I’m very interested in the idea of innovation as it applies to life in the creative arts, performance in particular. This is something I’m sort of jamming on today in my brain, so I thought I might put it out there for everyone:
If you were just starting out in your career today with no knowledge of “how it’s done”, BUT with all other life experience intact, how would you start? What would you do? If the “way it’s done” or the common practice was not available to you, how would you make it happen?
Imagine absolutely no such thing as “supposed to” or “well-rounded.” Just you, what you do best, and an open road. How would you proceed? No rules. No past. Just your way. What would you do?
A little mental jazz for you.
And yes, the title is from Potter.
Rock on,
E
Okay, now that we’ve covered sources and categories of repertoire, let’s get practical and start putting your book together!
I tried to come up with a lovelier name for this activity but it’s a song dump. Ain’t no gettin’ around that. The song dump is kind of a weekend project sort of thing. I do it about once a year. Or you could be in constant song dump mode. Always weeding and assessing. It just sort of depends on if you are a vigilante auditioner or a set it and forget it type. I’m more of a set it and forget it. Then assess it once a year.
Source: Colorado.edu
To song dump, gather everything. EVERYTHING you are considering for your A or B Book. Sometimes this is physical sheet music. Sometimes it’s mp3’s or little notes you’ve written yourself. Perhaps you’ve checked out some scores from the library.
1. Try them out. In your living room. In auditions. With a coach. With a friend. Try them on for size. Play with different cuts. And then pay attention to how you feel. Do you enjoy singing this piece? Does it help you access something? As a bad example, I will immediately cry upon singing ‘Somewhere Out There’. This song is not in my book. It doesn’t harness workable emotion. It harnesses childhood memories that leave me a helpless puddle on the floor. ‘Not a Day Goes By’ however gets me on a deep level, but it gives me things to work with and struggle against.
Source: Sheet Music Plus
2. Assess Potential Cuts and Audition-Worthiness. There are some songs, as marvelous as they are, that are just not auditionable. They don’t cut well. They might be repetitive. Most (not all) of the pieces in your entire reperetoire shouild cut well into 32 and/or 16 bars. Almost every piece in your A Book should do this. (24 or 48 bars are less common, but also workable). It isn’t so much about a somewhat arbitrary amount of bars. It’s that 16 bars usually takes around 30 seconds and 32 takes about a minute. If you’ve got 48 bars that comes in around a buck fifteen, that’s totally fine most of the time.
3. Begin to categorize individual pieces into your A Book and your B Book. The more you whittle, the more obvious the potential function of each piece will become. Pick your priorities. Below I am going to list the categories we’ve covered in this series. You decide which ones you care about and which ones you don’t. Remember, most pieces can and SHOULD cover more than one category. There is absolutely no need for each category to require it’s own stand alone piece to be fulfilled. That would be impractical and unweildy. YOu need to be able to carry your repertoire around with you. Categories in Bold indicate common “A” Book categories.
- Showstopper (Contemporary and/or Classic)/Upbeat Belt
- Ballad – Classic (Legit/Mix)
- Ballad – Contemporary (Belt)
- Upbeat – Legit/Mix/Swing Ballad
- Sondheim
- Rodgers and Hammerstein
- Porter/Gershwin/Berlin
- Gilbert and Sullivan or Operetta
- Comedic
- “Me” Song
- “Me” Song
- Type Song
- Type Song
- Jazz or Torch
- Patter
- Special Skill(s)
- Novelty
- Turn of the 20th Century through 1918/WW I
- 20’s/30’s
- 1940’s
- Golden Age – Upbeat
- Golden Age – Ballad
- Great American Songbook (See Jazz/Torch)
- 1950’s/Early 60’s Pop
- Rock Piece/Rock Musical
- Pop Piece/Pop Musical
- High Belt/Rangey
- Country
- Gospel/Religious
- Holiday
- Folk/Specific Cultural Tradition
- Patriotic
Another way to think of this exercise is to pretend you are building your big album. What do you want to record? What do you want to show off? Take a look at the solo albums of Broadway stars. They are often structured in a manner not unlike audition repertoire. You’ll see Showstoppers, dramatic ballads, upbeat comic numbers, alternatively sourced pieces, rewritten or rearranged classic, torch, and quirky novelties.
An alternative way to “song dump” is to come up with your own list of priorities. Put all my categories and suggestions aside. Start from scratch. What do you need a song to do? Make a list of features or purposes that these pieces need to serve specifically for you. This is how I used to song dump so I’ll give you some examples.
- Earthy/Mellow sound – I have a warm voice that sounds jazzy/torchy instead pop-belty. I like songs that show that off.
- Non-ingenue – minus a couple well-considered examples in my past, I am not ingenue material.
- Has depth – As an actor, I like a lot of levels to chew on. I like my drama complex and my comedy clever (as opposed to cute)
- Shows off upper range
- Shows off lower range
- Villain – I love to play villains
- Sassy
- Good beat changes/tactic changes
Basically I end up coming with 20 or so “traits” that songs could have that I look for. Not all songs can be everything, but if they are at least half the things, they are usually keepers. You can combine this method with the more traditional categorical method I list above. This is a good secondary editing method for when you feel like you have way too many options to lug around with you. It’s also a good way to suss out when something is missing. You’ve got high belt. You’ve got classics. You got a mix of eras, and comedy and drama. But there’s just a little something missing. Try making a list like this to help you define your search.
No matter what, You may not be able to fill in all the blanks. You also might not want to. The purpose is to see an outline of your repertoire. Take a look at your dream roles. Are there pieces in this outline you can use? If yes, great! If not, no biggie. The pieces you pick for some dream roles may be solidly B Book. Because of her cockney accent and quirky personality, all the pieces I have selected if I were to go in for Mrs. Lovett are very B Book. I just can’t really use them for much else. What is nice is that I have a plan. I would need to spend a week preparing these pieces because I don’t use them very often, but I wouldn’t have to run around like a crazy person trying to find something appropriate.
