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Acting in Plays, Singing/summer stock
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Question
Hello!
I'm trying out for a summer stock at Bucks County Playhouse, near Philly. I
was wondering what kind of 16 bar selection to sing. I have a belt from F (below
middle c# to about a D #octave up from middle C) and a headvoice from D to about
an A. All of the shows they are auditioning for are all really different, so idk
which part of my voice to focus on. The shows are JOSEPH...DREAMCOAT, ALL SHOOK
UP, KISS ME KATE, OKLAHOMA, 42 ND ST, THE KING AND I, AND CABARET. any sort of
advice would be great! thank you!
Hi, Amanda –
Thank you for the question.
Your description puts you in the alto/belter category. There will be a thousand other alto/belters standing in line behind you. Are you also required to dance?
This is a serious audition. You must prepare for it with the same sense of focus as you would a legitimate On-Broadway audition. You must sell the product you are.
Of all the alto and alto/belter roles in the scheduled season — which of those characters is most like you? If you are aiming for an ensemble position, which two musicals would you prefer to be in?
Your 16-measure selection needs to include the selling elements within the song, i.e., the belted section, a climactic note, etc. Be prepared to sing the entire song.
Consider adding these two songs to those you already have in mind. The first is in the Classic Broadway column – “What is this thing called love?” by Cole Porter (from COLE). Place the song in the key that shows you off the best. The second is the pop/rock hit ballad “On Broadway” by The Drifters. The song was used in SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE. If you can sing from the listed shows, then also consider “Fools Fall In Love”. It was also used in SMOKEY, etc.
I want you to invest in the anthologies listed below. The songs are devoted to the Broadway alto, mezzo-soprano, and those with a strong belt. Just click on or paste the URLs below into your browser to view or purchse on-line. All the songs are in the same key as the original score. You will find them extremely useful for future opportunities:
Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology - Volume 1 Revised - Mezzo-Soprano/Belter
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_detail.html?cart=32001285122&lc=recs:det...
Volume 2:
Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology - Volume 2 Revised - Mezzo-Soprano/Belter
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_detail.html?cart=32001285122&lc=recs:det...
Volume 3:
Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology - Volume 3 - Mezzo-Soprano/Belter
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_detail.html?cart=32001285122&type=rec&it...
Volume 4:
Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology - Volume 4 - Mezzo-Soprano/Belter
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_detail.html?cart=32001285122&item=671824...
Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology – Volume 5 – Mezzo Soprano
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/The-Singer-s-Musical-Theatre-Anthology-Volum...
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/1600089019.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.
Take a look at my You Tubes:
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”As Time Goes By” – aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria
”Embraceable You” – Gershwin and Rodin at the Legion of Honor
SAMSON & DELILAH – Meet Seán Martinfield
Below are links to my recent interviews and articles about what's happening on San Francisco's cultural scene:
SHANGHAI – Now At the Asian Art Museum
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=60643
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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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