Audition tips, character singing, analyzing a song, resources and more!
Keep up with the comings and goings of Theatrefolk on our blog. This past month there have been videos about the one act version of Shout!, our adventures at the Florida Thespians festival, and a workshop of new plays.
I sat down with fellow Theatrefolk partner Craig Mason, and Shout! Composer Kristin Gauthier to talk about their high school musical experiences.
We had a great time talking about musicals, so much so that we've added a bonus podcast link of some of our conversation! This will be posted later on the Blog, but Spotlight newsletter subscribers get the first listen.
Craig, what was your first musical?
CRAIG: I did a musical version of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. In French. The dialogue was in French, but all the songs were in English. I played Mr. Beaver, and the Wolf. It was a lot of fun. I always wanted to do it because they did their shows just down the street from my house so we'd always go and see it every summer. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun, so I thought that looks like something I want to try.
Kristin?
KRISTIN: My very first musical was Oliver in Grade Eight. I was Nancy. A grade eight Nancy.
What was that like?
KRISTIN: It was so much fun. Our music teacher could play anything, she could change the key instantaneously. The teacher who directed it was so passionate, so excited to do it and the kids were thrilled. It started my love affair with the musical, whwich carried on for about twenty years after that.
And still going on.
KRISTIN: And still going.
You both did musicals in high school.
CRAIG: Yes, every summer.
KRISTIN: We did two a year.
Two a year?
KRISTIN: A couple years we did two, some years we just did one.
I went to the worst high school. We did one musical the whole time I was there – I was Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz. It was a horrible version.
KRISTIN: We did Gypsy when I was in Grade nine…
Gyspy? What about the stripping?
KRISTIN: Well, she didn't really strip, there was a dress with some panels that came off so there was this idea but you know, nothing showing. And then West Side Story, Annie Get your Gun, Grease, Cabaret, and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
(to CRAIG) You did West Side Story too.
CRAIG: We did.
Were you a Jet or a Shark?
CRAIG: I was a Shark. We all had to buy black hair spray that got on everything and we had these silk red shirts. I believe we had to wear darker makeup too. I'm sure the pictures are something. We also did Barnum, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof and South Pacific.
And of all of those, what was your favourite part?
CRAIG: I like Barnum because we had all these circus elements, and the music was fun and it's not a show that's done very much. We had a great time doing it.
KRISTIN: My favourite would have to be Joseph because it was all singing, and the more music the better as far as I'm concerned, but I really loved Cabaret too because of the dancing.
Who did you play?
KRISTIN: Sally.
So you were a grade eight Nancy, and a high school Sally…
KRISITN: And I did all the singing for Gypsy, I was Anybodys in West Side Story, Annie in Annie Get your Gun and the Narrator in Joseph.
Wow. What effect did doing musicals in high school have on you?
CRAIG: For me it was the social aspect, because in the summer program that did these musicals, anyone who showed up got on stage. So we had casts of upwards of a hundred people. We'd spend the whole summer on these shows, you'd start at the end of June and they'd go up the middle of August. You had something to do all summer. And there'd be activities every day besides rehearsals: we had a float in the Canada Day parade, we played baseball, we sang at old folks homes. It was a huge event every year.
KRISTIN: Musicals were my life in high school. I was not only doing them in school I was performing in community theatre at the time as well. It was hugely social because I was associating with people who loved the same things that I did, which I didn't get to do a lot of the time. I got to spend my time working on music and telling stories and it was easier to relate to those kids. There was a great freedom being on stage and singing. I was an insecure child but when I was on stage playing a part, singing, that was the only time I wasn't insecure.
I remember listening to musicals as a teen and knowing that was the world where I belonged. That was the world that spoke to me. Why do musicals still catch people, why are people still affected by them?
CRAIG: Because people love music and people love stories. And a musical can give context to a song that the song itself can never have. A musical can add emotion to a story that words alone can never have.
KRISTIN: Because what a musical does, what a song does in a musical, it gives you what an author can give you in a novel but what you can't get from a script. The music informs all those paragraphs that the author gives you about what's going on and what happened before, and how this feels and how it affects the other characters; all this can be done in a song. It can be done with motifs that come from other characters, it can be done through mood and rhythm and orchestration.
