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.
While American musical theatre entered the “golden era” beginning in the 40’s, 1950 – 1966 was when the art really hit its stride. While admittedly, hard and fast delineations between years are pretty arbitrary, I cut this off at 1966 because it was the year before Hair and the advent of the Rock Musical. So we’ll talk about that soon.
The musicals of the Golden Era are hardly uniform in nature. However, most of them share classical dramatic structure, lush sound, big production numbers, and larger than life characters. It’s a virtual playground for repertoire building. Songs from this era are beautifully structured and versatile. While I really hate definitive rules, I highly encourage any actor to have a piece or two from this era in their book. You could have a ballad and an upbeat, for example, or a comedic piece and a dramatic showstopper. You could go with a sidekick-type song and another from a Leading Man. However you want to play it, these pieces will continually prove themselves useful. This is musical theatre in it’s most classical form.
Unlike the previous eras we’ve talked about, we don’t need to worry as much about capturing a particular sound (I’ll talk about 50’s and 60’s pop in the future). This is about finding characters and songs that you love and are excited to perform. There are definite flagship musicals from this era, but I encourage you to explore a few you might not be as familiar with. Here’s a number that I love from Camelot. It makes a great soprano upbeat number, if cut in an effective way:
Sample Shows from the Era:
The King and I
Me and Juliet
Guys and Dolls
Peter Pan
My Fair Lady
Paint Your Wagon
Can Can
The Boyfriend
Kismet
Wonderful Town
Fanny
The Pajama Game
Lil’ Abner
The Most Happy Fella
Flower Drum Song
Fiorello!
Gypsy
The Sound of Music
Camelot
Do Re Mi
The Fantasticks
Oliver!
Little Me
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Gypsy
Hello, Dolly!
Pickwick
Fiddler on the Roof
Man of La Mancha
West Side Story
Movie Musicals
While movie musicals had been in production since the 1920’s, the 50’s and 60’s were the height of the genre. Don’t be afraid to utilize them as a resource. While they may differ slightly from the stage versions, the music is almost always intact. Many times the original Broadway stars perform in the film version as well (Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, Robert Preston in The Music Man, Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady, Mary Martin in Peter Pan). Movie musicals also help bridge the gap between ephemeral theatrical performances of the past and we, the performers of today. Pop in West Side Story and see Jerome Robbins original choreography, the work of Bob Fosse, or Barbra Streisand belt out “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”
Iconic Performers of the Era
Ethel Merman Source: Sondheim Guide
Carol Channing
Ethel Merman
Robert Preston
Julie Andrews
Rex Harrison
Robert Goulet
Chita Rivera
Gwen Verdon
Mary Martin
Jerry Orbach
Pearl Bailey
Barbra Streisand
Angela Lansbury
Bea Arthur
Joel Grey
Composers
Berlin
Porter
Loesser
Rome
Wilson
Lerner and Loewe
Bernstein
Jules Styne
Jerry Herman
Bock and Harnick
Early Sondheim
Open a New Window
Edith Adams and Rosalind Russell in Wonderful Town
Jennifer Westfeldt and Donna Murphy in Wonderful Town
When exploring productions from this era, try to seek out several different cast recordings. You may find updated orchestration appeals to you more than the original. Or you may find you enjoy the immensity of the original cast recording. Hearing different versions of these productions helps expand your ability to interpret these pieces on your own. Even hearing or seeing choices you dislike can help your book. If you find yourself saying, “Ugh, why did they do that? Here’s what I would have done…” see if you can find a way to put that idea into your audition book.
Also, once you find a piece or two that you enjoy or a character you are attracted to, take a look at the original (or revival) actor who played the role. Their resume might be packed with shows and characters that are also appropriate for you and your book. For the big iconic pieces, you might really be able to immerse yourself in the production. So you might get two or three different cast recordings of Fiddler on the Roof from the library, then you might watch the movie, and maybe go check out a local production. Let yourself fall madly in love with these shows. That love will show up in your audition and it will also help guide your sails.
Got to love a man in uniform. Source: Riley’s Random Review
During the 1940’s. Musical Theatre entered what is now referred to as “The Golden Age”. The Golden Age continued up until around 1960. The true book musical had arrived, meaning that the songs and plot were becoming fully-integrated as opposed to the revue-like feel of the past decades. Although most attribute this change to Oklahoma due to it’s soaring score and immensity of production design, I would say Pal Joey (which dates to right before Oklahoma) helped Musical Theatre reach these new heights as well. That’s picking fly shit out of the pepper, as my mother would say, so just know that with the advent of the 1940’s the Musical Theatre gained a level of depth and continuity it general had not seen before. As such, I highly recommend looking at shows and popular music from this era to enrich your book. A lot of my personal favorite audition pieces date from this era.
In popular music, the 40’s were the era of WW II, Big Bands, Crooners, and Swing. Music was certainly patriotic, but unlike WW I, the sound was definitively pop as opposed to a more traditional feel. Although rock ‘n’ roll hadn’t arrived yet, the seeds were being planted by musicians like Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Duke Ellington.
As dire as the current events were around the world, the music and entertainment of the era was lush, vibrant and so much fun to perform- a welcome respite from war and uncertainty.