And guess what? I made a free downloadable planning sheet just for you: 30 Days to a Better Book Bonus
You can also, um, group Song Dump…God, I have GOT to come up with a better name for this… Have a couple friends who are of similar type over. OR have a big diverse group get together so that you can really objectively help each other suss and you might even have pieces lying around that are C Book for you, but would easily be A Book for somebody else. Also, consider forming a supportive Circle of Actorly Song Dumping Trust (something I will discuss further at the end of this whole series) and survey each other about each other FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES AND WITH LOVE IN YOUR HEART. This is not the time to clear the air. People, friends! Eyes up here. Anybody who giggles gets detention. This is sensitive.
Here are some suggested questions:
1. What are some roles you think might be good for me?
2. Is there something that you think I should highlight?
3. What cut do you think works best?
4. What do you think is my strongest asset as a performer?
The cool thing about having friends around is that you get their musical knowledge along with your own. They may even have experience “behind the table” or they might play the piano or something. Or maybe YOU have that kind of experience and can help somebody out. Love expands folks. Scarcity mentality and secrecy doesn’t really help anybody out when it comes to building audition repertoire.
Have fun Dumping! I’ll try to come up with a better name. Repertoire Scatter. 16 Bar Scan. I don’t know. Suggestions welcome.
Let’s talk Special Skills! The main thing about special skills is that you are ready to go when they ask to see them. I mean, no, they aren’t going to say, “I see you drive a stick shift. Let’s go out to the parking lot and have a look.” BUT if you say you can sing classically, it might help to have an aria available.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
1. You speak a foreign language. Is there a piece that you can translate into said language OR (even more cool) is there a piece from the musical theatre cannon of that country or culture that you can use?
2. You may not truly speak a foreign language but you are comfortable singing in French, German, Italian, etc. This is also a skill.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Broadway Revival of Sweeney Todd
Of all the special skills in musical theatre, this is by far the most requested. Particularly guitar and piano. Banjo and fiddle are having a bit of a moment. Henrik, in A Little Night Music, plays cello. There is also a self-accompaniment trend happening as well. If you can play a musical instrument, it makes sense to have a couple pieces that are ready for auditions. I play piano. I have one Beethoven piece that I use specifically to indicate skill level. I have a pop piece or two that I am comfortable singing and accompanying myself, and I also have the same from musical theatre. For those who play instruments such as the guitar or ukelele…fairly portable, there’s no need to haul them to every audition, of course. But do enough research to find out if it might behoove you to do so. You can always leave it in the lobby. The auditors will never know.
SPECIFIC VOCAL SKILLS
Classical/Opera/Operetta
I mentioned classical above in reference to foreign language. But in general, if you can swing it (even somewhat) consider having a piece in your B Book.
Yodeling: There are a couple types of yodeling. There’s that Alpsy type. And then there’s that bluegrassy/cowboy type. They are both awesome and if you can do it, it’s nice to be prepared. I can’t do it, so that’s about all I can tell you about it.
Scat: I mentioned scat in the post about the 40’s but seriously, it is so awesome. It’s also a nice alternative to that tired of tireds, the American Idol style riff.
Riffs: Riffs are awesome when done right, but an attempted and badly executed riff is not a wonderful thing. So if you can do it, DO IT. If you can kinda do it, don’t do it.
Beatbox:
A Capella: A Capella singing can manifest itself in many styles from Barbershop, to pop, to chant, to ancient ballads. If there is a style you love, have a piece in mind. You want to be prepared if they say, “I see you sing in a Barbershop Quartet. Want to give us a sample?” Of course you can’t manifest three other singers to surround you, so pick something melodic that you can stylize. Think about something like this:
It’s a barbershop classic sung by an individual. You’re saying 1. I can sing. 2. I am familiar with that style. 3. I know the classics from said style.
Range: If you can hit the highest of the high or the lowest of the low or both, make sure you’ve got a way to show that off. You may not be able to do it all in one song, that’s okay. You can have a couple pieces that address your range OR you can have someone help you arrange a piece that elegantly shows off your range.
DIALECT
Singing in dialect is …dubious. But sometimes you need it. Cockney, British, Irish, etc. This is a Dream Role strategy.
British RP
Cockney
Irish
Caribbean
Eastern European
Thai – This is one of the most beautiful songs in all of musical theatre.
Southern
CABARET PATTER:
When auditioning for Cabaret pieces, it’s nice to have some patter to surround the number. Or you could put together a medley with some patter.
DRAG
If drag is your bag, having a number that helps play that up or something that is signature for your drag character is good idea. That way you don’t have to wing it.
CHARACTER SPECIFIC
Think of characters like The Drowsy Chaperone, or Conrad Birdie, Billy Flynn, The Villains, The Matriarchs, The Lounge Lizards. Consider having a piece in your bag that really goes all the way towards these types of characters if that is a skill for you.
IMPERSONATION
I do a mean Ludwig Von Drake. No one will probably ever ask me about this. And I certainly don’t have any sheet music. But I do have a plan:
If you can do a great imitation of someone, consider picking a song that’s already in your repertoire and doing it as said person you imitate. I once got cast doing this. I swear. Camp theatre. Biographical theatre. Journalistic theatre. These pieces exist. I’ve seen auditions asking for Liza Minellis, Bob Dylans, Phyllis Dillers, James Deans, Marilyns, you name it. If you can imitate an icon, this could be a major asset.
I do a great Marie Curie singing “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, but I haven’t quite found a way to use that one yet. This would be one of those times where obscure doesn’t always pay off.
