Acting in Plays, Singing/audition song help!

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Expert: - 6/4/2010


Question
Hi,

    I have an audition coming up soon for a professional company's production of "The Sound of Music".  I'm a 21 year old character actress with a range going from E3 to G6.  I've been studying opera for the past three years, so I do have a more classical sound (I'm a lyric coloratura), albeit with a bright nasal focus and very fast vibrato.  I've been doing musical theatre all my life as well.  I'm auditioning for any of the nun's parts or for Elsa, as they want equity members only for Maria and I do not have the dance skills for Liesl. I'm really not sure what to sing, as I prefer to avoid overdone audition pieces.  I haven't auditioned for a musical in awhile and am unsure exactly what they would want to see for the roles I am going for.

I need an uptempo song and a ballad. So far I'm thinking about:
"How Could I Ever Know" from The Secret Garden
"When I Marry Mr. Snow" from Carousel
"The Finer Things" from Jane Eyre
"Crossword Puzzle" from Starting Here, Starting Now
"Vanilla Ice Cream" from She Loves Me
"This Place is Mine" from Phantom

I have all of these pieces worked up, however I'm not sure which would show off my voice best and what they would want to see for The Sound of Music.  Any help you could give me would be much obliged.  Thank you for your time.

~Michelle

Answer
Hi, Michelle –

Thank you for the question.

Whenever possible, sing another song by the same composer. Obviously, there are a ton of choices when it comes to Rodgers and Hammerstein. And you can sing anything you want of their material.

Your job is to prove your Broadway Soprano skills. The nuns are great. Their ensemble must blend.
Have you considered "The Countess"?

Whatever you choose, the key must flatter your voice and reflect the vocal demands and attitude of the character you want to play. Can you apply all that to "When I Marry Mr. Snow" and make it work?

A better audition song from SHE LOVES ME is "Dear Friend". It's straight singing all the way through with a number of opportunities to display a variety of emotions. If you sing "Vanilla Ice Cream" start with the latter part of the song. Go easy on the optional high note. It's all about pitch control.

Practice wearing a veil and in front of a mirror.

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/1784488999.html I am also the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com1  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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