Im 27 years old and i wanted to be in musical theater my whole life ❤ i may just take it up now .. its never too late and just auditioning in itself is such an adrenaline rush id love to do it. even if i was a chair on Broadway id be greatful ya know?
I’m so thankful to God that he has blessed me by finding this channel you have answered so many of my questions and givin me so much knowledge I’m just so Thankful. Jesus bless you all 🥰
Excellent video. One thing I've found VERY effective when asked for a 2nd song is to give them two choices: "I have Don't Be the Bunny from Urinetown, and My Name from Oliver! Which would you like?" I swear, the casting staff get excited over having a choice, and that puts them in a good mood. "Oh, do Don't Be the Bunny!"
Loved the video!!! I was wondering if you could do a video about how to stand out at an audition and how to move on from ensemble to principal roles. It would be so helpful💗
Thank you Maria! Thanks for watching! We can definitely do an episode on standing out in your auditions. In the meantime, if you want to check out one of Adrienne’s earlier videos on how she switched from ensemble to principal - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dEMDNkkPJ3g.html
This is all so helpful. And priceless information that I know so many people would need to pay a lot of money for a BFA program or spend years in the field learning through trial and error. Also please do an audition book video I’d love to see it. I’m also curious about your thoughts on a non-eq. Actor going into an EPA with just 16 bars. Or in general coming in with 16 bars (a shorter cut) when they ask for 32 or a full song.
I am so glad to have found this content today. I mentioned on another video that I work a lot with prepping youth, teens, and young adults for auditions as well as doing vocal coaching. Many of the young people would like a career in musical theater. So this is just another perspective that I can give them and I will definitely be recommending you all and this channel. :-)
Wonderful video! I have watched so many audition prep videos that say exactly the same thing. Your video was so practical and answered so many questions I’ve had for a long time. Thank you.
We have a course now on our website - www.32barcut.com Austin’s has laid out exactly what every actor should do to have a terrific and reliable audition book. Best of luck to you and thanks for watching!
Loved this video and your channel SO much! I just discovered it. Any specific tips you can offer me in my situation? I went to college in 2008 for performance but by 2010 I had to come back home and got out of that world. (I've done dance since but not singing or auditions) Now in 2023, I'm very much wanting to get back into musical theatre. I'm planning to take adult classes for it in the Spring and am binge watching RU-vid videos... but I feel so out of the loop now. It's scary and exciting and ahhhh all at once!
Hey! An audition book is a binder filled with sheet music of songs that you are prepared to sing. I also like to keep my sides (audition script) or headshot and resume in there too. Thanks for watching and thanks for your question. Best of luck to you! Adrienne
Thanks for posting another awesome video! These tips are very helpful. How do the people behind the table feel about movement during a vocal audition? I've had some teachers tell me to just stand and sing my song. And I've had other teachers say that some movement (but not full-out dancing) is good, because it makes your audition more like a performance.
What a great question! My stance on this is “act through the song.” Only move if it makes sense for your character. There is no right or wrong formula to adding movement - but you can never go wrong with an honest truth telling arc. Make your character real, palpable and effective. If movement does that great, if no movement does that, great. Just be honest in your delivery and you will never go wrong.
I'm auditioning for Maureen Johnson in Rent, and my requirement is a 32 bar pop/rock song. Should I do And All that Jazz from Chicago as my audition song?
Hi! Thanks for all the great info. I’m from Bangkok, Thailand and we don’t have rigorous musical theatre programs here. I’m 35 and used to sing professionally in Bangkok, I would like proper training. In your videos you mention “if you’re right out of a program”- would it be possible to help recommend some short term yet reputable musical theatre programs, where I could fly to the US and take for ie a couple of months? Thank you!
So most of the young people I work with are taught to slate full name, song title and show at every audition that they have been to. Would you recommend that? When is that appropriate/not appropriate? Because a lot of the younger people locally are beginners learning about auditions, we have told them that if they walk out and begin the cut but they just go completely blank ( as long as it has only been a couple of bars) they can stop and ask, "May I begin from the top please". What do you recommend for beginners if these things are not acceptable. Or would you say that the advice giving on these two matters is for people auditioning in a professional circuit across the board?
I’m sorry if you’ve already addressed this in another video, but I’m a complete newbie and I have my first ever audition in a little less than a month and I have a question. When you say to make sure the chosen song is in your key, how do I find a certain song in my key without having a vocal coach to do it for me? I’m stressing out lol. The song is “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore and I’m a mezzo soprano. How do I work that out??
If you’re able to get a musician to transpose it for you, that would be ideal, but could cost between $50-$200. Your best option may be to go on musicnotes.com or sheetmusicplus.com and choose your key that way. As far as choosing your key, that is really up to you and your voice. You just want to make sure the song is in a singable range for you. From the lowest pitch of the song melody to the highest pitch of the song melody. We might’ve missed your window for this audition, but hopefully it helps with the next. Break a leg! Thanks for watching!
I have another question: When auditioning LIVE in Regional or Broadway...should I work the stage in front of the panel of directors or should I mostly stay in one place and have simple hand movements and/or body gestures? (When there is not an X marked on the floor)
Great question! There is no right or wrong. It’s your audition. Act through the song. Unless they are taping and need you in a specific spot, you don’t have to stay in one place. You can move as you see fit for the character of your song. It’s very subjective. My suggestion is never to move just for the sake of moving. Make sure everything has meaning.
If you know that the company is doing a show later in the season that you are interested in, is it OK to pick a song from that show for the current audition (different show) or not?
Definitely, you could! There wouldn’t be any issue with that, as long as the audition song is still relevant to the current show you are auditioning for, otherwise it may come across like you didn’t do your research. Unless its a generals call for the entire season. Then choose whatever song you like, but my recommendation would be to pick a song from the same composer as your desired show, just not a song from that particular show. Does this make sense? Break a leg!! Let us know how it goes!
Thank you so much for sharing your insights! In the past, I have given the tempo by quietly singing the first 1-2 bars to the accompanist (I feel like this keeps me from nervously accelerating the tempo in the moment). Is that an alright way to do it, or would it be better to just count?
Ana, that works great, as long as it's a simple melody. The thing to be careful of is that if the song has backphrasing or you are phrasing in a way that is not exactly on the page, it can be unclear to the accompanist. So, maybe the best option for you would be to combine the two techniques. Give one bar of tempo clearly, then sing a bar. Very quick. Very clear. :) Break a leg!