OTHER
There is no possible way I covered every amazing thing that the human voice can do. I’m thinking of those Tibetan monks that can sing two notes at one time. THAT IS AWESOME. From sacred training to stupid human trick, only an actor could find a way to add these things to your resume. You won’t always use them, but it’s important to have a plan for when you can. Sure, they might throw something crazy your way “Can you do that song, but as if you were raised by wolves?” that you simply can’t prepare for. BUT if you identify something as a skill, pull that skill from the hypothetical into reality by digging up repertoire ahead of time that will show your kooky self right off.
Robert Preston in The Music Man
Today we are going to talk about patriotic and culturally-specific pieces and whether or not it makes sense for you to include something like this in your book.
Patriotic
Yesterday, we talked about using Country, Folk and Gospel to beef up your book for a certain subgenre or two of musical theatre. Today, I want to tweak that idea a bit and talk about patriotic themed pieces. Like many American musical genres, these pieces will mostly come in handy for the “play where there is singing” as opposed to true musical theatre. However, let us not forget about patriotic cabarets and revues, shows written by George M. Cohan, historical drama and re-enactments. Also, there is also the musical theatre-friendly gig of singing the national anthem at a large (or small) event. Plus, there are many other performance venues like the USO, Veteran’s Benefits, school and university functions, government-sponsored dinners and events, special presentations, memorials, and making your WW II vet Grandfather happy, right? Dancers may want to pay particular note. Parades, patriotic production numbers and revues, vintage style singing groups, drag shows, and even The Rockettes may put together a piece that is shiny, glitzy and All American.
Local
Some actors hail from regions that are famous for a certain type of music, or a famous era in history, or a specific event. It can be fun to have a piece that reflects these scenarios. In Chicago, we’ve got tons of options. Chicago is famous for Chicago style blues. We’ve got that whole gangster thing happening. We also have many songs about Chicago:
A kid from Appalachia might want to consider having some bluegrass in their back pocket. Somebody from New Orleans may want some jazz in their book. A Texan may do well with a cowboy song.
Does this play into stereotypes? It doesn’t have to. If you’re proud of where you’re from and your roots, it can feel special to be able to represent that in your repertoire. Ten gallon hat not required.
If nothing else, consider learning your Alma Mater (college or high school.) It can be an instant connection in the right circumstances.
Songs from Childhood, Camp, Church and Family
Speaking of your roots, there are songs many of us grew up singing that may fit well into some specific audition requests. Story songs, personal songs, and childhood songs may work well when audition for folk or children’s theatre. Here’s one from my childhood that I keep in my back pocket. I don’t even have the physical sheet music. It’s not necessary. It’s just a little piece of me that I can reveal if asked:
Johnny Appleseed planted an orchard on my family’s land. Plus, we occasionally sang this number around the dinner table at my house and the houses of family friends. I know, it’s so wholesome you could blush. The point is, I’m connected to this. Brainstorming about these types of pieces help you plan ahead for weird requests. Did I ever tell you about the time I was asked to do my monologue as an elephant? Stranger things have happened. If you’re having a hard time coming up with something, think about songs from camp or church or school. Also see my post on Novelty Songs.
Culturally specific
Are you at all attached to your cultural background? Do you have experience in any folk tradition? Pieces like this are so interesting and evocative, plus foreign language and folk art forms are special skills. I’ll talk more about special skills in a future post. Right now, I’m specifically talking about culturally specific song and singing styles. Reggae, Bluegrass, Gospel, Klapa (A Croatian choral style), Kekawin (A Balinese Singing Style), Gregorian Chant, Tibetan Chant, Cantoring (Jewish or Catholic, for example), Native American, I could on for days with this one.
I have a couple Scottish numbers in my B Book, as well as some Irish, Bluegrass, Gospel and Hymns. I also have the Bach “Ave Maria”. It shows that I can sing in, not necessarily speak, Latin. It’s also a classical piece of music.
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Find ways to really show off who you are and where you come from. These pieces may never make it into your A Book, but doing some critical thinking about them now will help you when the odd audition requests pop up or if you find yourself being asked to audition with “alternative material.” These types of songs are inherently interesting and unforgettable. Harnessing our roots can be very powerful. Personal pride reads as confident and attractive. If you hear the question, “What’s your story?” it’s very freeing to be able to answer.
There comes a time in every musical theatre actor’s life when they could use a little country in their book.
Now, if the idea of doing a countrified anything, from Dolly Parton’s Dixieland Stampede to a production of Floyd Collins makes you want to hurl, then say no more. This ain’t fer you. See you tomorrow. Not everybody needs a country piece. But if you are attempting to be prepared for anything, then you may want to consider this genre.
There are also those among us, myself included, who actually grew up kicking a little shit whether we wanted to or not and some aspects of the Country/Americana world speak to us. I am a bluegrass girl. I love it. And the two times I’ve gotten to sing publicly with a bluegrass band were two of the most blissful moments of my life. As such, bluegrass has a home in my book. I also grew up singing in church, so I’ve got some hymns in there, too. These are comfortable pieces for me, and I do use them quite a bit. Although, typically these auditions are usually for a straight piece that will include music, rather than true musical theatre.
Slashies (Musical Theatre/Straight Theatre Actors) take note. Americana, Hymns/Gospel, Country, and Folk are popular fodder for straight shows that utilize music. Much of the cannon is public domain. It’s kind of weird but true. If you don’t consider yourself a true musical theatre actor, BUT you do consider yourself an actor who sings, this genre could be very helpful for you.
Note: For any musical I mention, you could easily use a piece from the musical theatre cannon to audition. These are suggestions to get your gears clicking and to address possibilities for a second audition piece.
