Choose to work with people who have succeeded themselves in musical theatre or have taught people that went on to see their names in lights. [1] X Research source
Never audition with a piece from a show that the company has done in the past 5 years. They’ll compare you with whoever did it in their production. They are working on something new and don’t want to just replicate a past performer. When auditioning, try to avoid songs that have been over sung, are too well known, or are too complex. You don’t want to be perceived as a novice. People in the theatre want performers that have an in-depth knowledge of theatre. Some commonly overdone songs are “Tomorrow” or “Maybe” from Annie, “Memory” from Cats, “Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music, any songs from Wicked, Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables,“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, “Don’t Rain on my Parade” from Funny Girl, “Shy” from Once Upon a Mattress, “I Enjoy Being a Girl” from Flower Drum Song, “Seasons of Love” from RENT, or “In My Own Little Corner” from Cinderella. Disney films are great but not for auditions. Avoid using songs from Disney films. Do not sing anything made famous by a well known Broadway artist (“Taylor the Latte Boy” being a perfect example) Think carefully about a piece involving extensive profanity or innuendo.
Keep your monologue to under 2 minutes long. You want to be able to show a range of emotions in a short amount of time. The casting crew will be viewing dozens of people for this part and others. If they want something longer, they’ll ask for it. Choose a monologue from a play or a movie. Most monologues in musicals are used to set up songs, so they normally aren’t as developed as ones in plays or movies. Avoid monologues with really obscene language or gestures, thick accents, or too much movement. You want to emphasize your acting chops, not your ability to offend. Exceptions exist. You’ll want to gauge the tone of the musical you are auditioning for when prepping. If it is a raunchy musical, an unconventional and crass monologue may be a good choice.
In your audition pieces, make sure you have an equal balance of facial expressions, hand gestures, and movement. It’s great that you’re using your hands to tell the story, but it won’t impress anyone if your face looks like you’re falling asleep. Keep every part of your body alert and in control.
There are open auditions. This is where you audition for everyone - the director, the music director, any other board members, and the other people auditioning. There is also a closed audition where you are only auditioning for the director, and the music director.
Do not get caught up in drama. Trash talking people in the theatre community will get you nowhere but a seat in the audience. Approach your experiences with an open mind and optimistic conscience. It will get you far.
While in college or the conservatory, think about what skills will set you apart as a performer. Who knows what skills a producer will want, so it is best to have knowledge of a variety of traditional and non-traditional performing skills. Steve Martin is a comedian, but he often uses a banjo for comedic purposes. If you can play the banjo and you go our for a musical version of Huckleberry Finn (like Roger Miller’s “King of the Road”), you’ll have a heads up on other performers without that skill. It is much easier to play a banjo than to successfully mime playing one.
Start with your name and basic information such as your phone number, email, address, and date of birth. You may also wish to include your vocal range (e. g. Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in this section. Next, include a list of what previous productions you’ve been in. This format should include the name of the production, the company that put it on, where and when it was, and what your role in the production was. Next you should include any training you’ve done or relevant extra-curricular activities such as vocal lessons, dance lessons, acting lessons, gymnastics, and instruments you play. You will need to also put who your teacher was or the company you did it with. Think about your digital presence also. Include your Twitter handle, Facebook name, and personal website (if you have one). With so many personalities and musicians hitting it big on Youtube, producers pay close attention to the online presence of their performers. If you have a big following online too that could translate into more theatre goers, producers may be further intrigued by you. [7] X Research source
When getting an agent, pay attention to whom they’ve worked with. Make sure that they aren’t just going to take your money and not work for you.
