Page 17 - Classical Singer Magazine November/December 2019

music from musicals that were written by pop/rock artists like Elton John’s Aida or Cyndi Lauper’s Kinky Boots.
Find something that is truly off the radio and
has not been adapted for or featured in a Broadway show. Also, find something that is musically in the style of the show. The pop/rock of the 1950s sounds very different than the pop/rock of the 1980s. Some directors and voice teachers feel that you should have at least one off-the-radio pop/rock tune for every decade beginning with the 1950s through the 2010s. Others feel that you just need a few contrasting tempi and time periods.
If the audition notice does not specify “off the radio” then it is safe to assume that you can choose to sing repertoire that is off the radio or from the jukebox musicals and other pop/rock musicals.
Lastly, no matter what age you are choosing repertoire from, it is best to choose repertoire that has a strong acting objective where the character’s need is present and immediate. Avoid story songs that retell the character’s past experiences. This will help you as an actor and gives you, and the audience, more to relate to.
In summary, the most important preparation for any musical theatre audition is knowing who you
are and what your storytelling skills are. Then you
can confidently walk into the room and use these skills and your creativity to tell a story about human experience. If the story you are telling is something you understand and connect to, then casting directors will see you, and that is the most beautiful story of all. Regardless of whether you are cast or not, you can count that as a truly successful audition because sooner rather than later you, not what you sing, will book it.
Christy Turnbow is currently teaching at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and has taught at Montclair State University, Penn State University, and Brigham Young University. She earned an MFA in musical theater voice teaching from Penn State University and a BM from Brigham Young University in vocal performance and pedagogy. She has been seen in leading roles in regional music theatre productions and national tours.
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
Undergraduate and Graduate degree programs in:
Voice Performance | Opera Directing | Opera Coaching | Accompanying Visit music.fsu.edu for application instructions and audition dates.
Puccini’s La Bohème Fall 2018
Floyd’s Of Mice and Men Spring 2019
Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice Summer 2019
Constant’s La tragédie de Carmen Summer 2019
www.csmusic.net 17