Acting in Plays, Singing/Musical Theatre Auditions

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Expert: - 1/4/2009


Question
I have auditions for my colleges musical theatre concentration in March.  I have
to prepare and uptempo and ballad, at least one song being from prior to 1965.  
I selected See What it Gets You from Anyone Can Whistle and The Portrait from
A... My Name is Alice.  What is your take on using Sondheim for an audition, if
it is allowed?  If you can nail it, is it worth singing it or go with something
more along the lines of Cole Porter or Richard Rodgers?  The other question is
A... My Name is Alice does not have an actual plot, its just different women in
different situations, does that leave the actor with free will of determining
how to portray a song such as The Portrait, or should it not be done because
there is not much behind it?  Also, those two songs are very contrasting, in my
terms at least, but what kind of monologue should be paired with it to show a
wide variety of talents?



Thank you!


Answer
Hello, Hannah –

Thank you for the question.

If you have a song by Stephen Sondheim that is competition-ready – then go for it.  If it is "allowed"?  I would not spend my Academic Career in a college or university that did not allow Stephen Sondheim.  Your first responsibility is to demonstrate your musicianship.  Assuming you trust this college will give you a leg-up on maintaining a career in the performing arts, then you can reasonably assume that the audition accompanist is likewise ready to show off their proficiency on the piano and specifically with the Broadway repertoire.  Sing your extremely well-prepared song by Sondheim.  There may be a dozen women lined-up with your other songs.

No matter how well trained you may be or what school you do or do not graduate from – you are a Product.  In the Real World – YOU either fit "the role" or you don't. "Portrait" must be about You.  If you like the song well enough to use it in as critical a situation as you describe, then it's all about You.  How you interpret what is there is up to you.

No one ever chose my monologues.  As a Theatre Arts graduate I had to cram dramatic literature and figure out which roles I could walk into and pay my bills.  My job as a professional vocal coach is to help you with the monologue from the role that best suits you.

I am a professional vocal coach and singing teacher in San Francisco.  To book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/982092138.html
I am also the fine arts critc for SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews provide a link to my personal e-mail.

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Sean Martinfield

Expertise

I am a professional vocal coach in San Francisco. In addition to answers from a previous web site (Askme.com - where my "tag" was "VocalCoach") I have published over 2000 responses related to vocal training - particularly as it relates to Musical Theatre and Opera. I have 24 years of experience as Personal Trainer to singers and actors in the San Francisco Bay Area. I sang professionally for 20 years and know what it means to live the life of a musician. I can determine your voice category, i.e., Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Alto Belter, etc., and how to broaden and strengthen your range. Need an audition song for a Broadway Musical? I will give you suggestions that are appropriate to your vocal category and to requirements specified in the audition notice. I have also created a vocal methodology, "The Belter`s Method". It will enable those in Musical Theatre to practice more efficiently because it focuses on the demands of professional performers as well as to those auditioning for school and community productions, and as University and Conservatory performing arts majors. If what you want is a better voice and more control over your career moves and choices, contact me. Also, as the Editor of SanFranciscoSentinel.com, it is my privilege to review productions at the San Francisco Opera, Ballet and Symphony, as well as Broadway National Tours booked into San Francisco's Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theatres. I also review works by A.C.T (the American Conservatory Theatre) and Magic Theatre. I cover select films, tributes and retrospects, and various international film festivals – particulary those booked into The City's opulent Castro Theatre – including the LGBT Frameline Festival, International Film Festival, Silent Film Festival, Jewish Film Festival, etc. For private vocal instruction, I can be contacted through SanFranciscoSentinel.com. Look under: Seán Martinfield, Sentinel Editor and Publisher.

Experience

As a vocal coach, I work primarily with singers and actors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. My students range from absolute beginners to working professionals, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. The vast majority of my clients come to me through recommendation. I know how to identify any singer's vocal category, i.e., soprano, tenor, alto, baritone, etc. I know how to muscle-up every singer's vocal range and to expand it beyond conventional definitions. I have developed a vocal methodology for those who want to know how to belt, THE BELTER'S METHOD. As a singer who spent half of his career doing Bel Canto, I know that classical or Italian methodologies do not work in Standard American music. Bel Canto cannot be "adapted" to meet the needs of contemporary American music, including the demands of the Musical Theatre. There are a number of major components to my work as a vocal coach. The first is to identify the client's vocal category and to strengthen and maximize the vocal range accordingly. Then it's about teaching a reliable vocal workout that will enable the client to gain better control of their musicianship. That includes scale work to expand the vocal range and to improve placement, breath control, and diction. Then we work on material for the audition portfolio, the immediate job or assignment, a recording session, etc. My task to is to better equip singers and actors who are hoping to or relying upon their performance skills and vocal endurance to maintain a career in the Performing Arts. My clients regularly appear in cabarets and musical productions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Some have worked in New York and gone on National Tours. For more information, Contact me at: Broadwaybelters@yahoo.com

Education/Credentials
San Francisco State University – BA in Theatre Arts; graduate work in Theatre, Philosophy, and Comparative Reiligion. Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley – Graduate work in Ethics

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