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Acting in Plays, Singing/Auditioning with a different voice part?

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Expert: - 6/25/2010


Question
My school is going to be doing Little Shop of Horrors in November, and I am going out for the part of Audrey II. The show has always been a favorite of mine since the first time I saw it, and I pretty much fell in love with the plant. The only problem is I am a tenor, and Audrey II is not. I can sing most of his notes, but there are some parts that are a bit uncomfortable. My school has changed voice parts of characters in the past to suit the actor, but I'm not sure if I should at least audition singing it low or give it all I have in my natural range. Thanks!

Answer
Hey, Tom –

Thank you for the question.

It's very simple. No matter who the tenor might be, the role of Audrey II needs the vocal texture of a bass, a strong bass-baritone at least. It's a dramatic thing. The villain in the story, "The Dentist", is a baritone. He's a brutal and sadistic thug. Before the Law might get to him, the only force strong enough to wipe the dentist out and make his remains disappear altogether is a man-eating plant. It's a vocal category and "type" thing which you will catch onto. The composer wants the dramatic impact of a deep voice. Vocally and dramatically, Audrey II is not for a tenor.

Raising the pitch for you is not an option. Who in the audience do you think will not notice?

The tenor in the show is "Seymour". It's a wonderful tenor role. Prove your vocal chops as a tenor.

I am a vocal coach to working singers in the San Francisco Bay Area.  When you want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List. This week’s connection is: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1819997109.html I am also the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com. All my articles and interviews provide a link to my personal e-mail.

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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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