[PhoenixWings]

Hi!

I'm new here and had a few questions for all of you. My high school just announced that it will be putting on Pippin this spring (with auditions in January, so I've got lots of time), and my choir director (also musical director) told me that both men and women could audition for the Lead Player. I don't think he's just saying that, either, seeing as the one really talented tenor has the romantic lead look and we're not so great in the guys department otherwise. I would kill to be the LP, but I've got a few questions. First, what exactly is the range for a female LP? Do most people sing it in the same octave as the male LP or do they go up the octave? I've only got the CD recording at the moment (though I've ordered the full score), so I don't know if that's actually the key(s) in which the show is performed.

Also, I go to a very small school (if you didn't figure that out by the "one talented tenor" comment), and so auditions are pretty informal. I mean, some people just sing "Happy Birthday" and get chorus leads. It's also common practice to sing something from the show you're auditioning for. For H2$ auditions last year, I sang "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm" and got the part of Rosemary. I guess what I'm asking is whether I should sing one of the LP's songs to show I'm dedicated to the part or if I should do something from another show. Also, my mother seems to think I should choreograph something to go along with my audition song while I'm singing, since the LP has to be such a strong dancer. I don't think it's such a good idea. Who's right?

If you're wondering about me, I'm 5'6.5" and 128 lbs (though some of that weight's coming off while I'm getting in better shape for auditions). I'm a fairly good dancer...I've got 6 or 7 years of ballet experience (though I quit four years ago), 10 years of tap, and a few years of jazz. Vocally, I'm classically trained, but I've got a pretty strong belt and can mix my break really well. I've done acting ever since I can remember, and I like to think I'm a great actor. I've got the ingenue look, but I can change my look easily.

I would love to hear your input! Thanks for putting up with my rather verbose post!

<3 Allyson

[Carol]

I have a couple of suggestions and opinions.

1 is that you check out the forum at Stephen Schwartz's official site (composer for PIPPIN) and do a search on "Leading Player." You'll find a few entries. There have been female Leading Players before.

http://www.stephenschwartz.com/forum.htm

Also you say "It's also common practice to sing something from the show you're auditioning for." Is it in your school? Because normally it's not considered to be a good idea.

Dance auditions are usually separate so you wouldn't do a full choreographed performance at an audition, although you don't want to just stand still.

One place to find audition tips is at
http://www.musicalsingers.com/auditioning/auditions.htm

Since PIPPIN is a soft rock/theatre score from 1972, I would suggest picking something that has a similar feel and not from a pre-1972 musical.

So that's a start. Good luck
Carol

[PhoenixWings]

Thanks! And at my school, it's common practice. Sorry I didn't make that clear. I'm fully aware that it's usually a no-no. And we do have separate dance auditions. My mother's just a little misled at times, and I kind of wanted to make sure I was right XD

Thanks for the link! It seems like most female LPs on that board sang it up the octave...though singing along with the CD I could stay down for most of it. I'll need to ask my director for the final word, I think.

[what_the_heck013]

I think that Pippin is best with a female Leading Player. It just gives it an extra... umph. I believe she is a mezzo, but you should check MTI just to make sure.

PhoenixWings, I LOVE your sig!

[bandcampgirl183]

Since the LP is a kind of narator, it definely could be a woman. I was. (as I explained in another post, I did the play in 6th grade, and all 32 of us had to be in it, so they needed to make more roles... so there were 4 leading players, 2 female, 2 male, but there were enough lines for all of us.) I would say in the audition just make it clear that you're comfortable being on stage and with yourself. The LP moves around a lot, and somehow "sliding" is the word that comes to mind, from Ben Vereen.... for me the only time it mattered that I was female, was (in a rehearsal, luckily) when I was waving my arms around trying to be all Magical and Mysterious, I got my vest caught on my earing... and had to keep that arm up for half of Join Us (obviously the LP's big song).... when they were giving us feedback, they mentioned that I looked a little unnatural. I had my earing caught, what was I supposed to do?? But yeah, definately go for it. If you're a very upbeat, energetic person, and you say in your school it IS okay to audition with songs from the musical... Join Us wouldn't be a bad song. You could go from "personality" to personality, on the different lines, kind of transforming yourself and jerking into one stance, then changing as it's a new line? I dunno, just an idea.

Do they let you read scenes? Because it sounds like it's obvious who's going to be Pippin (although sometimse you get surprised!!), and so probably a lot of what they're looking for is how people work with this guy. There really isn't a single character that doesn't interact with Pippin, at least some. If you can somehow prove that you are a good combination with this guy, that is a help. I helped cast a show, and a lot of what we looked for was how do these two look TOGETHER, how do they interact... not just "is this person a good actor?" or even "are they good for this role?" although of course both of those are factors.

Good luck-- let us know how it goes! As the LP, you get to bring Charlemaigne back from the dead... that's a pretty cool power. And if you're really good, and you know the whole thing by heart, if someone forgets their line, you can tell it to them, and yell at them for messing up the show or some such thing... and it might not be quite as obvious as it otherwise would, with people just standing there not knowing what to say.

~rachel~

[melonade601]

I am also a female auditioning for Pippin (this wednesday and thursday, to be precise)

I'm nervous that my director will make the Leading Player a male, even though I'm pretty much the only one in school that's been singing for 7 years, acting for 7 years, and dancing for 13 at professional schools...I don't know, we'll see.

I'm having a tough time finding a monologue to reflect that I do really want the part of the LP.

Any help? Pleeease?

So much gratitude would come your way!