MascaraSnake
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Is singing acapella the kiss of death?I've gotten into shows before when doing that but I've avoided it lately. My next audition I'm using "British Tar" from HMS Pinafore and that one's mostly acapella except for some interludes, and I'm wondering if that makes it a bad choice.
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jazzygirlsings
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If you're going for a community theatre group, you can probably get away with singing a capella, but in professional auditions, it's usually a big no-no unless they specify that they want a capella...
The problem with a capella is that you can get off key so easily when you are nervous and the song itself often loses something dramatically and obviously musically when you take out the accompaniment.
Just my $.02...
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Celeste_SM
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I work for a high-end community theater w/Equity guest artist contracts, and for us - yes, a capella is the kiss of death. The assumption is that you can't sing with an accompanist, or without a melody line.
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Sweeney Hyde
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I think it depends upon the size of the group...I sang a capella for my first two auditions...in one of them I got Harry Beaton in Brigadoon...it definately helps to use an accompnist.
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shadowdancer
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MOst audition announcements should tell you if it is ok to sing without sheet music or taped accompianment (normally no to both). IF ti says a'capellea is ok, then do it. If it doesn't I would call and find out first. As a director/casting person, it looks lazy to me and also it is honestly harder to sing a'capella, stay in key rythym etc.
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Brigantine
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I have NEVER had a good experience with pianists at auditions. Our community theater always has them, but no one is required to sing with or without piano. I have clearly marked music that is taped well or in a binder/folder of some sort, east turn pages, a I give the right tempo, and... it's never good. The last few auditions I've done were a capella.
But, hopefully the larger the group, the better the pianist.
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audreydarling
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usually it depends on what you're auditioning for...though if the notice says an accompianist will be provided than use sheet music...if it's not specified it's best to call whoever is putting on the audition and ask...I've been to auditions where I've had to use backing tracks..ones where I've used music and ones where I have been specifically asked to sing a-capella..so it relly depends...but not the best idea unless the director asks for it.
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jazzygirlsings
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| Celeste_SM wrote: | | I work for a high-end community theater w/Equity guest artist contracts, and for us - yes, a capella is the kiss of death. The assumption is that you can't sing with an accompanist, or without a melody line. |
If you have Equity Guest Artists, I wouldn't classify that as community theatre...I would classify that as semi-pro/regional theatre...
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Salome
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its forbidden even in community theatre. unless its a half assed community theatre..then avoid the group.
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MaryMag
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| Salome wrote: | | its forbidden even in community theatre. unless its a half assed community theatre..then avoid the group. |
Yeah when a community theater audition post says something about singers singing a capella, I'm like, 'um yeah I'll pass on that...'
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jazzygirlsings
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^Honestly though...it's all that some people have that even comes CLOSE to resembling culture! I grew up in an area WITHOUT A COMMUNITY THEATRE...Ummm...yeah! (Luckily, they just started a few groups after I graduated...)
So if you have the choice between a group that says "sing a capella" and one that doesn't, then take the one that has the accompanist...
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Asha
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You've got to be really talented to carry a song a cappella and have it sound good. As previous peeps said, with nerves and lack of steady tempo and whatnot, things can go horribly wrong. If the song you're interested in singing is a song that's more powerful a cappella, go for it (if it's allowed, of course.) I think it's a true testament to your talent when you can sing a cappella... It shows that you can be bad all by yourself. 
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Brigantine
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^^^
That's what I always thought. That if you could sing without accompaniment, then you had more talent because you could stay on key and in tempo without "help" from a piano.
But I guess the community theater I've been with recently is just "half-assed" according to Salome.
It has never said specifically that we could not audition with piano, it just doesn't say that we HAVE to either. and I would say half the people at auditions never have music. It seems to have no bearing on casting.
A professional regional theater in my area has auditions for their summer rep season every spring and although I've never gone (too far a drive) their audition information never says anything about piano or no piano. It does say that you only have two minutes to do one monologue and two contrasting songs. How in the world are you supposed to make that all work with a piano too? What if they don't go the exact tempo and you get cut off? How do you do talk to the pianist, do your intro, monologue and songs in two minutes?? So, what about a situation like that where "accompanist provided" is not even mentioned- should you assume that you should do your songs a capella or what?
