How to prepare for auditions?

CandyCane · How to prepare for auditions?

A local community theatre is doing BATB auditions in november, and I'm really hoping to get Belle, or at least do my best in trying. I might have a somewhat good chance at it. i've certainly paid my dues. I'm taking voice from the director, and i've moved my way up to possibly 3rd or 4th best female in the group that auditions for it. What should I do to prepare?

MusicalGal1194

It sounds as though you have medium to high musical theater experience, which is great. Before practicing any songs from the musical, practice similar songs from different shows. For example, if you are required to audition with the song 'Home', try 'Far From the Home I Love' from Fiddler on the Roof previous to practicing 'Home'. This will warm up your voice to the kind of music you'll be singing. I know that helped me!
Also, Belle is required to be a belter in some parts. If you can practice this daily with out straining your voice, the better off you'll be. I know from experience that if you cannot stun and wow during your singing audition, you will not get the part of Belle.
Acting wise, really try to let the character grab you. When I did my callback for Belle, I visualized the castle walls around me, and suddenly, I was Belle! I really got into the moment and felt heated, even angry, as the Beast yelled at me to come to dinner. This is the sort of emotion you'll need to capture.
As far as dancing goes, Belle primarily does not dance that much. You'll need to be able to stand up straight, with good form and rhythm, for the waltz scene, and have moderate to great tap skills for 'Be Our Guest'. Taking a tap class before auditions begin may be a good place to start.

I hope this helps! This is the advice that I typically give out for hopeful Belles. Good luck, and if you have any questions feel free to PM me! Laughing

carrot cait

Hm... This may not be correct in all cases, but for Belle, I think the acting is much more important than the singing. Belle's parts, for the most part, aren't incredibly difficult to sing. Middle-ranged for the most part, and if belting isn't your strong point, you can get around in it for pretty much every song but "A Change in Me". I could be wrong, but at least at my auditions, it was essentially like, "Okay, this group of people is capable of singing Belle; now we're going to look at how their acting is and decide from there" rather than making singing a large/final factor in the decision process.

Essentially, you have to be able to sing the songs and get the emotion across. There are tons of people who can sing them and make them sound nice, but it should be more about convincing your listeners of the words than getting them to appreciate your pretty voice. It sounds so obvious, but it is absolutely imparitive that you're meaning the things you're singing.

This may not help with your situation, but this is what really helped with making my acting convincing during my audition: I had wanted Belle since I found out we were doing the play, in April (the auditions were in December). We have a lot of talented singers in my school, though, and I was not- and still am not- my director's favorite. I went back and forth between being hopeful about my chances and being in complete dispair about it. About a month and a half before auditions, I became actually clinically depressed. I had recieved an extremely insignificant but still really difficult and stressful part in the fall Shakespeare play, I had absolutely failed at my districts auditions, I was not doing well in chorus, and I just felt like everything I had worked for in theatre meant nothing and that I was a failure. There were a lot of other circumstances contributing to it, but essentially what happened is that I stopped sleeping more than 4 hours a night, I completely lost my appetite and only ate once a day, twice at the most, and lost all interest in everything. Paired with the stress about the upcoming auditions, it was almost unbearable, but I still wanted it so much that I couldn't force myself to give up hope.

Girls sang "Home" for auditions, and when I was singing it, all I was thinking about were the circumstances that had led me to that point. Luckily, they were remarkably similar to Belle's (wanting something more, but having your life torn apart in trying to get it, but still having a shred of hope that things might get better, even though you know the hope could be the death of you). I wasn't acting; I was just feeling.

I know that was a bit long-winded, and I doubt you're in the exact same situation, but if you are experiencing anything of the sort, concentrate on that during your auditions. Don't worry about your voice; worry about being genuine and believable.

CandyCane

thank you! how high does Belle have to belt? I can belt up to a b-ish, sometimes higher depending on my vocal status for the day. Smile

As far as waltzing/tapping, I can waltz fairly well, I mean as well as most my age, and i've taken tap. I'm not as good as I'd like, but I'm planning to develop those skills over the summer.
By the way this is a Children's theater, I'm 14, but will be 15 going on 16 when we do the show. (If that changes anything).

carrot cait

Hm... In "A Change in Me," you have to be able to belt up to a C, but it's really not that bad. I'm not a belter at all and I could get up to it within a month or so of practice. As for dancing, I don't think it's really necessary for the part... We haven't blocked "Beauty and the Beast" yet, but from videos I've seen on Youtube, it's really just a simple waltz that pretty much anyone could learn. And it would depend on the production, but it seems like the only other part Belle would have to dance in "Be Our Guest" and even then, only in the kickline. Being a good dancer couldn't hurt, but on the other hand, you wouldn't want to get stuck in the chorus because you're one of the only capable dancers.