MAJOR COMPOSERS
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Kurt Weill
Rodgers and Hart
Cole Porter
Irving Berlin
Johnny Mercer (I’ll talk more about Good Ol’ Johnny in the near future)
REPRESENTATIVE MUSICAL THEATRE
Setting – 1940’s – (I was surprised to find that there are very few musicals that are set in WW II or the 1940’s in general that do not originate from the actual period. See the “Circa” list below.)
The Producers
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (no stage version as far as I know, but very interesting WW II specific material)
1940’s Radio Hour
Over Here!
The Sound of Music
Circa 1940’s
Lady in the Dark
Panama Hattie
Kiss Me Kate
Oklahoma
Annie Get Your Gun
On the Town
South Pacific
Where’s Charlie
Lost in the Stars
Carmen Jones
Night and Day
Brigadoon
Allegro
St Louis Woman
Carousel
Pal Joey
Cabin in the Sky
State Fair
Let’s Face It!
This is the Army
POPULAR MUSIC
This era transitions really well to the audition room. Look to artists like The Andrews Sisters, Glen Miller (mostly instrumental work but many of his pieces have lyrics. You’ll just have to dig.), Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, early Frank Sinatra, and Judy Garland are a just few to get you started. Here is a list of the 100 most popular songs from the 1940’s.
These songs are glamorous and heartfelt. In general, there is far more depth to these pieces that what we’ve examined so far from the Turn of the Century and the 20’s and 30’s.
Americana – As a rural American by birth, I have to tell you…as much as I love the 40’s, I find some of the musicals of this era a bit irksome. There I said it. We are not all shit kickers. Still, there’s no denying that American patriotism showed up in freshly scrubbed apple pie shows like State Fair!, Oklahoma and Annie Get Your Gun. Popular music provided numbers like “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and “A Farmer’s Boy.” Aw shucks.
Source: Big Band Transcriptions
INSTRUMENTATION
That damn brass and those damn woodwinds! As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, songs that were originally played on instruments other than piano can occasionally result in less than elegant piano notation. Brass, along with guitar, is often the culprit and nothing says Big Band like Big Brass. That said, a walking bass line was popular during this era as well as Boogie Woogie which is piano-centric. While one would assume that a piece like Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, as it prominently features the horn section, would be tough accompaniment, it’s actually built entirely for piano. The horns are just the icing on the cake. Listen to the opening of the number:
Those broken chord progressions in the bass line are all piano, as beefy as they are, played in a style called, that’s right, “Eight to the bar,” just like in the song. Plus, the Andrew Sisters themselves actually perform what would normally be the horn section by the use of scat, those sneaky Pete’s. “Ba doomp ba, ba dum ba aaaah…” All those factors combine to make a surprisingly effective piano style.
If you aren’t a piano player and you find this sort of talk confusing or intimidating, here is a tip. Go to a site like Musicnotes or Sheet Music Direct and find a piece from the 1940’s. Play the midi accompaniment. If it sounds decent (for midi) and you are able to sing to it effectively, then you’re all set. But, if it sounds clunky and not quite how you were hoping the piece would sound in real life, you may have a bad brass or guitar-to-piano notation on your hands. It’s not so important that you understand the ins and out of why it sounds that way. It’s just important for you to know that it could sound that way. Luckily, the older the piece, the more likely it is that there are several arrangements available and most likely, you will be able to find one that works for you (or you could always hire somebody.)
Here’s an example:
This is a Tony Bennett arrangement of Ain’t Misbehavin’. The piano is so simple in this section, it borders on sounding a bit elementary, or at least small.
Here is another version of Ain’t Misbehavin’ that still features somewhat simple (and audition-friendly accompaniment) but sounds fuller. It supports the singer, but doesn’t double, which is like a pretty picture frame for an actor’s voice. Still, this is all about personal preference. It’s just something I wanted to illustrate as another way for you to establish who you are by utilizing your personal esthetic. The more you can make specific choices like this, the more those little choices add up to a sounds that is all you.
Scat: Speaking of scat, scat’s a skill, baby. While not limited to the 1940’s (check out 30’s scat as well), if you can do it, stick it in your book AND on your resume. Here’s Cab Calloway:
And Ella (non 40’s example)
SOURCES FOR MUSIC FROM THE 1940’s
God, that one gets me.
The 1940’s are far more accessible than the earlier era’s we’ve spoken about. Still, try to grab a few era specific albums or mixes from Itunes or Spotify. There are some gorgeous and lesser known gems just waiting to be found. Try USO faves like Bettie Grable for some cute little ditties:
Heck, you might even find something a little weird, like Marlene Dietrich playing the musical saw.
A Nod to the Era: When the Boys came home, and things settled down a bit in the US, artists had time to reflect on the WW II. Don’t discount 50’s and 60’s era nods to the 40’s like this awesome number from White Christmas:
or this one from Bed Knobs and Broomsticks:
COCKTAIL
Source: Gourmet.com
There was a bit of tropical Tiki-craze going on in the libation world of the 1940’s. In honor of that (and big band leader Xavier Cugat), here’s a Cugat Congo!
CUGAT CONGO
1 oz White Bacardi
.25 oz Grenadine
the juice of one-half fresh lime
Dash of Absinthe
Shake well with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Betcha never seen a tap number done on toe shoes before!
Most musical theatre performers will want to consider including a song or two from the era of 1918-1936 or so (post WW I – pre-WW II). So many shows are either from or set in this time period, these pieces often come in handy.
