<p>I'm not asking for any insight beyond the question if the following songs or monologues are overdone... and I know that it all depends on the person, I just want to know which of these are "unactable", which I've been hearing a lot more lately, or are simply overdone.</p>
<p>"Old Red Hills of Home" - Parade (I know it's JRB but I think it's playable, personally, having been an audition pianist before)
"The Proposal" - Titanic
"Giants in the Sky" - Into the Woods (Again Sondheim, but again, I find it playable. If anyone disagrees, please let me know.)
"Love, I Hear" - Forum
"Anthem" - Chess (I'm pretty close to nixing this... EVERYONE sings it...)
"You Should be Loved" - Sideshow</p>
<p>There we go... My two monologues so far are Laramie Project and True West. If those are overdone, that'd be good to know too!</p>
<p>I'm obviously not asking you to give an opinion of which song would be best... that would be silly. Just insight into what is overdone. </p>
<p>Thanks! :)</p>
<p>Take what I say with a grain of salt. I’m a teen, but I listen to musical theater/showtunes exclusively, so I can offer opinions on the songs in general. </p>
<p>“Old Red Hills of Home”-I guess. I just feel like what happens in Parade belongs in the show…not in someone’s audition. To me, that’s a bigger part of why JRB doesn’t work in auditions; so many of his songs are so specific to the shows from which they come.
“The Proposal”-As far as I’m concerned, nothing from Titanic is a really decent solo.
“Giants in the Sky”-Seth Rudetsky once called this an amazing audition song, as long as you don’t just use the first 16 bars. This is a great choice, and I’d cut from somewhere in the middle.
“Love, I Hear”-Doesn’t really set you apart. Not sure if a lot of people do this one, but it just seems so…typical, imo. Not that typical is bad; it just doesn’t feel like the kind of song that would make the auditors really love your voice.
“Anthem”-It’s a great song, but I just don’t feel like 16 bars of this will get you very far.
“You Should be Loved”-I like this song. Not sure how it would work in an audition, but I think the song itself is a good song. </p>
<p>Hope I helped in some way.</p>
<p>Victoria (I assume that’s your name haha) - </p>
<p>Thanks for the insight! I listen to a lot of showtunes too, so I know where you’re coming from. A lot of what you said were my concerns with the songs themselves…
I’m not just trying to shoot you down, but I’d like to know what you think about the fact that while Old Red Hills of Home is very specific, Giants in the Sky is just as much. They’re both very individual specific experiences, and they’re my top two favorite choices.
And as far as Titanic is concerned, I agree… I’ve seen it twice and both times was much more impressed by the performers than the show.</p>
<p>Also, most of the schools want 32 rather than 16 bars. </p>
<p>As of now, I’m feeling Old Red Hills of Home, Giants In The Sky and You Should be Loved. Also, a song from a Canadian musical called Anne & Gilbert which is super good.
I think The Proposal is a great song; I don’t know if you know the show, but it’s half of the duet between the two guys.
In any regard, thank you for the insight! :)</p>
<p>Yeah, I guess I see your point about Giants and Red Hills. I think it’s my experiences with both shows that makes me say that; that’s what I meant when I said I’m just a showtune-lover. 
</p>
<p>I think you’ve got 3 choices I’D love to hear at auditions.</p>
<p>I actually do know Titanic; I think it’s great, but I can never listen to one song without listening to the whole thing. It’s such a “show,” if you get what I mean. Nothing really stands alone.*</p>
<p>*Although, IMO, had the composers fleshed out some of the songs for solo purposes, I can see a lot of potential in some of the songs.</p>