Acting in Plays, Singing/Peter Pan

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Expert: - 12/4/2009


Question
QUESTION: I have a high range for a boy, I am a tenor but can sing very high. I want to audition for the role of Peter Pan because the audition notice says male or female can play Peter. I was wondering if you had any suggestions on what to sing to show of my range but that can work for Peter. Thanks!

ANSWER: Hello, Aaron –

Thank you for your question.  Why private?  Many performers have concerns similar to yours.  Let's share our exchange.

Please re-submit your question openly and I will respond.

Best regards
Seán Martinfield

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION:  I have a high range for a boy, I am a tenor but can sing very high. I want to audition for the role of Peter Pan because the audition notice says male or female can play Peter. I was wondering if you had any suggestions on what to sing to show of my range but that can work for Peter. Thanks!

Answer
Hi, Aaron –

Thank you for the question.

The novelty of the role of “Peter Pan” is that it is played by a woman. It is arguably the best “trouser role” ever conceived for the stage, starting in 1904. For a guy to take it on brings about a whole other set of considerations – starting with the Director.

Consider any of the following songs:
Leaning On A Lamp Post – ME AND MY GIRL
Once In Love With Amy – WHERE’S CHARLEY
I Believe In You – HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS, etc.
It’s Been Grand Knowing You – SHE LOVES ME
Funny Face – FUNNY FACE

Whoever plays Peter Pan demonstrates a sort-of fake operatic sound in the duet with Captain Hook, “Oh, My Mysterious Lady”. For you, that means singing in your falsetto. Can you do that? You may be asked. Go prepared to demonstrate some fiery scales in your falsetto. (Think about the final cadenza in “Think of Me” from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.)

If you can carry it off, consider an excerpt from “The Lonely Goatherd” from SOUND OF MUSIC. Click on or paste the URL below into your browser to order on-line:
The Lonely Goatherd
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/The-Lonely-Goatherd-From-The-Sound-Of-Music/

I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  When you are in San Francisco and want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List. This week’s connection is:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1503385993.html
You may also contact me through my website: http://www.thebeltersmethod.com/The_Belters_Method/Welcome.html
I am also the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews about the Performing Arts provide a link to my personal e-mail.

Download Carmen Milagro’s BlogTalkRadio and her recent interview with Seán Martinfield. It’s all about singing and the 2009/10 San Francisco Opera Season:
Women and Legends Who Really Rock, 9/11/2009

Take a look at my You Tubes:
”Embraceable You” – Gershwin and Rodin at the Legion of Honor
Lorena Feijóo - A Look at "Giselle" with Seán Martinfield
SAMSON & DELILAH – Meet Seán Martinfield
CA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES – A Preview Look with Seán Martinfield

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Best regards,
Séan Martinfield

Acting in Plays, Singing

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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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