STYLE
If the turn of the century was primetime for the Big Ballad, then the 20’s and 30’s were the era of the Upbeat. Jazz came dancing into popular culture. Between Prohibition and The Great Depression, the country needed something to lift the collective spirit, so they turned to music and entertainment.
Musical theatre heavily influenced popular music in the 20’s and 30’s (well up into the 60’s actually), so a lot of times the popular songs of the day were also the musical theatre songs of the day.
Meanwhile, Vaudeville wasn’t dead yet. The variety show was alive and kicking, producing acts like Al Jolsen (see above), Fanny Bryce, and Bob Hope. Meanwhile, the publishers of Tin Pan Alley, while already established, were still kicking out hits like “Swanee” (arguably the most popular tune of the 20’s) “We Have No Bananas”, and “Ain’t She Sweet”. (I’ll talk more about Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley in a later post.)
INSTRUMENTATION
This era moved from the somewhat military sounding brass marches to a lighter combination of jazz guitar, trumpet, big percussion, and folksier instruments such as banjo. Clarinets and saxophones were very popular, yet piano still held onto the ragtime feel of the previous era. Kander and Ebb’s Chicago reflects this instrumentation perfectly. See the piano in “All That Jazz.”
SAMPLE MAJOR COMPOSERS – See my post “The Big Guys” for more specifics on composers
Broadway
Jerome Kern
the Gershwin brothers
Irving Berlin
Cole Porter
Vincent Youmans
Richard Rodgers
Lorenz Hart
Schwartz & Dietz
Noel Coward
Popular
Louis Armstrong
Hoagy Carmicheal
Van & Schenk
Albert Von Tilzer
WC Handey
SAMPLE SHOWS FROM AND SET IN THE PERIOD
Source: Broadway World
Setting
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (the stage version)
Chicago
The Wild Party
Annie
The Drowsy Chaperone
Guys and Dolls
Circa
Showboat
Of Thee I Sing
Funny Face
Oh, Kay!
No, No, Nanette
Anything Goes
On Your Toes
Babes in Arms
Porgy and Bess
The Cradle Will Rock
Sunny
Dearest Enemy
Good News
SOURCES
Sweet Georgia Brown – even the Harlem Globetrotters get their theme song from the era!
Definitely check out the list of shows above. While hardly a complete list, these works are a great representation of the sound and style of 1918 – 1936.
Also take a look at the early musical movies like Broadway Melody of 1929. While this era is before the golden age of movie musicals, there are still very useful pieces to be found. Shirley Temple movies were popular during the Depression, as well as Astaire/Rogers vehicles like Swing Time.
I find that services like Pandora or Spotify can be helpful when seeking historical material. Singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra often revived numbers from the 20’s and 30’s such as Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.” Try checking out channels and playlists of these iconic artists. You may be surprised to find out just how old some of their material is.
Here is a list of the most popular songs of the 1920’s.
And here is a list for the 1930’s.
Also, a lot of the jazz bands of the era performed songs as instrumental versions. However, that doesn’t mean there are no lyrics. If you find a melody you like, keep digging. More than likely, there are lyrics.
Also note that “speak sing” was in. Here is “It’s Only a Shanty in Old Shanty Town” from 1932. It has both an instrumental verse, and a speak-sing style. While Ted Lewis speaks the lyrics, they clearly fit into the melody.
CONSIDERATIONS
Content: Similar to the turn of the Century, the popular music of the day was often beyond insensitive to non-dominant cultures. The Jazz Singer is hailed for being the first film to combine picture and sound. But there’s no getting around the fact that the star, Al Jolsen, was famous for his Minstrel shows. There was an apologist sensibility in regards to the Confederate South, and popular music reflected it (“Swanee”, “Mamee”). While it’s important to not whitewash the more painful eras and trends of our past, be careful some of these hurtful works don’t make it into your book. Make sure you understand the lyrics, and the source of the piece. You wouldn’t want to accidentally say something you really, really don’t mean.
Also, songs were often written in clunky dialect. Check out an original rendition of “Can’t Help Lovin’ [Dat] Man” from Showboat. I’m sure you probably know this, but…you know…don’t do it that way.
Accompaniment: A lot of pieces from the era have very simple piano accompaniment, however beware jazz notation. Gershwin, for example, was an absolute genius and his jazz chording can be overwhelming from a sight-reading perspective. Be aware of this when choosing audition cuts. There’s no need to avoid these types of pieces, but know that the accompanist may simplify things for themselves so your piece may sound a little different in the room.
Articulation: The composers and lyricists of the era wrote in a style that equates to vocal and verbal gymnastics for the performer. Let’s take a look at the song “Anything Goes:”
Articulation, clear intention, understanding of where phrases and sentences begin and end are key. So are clear character choices and OPINION. These pieces are cute, clever, and often funny. But the words can’t do it on their own. You have to be there to be their clever vehicle.
Source: The Hooch Life
COCKTAIL
This cocktail is one of my favorites. Not only does it hail from the post-Prohibition era, it’s the classic slang of the time. The Bee’s Knees! Bathtub or non-bathtub gin. Up to you.
2 oz Gin
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz honey simple syrup 1:1
Shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Cheers!