Countrified Musical Theatre
Representative Shows: Oklahoma, Annie Get Your Gun, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Calamity Jane, Lil’ Abner
Classic Country
Representative Artists: Patsy Cline, Older Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn (avoid her collaborations with Jack White. Those are more in the bluegrass vein.), Hank Williams
Representative Shows: Always Patsy Cline, Regional Shows (Think Branson, Galtinburg) like Dolly Parton’s Dixieland Stampede, Theme Parks, Singular Country Songs like “One More Angel” from Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Will Rogers Follies
Pop Country
Hidden underneath the glitz of Pop Country is good ol’ high belt. In fact, if you’re smart, you can find a great high belt piece in the world of Pop Country. A couple tweaks to accompaniment and your performance, and the country goes away. Just a lil’ bitty piss-ant trick you can put up your sleeve in a pinch.
Representative Artists: Faith Hill, Newer Dolly Parton, Reba Macintire, Carrie Underwood,
Representative Shows: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Bonnie and Clyde, 9 to 5
Bluegrass – Accompaniment warning. Banjo and fiddle don’t translate very well to piano. Luckily, bluegrass’s roots are ancient Celtic and British ballads that were meant to be sung on their lonesome. This is kind of a special skill sort of piece. Often you’ll be able to pull it off unaccompanied. However, if you need piano notation, look to slower, guitar based pieces or bluegrass style hymns. You can do most of the styling with your voice. Bluegrass is heavily belt. It’s got a cry/call sound that hearkens to its ancient roots. (Can you tell this is my favorite genre of music?)
Representative Shows: Floyd Collins, Big River, new work
Representative Artists: Allison Krauss, Emilou Harris, Some Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, The Osborne Brothers
Americana, Folk, and Maritime
Another way to approach the earthier shows is to utilize music from certain eras and regions in the United States. Maritime pieces often share similiarity with bluegrass. The instrumentation is similar because the instruments are portable. What works well on a mountainside also works pretty well on a ship. And guess what? That same group of instruments are highly sought after in the world of historical and outdoor drama. I’m telling you, if you can play guitar and sing at the same time, you will work forever.
Representative Shows: The Civil War, Dessa Rose, outdoor dramas, Shows using authentic era-appropriate music
Representative Artists: Peter, Paul and Mary, experimental Springsteen, Sting (I swear), some Gordon Lightfoot
Sacred Harp/Shape Note
The Sacred Harp tradition is old. Like Bluegrass, it’s roots go back to Celtic and British music. Civil War, Appalachian, Southern, and religious music all share roots here. It’s a special skill, and one to consider adding to your book if historical or genre pieces appeal to you. For the unfamiliar ear, the sound may be a bit off-putting. Take a listen. It’s powerful and has a ritualistic quality. The first round is sung in “solfege” followed by the lyrics.
Gospel/Religious
Representative Artists: Mahalia Jackson, Sela, Kirk Franklin, Lead Belly, Odetta
Representative Shows: Myths and Hymns, Crowns, The Color Purple, Sister Act, Dream Girls (A big bad ass gospel piece could seriously come in handy if you want to audition for Effie), original work, film, passion plays, church gigs
Holiday Songs
I don’t need to tell you there is a certain type of show that opens Once Upon every December. Having a well thought out Christmas piece can come in very handy when you are auditioning for a Christmas Carol. Often, we are asked to sing, and often we panic and knock out a round of Jingle Bells in our “happy birthday to you” voice. Consider sticking a holiday piece into your repertoire if you are at all interested in the huge market of holiday shows.
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It’s important not to write off the entire Country genre without exploring it a bit. It’s not all Daisie Mae and Garth Brooks. There are some beautiful and gentle ballads to be found, as well as some powerful pieces that cover themes of love, loss, family, friends, history, and struggle. Sounds a little like theatre, huh?
Frank Sinatra. Source: Cultedge.com
We’ve focused pretty heavily on sourcing material from proper book musicals and their cousins (Musical Comedy, Revues, etc.) Today we’re going to take a break from our journey through the big eras of Musical Theatre, temporarily shirk the plot-based structure and take a look at the Great American Songbook.
“The Great American Songbook” is a general title for the most popular and influential songs from the 20th Century in American Music. Sometimes pieces from this genre are referred to as “jazz standards” or “lounge music.” This, of course, includes pieces written for musicals. Composers like Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Frank Loesser, and many other big names we’ve covered recently composed so many songs that crossed over from the theatre to the popular music scene. But for our purposes today, we’re going to leave Musical Theatre backstage, so to speak, and examine some other influential American composers whose work can and will prove to be useful and effective additions to your book. On top of that, they are just a downright pleasure to sing.
Structure: Before we talk about specific pieces, let’s talk structure. The vast majority of songs from this genre are audition butter. They are mostly in 32 bar form – meaning that you get to sing the equivalent of a full verse and chorus without having to make cuts, giving you a beautiful beginning, middle and end. Lots of the pieces contain what is called a “sectional verse”. Sectional verse is that common introductory section of many older songs that does not necessarily share melody, tempo, rhythm or even mood with the rest of the piece. They are fairly easy to remove for audition use, however, don’t make the mistake of cutting these sections without considering them first. They often contain fun wordplay, good jokes, and actor friendly direct address. Sometimes they give a pre-story or setting for the rest of the piece. It’s an older convention, yes, but more contemporary pieces use it as well. “I Dreamed a Dream” has a sectional verse: “There was a time when men were kind, and their voices were soft…”
Here is Dorothy Dandridge’s version of “I Got Rhythm ” complete with sectional verse:
Arrangements: Because the Great American Songbook is, by definition, popular, many great artists have interpreted these songs dozens, if not hundreds of ways. This means that there are myriad arrangements out there for you to choose from.
Gender: By virtue of being released from over-arching theatrical structure, don’t feel limited to pieces associated with performers of your own gender. Diana Krall sings songs Frank made famous. Bobby Caldwell sings Leading Lady pieces. Sing whatever you want to, just make it personal.