What's the age range of the people auditioning?

ConverseSneaker

Keep your voice in good shape, pratice Home and A Change in Me(you could also work on anything else she sings, Belle, Something there, etc.). Far From the Home I Love is a GREAT suggestion to pratice. Definately work on Belle acting.

For the audition itself, get there early, prepared and ready to go. Be polite. It wouldn't hurt to dress like Belle, like a nice white or blue blouse with nice pants(but easy to dance in if there's a dance audition!). Dance, you should be able to move well, perhaps ballroom dance a little. My Belle did not dance in anything else(not even BOG) so dance ability is not important, as long as you can move well.

Break a Leg!

Brigantine

Watch good performances on youTube! Smile

I came across this productino, and absoultely love this Belle: (more videos on the user's profile)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0YI5WO0x2Y

The last few auditions I've had (which were a while ago, I admit) the director was working with a group of people who had been with the theater for a while, most everyone knew each other, etc. Both these directors were into "interesting choices". They didn't want to see the 'right' choices over and over again, they wanted to see you read the scene three times, three different ways. So i guess if you have more than one chance to read my advice would be don't get stuck doing what you think is the right choice, but be flexible in your interpretation of the scene/character. A different choice may be the one the director wanted to see!

BroadwayBaby0202

sorry, I know this is no help but I saw that girl's videos ^^^ and also thought she was PERFECT for the role. I'm pretty sure I left a comment on one of the videos being all fangirly.

CandyCane

Well, I'll try to answer as much as I can. Very Happy

As far as being familiar to the theater, I've been doing their shows just about as long as anyone else who's currently in their little "group" of performers - you all know what I mean.

Agewise, it's a community/children's theater, so all the parts are for Children/teens and, as I said before, when I audition i will be 15, we will do the shows a month before I turn 16.

My biggest competition are what I like to call the "Fab 3." There's 3 girls that usually get the female leads (lucy, sally, snoopy in YAGMCb. Mayzie, Gertrude, Sour Kanga in Seussical). I'm sort of numero cuatro, if you know what I mean. Currently I'm Mrs. Mayor in seussical, and i was told by the director tat she wanted to give me a bigger part, but there wasn't one. ( http://www.youtube.com/user/DodyHansen ) you can go there to see videos of the girls I'm up against (in YAGMCB videos. also the talents of tomorrow videos.) I'm not really featured in the vids, though...lol

My weakest point is dancing, but I'm going to continue with tap, and do ballet over the summer.

I've been told by the director (who my mom and I are pretty close to) that more than anything, she just wants to see me having fun, and being a little goofy. Last year for YAMCB my mother was doing lights and everyone else had left. I was running around showing where each character stood for each song/scene and just playing around with it. If any of you are familiar with YAGMCB, I was singing all the parts to "A book Report", that sort of thing. And the director told my mom that that's what she wants to see at auditions, that sort of thing, and I would have a good chance at a lead.

Hope this helps!! (wow..this is a massive post! haha)

MusicalGal1194

If i could just give one last tip: Belting does NOT under any circumstances have to be like...hmm what's a good example? Ah! Idina Menzel in Wicked. You don't have to be like her, for example, to be Belle. I think belting around B-ish (as you put it) should be fine. I do think, however, that if you practice it a lot and carefully you should be able to push it a little higher.
Also, it sounds as though your director wants to give you a part that you'll have fun in. Not to discourage you, but if you don't Belle (dont take that the wrong way, I'm rooting for you!!!!!!!!!) then the director will most likely cast you in something like Babette or a Silly Girl. Keep in mind that both of those are hyserically fun roles so do not be upset if you get one of those. Granted, going for Belle is a surprisingly emotional experience and it is totally alright to be upset. (Like I said, i'm rooting for you, and it seems to me like you have a better chance than most anybody.)
Good luck! I really think that you have a better-better-better-than-average-chance at this part. Work hard and keep your chin up, and I think you'll be supremely pleased with the results!

