#20: Weekly Recap: Coachings, Auditions, Show/Song of the Week
Friday 7/26/24
Welcome to FRIDAY! Another weekly recap of coachings, auditions, and SHOWS I SAW!
COACHINGS
I had 26 coachings Mon-Thursday this week. Honestly, Tuesday and Wednesday I had so many back to back it feels like a total blur! But I live for these busy times - lots of fall show audition prep, college stuff is really picking up as stress levels increase, and late summer always makes people feel like they need to “get it together” before September. Probably something to do with always starting school in September as kids. I don’t know, but it’s always one of my busiest times!
Some of the observations with my college prep students: songs need to be in the biggest part of your voice. This is a difference between my goals and a voice teachers goals. My goals are about what you excel in now while a voice teacher may be pushing you to work on parts of your voice that are underdeveloped. Thats good - you should do that. But not for a college audition. Showing potential is one thing. That’s not what I’m talking about. There is a difference in someone who has a head voice that isn’t as strong as their mix/belt/chest voice and wants to sing their 2nd song in that soprano tone. Thats fine! Do that! But NOT if you have zero technical skill.
Saying it again - working BACKWARDS when thinking about what songs are needed for an audition book. Categorize shows by genre/style THEN decide if those shows are ones you’d intentionally go audition for. If you are just starting out, you may feel the need to have 10-15 songs if your book. It’s ok if you want that - you have to feel comfortable. Some people may say “i booked broadway with only having one song in my book” well that’s great for you girl but you are lying if you don’t share what ELSE happened there! I think most people sing some rotation of 3-4 songs. That’s me for sure. But I’m ready for 8ish songs in case I pop into a random audition or they ask for something else. I literally just worked with a person who attended the Wicked open call in Chicago and IN THE ROOM got asked for something in her head voice. She didn’t have it. READ THAT AGAIN. SHE DIDN’T HAVE IT. Don’t be in that position.
The song/cut you already know is always going to be a better pick than something you learn last minute. You are better in material that you’ve worn a little! This doesn’t mean go try new pieces in auditions. This means that you do not need to pick a NEW song for a specific audition unless you have the time to work on it so it feels just as good as the other options!
AUDITIONS
I only had ONE this week. It was self tape request to be a Foreperson for Law & Order. I read 2 lines stating the defendant was (tune in to find out lol).
SHOWS
I only saw ONE this week! Slow week for shows and auditions. Last night I saw HAIRSPRAY at Passaic Valley Summer Theatre which takes place at Passaic Valley High School. I had a current student in it, former students in it and on the team, and I got to see a lot of people I knew - friends, parents, colleagues, students - in the audience. I remember seeing Hairspray in the early 2000s quite a bit because it was a huge show on broadway. I loved it. But, ummm, this show hasn’t aged well. I remember people GUHFAWWWWW laughing at the Special Ed jokes and all the fat jokes but it was like ICK and crickets last night. It was actually pretty uncomfortable and not in a “listening and learning” way. It was uncomfortable in a “someone should make some more edits”. Apparently the license version is chock full of edits already but… it needs more. Like immediately.
SHOW & SONG of the Week - ALICE BY HEART
I did it finally! I ended up watching the MCC production on youtube because i could not get through the recording. This show is wildly fantastical and i needed the visual aide to care about it. OK I GET IT NOW! The music is so soaring and beautiful though I’m not sure there is a ton of great audition material. Now I’m happy to listen to the music as I know what’s going on.
NEXT SHOW & SONG OF THE WEEK - FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE
I’ve never listened to this and have been meaning to. Mary Testa, Caissie Levy, Barbara Walsh, Alison Fraser, Rachel Bay Jones are all in it so it has to be good… plus being LaChiusa?
Dreams Don’t Die
Julie