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Acting in Plays, Singing/Into the woods
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Question
Hello!
My school has recently done a production of into the woods where i was infact the bakers wife. I got many compliments and to my suprize my teachers all recommended my for Allsate this year and ironically they are doing into the woods. I'm super nervous because i will be auditioning with people from all over the state. I really want a good role like the witch, Cinderella, little red, or the one i want the most, the bakers wife. I just feel a very strong connection to the role and i would be thrilled to get it again. But i need a 1-minute song from a Sondheim show other than Into The Woods (with a verse and a chorus)and
1-minute monologue (serio-comic or comic preferred)
I was wondering if you had any suggestions that could help me
Thank you!
jazmine
Hello, Jazmine –
Thank you for the question and all the information.
In the real world of Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS, the major female roles are in separate vocal categories, i.e., Cinderella is a soprano, the Witch is a mezzo-soprano with a strong belt, etc. You cannot be the ideal candidate for the Baker's Wife and also be vocally equipped for these other roles.
Consider a one-minute excerpt from any of the following songs:
The worst pies in London – SWEENEY TODD
Wait – SWEENEY TODD
Could I Leave You – FOLLIES (check the vocal selections)
Love, I hear – A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
Another hundred people – COMPANY
The deal with the Baker's Wife is that she is totally sexually frustrated. Nothing has been happening for a long time. Hence, the humor in her material. You will be standing in line with a lot eager candidates for her role. Whatever you choose to sing, incorporate this understanding and energy into your presentation.
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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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