CandyCane · Update

so, here's a quick update. The theater isn't 100% doing it, i depends on te venue. I'll let you all know what happens with it. But, on the plus(ish) side, a girl who might've been some competition just got Belle at her School, and seeing as the Director(s) are pretty fair, I don't think they would give it to her again....(She's the one Who's Mayzie/Sally)

CandyCane	How to prepare for auditions? A local community theatre is doing BATB auditions in november, and I'm really hoping to get Belle, or at least do my best in trying. I might have a somewhat good chance at it. i've certainly paid my dues. I'm taking voice from the director, and i've moved my way up to possibly 3rd or 4th best female in the group that auditions for it. What should I do to prepare?
MusicalGal1194	It sounds as though you have medium to high musical theater experience, which is great. Before practicing any songs from the musical, practice similar songs from different shows. For example, if you are required to audition with the song 'Home', try 'Far From the Home I Love' from Fiddler on the Roof previous to practicing 'Home'. This will warm up your voice to the kind of music you'll be singing. I know that helped me! Also, Belle is required to be a belter in some parts. If you can practice this daily with out straining your voice, the better off you'll be. I know from experience that if you cannot stun and wow during your singing audition, you will not get the part of Belle. Acting wise, really try to let the character grab you. When I did my callback for Belle, I visualized the castle walls around me, and suddenly, I was Belle! I really got into the moment and felt heated, even angry, as the Beast yelled at me to come to dinner. This is the sort of emotion you'll need to capture. As far as dancing goes, Belle primarily does not dance that much. You'll need to be able to stand up straight, with good form and rhythm, for the waltz scene, and have moderate to great tap skills for 'Be Our Guest'. Taking a tap class before auditions begin may be a good place to start. I hope this helps! This is the advice that I typically give out for hopeful Belles. Good luck, and if you have any questions feel free to PM me!
carrot cait	Hm... This may not be correct in all cases, but for Belle, I think the acting is much more important than the singing. Belle's parts, for the most part, aren't incredibly difficult to sing. Middle-ranged for the most part, and if belting isn't your strong point, you can get around in it for pretty much every song but "A Change in Me". I could be wrong, but at least at my auditions, it was essentially like, "Okay, this group of people is capable of singing Belle; now we're going to look at how their acting is and decide from there" rather than making singing a large/final factor in the decision process. Essentially, you have to be able to sing the songs and get the emotion across. There are tons of people who can sing them and make them sound nice, but it should be more about convincing your listeners of the words than getting them to appreciate your pretty voice. It sounds so obvious, but it is absolutely imparitive that you're meaning the things you're singing. This may not help with your situation, but this is what really helped with making my acting convincing during my audition: I had wanted Belle since I found out we were doing the play, in April (the auditions were in December). We have a lot of talented singers in my school, though, and I was not- and still am not- my director's favorite. I went back and forth between being hopeful about my chances and being in complete dispair about it. About a month and a half before auditions, I became actually clinically depressed. I had recieved an extremely insignificant but still really difficult and stressful part in the fall Shakespeare play, I had absolutely failed at my districts auditions, I was not doing well in chorus, and I just felt like everything I had worked for in theatre meant nothing and that I was a failure. There were a lot of other circumstances contributing to it, but essentially what happened is that I stopped sleeping more than 4 hours a night, I completely lost my appetite and only ate once a day, twice at the most, and lost all interest in everything. Paired with the stress about the upcoming auditions, it was almost unbearable, but I still wanted it so much that I couldn't force myself to give up hope. Girls sang "Home" for auditions, and when I was singing it, all I was thinking about were the circumstances that had led me to that point. Luckily, they were remarkably similar to Belle's (wanting something more, but having your life torn apart in trying to get it, but still having a shred of hope that things might get better, even though you know the hope could be the death of you). I wasn't acting; I was just feeling. I know that was a bit long-winded, and I doubt you're in the exact same situation, but if you are experiencing anything of the sort, concentrate on that during your auditions. Don't worry about your voice; worry about being genuine and believable.
CandyCane	thank you! how high does Belle have to belt? I can belt up to a b-ish, sometimes higher depending on my vocal status for the day. As far as waltzing/tapping, I can waltz fairly well, I mean as well as most my age, and i've taken tap. I'm not as good as I'd like, but I'm planning to develop those skills over the summer. By the way this is a Children's theater, I'm 14, but will be 15 going on 16 when we do the show. (If that changes anything).