We asked a group of professional musical theatre performers for their number one musical theatre audition tip. These actors have been in the biz for a long time and know what they're talking about. They've been to thousands of auditions between them. I've included a selection of shows each performer has been in. The tips are all wonderful!
I'm gonna go with song choice. I find that if I can figure out a song that is both appropriate to the show I'm auditioning for…don't sing a song from RENT if you're auditioning for THE MUSIC MAN…and a song that suits me…my voice…my age…as much as I'd love to sing one of Eponine's songs from LES MIZ…it's not a role I'm ever gonna get cast in…so why sing it?
My number one tip is this… Don't go in trying to impress them! Directors can smell desperation and dishonesty. Just be yourself--as cliche as that sounds. Remember you have a very special and unique talent and treat each audition as a chance to sing one of your favorite songs. And remember; right now there is someone out there who is looking for someone just like you!
Obviously one must be prepared, but one tip I will always remember getting from a singing coach (and one that has saved me me many times) is to BREATHE. Sounds simple, but it's something we all often forget to do at that critical moment when standing in front of a panel of directors. Feel your feet on the ground, and breathe. Whether singing or reading from a script, everything happens on the breath.
Do a song that is suited to the style of the show. If you are going for a show that is 'Classic Musical theatre,' CAROUSEL for example, don't sing the modern pop-musical stuff. That being said, always do something you love. We put ourselves out there with every audition. We want to do our best for the audition panel, and doing a piece you love reads far better than doing a song you don't really connect with. There is so much rejection in this business, you need to do things you are passionate about, as it will continue to fuel you as an artist.
Always pick a song that not only shows off your voice but your personality. If you only get one song, pick something a) that fits the style of music in the show b) that's upbeat with a good character c) that shows your voice off (range, tone, etc).
Don't audition - Give them a show. Be so well prepared that you can go in there and have a great time. If you're enjoying it - they'll enjoy it. If you can take them out of the cold sterile room they're auditioning you in and make them see you up there on stage, you've done your job. Directors want you to do well - they want to cast you! Make their job easy; be the best, take a risk.
Sing something you love and sing it well. Every song is a story - tell the story. Keep it short!
Number one rule - find a song that not EVERYONE does. Number two rule - find a song that has some element of a "story" - something that gives an acting opportunity as well as a chance to show off your voice
I love musicals. I love to sing along. Loudly. Badly. A bewildered roommate in university once asked me if I ever listened to 'normal' music. Ah, that would be no…
I had a pile of soundtrack tapes in my car when I was younger and now I listen to the Broadway channel on Sirius satellite radio. Nothing puts a smile on my face more than a musical. There's something so special about a musical that truly works. A song that is able to capture an emotional moment makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. And the ones that don't work drive me crazy.
Songs that have no melodic sense whatsoever (I laughed a lot during 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee but don't remember one song) or a crappy song lyric makes me irrationally incensed. Knowing how much money and time is spent on musicals, there's no reason for crappy songs.
So the story goes, I was able to sing word for word the song 'Happiness' from You're a Good Man Charlie Brown when I was five years old. I have no recollection of this, but it's not surprising. In our living room we had a small stack of records (yes sir ladies and gents, way back in the olden time of 'records')that included You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar (in a handsome brown box.) I played them over and over and over and over.
By high school I could have sung JC Superstar all the way through beginning to end. When I was a kid though the HEAL YOURSELVES moment scared me so much I'd run out of the room every time.
I never liked the traditional musical. My Fair Lady, South Pacific… I always favoured the bloody Sweeney Todd over Oklahoma. I had front row seats for Cats when I was fifteen and I still clearly remember thinking, "Is that it? Singing Cats?" When I was seventeen Into the Woods won the Tony and I whooped so loud my dad stomped downstairs to say knock it off!
