[music is life]

I auditioned for my first musical (it was a high school one) in my freshman year. And you can either just sign up for the musical and automatically be in the chorus or audition for a part. I auditioned and usually when you do audition you get at least a small role. The musical was Seussical and pretty much all the people who auditioned got at least a small role, like the wickersham (sp?) brothers, featured whos, and featured jungle people. I was just put on the chorus. You see this thing has been really bothering me and I'm just wondering if it is something I did because the people who heard my audition thought it was really good.

Is this normal? Or am just over-analyzing this whole situation? Or do you think it is probably because the director knew it was my first production? But even then there have been plenty of people who auditioned when it was their first musical/production and have gotten really good parts and leads.

[blinke!]

There may just not have been enough leads and small parts for everyone. You have to consider when auditioning, you could have the most amazing audition ever, but if you physically or vocally don't fit the profile for a character, you may just be out of luck. You have to have the character too, not just the voice. Also, they might just be trying to spread the wealth by putting you in the chorus, to make sure that their chorus does at least have some talent (considering the rest just signed up)

[LisaKitty]

It could also be that you were assigned to chorus because it was your freshman year, and the director wanted to give you something small for your first production. That's pretty common in high school productions, that the leads and supporting roles go to juniors and seniors who have been in the department longer.

Doesn't necessarily mean you gave a bad audition or have no talent. Keep on auditioning, and I'm sure you'll get something bigger soon!

[what_the_heck013]

[katieanne]

high schools are notorious for casting based on seniority. so are a lot of colleges. it makes sense though - a director will know what actors he has to work with, and therefore picks a show based on those people, and fills in the rest. at least, that's been my experience with high school shows. as a freshman, just feel lucky you were cast, avoid a diva attitude at all costs, work hard, and have fun. you have years ahead of you to vie for leads.

[CYTthespian]

i agree that it may be because you are a freshman.

it may also be - though it will sound unrealistic to you - that you were amazing, but not quite right for any of the roles in the show.

people think this is stupid or impossible, but when i think about it, there have been shows that i was in, and people that were REALLY good were put in chorus, and i wondered why until i realized that they wouldn't be right for any of the roles in the show.

[CYTthespian]

[music is life]

Thanks everyone for all the advice and input!! I really appreciate it!!

And no I definitely did not expect to get a lead or a supporting role in the musical. It was just because I was the only person who auditioned that got placed on the chorus, which is why it has bothered me soo much. I now realize it was just me overanalyzing everything and thinking about it waaay too much.


Again thanks for your input!!

[fatimalex]

Yes! It's all about seniority and popularity. Well, at least that's how my high school is. I'm going to be a junior next year and I'm hoping that I won't get chorus next year. [We'll see though. I'll just have to cross my fingers. ]

Freshman year I auditioned for 'Grease' and everyone kept saying how well my auditon went. I was cast as chorus, but given a solo in the duet Sandy is supposed to sing with Cha-Cha. [Our Cha-Cha wasn't exactly a singer OR a dancer for that matter. She was blonde and had light eyes. She was a senior. I'm teling you, it's all about seniority.]However, in that solo, Cha-Cha is a 'radio voice' and so I had to sing behind the curtain and nobody saw me.


This year, sophomore year, I auditioned for FAME. I was cast as chorus again. The director pulled me off to the side and she said, "Obviously, you are one of the strongest performers here, but we couldn't cast you as a lead." I had to have surgery done and had to miss two weeks of rehearsal. That was her excuse. They gave me a small riffing solo at the end of "Hard Work" because nobody was strong enough to sing it. But, they didn't give me a microphone. So for the eight nights we did the show, I had to sing my butt off and project like crazy over all the other musicians playing. And to top it off, she would always say, "You did so well tonight. You're so talented."

Yeah. That got me so upset. You have no idea. I remember breaking down and thinking I wasn't talented enough. I saw the people they were casting as leads, and to be honest they just weren't good enough. It made me think... "Am I really that bad?" haha It was a terrible feeling. Don't let it get to you.

I can guarantee that you were cast as chorus solely based on the fact that you were a freshman. Don't stress about it.