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Acting in Plays, Singing/Musical Theatre Audition Songs
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Question
Hi Sean,
I am about to audition for an amateur production of Cats and I need two contrasting songs that are in the style of the show, but not from the show. I am a Soprano aged 25. Can you suggest any songs that are not overdone at auditions?
Thank you,
Lauren.
Hello, Lauren –
There is no such thing as an overdone song. What if that alleged song were in the show you are auditioning for? No matter what you sing – somebody knows it, maybe the Director has sung it, maybe the composer is in the theater. Your job is to make me/them think I/we have never heard that song before.
For CATS, sing any lite/Rock pop ballad or up-tempo you know from the past 20 years and put into your key. Because, that's what CATS is. To say there's "nothing else like it" is not exactly a compliment. Look at the entire Webber anthology and sing whatever you know or have time to learn – just make sure you bring the sheet music in your key. For example, consider "Rainbow High" from EVITA. Check out sunhawk.com and musicnotes.com for digital downloads – which means you can then print it out in the key you need.
Also check out the songs from MAMA MIA, COPACABANA, and THE BOY FROM OZ.
Whatever you sing, make sure your presentation reflects what you have observed or understand about the characters in the show – they're cats (sort of, not like any I've ever known).
Best regards,
Seán Martinfield
http://www.geocities.com/broadwaybelters
Entertainment critic, THE SAN FRANCISCO SENTINEL:
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/news_in_brief/martinfield_060505.shtml
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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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