Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 12/1/2007

Question
Hey Wanda! In exactly 13 days I'm trying out for my high school's production of "The Wiz". I am 15 years old and a sophmore, medium length blonde hair and 5'6''. I want the role of Glinda with all of my heart; it is one of my life goals to be her sometime in my career, and i think the time is now. Everyone I've talked to thinks i have a very good chance with getting this role. I have been taking voice lessons for almost two years now and my acting skills are top notch. I've been in two other musicals in the chorus and I got a lead role in our schools play this year. I've been working on Glinda's songs like crazy....and then i found out that we aren't even using them to audition!! Every other part has a song.So how can i represent my Glinda ability within another role? And how i can i outdo all of my competition? I'm very nervous, as you may see, so thank you for your advice in advance!


All of the Female Audition Songs:
"The Feeling We Once Had" Aunt Em
"No Bad News" Evilline
"He's the Wizard" Addaperle
"Home" Dorothy
"Be a Lion" Lion
"I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday" Scarecrow

*my high school doens't have a wide variety of guys for parts so they are allowing girls to try out for the Lion and the Scarecrow as well as the traditional girl roles.*

Answer
Hi there, Kate.  Thanks for writing.  

If there would be a way for you to tell the directors outside of your audition that you really are wanting to play the role of Glinda, that would be best.  I would wait to tell them until after you have your audition.

The reason I think it would be best for you to wait is that directors have in mind the kind of result they want for roles usually.  Good directors will always be open to new possibilities though.  And that is where the actor's opportunity comes in - an actor can totally blow the directors idea of what they wanted out the window and bring new possibilities to the table.  

So my suggestion is to pick a song that you can sing and do it with all your heart and might.  Do the best job on it.  Prepare for it well.  And then go into your audition with your best.  Directors can see if you are meant for a role just by what you bring.  You don't have to do a song that Glinda does in order for them to see it.  

It's always dangerous as well to EXPECT that you will get a role.  You can only control what you can control.  So I encourage you to be careful that you don't expect to get the role.  It's not that I think you can't do it.  But getting a particular role should never be our one and only reason for auditioning.  You can have your sights on a role but always go into a process like this with an open mind and be glad for what you get and learn from what happens.

If you are meant to get it and are ready for a role, the directors will see that.  And if you are always going into these things doing the best you can, that is something you can be proud of.  Grow from your experiences always. And figure out other reasons for auditioning other than getting a particular role.  By doing your best and doing it for reasons that are within your control (e.g. to help out a friend or to raise money for a cause or to learn more about theatre), you are less likely to be disappointed.  

Does that help you?

Wanda