If you're like the majority of actors, the most nerve-wracking part of a musical theatre audition is not the script read-through, but the audition song. This step-by-step guide will teach you how to pick the right audition song and how to perform it.
- Decide your vocal range. You would be surprised at how many singers don't know their exact vocal grouping (eg: tenor, bass, alto, soprano) or their vocal range (eg: E3 to G5). To pick an audition song, you need to find your vocal range. To do this, sit down at the piano, or find someone who can play, and start singing along at middle C. Travel up and down from there to find your vocal limit. You will know when it is your vocal limit (high or low) because your neck will strain and your face will look ridiculous. Remember the top and bottom notes that you can hit.
- Decide the type of character you want to portray. Do you want to be the classic villain or the romantic lead? The ditzy showgirl or the sultry jailbird? Read the plot of the show you're auditioning for (rent a script if possible) and decide the part you want to audition for.
- Pick a song that appropriately matches your vocal range and character type. This is where a lot of people mess up. You don't go into an audition and sing a song about murder when you are a romantic lead kind of guy. Girls don't sing a song about marriage when they want to play a prostitute! Pick an appropriate song for your vocal range and character, and try to keep the length of the song between 3 and 5 minutes (the casting agent will cut you off anyway, so don't worry about this too much)
- Learn the notes and lyrics. There is nothing more embarrassing than forgetting the words to your audition song. Make sure that you know them backwards and forwards. Your goal should be to be so confident on the day of the audition that you don't even practice the song that day. Buy accompaniment tracks of the song (no words) and some with words. Watch performances of the song on YouTube. Do whatever it takes to learn the notes of the song.
- Learn how you're going to act the song.This is very important. This is how people get the big parts. You have to really act the song. Be BIG! You want to make the casting agent remember your face and performance for weeks to come. Acting is being. Put emotion into your voice.
- The day before and the day of the audition, get some rest and eat well. This is pretty self-explanatory. Sleep well the night before and make sure to warm up your voice in the morning.
If you follow these steps, the casting agent is going to remember your performance vividly and you will get the part you wanted!