Hey everyone, I have decided I am not going to think about the Once on This Island song so that is no longer an issue. But could anyone please answer the other questions?
Also I know that age is important in monologues… how important is it in songs? is it okay to do a song by a say 30 year old??
or 20?
@beccaw444 - those songs sound viable. A song for a 20 year old would certainly be appropriate- I would say a song song for a 30 year old would “depend”.
Here is a quote from one of our esteemed college faculty members (kjgc):
I think an important take-away from kjgc’s comment is that the farther you move away from an 18-25 year-old part, the more college faculty are likely to question your choice of songs.
The quote above is from this thread:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1184179-when-is-it-okay-to-use-an-overdone-song-p1.html
This thread may of interest as well:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1120032-forbidden-vs-overdone-vs-very-common-p1.html
Hey you guys! Thanks for all of the help- another question- would it be acceptable to do tap dance in the dance portion of a audition video?
Unless they specify jazz or ballet, sure.
I know that my D was only asked to tap during 1 audition. I think she also only submitted a tap video for one prescreen. She did an interesting piece for prescreens, a kind of jazzy pointe number to Gershwin.
The schools that D applied to gave specific instructions for their dance prescreens. Her schools did say that tap could be included, and she did include a tap piece. So, as usual, look for each school’s specific instructions. They may not be out yet for your year, but look at the previous year’s directions, knowing, though, that you’ll have to check again when they release your year’s information because it might change.
Would it be a bad idea to do “Doin what comes Naturally” from Annie Get Your Gun- it’s not really a dialect but it has a twang. would something like that be not a good one? Annie get Your Gun the character just fits me really well but all of the suns have that twang.
(or “You Cain’t Get a Man With a Gun”)
As a producer, I can’t tell you how many times in the last handful of years I’ve had a director tell me he/she wishes “They’d just sing something I know”. Lol Just saying
^^^Well, there is a happy medium between overdone songs and obscure ones.
Plus…auditioning for college MT programs is not quite the same as auditioning in the professional world. The auditors at BFA in MT programs are academics in the field of MT and should know a wide repertoire of the MT canon. I’d like to think that when my kid auditioned for college at age 16, that the college professors would be familiar with songs that my 16 year old knew in MT.
Yes @TXtheatreMom – but only sing them if requested. Most auditions want true musical theatre rep. But they may ask to see what else is in your book and it wouldn’t hurt to have them in your book at that point. I know one specific thing D was asked for at a couple of auditions was a Disney song. And she was also asked for a pop/rock song at a couple of auditions as well. So it cannot hurt to have some things like that in your book. But make sure what you sing in the audition room is what the school has requested.
@Beccaw444 - to answer your question - I do think it is best to shy away from songs requiring any sort of accent - including a southern twang. They want to see and hear the real you. I would say everything I have read and have been told about the audition process strongly recommends not doing anything that requires any sort of accent.
As far as selecting material - I don’t think you have to choose something completely unknown. But as has been said here many times before, if you pick a piece familiar to many, make sure you can really knock it out of the park. If it is really well known, auditors will have a preconceived idea of how it should sound which may not be to your benefit.
I just think doing overdone material is so risky! I mean, if I was an auditor and someone walked in with I Dreamed A Dream, I’d automatically assume they hadn’t done their research. And no one wants someone in their program who won’t put in the work, or doesn’t know themselves.
So… my question has more to do with “don’t sing” than “overdone,” but with this thread on the first page, it seemed silly to start a new thread!
I recently obtained sheet music for a song that is really good for me, with a great cut in it. Unfortunately, this show is on Broadway right now and is very popular. BUT the sheet music is not actually available for sale- I just know someone who, for whatever reason, had it (I think they got it from their voice teacher.) So, I know that other people will most likely not be singing it, I’m just afraid that auditors will think it’s sort of lacking creativity as a choice?
Any help?
It is a general rule of thumb not to do something that is currently on bway…
Some schools offer guidelines regarding monologue and song selections. Check the websites of the schools on your list. Usually the guidelines are found with the audition information.
Is Much More from the Fantasticks too overdone to do at college auditions? My other song is underdone and it fits me well…