I firmly believe listening to musicals made me the playwright I am today. When I write, I spend a lot of time on the sound of dialogue, the pace, the breath, the phrasing. When I hear a reading or see a production I listen to the rhythm of the play, the rhythm of the audience. It's all about the music of the writing. I love it when a play sounds right and it bothers me no end when a play sounds wrong. Sometimes in a workshop I close my eyes and surround myself with the sound of words. Just like I did in my bedroom when I was a kid.
I remember… Seeing Annie and keeping the program for years.
I remember… going to some Christmas musical when I was eight years old, and because the secretary of the school was in the show, I got to sit backstage in the wings. That was a HUGE moment.
I remember… Wearing out the tape of Lez Miz. And Little Shop of Horrors. Not so much Phantom.
I remember… listening to Stephen Sondheim's musicals for the first time. He's created some of my favourite musicals: Company, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Assassins.
It's funny that it took me nearly twenty years before I actually WROTE a musical!
There's a lot of talk about the triple threat these days. You gotta ACT, DANCE and SING!!! And when you sing, you have to be the best darn singer ever, better than everyone else. You have to do runs and trills and hold that note at the end of the song longer than anyone else! That's going to get you the part without fail!
Well sure. Talent helps a musical theatre performer. Technique helps, certainly. Being able to breathe is immensely important. But the best singer is not always the one with the most polished technique. The best musical theatre performer is the one who finds the heart of the song. The heart of the character. The one who makes the song mean something. Makes it personal.
Audiences connect to heart. They connect to personal stories. And if the person singing does this, that's far more meaningful than a note held till next Tuesday. It's not just about the notes.
So, how do singers connect to the song beyond the notes?
Ask and answer questions about the character and the song. The more you know, the more you can draw from, the more depth you can create. A held note becomes an emotional connection if you can relate it directly back to the character. Start with these questions…
And you know I don't mean in a house or halfway through the second act. Where are they in their life? Where are they in relation to the other characters? Where are they right before they open their mouths to sing this song?
Example: 'No One is Alone' from Into the Woods. The baker has just lost his wife and must deal with raising his child alone. In 'Close Every Door' from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat Joseph has just been thrown into prison, with no hope of getting out.
Musicals happen because they take characters to a point where they can't do anything else but sing. So what is the emotional 'why' for the character that they have to break out into song?
Example: 'I Feel Pretty' from West Side Story. Maria has no choice but to burst out in song because she's so happy and so in love. And even in something as frothy as “You Can't Stop the Beat' from Hairspray each character has an emotional standpoint.
Also ask yourself this: Does the character change their physical and emotional state by the end of the song?
Are they trying to make a decision? Do they want to share their feelings about another character? Do they want happiness? A new life? Their old life back? This goes hand in hand with knowing the physical and emotional stake of the character. Knowing what the character wants and communicating that in the song is the easiest way to connect to an audience.
For example: After a boy runs away from her, Elphaba in Wicked sings 'I'm not that Girl' (as in the girl that boys like) but what she wants more than anything is to BE that girl. In 'I could have danced all night' from My Fair Lady Eliza wants her spectacular night (and her new turn in life) to go on and on and on. In 'Music of the Night' The Phantom (The Phantom of the Opera) wants Christine to love his music and love him.
It's so important to sing the want in the song, not just the notes that make up the song.
What is the story of the song? Make sure you understand what's being said. What's happening in the story up to this point. Sometimes musical numbers rely on metaphor and it's easy to catch someone who is only spouting words without any thought behind them. Can you write a one line description of the song?
Is it a specific person? Is it to the audience? If it's the audience that's fine, but think about what the character is trying to communicate to the audience, or get the audience to do. Be specific, and 'no one' is not an answer.
For example: When Annie sings 'Tomorrow' she is singing to her dog, but also to herself. She is convincing herself and the audience not to give up, there's always tomorrow.
Based on the above questions, follow along to the next article with an actual song analysis.
Here we have the principles of the above article in action.
I specifically chose 'Somewhere That's Green' from Little Shop of Horrors to analyze. It's a song that has some very funny lyrics and traditionally Audrey has a very funny voice so it's easy to get trapped into focusing on those aspects when singing the song. It's easy to play Audrey simply as a dope. But that's pretty boring for you, and certainly boring for the audience.
