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Acting in Plays, Singing/Duets for two girls
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Question
Hi, I'm Megan. I've emailed you a couple times prior to this, and you've really really helped me out alot! Thank you so much!
Now, I've got another question for you. I'm in a Musical Theatre class at Cypress College along with my friend, Tessa. We're both fourteen (Or at least, I will be turning fourteen this wednesday) and we need to sing a duet together. We are both Sopranos. Do you have any suggestions? Please get back to me as soon as you can. Thanks.
~Megan~
Hello, Megan —
Thank you for the question.
Sorry! The cupboards are bare when it comes to a list of duets for soprano & soprano whether in the world of Broadway or opera. Surely your professor must know this.
Is the goal of the assignment to do an actual scene from a musical or to sing anything in harmony with each other? If it's the latter, then you can sing any Broadway song (in a concert manner) and arrange it for you-sing / I-sing / then we both sing in-harmony. Another example would be “You're Just In Love” from Irving Berlin's CALL ME MADAM. It's a duet for an alto (not that low) and a tenor (not that high) where two separate solos are then combined to form a great duet — but, the show isn't written for two women to do that. Whereas it would be an “act” if you did it, technically speaking it's not a legitimate “scene”.
If one of you can sing lower than the other, than consider the duet “Ohio” from WONDERFUL TOWN. It's a great scene between two sisters. Listen to the original 1953 Broadway cast recording with Rosalind Russell and Edie Adams. Obviously, the “problem” is — if you're a soprano, you shouldn't be singing alto roles!
And then there's the classic number “Sisters” from Irving Berlin's “White Christmas”. It's a duet from a “show” (a show within a show) the two characters are in — as opposed to a normal duet with character development and plot advancement. You might have to adjust the key it's published in. Also consider “Stepsisters Lament” from Rodgers and Hammerstein's CINDERELLA, a duet without harmony but a great song and a fun scene.
Best regards,
Seán Martinfield
http://www.geocities.com/broadwaybelters
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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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