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Acting in Plays, Singing/Into the Woods Audition Piece
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Question
Hi! My high school is going to be putting on Into the Woods (which just so happens to be one of my favorite shows - I love Sondheim!) and it will be my last show at this school. I'd really love to land the role of the Baker's Wife, because I love her character and music. I have a very strong belting range, and my mixed/head voice isn't as strong, but I believe I could handle the Baker's Wife. Sorry - I don't really know the technical way to tell you my range, but I can hit the C below middle C up to the F above the C above middle C - haha, sorry, I really don't know how better to say that!
I'm worried that our director is still only connecting me with past roles (most significantly, I played the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical last year, which was fun and easily within my range, but in her mind I'm afraid I'm just a singer who can belt). I'd like to show her that I can act while singing and that I can do more than belt like Aretha Franklin!
Haha, thanks so much. :)
Hello, Kaye –
Thank you for the question.
The ticket to the Baker’s Wife is her extreme sexual frustration – brought on by the fact of her husband’s impotence, brought on by the Witch’s curse. Blam! And all of a sudden she’s in the middle of the woods making out with a narcissistic Prince. “What was that?!”, she says to the audience.
Your vocal range spans two octaves plus a major fourth – beginning on Low C, ending on High F. You should also consider the role of “The Witch”.
You must prove to the Director and Conductor that you can sing Sondheim. You cannot present the material as you might in a cabaret. It must conform to the needs of the composer.
Add these songs to your audition portfolio:
Ah, But Underneath (FOLLIES)
Could I Leave You! (FOLLIES)
The Story of Lucy and Jesse (FOLLIES)
I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco. When you are in the Bay Area and want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List. This week’s connection is:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1582019910.html
You may also contact me through my website: http://www.thebeltersmethod.com/The_Belters_Method/Welcome.html
I am the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com. All my articles and interviews about the Performing Arts provide a link to my personal e-mail.
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Best regards,
Seán Martinfield
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Answers by Expert:
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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