known musical theater composer, but this particular song had been actually written for a movie in the '40s. The song was one she had sung when much younger in a published musical revue of this MT composer's work. She got into some schools using this song.</p>
<p>In the UK there are no restrictions in regards to MT songs from musicals but I am not sure about US college rules.</p>
<p>The rules vary depending on what school you are applying to. For example, some require "2 contrasting songs from traditional Broadway repertoire", and some request only "2 contrasting songs." You will need to check each school's website.</p>
<p>I would say it all depends -- there are tons of movie musical songs written by legit Broadway composers - Berlin, Gershwin, Loesser, even Sondheim. I think those would definitely be safe to consider.</p>
<p>I agree with MusThCC if you are using songs written by legit Broadway composers, it should be OK. As I said, my D did a song for schools that wanted pre-1960 written by a legit well known Bdway composer but he wrote this song originally for a movie. It is also in a musical revue show of his work. </p>
<p>Actually just last week, for a MT repertoire type class she has at CAP21 where they have to find and learn songs from different styles of music, as well as songs from different periods, she considered this same song again for the 1940s.</p>
<p>My D was very successful last audition season with a musical theater song written pre-1940 and used in a movie pre-1960. This particular song is no longer in print and even Oklahoma CIty University accepted her with it- she had proper permission from the very famous and well-known MT composer's widow as well as the musical publishing house that now owns the rights since the original publishing house was sold pre 1950!</p>
<p>I was kinda wondering the same thing, too. I was looking at Santa Fe from Newsies by Alan Menkin. I just found out he also wrote Beauty and the Beast. Would that be okay for auditions maybe?</p>
<p>Thanks everybody for the input, I always find myself singing songs like "Isn't it a Lovely Day to get caught in the Rain" from Tophat and songs of that nature and find that they fit my voice perfectly. Knowing that I could possibly use some of these for auditions is good news.</p>
<p>freedom_fri911 - I would be careful about doing songs from contemporary movies - and I think most colleges would frown upon using songs from Disney movies - these may even may on their "do not sing" lists. </p>
<p>The movie songs that other posters are talking about, written in the 30s and 40s, would be a safer bet. From my d's experience, it seems that faculty at auditions prefer older songs - especially ones they don't hear very often.</p>
<p>Tommy P -</p>
<p>The song you mentioned is a great one for college auditions! As other posters have said, anything from the classic MT composers of the 20's - 40's (Berlin, Kern, Arlen, Gershwin, Porter, etc.) is fair game for auditions, whether the song was in a movie, in a musical, or simply in that composer's general catalog of songs (as many Berlin songs are). And yes, auditors love to hear these songs. :)</p>