Kim or Rosie

NoOneMournsTheWicked · Kim or Rosie

Okay, my school is doing 'Bye Bye Birdie' next year...I really like both Kim and Rosie, so I don't know what to go for:

Reasons for Kim: I've always loved this part...Kim reminds me of myself. Also, I'm a soprano, so this is more in my vocal range.
Reasons against Kim: We have one of those girls in my school...the type where you know that if you're up against her for a role, you have no shot in hell...Plus, she looks more Kim...She has the blonde, blue-eyed All American look...

Reasons for Rosie: I love 'Spanish Rose' and 'What Did I Ever See In Him'...both great, fun songs...And I look more Rosie...I'm dark haired and olive complexioned...
Reasons against Rosie: The songs are so low! I can't even make a sound when I try to sing 'One Boy'...Also, I don't look very...mature...I look rather teenage girl-ish, if anything...I don't think I'd pass for an adult, even with other teenagers around...

I'm not sure, and the upperclassmen get to audition the year before and in the new school year, so I want to make a decision so I can start going over songs and scenes...

JelliclePat

First off, go to the auditions, do your best, and see what happens. You may wind up with a completely different role that you will grow to love.

Second, if intent on going for a particular role, let it be one with which you can identify. When I tried out for '...Forum', I hoped for Domina. First of all, with my build, I couldn't get away with being a Courtesan. (We did push the envelope a bit, but casting me would've been going *too* far! Laughing

) Besides, since my husband walked out on me and my son 23 years ago, I have a deep understanding of what makes her tick. I got the role, and had a resounding success with it.

Third, if you want to go for Rosie, do. Any musical director worth his salt will be able to find a key that would work for you. It's done all the time. When I saw CATS in London, the fellow playing Munkustrap had a voice that was a little too low, so they changed keys for him. In the Jennyanydots number, they had to change keys between his solos and the trio, but it worked beautifully.

Either way, I think you've got a chance. Best of luck! Let us know how it goes!

NoOneMournsTheWicked

Well, it's been 9 months and I finally auditioned. I think I have a pretty good shot at Rosie. My competition is: A girl who can sing pretty well, but she over acts terribly, isn't a good dancer and has a speech impediment; a girl that can sing, but can't act or dance, and a girl that can dance but can't act or sing.

We find out by Friday at the earliest.

JelliclePat

Good going!! Let us know what happens. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

NoOneMournsTheWicked

Well, it seems I won't be Rosie after all. Our production's been cancelled due to lack of funding. It'll take a miracle for it to be back on.

JelliclePat

That's a shame. It's a heart-breaking reason for a show to be cancelled. The arts are sooooooooooooooo important. Hopefully, there will be other opportunities for you to appear in 'Birdie'. It took me two tries to get into a production of '...Forum', and in my opinion, the one I was in was *much* better than the one I wasn't in.

Keep trying, and let us know what happens.

NoOneMournsTheWicked

It's not so much the fact that it was Bye Bye Birdie (I've done the show already...'Selected Ensemble' in a really bad middle school production), it's just that this probably would have been my first lead in a musical, and I'd be overshadowing the usual 'star', who would play Kim...she thinks she's so great because she was in a national tour of Annie...she wasn't even Annie for cryin' out loud!

JelliclePat

Gotcha, Mourns. At least your prima donna won't be able to lord it over everyone this time. Not much consolation, I realize, but it's something. However, there will be other chances to prove you're the better performer. When the time is right, it will happen. Good luck!

broadwaychild

aww that stinks i HATE when shows get cancelled.

i auditioned for Once on this Island in april at a company that i usually do shows at. my audition was really good, the director and producer told me i was amazing. i was like score im gunna get in! BUT they cancelled it cause they couldnt find people good enough for the lead roles (they wanted 20+). i got sooo mad cause i was told i was gunna get a lead dancer. ughhhhhhhh.

JelliclePat

I know the feeling. The company with which I did '...Forum' was going to do 'The Apple Tree' by Bock & Harnick last summer, on my suggestion, but couldn't find a director. I'm going to try to be assistant director for some of their shows in the next year or so, and maybe director the show myself in a few years. It's such a cute show, and if the same people do the leads in all three acts/stories, it can be quite effective.