Preparation: While there is freedom in being released from plot-based structure, there are pitfalls as well. Stand alone pieces have the tendency to turn an audition into a vocal recital. You have to be present in the given circumstances.
Who are you singing to? What do you want from them? What is on the line? What happens if you don’t get what you want? If in doubt, you die. The answer is, you die – emotionally, spiritually, physically. The stakes have to be that high. Why? Because only that level of investment is worth watching. It may sound hyperbolic, but that is how you demand attention. The key is you also have to be truthful. High stakes with no Truth = Melodrama. Truth with No Stakes = Journalism. Actors need both high stake and honesty at all times.
Here’s Bernadette singing “The Way You Look Tonight”. Check and Check.
TORCH: (Let me just say that I have developed the following definition of Torch to be audition-specific. In a larger musical discussion, I would accept a more general definition. We’re talking specifically about your book here.) Some people mistakenly refer to jazz standards generally as “torch” pieces. This is incorrect. Torch is more specific. To be a torch piece, it has to concern lost or unrequited loved. That may seem a bit nitpicky, but as an actor, this is useful. What hurts more than lost love? And what is more interesting to watch than someone trying to overcome it? Both men and women need a torch piece in their book. 1. It’s a universal human theme, and theatre is trying to tell human stories. It’s a good match. 2. Having a torch piece can add a wonderful dimension of classic, grown up sexiness to your book. 3. They are ever so useful, and often appropriate. They can be used to audition for Golden Era musicals, Jazz pieces, specific roles (particularly supporting roles), and are wonderful “second” pieces for general auditions.
Torch is occasionally confused with certain genres of Blues and, to confuse things further, Torch CAN be blues. We’ll talk more about Blues when we talk about Pop and Rock in the future. In short, I would say true Torch will have a “blue note“, but not fall into a true Blues style. True Torch songs (for audition purposes) are ballads, and have a more classic feel than some blues genres. Here is a Johnny Mercer piece called “Blues in the Night” which is considered Great American Songbook, Pop Blues, but NOT (for audition purposes) truly jazz Torch. It’s too upbeat.
Here is Judy Garland singing a true torch piece called “What’ll I Do.”
The difference is the depth. Could “Blues in the Night” have a place in your book? Absolutely yes! (Full disclosure: It does in mine. ) Just don’t use it to fill the Torch spot. Give yourself a little more to work with textually.
UPBEAT: All this discussion of Torch might make you think there’s only ballads to be had here, but never fear. There are lots of upbeat numbers in the Great American Songbook. Look to the group Rat Pack numbers for a ton of examples. I’m particularly attached to Sarah Vaughan’s “One Mint Julep.”
ICONIC COMPOSERS
Johnny Mercer. My man. I learned about Johnny Mercer when I was 17 years old. I saw a Summer Stock musical revue of Mercer tunes. It’s been love ever since. Mercer penned the theme songs to Breakfast at Tiffany’s: “Moon River.” He wrote peppy ditties like, “Jeepers Creepers,” and “The Glow Worm.” His work is, dare I say, “Too Marvelous for Words.”
Harold Arlen. Perhaps you know a little tune called, “Over the Rainbow?”
Schwartz and Dietz: I got to know Schwartz and Dietz as a sixth grader because my Casio played a sample of “You and The Night and the Music” that I sang to my surprised parents. It’s a little disconcerting when your 11 year old seems best accessorized with a brandy snifter. Schwartz and Dietz wrote quite a few Broadway shows that didn’t have a lot of longevity. However, many of the individual songs are prime examples of superb Great American Songbook pieces. Chek out “Dancing in the Dark” or “Got a Brand New Suit.”
Here’s Billie Holiday singing “Moanin’ Low.”
Brown and Freed: The authors of Singin’ in the Rain also penned numbers like “Pagan Love Song” and “You Are My Lucky Star.”
Ray Henderson: Check out “Varsity Drag” and the many many versions of “Bye Bye Blackbird.”
Sammy Cahn: Sammy Cahn is a goldmine of standards. Take a look at “Saturday Night is the Loneliest Night of the Week”, “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen,” “Let it Snow”, “Three Coins in the Fountain.” Speaking of, here is a scene that encapsulates an experience similar to my own when speaking about The Great American Songbook:
Harry Warren: Harry Warren could prove to be a great starting point for the musical theatre actor who is toe-dipping the Jazz standard genre. Think “Lullaby of Broadway,” “September in the Rain”, and the mega-hit “At Last.”
SAMPLE PERFORMERS
- Frank Sinatra
- Judy Garland
- Diana Krall
- Bobby Caldwell
- Michael Buble (roll your eyes if you want, but this is his bread and butter)
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Tony Bennett
- Rosemary Clooney
- Blossom Dearie
- Julie London
- The Rat Pack
- Nina Simone
- Sarah Vaughan
- Dinah Washington
- Johnny Mathis
- Peggy Lee
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Jane Monheit
- Ann Hampton Calloway
And that’s just a few to get you started.
Using pieces from the Great American Songbook adds dimension, depth, and versatility to your repertoire. The pieces are piano friendly, beautiful to hear, fun to sing, and refreshing. Check out some albums from the performers above. Maybe plink your way through a piano anthology of Johnny Mercer or Harold Arlen. There’s certain to be something there that works for you.
Infamous Flops. Source: newyork.com
I want you to know I suffered for this post. I listened to a A LOT of shitty music. Via Galactica, anyone? Yeesh.
We’ve all heard the apocryphal tales: the shows that closed during previews, the dismal failures, the productions that never made it to the Great White Way… if you are a musical theatre producer, you may want to take heed. But as an actor? Pay no damn mind, girl (or boy). These trainwrecks can be GOLDMINES for auditioning. Think about it: two of the biggest Broadway flops were Merrily We Roll Along and Anyone Can Whistle: amazing, inherently audition-worthy songs in both pieces. Another great example is Schwartz’s The Baker’s Wife. The book has a lot of issues, but there is no denying Meadowlark is a bonafide showstopper. Even the super stinky numbers from a flop can be useful. The use of good ol’ irony can put a comic spin on an originally earnest piece. I give you Frankenstein: The Musical.
