<p>What is your guys' opinion on the matter? I'm thinking of adding a song to my book that is originally sang by a male (well, a drag queen actually). The song has no clues to it being originally by a male.. so I'm not entirely sure what to do.
Also, how do adjudicators at college auditions feel about this?
I'm curious to hear what you guys think!</p>
<p>Well, I was always told when you’re auditioning for a program, you should select a song that the auditors could see you in that part. That’s why you shouldn’t do songs from Sunset Blvd for example because the lead is too old for a college student. I saw Bernadette Peters in concert a couple of years ago and she sang “Joanna” and “Being Alive” and those were both boy songs. It’s tough because the college auditors will know if the song was meant for a boy or a girl. It’s a huge risk and I would think it would be difficult to act a song that wasn’t meant for you. They want to see you feel the song. When I see clips of Les Miz and hear Anne Hathaway- she just blows me away. She said in an interview that she didn’t go for the pretty voice- she went for the emotion of the song. She is completly captivating and makes me tear up every time I see the clip.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t do it. Though it IS important you have a strong connection to the song that you’re singing, you need to choose material that your auditors could see you as being castable for that role. And your auditors will absolutely know that you’re singing a song that is meant for the opposite gender. I feel like I say this so often- there is so much wonderful material written for young people, there is no reason to choose something outside of your life experience, castable age range/type and certainly outside of your own gender! You will find your money songs, just keep searching! All best to you as you continue this journey :)</p>
<p>In general, totally agree with MTCoach–that goes for transposing, as well. Just sing the song as it’s meant to be sung, period, end of discussion. When you perform a song, one of the main things they are testing is how well you ACT the song–it is acting through music and voice, with the emphasis on acting. THe composer chose that voice type for a reason, having to do with character, plot, etc. The voice type is just as much part of the character as body type. You wouldn’t sing “Bess, You is My Woman Now” if you were a white and you wouldn’t sing it if you were a lyric tenor. </p>
<p>However, the OP is asking about a song that was originally sung by a drag queen and the gender is not clear? OP: Can you clarify? Was the song supposed to be sung by a drag queen? Or was that a unique directorial choice? What musical is this from? This isn’t Hairspray?</p>
<p>I was talking about the song Petrified from Taboo. it is a very high male song and it can easily be acted by either sex and can be understood not in context of just the show. so that’s why I’m torn lol.</p>
<p>It is generally frowned upon to sing a piece that was not originally written for your voice part or gender. I don’t think you should risk it.</p>
<p>@cydnie - the adjudicators are experts on the Broadway Canon, so for any song they know the story arc, the scene, the beat before, the character’s objectives, what tactics the character is using, etc. They are interested in seeing how well you work within that context. “Petrified” is sung by a male transvestite who has just been beaten up and is lamenting how people don’t see past his facade, etc. The song is pitched specifically to work for the character of Phillip in that scene.</p>
<p>If a female does the song, it is basically a girl singing a sad song, in a comfortable range, in some context that the audience can only guess at (Prom date went bad? Mean girls attacked you?). You will have more or less removed a large part of the musical theatre context of acting the song from your audition and will be left with trying to impress only on your vocal style.</p>
<p>No doubt some students are going to gender-bend and some who do will probably get accepted somewhere (supposedly Megan Hilty sang “Corner of the Sky” and got into CMU). But they are probably getting accepted IN SPITE of their choice, not because of it.</p>
<p>wow, thanks for steering me in the right direction guys ! I had no idea it was so taboo</p>
<p>Ha! LOVE the pun!</p>