We’re halfway through 30 Days to a Better Book! Let’s take a moment to review what we’ve done so far:
STOP
The focus so far has been threefold. First, we want to assess who you are, what you want to show off, and where you want to set your sights. Secondly, we want to come up with a system of organization that helps your plan, prioritize, and prepare efficiently and effectively. Third we want to combine both traditional and creative sources to find vibrant repertoire that seems like it was custom built just for you.
- On Day 1 – All About You – We talk about the number one consideration when building your repertoire: YOU! Your likes, dislikes, dreams, goals and abilities will always be the most important factors when building your book, as opposed to worrying too much about the uncontrollable stuff like what the casting team may or may not be looking for, your “competition”, and whether or not you picked the “right” piece.
- On Day 2 – A B C – We talked about one way to organize and prioritize your book.
- On Day 3 – The Money Tree – We talked about how to find, use and prepare the number one piece in your whole repertoire: The Showstopper.
- On Day 4 – The Vital Few – We focused on what I call your “A Book” – the most frequently used pieces in your whole portfolio.
- On Day 5 – Living the Dream – We talked about how to utilize your dream roles by mining them for material, using them to make self-assessments, and preparing to audition for them in advance.
- On Day 6- The Big Guys – We dove into the most traditional of musical theatre sources: The flagship composers of the 20th and 21st Century.
- On Day 7 – You Need a Hero – We examined our personal performance idols and covered ways to use their resumes and repertoire to show off our own personalities.
- On Day 8 – Comedy Tonight – We redefined what “Comedic” means in an audition setting and used creative ways to find truly funny comic repertoire.
- On Day 9 – The “A” Book Part Two – We wrapped up your Top Ten to Twenty go-to pieces by analyzing your “type” and your own personal story.
- On Day 10 – A Custom Tailored Vet – We took a look at transposition, musical notation, and all the nitty gritty bits that can make or a break a piece. The Devil is truly in the details.
- On Day 11 – Variations on a Theme(Song) – We considered Novelty pieces and assessed whether or not they belong in your repertoire. Plus we covered lots of potential sources.
- On Day 12 – Shiny and New – We looked at New and Original Musical Theatre as a potential source for truly unique repertoire.
- On Day 13 – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – We stepped outside traditional musical theatre repertoire and examined some pop singer/songwriters who have a theatrical sound.
- On Day 14 – Flop House – We put on our shit-kickers and dug around in Broadway Flops, Obscure Older pieces, and Cult Classics.
So here we are on Day 15 and I’m bringing it back to you. What is the best source for musical theatre repertoire? YOU!
What I mean is you can handpick interesting, obscure, clever, and powerful pieces ’til the chorus girls come home but if they aren’t personal to you? If you don’t connect? It’s wasted effort.
How do you do that? How do you find the goosebump, tear, and laughter-inducing stuff that feels like it was written by a friend?
Immerse yourself, grasshopper.
LOOK
Source: This American Life
See shows. Lots of them. Not just musicals either. There are so many productions that you could call “Plays Where There is Singing.” And even completely non-musical shows are important too. It’s important to see what is happening currently because that is what you are and will be auditioning for. See a wide variety of shows and not just pieces where you suspect you are “right” for a role. Go to storefront stuff. Go to big budget stuff. Go to start up stuff. Go to established stuff. Access other cultures. Why? Because knowledge makes you better at acting. Experiences help you appreciate and create comedy. Empathy increases your capacity for the dramatic.
Most importantly you begin to build your own personal aesthetic. What shows do you want to do? The most ill-advised and potentially harmful, but all too common acting advice is: Audition for everything and take every role that is offered to you. That is a recipe for burnout and resentment. There may be an actor who followed this advice who reached all their career goals and is very happy and satisfied, but I’ve never met them. What you like counts. Seeing shows helps you decide what you like, who you want to work with and how to focus your repertoire in that direction. Your future directors, music directors, composers, castmates and crew are all out there working right now. That’s exciting! Go see what they are creating. Even as an audience member, you are a part of it all and that, my friend, is a wonderful thing.
A Note: I come from rural farmland, originally, so while it is easy for me as a Chicagoan to tell someone to walk straight out their door and right into a theatre, I know this isn’t possible for everyone. At least not on a big city scale. The big shows that do come through can be exorbitantly expensive and they are only representative of Broadway- not all the theatre that’s out there.
So what’s a little girl from Grover’s Corners to do? Widen your perspective. No, that community theatre production may not have Patti Lupone in the cast, but the material they are performing is the same stuff that once graced The Great White Way. Utilize libraries, particularly inter-library loan. Even the most rural place usually isn’t too far from a college theatre department. They would LOVE for a non-university affiliated person to sit in their audience. Plus, college productions can often be a little wild and weird. Youtube and Netflix provide lots of not-ideal, but not unhelpful recordings of musicals and plays. There are tons of fun movie musicals, and lucky for the folks of Fly Over Country (Again, I am you), movie musicals are popular again. And when you do visit the bigger cities, be brave and venture beyond the tourist areas and go to a little hole in the wall theatre. Yes, you may experience this:
But you also may experience this:
And listen, don’t knock the mid-size cities. The town you used to go to buy your prom dress just might have a couple theatre companies and I promise they want you to know who they are.
So do your research. Be a little brave. And you know, go have your life changed. Even just a little.