A Note on Obscurity: I don’t think it’s necessary to stress too much about whether or not a piece is “overdone.” Back before the musical theatre types really got kicking on the Internet (a time I actually remember God help me) “overdone” was more of an issue because we had less access to the lesser-known stuff. There was just less to choose from for your average Joe. Now, we’ve got the whole world at our fingertips and actors are absolutely taking advantage.
That said, I am often stunned at the lack of creativity in some actor’s books. Remember, the whole point is to show your weird self off. And honey, we are ALL weird in some way. Worry less about “overdone,” and worry more about personal authenticity. That simply can’t be replicated.
Flop mining can become a bit overwhelming. So I’ve provided a few examples that might get your gears turning. We’ve got The Bombs, The Buried, The Off-Broadway and The Offbeat. So put on your hard hats and be careful what you step in…
THE BOMBS
“Stop Time” from Big
“Hard to Be a Diva” from Starmites. (Love Lansbury’s descripton in this grainy clip). Belters? Go to 3:00 in for the number.
“It’s No Problem” from High Fidelity. Cute comedy piece.
“Words, Words, Words” from Witches of Eastwick
THE BURIED
Meet Blossom Dearie, one of my heroes, singing “Give Him the Ooh La La” from Dubarry Was a Lady
Audra McDonald sings “A Sleepin’ Bee” from House of Flowers
Here’s a piece from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn the Musical called “I’ll Buy You a Star”. Gotta tell ya, this would be such a sweet piece for the right guy.
THE OFF-BROADWAY
“If I Sing” from Closer Than Ever
“The Same Old Music” from Vanities
“The Role of a Lifetime” from Bare: A Pop Opera
THE OFFBEAT
Don’t forget the movies, y’all! Here are some numbers from Cult Classics:
The next time I hire somebody to transcribe for me, it might be this:
“Please, Mr. Jailer” from Cry Baby
“Infected” from Repo! The Genetic Opera
And of course, “Sweet Transvestite” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show
RESOURCES
Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops
New York City Center: Encores!
Here in Chicago, spend a rainy afternoon perusing the 8th floor of the Harold Washington Library. It’s packed with highlights and scores of forgotten musicals, cast recordings, and practice rooms. One of my favorite places in the whole city. Time just goes away there.
Youtube. You simply can’t beat it for instant access to these types of shows and numbers.
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Flops, the Forgotten, and the Fantastic are all wonderful ways to expand your knowledge of what’s out there, and really find something that shows off exactly who you are and all the wonderful talent you bring to the room. I hope this inspires you to get a little outside your comfort zone and dig around in the muck. After all, you can’t grow a garden without getting a little dirty.
Today, we continue our search for alternative sources of musical theatre audition material. In the future, I will talk about Pop/Rock in general, but today I want to pull a few select entertainers from the genre as examples of “Musical Theatre-Esque” work. And in fact, many of the people I am singling out today have indeed composed musical theatre pieces. There is an inherent theatricality to some or all of their work and it’s worth checking out when building your book.
Did someone say, “inherent theatricality?”
Sir Elton John
Baz Luhrmann knew what he was doing.
First and foremost I should say Elton John IS a musical composer, so there’s that. He wrote Aida, The Lion King, Billy Elliot, and the film The Road to El Dorado. But make no mistake, his work outside the musical theatre is absolutely worth digging into.
He’s prolific. Yahoo narrowed his work down to not 10, not 20, but Elton John’s Top ONE HUNDRED songs. I dare you not to find something. “Philadelphia Freedom” sounds like an act one opener. “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters,” sounds like an Act Two ballad. Like most of the writers I mention today, he composes and performs his work on the piano making the transition to the audition room far easier than other piano-translated instrumention. (See my note on the pitfalls of guitar to piano notation in the post A Custom Tailored Vet.)
Billy Joel
Twyla Tharp made a shrewd decision when she decided to build her musical theatre piece, Movin’ Out around the characters from “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.” The song itself is nearly a mini musical. It has plot, movements, and stakes. A lot of Billy Joel’s work has that perspective, aside from the pieces used in Movin’ Out. And, like Elton John, he is first and foremost a pianist, so the work automatically translates to the audition room quite well.
Songs like “Vienna,” “She’s Always a Woman to Me,” and “James” could easily find a home in the right actor’s audition book.
This list by Vulture is unintentionally but perfectly curated musical theatre audition material.
Carole King
Most people know Carol King for her earthy seventies masterpiece, Tapestry. Tapestry itself is great audition material. But her work extends far beyond this one album. King wrote hits for other performers such as “Some Kind of Wonderful”, “The Locomotion”, and my personal audition book workhorse, “Natural Woman.” She even wrote the score to the the television special musical, “Really Rosie.” Much of her work is honest, a bit raw, and has perspective that is very actor-friendly. Lots of direct address. Piano-based accompaniment. Three-dimensional.
And here’s the best part: She’s still working today. Check out her website for the latest.
Randy Newman
Randy Newman has written far more than just catchy cartoon movie themes. He has scored multiple films, and composed many pop hits. He is one of my personal favorite audition resources. His work is earthy, sometimes profound and dates back well into the 60’s.
Paul Williams
You may not be as familiar with the name Paul Williams, but I assure you you know his work:
- “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “We’ve Only Just Begun” – Performed by The Carpenters
- The score of movies like A Star is Born (1976)
- The theme to The Love Boat
or perhaps you’re familiar with this little ditty:
That’s right, Paul Williams scored The Muppet Movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas. He also wrote one of my personal childhood favorites and absolutely a true musical: Bugsy Malone. Williams sound is very Americana, but what’s cool about it is that it shows up in so many different forms. The Muppet Movie is sort of folksy, while Bugsy Malone is that early jazzy twenties sound.