Jazzy, I still don't understand- why would this a capella/ accompanist singing process elevate one theater over another? You said if you had a choice between two, you would go to one that advertised an accompanist. Why? What does it say about a theater company that chooses to evaluate a performer based on their voice without accompaniment?
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jazzygirlsings
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| Brigantine wrote: | ^^^
A professional regional theater in my area has auditions for their summer rep season every spring and although I've never gone (too far a drive) their audition information never says anything about piano or no piano. It does say that you only have two minutes to do one monologue and two contrasting songs. How in the world are you supposed to make that all work with a piano too? What if they don't go the exact tempo and you get cut off? How do you do talk to the pianist, do your intro, monologue and songs in two minutes?? So, what about a situation like that where "accompanist provided" is not even mentioned- should you assume that you should do your songs a capella or what?
Jazzy, I still don't understand- why would this a capella/ accompanist singing process elevate one theater over another? You said if you had a choice between two, you would go to one that advertised an accompanist. Why? What does it say about a theater company that chooses to evaluate a performer based on their voice without accompaniment? |
In the first situation, you can pretty much assume that an accompanist will be provided, which I will explain in the second part...
If a theatre company provides a pianist for auditions, it's usually a reflection of their budget. They usually put on better shows with higher production values than those that can't afford a pianist for their audition process...
Believe me when I tell you that few instances require you to sing a capella on purpose because I've been on the other side of an a capella audition and let me tell you...it ain't pretty! You've seen American Idol...the bad auditions...there's a reason they don't provide accompaniment through that first round...it makes the bad auditions sound worse! LOL!
AND even the good auditions don't sound that great, to be honest...They sound hollow without the accompaniment...And there's such a huge margin of error when you go this route...even otherwise amazing singers could start in the wrong key and ruin their auditions...
I have been on auditions that are a capella on purpose...For example, this play that is set to Appalachian music that I'm currently in...For the auditions, you were asked to sing a traditional folk song...Much of the Appalachian music does not have piano arrangements to it...so in THAT case, you must sing a capella...
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MaryMag
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| Brigantine wrote: | ^^^
That's what I always thought. That if you could sing without accompaniment, then you had more talent because you could stay on key and in tempo without "help" from a piano.
But I guess the community theater I've been with recently is just "half-assed" according to Salome.
It has never said specifically that we could not audition with piano, it just doesn't say that we HAVE to either. and I would say half the people at auditions never have music. It seems to have no bearing on casting.
A professional regional theater in my area has auditions for their summer rep season every spring and although I've never gone (too far a drive) their audition information never says anything about piano or no piano. It does say that you only have two minutes to do one monologue and two contrasting songs. How in the world are you supposed to make that all work with a piano too? What if they don't go the exact tempo and you get cut off? How do you do talk to the pianist, do your intro, monologue and songs in two minutes?? So, what about a situation like that where "accompanist provided" is not even mentioned- should you assume that you should do your songs a capella or what?
Jazzy, I still don't understand- why would this a capella/ accompanist singing process elevate one theater over another? You said if you had a choice between two, you would go to one that advertised an accompanist. Why? What does it say about a theater company that chooses to evaluate a performer based on their voice without accompaniment? |
In the old city I lived in, I didn't have enough performance opportunities to be picky about where I auditioned. In my new, much larger city, I CAN be picky.
Jazzy's right. Accompanist generally means a decent budget and decent budget generally means good productions. Of course not always, but at least 90% of the time.
And just because a theater is technically professional doesn't make them good! : ) The two professional theaters near my old city both had a capella musical auditions and both of them consistently produced worse musicals than the community theaters. So the label of professional isn't an indication of quality. I actually think budget may be the best indication! They're pretty open about that in the opera world - they rate opera houses based on budget, an A company, a B, and so on. The Met and the Chicago opera are both A's and the less presitigious houses are lower letters. And people definitely talk like, 'oh she thinks just cuz she sang that role in a C house that she's good enough to sing it in a B house!'
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