Special Note: Save your programs. I once got a comedy number out of seeing a revue. Programs have tons of information that might come in handy for your book. They list resumes of the performers. They also list all the songs appearing in the show. They may even list the director’s influences. The point is, they are a treasure trove and they are (not including ticket price) 100% free of charge.
LISTEN
Source: Masterworks Broadway
The irony of being an actor is that when you are actually acting, you don’t have time to go see other shows. Plus, you know…life and stuff.
Get thee some cast recordings and solo albums. This can be a bit of an overwhelming prospect. There’s JUST SO MUCH STUFF. One way I like to dig into a show is to pick a piece that has had a few major productions, and listen to the different recordings. This is particularly effective for shows that are 30 years old or more. You can hear the different styles of music and how current productions may or may not have adapted the material to make it sound more current.
Another way to approach the musical theatre cannon is similar to my advice in the post You Need a Hero. Pick a performer you love (or a director, or a composer, or a lyricist) and work your way through their resume: shows, movies, solo albums. Immersion (otherwise known as obsession) can refine your palette in a way that will allow you to notice subtleties you wouldn’t have otherwise observed.
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Source: Stage and Cinema
Aside from actually being on a stage, being a theatrical consumer is probably the most important action you can take to build a strong repertoire. Experiencing the work of directors, composers, playwrights, actors and companies you would like to work with is the absolute best way to familiarize and educate yourself. It is potent information when preparing for auditions, and even more, callbacks. Plus, the first place to witness a new work is always onstage. You can even attend staged readings and workshop productions of work that has yet to be fully produced. And who knows? You might just find something for your book.
Tomorrow, and for the next several days we are going to shift gears a bit and talk about different eras in musical theatre you may want to represent in your A or B Book – Day 16: Back to Before – Audition for Shows in the Style of The Turn of the 20th Century, Ragtime and WW I.
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.
The Incredibly Divine Ms. M
Who are your idols? Who are your faves?
I ain’t gonna lie. In my eyes, Ms. Bette Midler can do no wrong.
I mean have you seen this? It’s her performance on the final Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. It is the pinnacle of song styling. Genius. I cry. In fact, I cry so heartily that I should not watch this in public. Just one of the greatest performances of all time.
…I love Bette Midler because I love her sense of humor and the material she chooses. I’m attracted to her style and I look to her, not only for entertainment, but to learn because I would like to do what she does.
So who do you look up to? Who do you admire? They don’t even have to be performers. They could be your Mom or Dad or friend or a character. We all pick up on other people’s style. Whatever they’ve got that you really love and admire is probably lurking somewhere within you.
Take a look at your idols and their resumes. Look at their albums or body of work. Somewhere in their repertoire might be a piece just perfect for you.
Sutton Foster (Source: The Gazette)
Broadway stars and their solo albums, in particular are worth a look. Often big time or up-and-coming composers will write songs just for these ladies and gents OR they will provide them with pieces that never made it into a larger musical. This is how I found my Guettel piece, actually.
Note: I am not suggesting we turn into a bunch of creepy copy cats. This strategy is all about taking something you love and putting your personal spin on it. This is all about sourcing material, not changing who you are. It’s just one more way to utilize your preferences and sources of joy.
Special Note: The Signature Song
A warning: there’s sort of an understanding that only Judy does “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” By now, you probably know I have a bit of an aversion to arbitrary rules. Yes, there is an argument to be made to avoid your favorite superstar’s signature number. You can try looking at their b-sides for more juicy stuff. However, a tweak of perspective can make all the difference. Take a look at Bette’s “One for My Baby” I posted above. That’s actually a big ol’ Sinatra signature. But she pared it down. Made it realllly personal, and subsequently made it her own. STUNNING!
Pant, pant. Okay. Sorry. I just…love that performance.
Common Wisdom says don’t set up bad comparisons. The idea is that if we sing someone else’s signature song, we are setting ourselves up to compete against some of the greatest performers of our time.
Another form of this theory is avoiding big popular numbers: “I Dreamed a Dream”, “Memory”, “Defying Gravity”.
Man, I hate rules like that. Here’s the deal. Is it a risk to perform songs like these? Yes. Are you setting yourself up for eye rolls and such? Maybe. But rules are made to be broken, baby. If you perform one of these undeniably, if these are the songs that speak to you the most , You just f*cking love them? Then do it. Try it out. At least at one audition. See what happens. You’ll never know until you try.
Another strategy is to do what I call the One Off. It’s not THE song. It’s the second song. Or the third. So you don’t do “Don’t Rain on My Parade”, but maybe you do “Who Are You Now” or “His Loves Makes Me Beautiful” which are also from Funny Girl.
Recommendations
Here are some interesting folks with quirky resumes who might just have a song or two in their career history that will knock you head over heels:
Doris Day
Robert Preston – He did a particularly horrific PSA in the 60’s that would be a brilliant comedic number.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Lea Salonga
Tom Wopat
Marilyn Monroe
Rita Moreno – Quirky guest appearances (think kid’s programs, The Muppet Show, Variety Shows, late night appearances, cameos) can be ripe for the picking
Gregory Hines
Liza Minnelli
Nell Carter
Linda Ronstadt
Now, I understand you may be questioning my sanity, but I just want you to stretch your idea of what can go in your book. There is just so much good stuff and weird stuff and juicy stuff out there, you can have an absolute blast digging up pieces that may be hidden away somewhere just waiting for you to find it.
