Acting in Plays, Singing/Chicago Auditions

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Expert: - 11/2/2009


Question
My college is putting on the Kander and Ebb musical "Chicago" in the spring and I am dying to get into it. I am a freshman and I am not much of a dancer, so I want to wow them with my voice & acting ability. As for roles, I am going for Matron "Mama" Morton, but I really just want to be in ensemble.

I have a few ideas for audition songs; "Nobody Breaks My Heart" from Fine & Dandy and "Maybe This Time" From Cabaret (I think that's overdone though)

Do you think you could you give me a few more? I know to audition with something either in the style of Chicago or something else by Kander & Ebb, but what exactly? I'm a big girl, and a mezzo with a low mixed belt.

Answer
Hi, Emerald –

Thank you for the question.

Don’t settle for the Ensemble when you can get yourself prepared to compete for a role that has your name written all over it. You know what the role of the “Matron” in CHICAGO requires. Now it’s time to work on your song and prove to your Director what you’ve got. Also work on the dialogue. The time you invest in your preparation is what will pay off for you come the day of the audition. Even if you don't get the role, what you do now at the audition will be remembered next semester. It may just set the whole the tone of your future within the department.

Consider any of the following songs:
That Mister Man Of Mine – DAMES AT SEA
So What – CABARET
Some People – GYPSY
The Ladies Who Lunch – COMPANY
They Don’t Know – THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE

The original title of CHICAGO is — CHICAGO, A Vaudeville.
What does that tell you?
It’s big and broad and straight out to the audience. Don’t hold back.

I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  When you want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List. This week’s connection is: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1446404455.html
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Seán Martinfield

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Sean Martinfield

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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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