Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 8/31/2011

Question
My school usually does musical theater. I have been in several preformances, but I am not a very good singer. My school is now doing Little Women. I love to act, and I have never had a lead role before. I was wondering if you have any tips on how to get a better role.

Thank you!

Answer
Hi there, Audra...And thanks for writing.

I do have tips to get a better role.  At the same time, I want you to remember that it is always up to the director as to who gets the role.  The Director looks for a variety of things when they are putting together a cast.  They look at the overall look of the group or cast.  They look at who is best suited for the role and they look at skill.  There are so many variables that it is essential that as an actor that you trust that the Director is going to choose the best option for each role.  It is not up to you to decide.

What you can control is your attitude and your performance in the audition.  It's great that you want to get bigger roles and that you are aiming for that.  Awesome.  If you continue to learn, take classes, take lessons, and take whatever roles you can, you will get better and better and find yourself in bigger and bigger roles.  Just keep doing what you can get at community and school theatres.  Read, study, take lessons, practice, and be involved in art and musical theatre.  That's the best way to improve and to develop your skill so that you are more and more suited for bigger roles.

With regards to an audition piece, take this into consideration:
1.  Choose a piece that is in your range for singing.
2.  Choose a piece that shows your talent both in singing and acting.
3.  Choose a piece that you like.
4.  Choose a piece that you understand and can identify with.
5.  Choose a piece that challenges you enough so that you are excited about your accomplishment.

And do your best and leave the rest up to whomever is the Director.  And learn from each and every audition and piece that you do.

Does this help you?

Wanda