Remember: Your dreams and ideals are important. Music is written to be performed. Always question the status quo, and for the love of God, go for what you want with all your heart.
Tomorrow? Tomorrow we talk Comedy. Day 8 – Comedy Tonight!
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Stephen Sondheim
One common strategy to finding useful audition pieces is to dig into the work of individual composers.
Sondheim. Rogers and Hammerstein. Gershwin. Cole Porter. Schwartz. Herman.
These are scions of musical theatre. First of all, can we get a woman in there, please?
- Tesori
- Ahrens
- Comden
- Willis
- Childs
- Rodgers (Mary)
- Simon
- Russell
- Rodewald
- Stitt
Ah, that’s better. Now can we make a bigger deal out of them? Excellent.
Soapbox aside, certain composers require special consideration when it comes to audition preparation. They are iconic because of their individual sound and unique challenges. While there is no reason to seek out a piece from every arguably iconic composer, we certainly find ourselves attracted to the work of some over the others.
As we go through each name, I will offer suggestions for preparing pieces by these composers as well as alternatives that may have a similar sound.
But before we dig into ALL of them, let’s talk about five of them.
Rodgers & Hammerstein (Source: The Sound of Music Guide)
Rodgers & Hammerstein
In the idiocy of my youth, I went through an anti-Rodgers and Hammerstein phase. I was a child of of the 90’s and it all sounded so…old. RENT had just come out. Phantom, Les Mis and Miss Saigon were the big paragons of Broadway. Even Chicago, from the 70’s, at least sounded sexy and hip. Luckily, I regained my wits. I do believe that having a big Rodgers and Hammerstein ballad is a great idea for your audition book. Male or female. Young or old. They are what musical theatre is built on. They also contrast wonderfully with Showstoppers and contemporary pieces. If you are overwhelmed at looking for a big classic ballad, look here first.
Alternatives: Rodgers & Hart, Lerner & Loewe
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim is easily the most requested composer and there’s a reason for that. His style is so distinct, and often so difficult, casting directors and directors want to know if you can handle his work right off the bat. When searching for a Sondheim piece, start with character. Who would you love to play? As I mentioned in Living the Dream, my Sondheim dream role is Mrs. Lovett. Now, Mrs. Lovett isn’t ideal in an audition for a couple reasons. 1. She uses a distinct dialect. 2. Her pieces are a bit difficult to arrange in audition-friendly cuts. Also, the piano accompaniment for Sweeney Todd can be shockingly difficult for a lone accompanist, which, in turn can makes things a bit wonky for me at an audition. So I decided to head in a couple different directions – ballad and funny. I’ve got “Not a Day Goes By” for two reasons 1. I connect very deeply to it on an emotional and personal level. I just “get” this song. I love it. 2. The accompaniment is easy for me (as a piano player) to work with at home. And, as such, it’s an easy sight read at the audition. I also have “Can That Boy Foxtrot” which was cut from Follies’ London production. It’s not standard Sondheim because it’s got a Vaudeville feel. But it IS standard Sondheim because the word play is second to none and it’s really funny. I am not an ingenue. I need some funny stuff. So that’s me.
Alternatives: It kind of depends on the piece. As a general rule, if they ask for Sondheim, bring Sondheim. But man, I love a cleverly broken rule… Bernstein, even some R&H (Hammerstein was Sondheim’s mentor), Guettel, Kander & Ebb, Weill, Jerry Herman, William Finn. Sondheim himself considers Porgy & Bess to be the greatest musical ever written. It wouldn’t hurt to check out some of the more complex Gershwin pieces. There’s more than a little Gershwin in Follies, in my very humble opinion.
George and Ira Gershwin (by Al Hirschfeld)
Gershwin
It is no bad thing to have some Gershwin in your book. First of all, the cannon is huge. Secondly, Gershwin is fun as hell to sing. Third, Gershwin pieces work for a wide variety of audition situations from actual Gershwin musicals, anything 20’s or 30’s, revues, comedy, shows that are dance heavy. While I try not to get too wrapped up in the “Overdone vs Obscure” debate, do yourself the favor of looking beyond “I’ve Got Rhythm.” If your repertoire is hurting for some classic stuff, particularly upbeat, dig into some Gershwin.
Also, it isn’t just about George. Ira collaborated with a lot of interesting folks over the years including Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen and (my fave) Kurt Weill.
Alternatives: Porter, Berlin
Cole Porter (Source: Yale)
Cole Porter
If you aren’t finding anything Gershwin that clicks, take a look at Cole Porter. To call the man prolific is an understatement. He also has a bit of a dirty side; really take a look at the lyrics to “Too Darn Hot” sometime if you’re feeling saucy. Having a Porter piece is like having a Swiss Army knife. It’s a multi-purpose audition tool. Some Porter pieces sound downright Vaudevillian, others sound way ahead of their time. Do you need both Gershwin and Porter in your book? That depends. If contemporary stuff is your bag, probably not. However, if you love jazz and more classic musical theatre, having both may benefit you. I have a Porter ballad, and a Gershwin uptempo. I use the Gershwin more, but that’s mostly because for me, a sassy jazzy number comes in handy more than a leading lady classic ballad.
Alternatives: Berlin, Gershwin, Mercer.