carrot cait	Hm... In "A Change in Me," you have to be able to belt up to a C, but it's really not that bad. I'm not a belter at all and I could get up to it within a month or so of practice. As for dancing, I don't think it's really necessary for the part... We haven't blocked "Beauty and the Beast" yet, but from videos I've seen on Youtube, it's really just a simple waltz that pretty much anyone could learn. And it would depend on the production, but it seems like the only other part Belle would have to dance in "Be Our Guest" and even then, only in the kickline. Being a good dancer couldn't hurt, but on the other hand, you wouldn't want to get stuck in the chorus because you're one of the only capable dancers. What's the age range of the people auditioning?
ConverseSneaker	Keep your voice in good shape, pratice Home and A Change in Me(you could also work on anything else she sings, Belle, Something there, etc.). Far From the Home I Love is a GREAT suggestion to pratice. Definately work on Belle acting. For the audition itself, get there early, prepared and ready to go. Be polite. It wouldn't hurt to dress like Belle, like a nice white or blue blouse with nice pants(but easy to dance in if there's a dance audition!). Dance, you should be able to move well, perhaps ballroom dance a little. My Belle did not dance in anything else(not even BOG) so dance ability is not important, as long as you can move well. Break a Leg!
Brigantine	Watch good performances on youTube! I came across this productino, and absoultely love this Belle: (more videos on the user's profile) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0YI5WO0x2Y The last few auditions I've had (which were a while ago, I admit) the director was working with a group of people who had been with the theater for a while, most everyone knew each other, etc. Both these directors were into "interesting choices". They didn't want to see the 'right' choices over and over again, they wanted to see you read the scene three times, three different ways. So i guess if you have more than one chance to read my advice would be don't get stuck doing what you think is the right choice, but be flexible in your interpretation of the scene/character. A different choice may be the one the director wanted to see!
BroadwayBaby0202	sorry, I know this is no help but I saw that girl's videos ^^^ and also thought she was PERFECT for the role. I'm pretty sure I left a comment on one of the videos being all fangirly.
CandyCane	Well, I'll try to answer as much as I can. As far as being familiar to the theater, I've been doing their shows just about as long as anyone else who's currently in their little "group" of performers - you all know what I mean. Agewise, it's a community/children's theater, so all the parts are for Children/teens and, as I said before, when I audition i will be 15, we will do the shows a month before I turn 16. My biggest competition are what I like to call the "Fab 3." There's 3 girls that usually get the female leads (lucy, sally, snoopy in YAGMCb. Mayzie, Gertrude, Sour Kanga in Seussical). I'm sort of numero cuatro, if you know what I mean. Currently I'm Mrs. Mayor in seussical, and i was told by the director tat she wanted to give me a bigger part, but there wasn't one. ( http://www.youtube.com/user/DodyHansen ) you can go there to see videos of the girls I'm up against (in YAGMCB videos. also the talents of tomorrow videos.) I'm not really featured in the vids, though...lol My weakest point is dancing, but I'm going to continue with tap, and do ballet over the summer. I've been told by the director (who my mom and I are pretty close to) that more than anything, she just wants to see me having fun, and being a little goofy. Last year for YAMCB my mother was doing lights and everyone else had left. I was running around showing where each character stood for each song/scene and just playing around with it. If any of you are familiar with YAGMCB, I was singing all the parts to "A book Report", that sort of thing. And the director told my mom that that's what she wants to see at auditions, that sort of thing, and I would have a good chance at a lead. Hope this helps!! (wow..this is a massive post! haha)
MusicalGal1194	If i could just give one last tip: Belting does NOT under any circumstances have to be like...hmm what's a good example? Ah! Idina Menzel in Wicked. You don't have to be like her, for example, to be Belle. I think belting around B-ish (as you put it) should be fine. I do think, however, that if you practice it a lot and carefully you should be able to push it a little higher. Also, it sounds as though your director wants to give you a part that you'll have fun in. Not to discourage you, but if you don't Belle (dont take that the wrong way, I'm rooting for you!!!!!!!!!) then the director will most likely cast you in something like Babette or a Silly Girl. Keep in mind that both of those are hyserically fun roles so do not be upset if you get one of those. Granted, going for Belle is a surprisingly emotional experience and it is totally alright to be upset. (Like I said, i'm rooting for you, and it seems to me like you have a better chance than most anybody.) Good luck! I really think that you have a better-better-better-than-average-chance at this part. Work hard and keep your chin up, and I think you'll be supremely pleased with the results!
CandyCane	Update so, here's a quick update. The theater isn't 100% doing it, i depends on te venue. I'll let you all know what happens with it. But, on the plus(ish) side, a girl who might've been some competition just got Belle at her School, and seeing as the Director(s) are pretty fair, I don't think they would give it to her again....(She's the one Who's Mayzie/Sally)

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How to prepare for auditions?

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