[The Pirate King]

I'm a senior in high school, and in January our school is attending Illinois Theatre Festival and I'm auditioning for colleges and universities. This is to think about what colleges I may want to attend and just see who may be interested in me. There is also some scholarship opportunities there. Generally, it's good for audition experience. (I'm not planning on going into theatre as a career, maybe as a minor for directing)

We have to choose either a monologue, two short contrasting monologues, or a monologue and a 16 bar song. I'm a baritone and typically more of a dramatic actor, though in musicals I've usually played more comical characters. Thus far, the song I have in mind is "Falcon in the Dive" from Scarlet Pimpernel. I think it's a pretty good audition song, and I'll ask my directors what they think about my singing it. (it may help me out for my directors to see it if I do it well, too, as I'm aiming for the role of Javert in our spring show)

I can probably hit the G at the end of the song with practice, if I can't I'll choose a different section of the song or just transpose it into a lower key.

I'm not quite sure about a monologue yet, but I'm not too worried.

What does everyone think of the song choice?

[The Pirate King]

Anyone?

[JIJane]

In the UK it is pretty overdone and I know it is popular in the US, though not sure to which degree. Personally I think there are much better songs out there but then again there is nothing that can make me have a strong opinion against it either. I would prepare several songs and then choose later...

[JIJane]

Oh DON'T choose a song you cannot sing now as you won't be able to sing the top note well in a couple of months time, voices take time to mature and yours is obviously still very young. I am usually against transposing songs for audition purposes because

a) it can change the song in a negative way, key changes can do funny things and
b) the panel will wonder why you didn't just choose a song in your range and remember that you transposed it down because you couldn't hit the top note, hence have a subconscious negative memory of your audition