Gilbert & Sullivan (Source: University of Michigan)
Gilbert and Sullivan
For the Operetta (and comedic) minded among us, we have to talk about G&S. For a lot of actors, there is no need to include a Gilbert and Sullivan piece. However, I recommend taking a second look if you are having a hard time finding a comedic piece (I’ll cover Comedy in a future post) OR if you are looking for a Patter piece. Certainly, those actors who have Operetta in their skill set may want to look deeper into the genre and seek composers other than Gilbert and Sullivan. I have a Gilbert and Sullivan piece that I have not prepared. What? It’s B Book. WAY B Book. But if I need it, it’s there. If and when the time comes that I require a Gilbert and Sullivan piece, I don’t have to spend time searching for it. It’s right there. I just need to prepare it. Gilbert and Sullivan is a great example of a B Book piece (for MOST actors. Not all.) You just don’t need it a lot of the time. However, if you are interested in performing in pieces like Pirates of Penzance or HMS Pinafore, you need to have a game plan. Here in Chicago, these pieces get performed surprisingly often for the city famous for contemporary realism and improv.
Alternatives; Other operetta
Other Considerations
Now these guys — R&H, Sondheim, Gershwin, Porter and G&S– are certainly not the only players in this game. When auditioning for a specific musical, it often makes sense to pick a piece by the same composer. Here are some examples (by no means comprehensive) of some folks you might bump into.
Stephen Schwartz (Source: LA Times)
Stephen Schwartz
The Schwartz cannon is interesting because his career spans a time period where the musical theatre sound changed A LOT. As such, Godspell sounds nothing like Wicked. So a Schwartz piece from one musical may not work when auditioning for another. Also, shows from Schwartz’s earlier work are open to interpretation and concept. I bring him up because his work from the seventies sounds like the seventies. His work from the nineties sounds like the nineties. He’s also written for several Disney movies.
Alternatives: Alan Menken, Charles Strouse, William Finn
Kander & Ebb (Source: TheatreMusicDirectors.org)
Kander & Ebb
Dancers should consider having some Kander & Ebb in their book. It is Fosse-friendly, to say the least. It’s also sexy and clever.
Alternatives: Comden & Green, Bernstein, Cy Coleman
Lerner and Loewe (Source: Masterworks Broadway)
Lerner & Loewe
Look at Lerner & Loewe as an alternative to Rodgers and Hammerstein or Rodgers and Hart. Lots of big classic ballads and sweet little uptempo numbers and character pieces. These guys are about as classic musical theatre as you can get.
Alternatives: Rodgers and Hammerstein, Rodgers and Hart, Burton Lane.
Jerry Herman and some sparkly friends – Angela Lansbury and Carol Channing (Source: Ricky Skipper Celebrates)
Jerry Herman: One of my personal faves. Jerry Herman musicals are this magical mix of earth mommas and total glamour. Non-ingenues, take note. I mean, look at that picture!
Alternatives: Frank Loesser, Burton Lane, Jules Styne, Comden and Green
Comden & Green (Source: Film Reference)
Comden and Green: Their cannon is pretty huge. Their collaborations are impressive. Comden and Green shows represent the heart of 50’s and 60’s musical theatre.
Alternatives: Jerry Herman, Bock & Harnick, Jule Styne, Richard Adler and Jerry Ross
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Before I talk about a few of the big players in contemporary musical theatre, I want to mention that paying attention to the particular show or character matters far more than using something composed by the same person. I’ll use Jeanine Tesori as an example. She’s written an impressive amount of shows including Shrek, Violet, and Caroline or Change. These shows really couldn’t be more different, so picking a piece from Violet for a Shrek audition, probably won’t serve you very well. Better to take a look at the individual show. So, with that in mind, here are some thoughts on a few major contemporary names.
Jason Robert Brown (Source: University of Southern California)
Jason Robert Brown
I know I said I didn’t really want to get into the “Obscure vs Overdone” debate. I will only say this, most directors and casting directors (at least in Chicago) will hear most of the score of The Last Five Years during an audition cycle. Jason Robert Brown also has a bit of a Sondheim issue; the accompaniment can be very challenging when being sight read. It also often doesn’t relate much to the melody. So I will just say that Jason Robert Brown can be somewhat difficult in an audition situation. I’m not saying avoid it. I’m just bringing up considerations. Those are the practical concerns. From an artistic perspective, JRB pieces are undeniably beautiful and singer-friendly. There’s a reason he’s so popular at auditions.
Alternatives: Andrew Lippa, Pasek & Paul, Georgia Stitt, some Flaherty & Ahrens
Flaherty & Ahrens (Source: New York Social Diary)
Flaherty & Ahrens
I love these guys. Their work is beautiful and they tell important stories. My personal thoughts aside, the work of Flaherty & Ahrens is a great place to find a contemporary dramatic ballad. They also cover pieces that while written recently, cover a large range of historical eras and cultures. When preparing for a Flaherty & Ahrens audition, if you don’t find something to use that they actually wrote, look to the era or the culture the piece is about. I have a piece that is actually from the turn of the 20th century I’ve kept around for a Ragtime audition. It’s just another access point while preparing to audition for a particular piece.
Alternatives: Frank Wildhorn, Leonard Bernstein, William Finn, Adam Guettel.
