by Clint Clark

You’ve been taking voice lessons.  You’ve learned how to sing in a healthy way. Now you’ve decided it’s time to use what you’ve learned on stage! You’ve seen the audition notice for a show you want to audition for, but what do you need to do to prepare, and what do you do when you get to the audition?

You will probably be asked to provide a headshot and resume for the casting director.  He or she will want to know what shows you have done, what roles you have played and where you played them.  If you are just starting out, you won’t have much to put on your resume.  Put roles you have played in school or at church or in community theater productions.  DON’T make things up.  You might be surprised if you say you were in a production at a certain theater, that the casting director was somehow associated with that production.  They certainly won’t remember you being in it if you weren’t!   Also don’t just make up theaters.  It’s a small world and casting directors will usually know if you have made up something.

A Headshot is something you will need as well.  If you are just starting, some casting directors will understand if you don’t have one. But after you have done a few shows and are sure you will be doing this a while, headshots are a must.  For many years Black and White 8x10 pictures of the head and shoulders were the standard.  Today, however, color ¾ or full body pictures are more common.  Your headshot should look like you on your best day, not some glamorous touched-up version of you.  Look like your headshot!  If you change your hair drastically in length or color,  get new shots.

You will usually be asked to prepare 16 bars of a song.  Most Broadway songs are structured where there is a logical 16 measure section that can stand alone.  Don’t just take any random part of the song, choose a section that makes sense and has a beginning, middle and end.  Other times you will be asked to sing a “brief song.”  This usually means a 32 bar cut of a song.  This gives you a bit more freedom. Usually you can just include the 16 bars before your original 16 bar cut.  On other occasions, when they are auditioning large numbers of people and/or are running behind, you will be asked to do your 8 bar cut.  Most people recommend doing the last 8 bars of your 16 bar cut, but some say do the first 8, if they like what they hear, they might let you continue through the end.  You have a little wiggle room with these numbers,  if an 18 bar cut makes more sense, use it, but don’t go overboard.

Pick a song that is sung by a character that you could conceivably play.  It would be unwise for a slim white male to sing “And I Am Telling You” from Dreamgirls. It is also a good idea to choose a piece that is similar to the material in the show for which you are auditioning.  Choose a song either by the same or similar composer.  Don’t sing something from RENT if you are auditioning for The Music Man, and vice versa.  If you are auditioning for Brigadoon, it might be a good idea to sing something from My Fair Lady, since they were both written by Lerner and Lowe.

If you are asked to prepare more than one song, sing your BEST song first! You might not get the chance to sing your second song.

Don’t do something in an audition unless you are prepared to do it 8 shows a week!  If you can’t hit the highest note of your audition piece consistently, you could get yourself into a bad situation.  The Casting Director may cast you in a role that hits that note in the show, possibly repeatedly.  You could embarrass yourself and possibly be replaced if it turns out you can’t sing that note regularly.

Once you have arrived at the audition location (early) signed in, and given your headshot and resume to the audition monitor, you will wait until they call your name, or the number they assign you.  When you enter the audition room, take your music, in the the correct key, with clear markings showing your 16-bar cut, to the pianist.  If he asks you for the tempo, sing a little of the song for him.  This is better than tapping out the tempo, as you will probably tap it out faster that you want if you are nervous.

If there is a mark on the floor, stand on it.  If not, stand about 8 feet from the table where the casting director is sitting. They will probably already know who you are from your headshot, but if not, introduce yourself in a clear, confident voice.  This shows them what your speaking voice would be like on stage.  If they ask what you will be singing, tell them the name of the song and what show it is from. Look at the pianist and signal that you are ready, and let them have it!  Have fun! Show them that you have what they are looking for!  Don’t be scared. Tthe casting director WANTS you to be good!  He has roles that he needs to fill, and he wants you to be able to fill one of them.

While there are exceptions, most casting directors don’t like it if you make direct eye contact with them while you are auditioning.  They want to see what you would be like on stage in front of an audience.  It is impossible to make eye contact with everyone in the theater.  You can either pick a point on the wall, or pick several points.  If your character would be singing the song to someone else on stage, imagine an invisible person in front of you and sing to them.

Tell the story!  Once you reach a certain level, it is expected that everyone at the audition can sing well.  Being able to convey the story that the song is telling will set you apart from the rest.  Think about what the character is going through as they are singing the song.  Be “in the moment” that the character is living.

Once you are done singing, don’t bow or expect applause.  There may be a few agonizing moments of silence.  The casting director may ask you some questions about your resume or your dance ability.  If they like what they have heard, they may ask for another song.  Have multiple songs prepared for this!  They may ask you to sing something from a role you have on your resume (another reason not to make things up).  If they are interested in seeing you dance, hearing you sing something from the show, or read some lines from the script, they will ask you to stay and do that. On the other hand, if you aren’t what they are looking for, they will simply say “Thank You.”  This means you are done for the day.  Thank them in return, collect your music from the pianist and leave the room.   Don’t take it personally.  There are a multitude of reasons you didn’t get a call back.  Maybe you weren’t the right height.  A short leading man is unlikely to be cast with a tall Ingénue.   Perhaps you wouldn’t fit the elaborate and expensive costume that has already been built and is too expensive to modify.   Maybe you just have a different look from the other people who have already been cast.  You might be a great singer, but just not the right style for the particular show or role they are looking for.  Don’t let it discourage you.  Keep practicing your audition pieces and auditioning.  Sooner or later you WILL be what they are looking for and you will land yourself a job!