Musical Theatre Audition Book Format Mike Ruckles – Rev
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Musical Theatre Audition Book Format Mike Ruckles – Rev. Nov. 2017 There are four basic categories: Traditional MT – One uptempo/comedic and one ballad (Generally pre-1960’s: Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Porter, Loesser, Kern, Gershwin, etc.) Contemporary MT – One uptempo/comedic and one ballad (Generally post-1960’s and with little to no pop/rock influence: Kander and Ebb, Maltby and Shire, Ahrens and Flaherty, Finn, Blumenkrantz, etc.) “New Contemporary” MT – One uptempo/comedic and one ballad (Composer/lyricists in the vein of Robert Brown, Pasek and Paul, Gwon, RS Oliver, etc.) Pop/Rock/R&B/Country – Two or three songs representing a range of eras/genres that suit you. (Songs written FOR the radio from the 1950’s onward. No AIDA, JCS, or HAMILTON etc. No American songbook standards.) BONUS MATERIAL (Include only if necessary for your marketability) Stephen Sondheim - (With few exceptions, you will only sing Sondheim for a Sondheim show as his sound is so specific.) Pop Musical Theatre – Written for the stage inside a dramatic context. (Wildhorn, Elton John, Schwartz, Lloyd Webber, Kitt, Larson, etc.) Avant Garde Musical Theatre – MT meets art song/opera (Adam Guettel, Michael John LaChiusa, Ricky Ian Gordon, Jake Heggie etc.) Disney – From Disney films or musicals Standards - Classic songs that were not written in a theatrical context. (i.e. Misty, Unforgettable, Sentimental Journey, How High the Moon, All the Way, etc.) o Given the outline above, it is not advisable to have more than, say, 12 songs in your audition book (at the upper limit). Think of every song in your book as taking up valuable real estate. Even without any “bonus material”, the 8-9 songs required above are truly more than enough. That you could BRILLIANTLY perform more than 8-12 songs in their entirety, and in 8/16/32-bar cuts, is unlikely. Have a second repertoire book at home in which you store any and everything else that you are interested in or working on. o Rule of thumb: Better to disappoint us with too few options (all of which are amazing on you) than to disappoint us with a lot of rep, all of which is just “serviceable”. o As you sort your rep into the four basic categories, realize that the sound or quality of the song is more important than the era in which it was written or who wrote it. For example, a song from DROWSY CHAPERONE or GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE is technically contemporary MT, but would absolutely count as a traditional MT song. Another example: Blumenkrantz’s “Why Can’t I Kiss You?” is a throwback to the golden era and should be categorized as such. That said, try not to muddy the waters too much! o Purchase a heavy-duty 3-ring binder with locking rings so that your music is not slipping out through gapping rings. o Include a table of contents at the front. How you organize the book is up to you: alphabetically by title, or grouped by style. Also, include your contact info in the event your book goes astray! o Use the full, uncut version of the song in your book, marked clearly with 8, 16, and 32-bar cuttings. Most likely, these will all end at the same place and will include any “money notes” the song may be known for. o Again, you must be able to perform anything in your book from memory, in its 8, 16, 32-bar, or full version (with the exception of pop/rock songs that we rarely sing in their entirety in audition settings). Use only that which shows you off to perfection and in type. Don’t include any song just for the sake of variety, sentimentality, or (shudder) trendiness. o All songs should be inserted into NON-GLARE (textured) sheet protectors. Alternatively, you may choose to simply hole-punch the music so that it can be marked more easily. Know that if you choose this route, you will be re-copying and re-marking your music every 6 months or so as it fades, rips, stains, wrinkles, etc. The important thing, whether you use sheet protectors or not, is that it look neat and clearly marked. o Feel free to have your music transposed up or down as needed. For Musical Theatre songs, be judicious to retain the original feel. You should not transpose MT songs with iconic or famous “money notes” (e.g. “Meadowlark” or “Pity the Child”). The transposition should look professional and be notated with software like Finale or Sibelius. o A full piano accompaniment MUST be used. NO fake books, guitar tablature, or lead sheets. The accompaniment from the full piano/vocal score is almost always preferable to the vocal selections. Check both versions if possible. o NEVER ask an audition pianist to transpose on sight even if you know they are capable of it. o I like to think about every song having a “price tag”. By way of example, “On My Own” from LES MISERABLES has a very high price tag because it is iconic and was “overdone” for many years. That said, if “On My Own” is the song that makes casting/creatives excited about you as a performer, then its high price is worth paying. The best songs, naturally, are the ones with low price tags: songs that we have some familiarity with but that we don’t hear freQuently. Do not overvalue obscure songs because no one else is singing them. We will spend the entire audition trying to decide what it is, who wrote it, etc. and your work will not be front and center. o Avoid “list songs” (like “You’re The Top” or “Great Big Stuff”). Avoid “loser” songs (like “Nobody Does It Like Me” or “You Can Always Count On Me”). Avoid “I’m the best” songs (like “I’m the Greatest Star”). Avoid “philosophy” songs (like “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, or “Hold On”). Avoid songs from shows that live in a very specific or kooky world (like BAT BOY, CHARLIE BROWN, URINETOWN, etc.) We will have difficulty placing you in the show we’re casting. Avoid “star-vehicle” songs (like “Don’t Rain On My Parade”, or “The Sound of Music”). But all that said, if the song makes you “come alive” before our eyes, that price tag might not be too high! o The first song you sing in the room should help answer the Question: “Who are you?” “It’s Hard to Speak My Heart” or “In Short” are great songs, but what do they say about you as someone we’ll be spending months with in a rehearsal room? NOW… GO FORTH AND BE AWESOME. .