Michael John LaChiusa (Source: Playbill)
Michael John LaChiusa
Rather than wax intellectual on LaChiusa’s work, I’m just going to put this quote from The New York Times regarding an essay penned by Mr. LaChiusa entitled “The Great Gray Way” in Opera News:
Mr. LaChiusa, who has written serious-minded musicals like “Marie Christine” and “The Wild Party,” committed what many in the industry consider an unforgivable breach: he published a scathing attack on many of his colleagues in the August issue of Opera News. The article… began by declaring, “The American Musical is dead,” and went on to assail a large percentage of the musicals that have played Broadway in the past few seasons, and their creators.
That might have been that, had not Mr. Shaiman’s wildly popular show, “Hairspray,” come in for particularly stinging criticism. Mr. LaChiusa labeled “Hairspray” a “faux-musical,” writing: “Instead of choreography, there is dancing. Instead of crafted songwriting, there is tune-positioning. Faux-musicals are mechanical; they have to be. For expectations to be met, there can be no room for risk, derring-do or innovation.”
He went on to say that in such musicals “all sense of invention and craft is abandoned in favor of delivering what the audience thinks a musical should deliver,” that there “is no challenge, no confrontation, no art – and everyone sighs with relief.”
Betta put ya big girl panties on for this fella.
Alternatives: Adam Guettel, Ricky Ian Gordon
Andrew Lippa: It’s best to approach Lippa from a pop/rock perspective. Lippa’s sound is really a microcosm of the current state of affairs in contemporary musical theatre. Film adaptations abound. While the popular music of the 40’s and 50’s often came from Broadway, the Broadway music of today is sourced from popular music. Lippa represents this trend. As a friend of mine says, “Lippa is very traditional contemporary music theatre.” If such a thing exists, there you have it.
Alternatives: Scott Alan, Kerrigan & Lowdermilk, Ryan Scott Oliver, contemporary pop/rock
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While the composer is the most obvious access point to picking and sculpting repertoire, it’s worth noting that it may not be the most important consideration. A director friend of mine says the following:
In a casting session, I want to see that you know what kind of show you’re auditioning for. If it’s contemporary, but has a very classical sound, let’s say you’re auditioning for Light in the Piazza, I would MUCH rather hear R&H, Bernstein, or even L&L over one of Guettel’s peers. The key is knowing the show, knowing the style, and doing your research. If you understand the show and your potential spot in it, it makes my life easier and it makes me want to cast you more.
Follow your instincts, and follow your desires. The role(s) you want and how you want to present yourself should be your North star.
Still, digging into the great pillars of musical theatre can open doors to material you didn’t know existed, new dream roles, and what do you know? A Better Book!
Tomorrow we will talk about your Mentors, Idols and Career Crushes and how they can help you shape and sass up your repertoire. Day 7 – You Need a Hero.
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Remember in high school when you said this a lot: “I can’t. I have play practice.”? Now it’s not “practice,” it’s “rehearsal.” It’s unfortunate the whole idea of idea of practice has somewhat gone away.
Ballet dancers have the barre.
Painters the canvas.
Photographers their camera.
Musicians their instrument.
Studio space. Sketches. Scales. Class.
Practice. It’s not a synonym for “rehearsal.” It’s a different beast entirely.
Actors have a somewhat different routine than other creative and/or performing artists:
Audition Audition Audition. Drink. Audition. Rehearse. Rehearse. Drink. Show. Drink. Rinse. Drink. Repeat.
Sure, we run our material for the audition. We may warm up a bit. We might even take a class. But most of us don’t cultivate the idea of true practice. Is there an actorly equivalent to a musical scale? Certainly, in musical theatre we can practice dancing and singing, but acting is a bit more difficult to pin down.
Miriam Webster’s definition of practice is as follows:
The obsolete and archaic versions are my fave: To plot. To intrigue. Ha! Think about it though. To practice IS a strategy. The one that REALLY trips my trigger is definition 1c: To be professionally engaged in. This implies that practice isn’t just blindly running material in your living room. Practice can be seeing shows with an open mind that is available for learning. Practice can be working out. Practice can be taking a class.
I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true – hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.
Ray Bradbury
The key, I believe, is in our repertoire. In it lie juicy opportunities to truly practice. Not just run them, but really dig in and discover them. A lot of times, when I’m coaching or when I ‘m working on my own stuff, there are discoveries that make an old monologue new again. So much so, that it seems unfamiliar. This is good. Nerdy as it sounds, scene study groups are a good idea. But so is individual work. The idea of the actor being a self-employed entity really comes into play when you are not currently in a show or rehearsal period. Some of us don’t practice well on our own. We feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Grab a friend. Hire a coach. Take lessons. But find a way. Truly you can ONLY benefit.
Practice puts brains in your muscles.
Sam Snead
Don’t get me wrong. Rest is good. Rest is necessary. Vacation. Time Away. You shouldn’t be practicing ALL the time. This isn’t about stressing yourself. It’s about getting rid of the idea that when you are not actively employed as an actor, you are not an actor. It’s about getting rid of the vacuum that makes us feel helpless or useless without an actual performance space. You are not powerless. You are not helpless.
Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.
Martha Graham
It’s not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that counts; it’s what you put into the practice.
Eric Lindros
Always be working. Even when you aren’t working.
Be professionally engaged in practice.
Authentic Auditioning 