NoOneMournsTheWicked	Kim or Rosie Okay, my school is doing 'Bye Bye Birdie' next year...I really like both Kim and Rosie, so I don't know what to go for: Reasons for Kim: I've always loved this part...Kim reminds me of myself. Also, I'm a soprano, so this is more in my vocal range. Reasons against Kim: We have one of those girls in my school...the type where you know that if you're up against her for a role, you have no shot in hell...Plus, she looks more Kim...She has the blonde, blue-eyed All American look... Reasons for Rosie: I love 'Spanish Rose' and 'What Did I Ever See In Him'...both great, fun songs...And I look more Rosie...I'm dark haired and olive complexioned... Reasons against Rosie: The songs are so low! I can't even make a sound when I try to sing 'One Boy'...Also, I don't look very...mature...I look rather teenage girl-ish, if anything...I don't think I'd pass for an adult, even with other teenagers around... I'm not sure, and the upperclassmen get to audition the year before and in the new school year, so I want to make a decision so I can start going over songs and scenes...
JelliclePat	First off, go to the auditions, do your best, and see what happens. You may wind up with a completely different role that you will grow to love. Second, if intent on going for a particular role, let it be one with which you can identify. When I tried out for '...Forum', I hoped for Domina. First of all, with my build, I couldn't get away with being a Courtesan. (We did push the envelope a bit, but casting me would've been going too far! ) Besides, since my husband walked out on me and my son 23 years ago, I have a deep understanding of what makes her tick. I got the role, and had a resounding success with it. Third, if you want to go for Rosie, do. Any musical director worth his salt will be able to find a key that would work for you. It's done all the time. When I saw CATS in London, the fellow playing Munkustrap had a voice that was a little too low, so they changed keys for him. In the Jennyanydots number, they had to change keys between his solos and the trio, but it worked beautifully. Either way, I think you've got a chance. Best of luck! Let us know how it goes!
NoOneMournsTheWicked	Well, it's been 9 months and I finally auditioned. I think I have a pretty good shot at Rosie. My competition is: A girl who can sing pretty well, but she over acts terribly, isn't a good dancer and has a speech impediment; a girl that can sing, but can't act or dance, and a girl that can dance but can't act or sing. We find out by Friday at the earliest.
JelliclePat	Good going!! Let us know what happens. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!
NoOneMournsTheWicked	Well, it seems I won't be Rosie after all. Our production's been cancelled due to lack of funding. It'll take a miracle for it to be back on.
JelliclePat	That's a shame. It's a heart-breaking reason for a show to be cancelled. The arts are sooooooooooooooo important. Hopefully, there will be other opportunities for you to appear in 'Birdie'. It took me two tries to get into a production of '...Forum', and in my opinion, the one I was in was much better than the one I wasn't in. Keep trying, and let us know what happens.
NoOneMournsTheWicked	It's not so much the fact that it was Bye Bye Birdie (I've done the show already...'Selected Ensemble' in a really bad middle school production), it's just that this probably would have been my first lead in a musical, and I'd be overshadowing the usual 'star', who would play Kim...she thinks she's so great because she was in a national tour of Annie...she wasn't even Annie for cryin' out loud!
JelliclePat	Gotcha, Mourns. At least your prima donna won't be able to lord it over everyone this time. Not much consolation, I realize, but it's something. However, there will be other chances to prove you're the better performer. When the time is right, it will happen. Good luck!
broadwaychild	aww that stinks i HATE when shows get cancelled. i auditioned for Once on this Island in april at a company that i usually do shows at. my audition was really good, the director and producer told me i was amazing. i was like score im gunna get in! BUT they cancelled it cause they couldnt find people good enough for the lead roles (they wanted 20+). i got sooo mad cause i was told i was gunna get a lead dancer. ughhhhhhhh.
JelliclePat	I know the feeling. The company with which I did '...Forum' was going to do 'The Apple Tree' by Bock & Harnick last summer, on my suggestion, but couldn't find a director. I'm going to try to be assistant director for some of their shows in the next year or so, and maybe director the show myself in a few years. It's such a cute show, and if the same people do the leads in all three acts/stories, it can be quite effective.

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Kim or Rosie