There is a lot of character in the song, and more importantly a lot of heart. There is a lot for a singer to connect to, and in turn bring that connection to the audience.
At this point in the musical, we know Audrey works at Mushnik's Skid Row flower shop and have met her abusive motorcycle riding dentist boyfriend Oren. Right before the song, Audrey reveals she might have feelings for the main character Seymour. Seymour is the completely opposite of her boyfriend.
Click this link to see my sample answers.
Confidence is a huge part of being a successful performer.
It's an age-old question. Everyone always wants to know: what are the overdone audition songs?
It's impossible to pick songs that no one has heard of. Maybe you dearly love a certain song and that love comes out in your voice – always a good thing. Why penalize yourself if you do a song well?
I asked Kristin Gauthier (composer of Shout!) about this and she has some lovely advice…
“Don't go looking for something unknown. Sometimes doing a song that's too unknown can work against you - they pay more attention to the song than to what you do with it.”
Having said that, make sure you've got variety. Make bold choices. As for some 'don't's' here are some general rules of thumb:
And as for that burning 'overdone' questions, here's a few songs that seem to come up again and again…
All That Jazz from Chicago
On My Own from Les Miserables
Stars and Moon from Songs from A New World
Corner of the Sky from Pippin
Gimme Gimme from Throughly Modern Millie
I'm not that Girl from Wicked
Tomorrow from Annie
Memory from Cats
Adelaide's Lament from Guys and Dolls
Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera
Think of Me from The Phantom of the Opera
Popular from Wicked
Purpose from Avenue Q
Fine, Fine Line from Avenue Q
Shy from Once Upon a Mattress
On the Street Where you Live from My Fair Lady
Seasons of Love from Rent
It takes a lot of work to put together a musical for publication. We need scripts and we need song clips and sheet music and how many scores and photos on the website and so on and so on. We've been furiously putting the pieces together on Shout! And there's still another month to go before our official publication date.
It's been two years since I started working on the script for Shout! It's been fun leafing through my original notes to see where this process began. From the first scribblings of the song 'Seventeen' to a final product has been daunting and amazing. There has been no part of this process that hasn't turned out exactly the way I imagined. No corners have been cut. Nothing has been settled for. Both Kristin and I are extremely pleased and proud of our work and we're happy to get it out into the world. I loved working with Kristin and with our test school Lakewood Ranch High School in Florida.
The number one thing I take away from the experience is that I now know for a fact that Shout! is suitable and doable for high school groups. Is the a cappella a challenge? You bet. But is it rewarding? Absolutely. I saw a group of students leap into the deep end of the pool with their eyes closed and come out singing. They didn't even think twice when, after seeing the last rehearsal of the One Act version, I realized the ending needed to be tweaked.
Hopefully, many teachers, students and schools will feel excited enough about Shout! To jump into the deep end of the pool. At this point, all I can do is place the musical on the table (without a shiny bow, it doesn't need dressing up because it's good enough to stand alone) and stand back.
Next month we're going to offer newsletter subscribers a sneak peak of everything we've been working for. Now, I have to stop talking about what's going to come and let Shout! stand alone.
A little bit of history, a little bit of Broadway, a couple of books to read and websites to visit…
Theatrefolk is going multi-media! Haven't you always wanted your favourite Shakespeare quote as your ringtone? Are you in a Theatrefolk play and want a quote to play when your fellow castmates call? Check out www.literaryringtones.com for more info!
We're proud to be connected to this project. Especially for elementary schools, this book is bursting with plays, scenes, skits, sketches and poems for holidays throughout the year. See www.mrsmerritt.com for details.
Here's our upcoming conference schedule. If you're attending, please drop by and say hi!
It's finally here! Shout the musical is published and ready to meet the world!
Another way to keep in touch with us! If you're doing one of my shows, join my Facebook or MySpace. Easy contact for questions or comments!
Future issues will be guided by your suggestions. Email stories, tips, suggestions, and questions to us. This newsletter belongs to you!
Some of our playwrights post to the Theatrefolk Blog. Check it out for insights into what's happening with Theatrefolk.