Check him out for something a little off the beaten path.
Burt Bacharach
Another bonafide musical theatre composer, Bacharach penned Promises, Promises and The Boy from Oz. He scored one of my all time favorite movies, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid including “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.” He also wrote half the songs used in My Best Friend’s Wedding. He wrote for everyone from Dionne Warwick to Johnny Mathis to Tom Jones to Neil Diamond.
The Care and Keeping of Singer/Songwriters
Don’t feel limited to the list of examples I provided above. Singer/Songwriters in general – as they are already “slashies” – like to stretch their wings. I give you Dunkan Shiek and Spring Awakening or Dennis DeYoung and his musical version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Here are a few notes on preparing these types of pieces:
- Singer/Songwriter non-MT pieces can be “gendered” anyway you want. Don’t hesitate to change “he’s” to “she’s” or whatever perspective you want to sing from.
- Do yourself the favor of choosing a song that uses direct address as opposed to telling a story (I know, I know, “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” is nearly the definition of story song. However, the strongest cut for audition purposes is direct address (starts at 1:43): “Things are okay with me these days. Got a good job. Got a good office. Got a new life. Got a new wife and the family is fine…”)Whereas “Piano Man”, while it is present tense, is a little harder to dig into as an actor from an acting perspective because it’s a story with no specific intended receiver.
- Make sure you add what is missing: given circumstances and high stakes. Who are you speaking to? What do you need from them? What happens if you don’t get it? Check out my section on How to Prepare a Showstopper for more prep advice. Life or death. It’s always life or death. Otherwise, why are we watching?
- The key to using the work of a singer/songwriter is to simplify. Eva Cassidy’s version of Sting’s “Fields of Gold” is a great example.
One voice. One guitar. (This song is also a good example of a guitar piece that would translate well to piano notation.” Nearly without exception (okay, maybe Carol King and Randy Newman) these guys are already flash glitter and sass. You can’t compete with that, particularly in an audition room where it will be as low tech as you can go. Ergo, make these pieces simple and honest. “Characterized by intensity of feeling or quality,” is, in fact, the definition of profound.
Source: Warner Bros.
Acting and auditioning can be so vulnerable and exposed that it is often comforting to rely on the tried and true with our material. It’s familiar. It’s good. There’s context. It feels safe and appropriate.
But sometimes it’s refreshing to go out on a limb and try something new. Really new.
NEW MUSICALS
You know how it feels like only big names get cast and the unknown actors don’t have a chance in hell? Well take that feeling and multiply it by 1,000. Now you know what it’s like to try to get a new musical produced.
But new musicals are out there. In droves. And they want to be heard. (And they aren’t all movie adaptations.)
Using pieces from original, up and coming, and/or unproduced composers is a great way to have a piece that is singular and special in your book. It also helps a fellow artist by performing their work in front of people that produce theatre.
How to access these pieces?
WORKSHOPS AND NEW MUSICAL PROGRAMS
Source: Broadway World
New theatrical work often goes through the workshop process wherein playwrights, lyricists, and composers get the chance to hear and see their work performed by actors, and have the freedom to edit, alter and rewrite based on what they are seeing. It is a wonderful thing to be one of those actors. No, workshops don’t usually pay much (if anything) but they provide connections and most of all, useable material, sometimes composed with you in mind!
In Chicago alone, we have big New Musical programs and projects as well as a long list of theatres that produce them.
Northwestern University hosts the American Music Theatre Project.
Light Opera Works hosts the Midwest New Musicals Workshop.
WEBSITES
Most composers have websites that allow you to listen to their work. Some even provide the ability to purchase sheet music. If they don’t, you can always contact them and ask if you can use a piece for auditioning or performing.
One major online resource for new work is: NEWMUSICTHEATRE
COLLABORATION
You can even try teaming up with an emerging writer or team of writers by putting together a joint cabaret or showcase, pitching a show to a theatre company, or self-producing. You could even commission a writer to compose a bespoke piece just for you.
Also, composers often have stand-alone pieces (much like I mentioned in You Need a Hero), that don’t have a home in any larger musical, but still deserve an audience. They may be willing to loan such a piece to you for auditioning purposes.
SELF-COMPOSED
Source: Hello Giggles
A trickier area, but let’s talk about it. Actors, like a lot of artists, usually have another art form or two up their sleeve. If you are also a composer, your own work is not completely off limits. Here are a few considerations:
- Self accompaniment – My rule (and you know how I feel about rules) is only when asked, whether in the posting or in the room. Otherwise, utilize the accompanist.
- Charts or Fake Books: Only provide an accompanist with complete sheet music. No basic notation or charts. If you can, make sure it’s not hand-written either. Even the nicest handwritten sheet music is difficult to read.
- Identifying the piece: Casting teams get a little twitchy and uncomfortable around self-written pieces. Partially, this is because they want to see how you handle material that is written by someone else because that is precisely what they are hiring you to do. Secondly, and I mean no offense, most self-written work that comes through the audition door is not very good. That doesn’t mean yours is bad. That just means by identifying your piece as your own, you’ve made your job more difficult by making the casting team immediately skeptical. While I don’t advocate lying to a casting team, you can be a bit coy if you need to. Rather than identifying the composer right off the bat, just say the name of the piece and the name of the show. If they like it, they’ll ask who the composer is. Tell the truth.
- Unless a posting or your agent or another source makes it clear that self-composed and/or accompanied work is acceptable or encouraged, don’t lead with this piece for a general audition and be very calculating about when you choose to bring it in. New work is one thing, self-composed is another. Remember, they are looking for an actor first. Not a writer.
- Hear the previous advice, but just know that it is merely advice, not a hard and fast set of rules.
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New Work is exciting and nearly demands attention because of it’s originality. If your book is looking appropriate but somewhat staid and traditional, check out all of these resources. Consider joining or auditioning for a workshop. You never know where it might lead.
I read somewhere that Jennifer Aniston gets her t-shirts tailored. That’s why they look so perfect on her. I would also suggest her yogi-body has something to do with that as well. Still, her tailored t-shirts are, in effect, custom made for her.
There are two lessons here for the Musical Theatre Actor:
1. A Firm Foundation – yuk yuk. But seriously, a strong and sculpted repertoire makes everything look better.
2. Making tweaks and tailoring each piece to perfectly fit you makes you sound better and present yourself more confidently.
So how do you do that?
The Perfect Key
Source: cnx.org
First things first, make sure that each piece is smack dab in your key. Thanks to online sheet music services, this is often an easy and cheap prospect. However, they usually only offer a few carefully selected options. And sometimes transposition isn’t available at all. So what’s a singer to do?
There are (expensive) piano programs that help you transpose yourself. This is probably overkill on the part of an actor. Investing in those programs makes more sense for music directors and composers. Still, worth mentioning.
You can also hire someone to transpose for you. This is my favorite option. You are guaranteed the exact key you need, and you can even have them help you make clean audition cuts that show off your voice in a way custom fitted to you. I love having a person I can go to for this type of service.
Where to find such a genius? Music directors and composers often perform this service to make a little extra cash. There are also online services. You could even inquire at college music departments for students who might be willing to perform the service for a fee.
Transcribed Just For You
I like to have a couple novelty pieces in my repertoire (something I’ll talk more about soon). Often these pieces can be difficult to come by in sheet music form. Hiring someone to notate means that you are nearly guaranteed to have something that is only your book, and no one else’s. For example, I happen to love quirky old music from the 20’s through the 60’s. Brigitte Bardot has peppy French numbers that delight me. I love old burlesque tunes. I also love cute WW II era numbers about pining for sailors and the like. As such, there was a track called Bell Bottom Blues by Alma Cogan that I fell in love with a few years ago and I couldn’t find the sheet music anywhere. On top of that, the instrumentation was heavily brass, something that doesn’t translate well to standard piano.
So I hired someone to transcribe it and make it more piano-friendly. I love having the piece. Since it’s so quirky and specific, I don’t use it a lot, but it’s nice to have on hand.
A Note on Instrumentation: As I mentioned above, creating sheet music from a piece that was originally written for an instrument other than piano can make some sheet music clunky. Guitar, in particular, can result in awkward accompaniment. Electric guitar and upbeat pop/rock pieces often have piano versions written for the mass market that are not very elegant in design. These bad transcriptions are difficult to prepare effectively and sound nothing like the original piece, which is what attracts a performer in the first place. These mass market pieces are so true to the original recording, they often include transcribed moments of improv or vocal styling that is unnecessary and makes some pieces difficult to cut.
Hiring a professional to transcribe for you or to take a piece and fine tune it to your needs can be worth it’s weight in gold.
There are some guitar pieces that do translate well to piano: singer songwriters, folk music ballads, and some jazz work well on the ol’ ivories. This certainly doesn’t mean avoid “harder” rock when auditioning. Not at all! It’s just a pitfall to be aware of.
Clever Edits
Source: Wikimedia
Another way to tailor your book to you, is to occasionally make a clever rewrite. I suggested this in the Comedy post, but you can use it in other ways, too. In my book, I have a piece that is traditionally about New York, but I made it about Chicago instead. I only had to change a couple words, and now it feels like I’m sharing something with the other side of the table: our love for our home city. Tiny rewrites help “un-gender” songs which makes a lot more music available to you. One thing to note: this tends to work best with stand alone pieces, rather than pieces from within a musical. It’s easy to change the gender perspective of a Frank Sinatra number. It’s more difficult when it is a piece from within a story and from the perspective of a specific character.
Another way way to edit a piece is to find or have someone create an interesting arrangement of the piece. I am a big fan of Barbra Streisand’s first Broadway album because of the clever versions of classic numbers. No, you won’t be able to haul an entire studio orchestra into your audition with you, but you can hear how an updated arrangement can refresh a piece and make it exciting to perform.
Cut and Pasted
Sometimes audition requirements feel constricting: 32 bars may not be enough to show as much range as you would like, let alone 16 bars. But rather than getting hung up on the limitation, I suggest using these cuts to your advantage. Think of them as a structure in which to be creative. Since you can’t do the whole song, you can make choices that cherry pick the best stuff.
I recommend, for each song in your A Book (See: The A Book Pt 1. and the A Book Pt 2.) , having 16, 32 and “full” cuts rehearsed and ready to go. When I say “full” I don’t necessarily mean the whole song (although it can be). I mean a full intro, verse, chorus, and perhaps another verse and chorus. This cut will have a full beginning middle and end, whereas a 16 bar cut is often just the big ending. Some auditions are very generous in their allotment and using a full cut gives you the opportunity to take your audience on a journey with you. I have full cuts that are actually just 32 bars, for certain songs. Others are 48-60. It depends heavily on the time signature. Also, do yourself the favor of learning the song completely just in case they ask you to keep going.
Having great cuts predetermined can save you lots of time and worry in the future.
Consider hiring someone to help you make awkward cuts cleaner by removing the internal cut material and smoothing the transitions. Or you can print several copies of the piece and make several different cuts for different auditions – one cut may emphasis drama or comedy, while another is more about vocal range.
These are just a few detail-oriented ways to tailor your repertoire to you and your needs. By paying attention to the details, you can take your auditions to the next level performing arrangements built around you.
Authentic Auditioning 