[music is my life!!!]

in november i'm auditioning for oliver in a youth theatre. i'll be 14 and i think my voice range is mezzo. i've recently been getting character parts. i think i'm a mezzo/alto and i'm about 5 ft 4. Which roles shud i go 4?
There's a girl who'll be 17 who's fantastic and is sure to get Nancy but i've got no idea as to which part to go for. erm... HELP!!
feel free to put any advice on here or email/pm me.
Thanks!

[Apollyon]

I'm auditioning for Oliver with a Youth Theatre to be put on in Nov, where are you from?

well the female parts in Oliver are:

Nancy, Sings: Fine Life, I'd Do Anything, If He Needs Me, Oom Pah pah

Bet. Nancy's friend, Sings Parts of I'd Do Anything

Mrs Sowerberry, Undertaker's wife, Sings: Thats Your Funeral

Mrs Bedwin, Mr Brownlow's Maid? Sings Where is Love Reprise

Widow Corney, Sings in Oliver! and I Shall Scream

then there is the non singing roles like

Charlotte, Mr & Mrs Sowerberry's Daughter

and

Old Sally

thats all i think.

at 14, it really depends on the age of the rest of the cast, If an older Sykes is cast then most likely an Older Nancy will be cast. Mrs Sowertberry needs to be of a similar height and age of Mr Sowerberry. Window Corney's age really depends on the height and age of the person playing Mr Bumble.

I think whatever happens you should audition for nancy, doing this shows the director your prepared for a large part, that means that even if you don't get nancy they will think of you whilst casting the other female roles. I know too many people who expect a good role but don't audition for the principle characters. and then they get annoyed when they don't get a good role within the play. the ones that don't audition can be overlooked if their not careful.

So Yeah, what I'd do if I was in your position and female I'd audition for Nancy and one other part, either Mrs Sowerberry or Window Corney, Its highly likely the character of Bet will be cast from the people who didn't get the role of Nancy. if you feel like you can audition for more audition for more, although it is better to do one good audition that 4 that are not so good.

[music is my life!!!]

Thank you so much!
i auditioned for Rosie in Sweet Charity last year but i got two parts in two scenes.
I'm from the mids
btw, other than Fagin, who else might u go 4?

[Apollyon]

I'll most likely go for Sykes aswell, but I'd only get that if both Nancy and Fagin were cast relativly short. because Fagin should really be smaller than SYkes, who is large and imposing.

how long have you been auditioning for shows BTW?

It took me 5 years to get a major role, well 4 and a bit actually

[music is my life!!!]

i've been part of my local group for just over a year but i've been auditioning for musicals since 2005. i used to get loadsa lead roles in plays tho.

[music is my life!!!]

ok i'm auditioning for Mrs Sowerberry, Bet, and from all auditions they're gonna pick charlotte and mrs bedwin. the only acting audition i'm doing is for mrs sowerberry. it's when she first enters until that's your funeral, including her speech on how the good for nothing workhouse boys always cost more than they're worth. for bet, te audition song is her 2nd bit in it's a fine life. how do you think i could act these?

[SecondBestBet]

I agree that the second-best Nancys (in the director's opinion) are usually cast as Bet. Our second-best Nancy audition was offered Bet but turned it down, so then it was offered to me, who can't sing but I'm a good actor and dancer so I'm the "double threat". I didn't know that it had been offered to the other person until later - hence my name "SecondBestBet". So if you want Bet, I would try for Nancy.

To answer your question otherwise: Get into the characters. You would want to act Mrs Sowerberry as a stuffy rude merchant's wife. She is very sneering and judgemental, in a proper way of course. You would want to do Bet as a young girl but not an innocent one. If you get to audition Fine Life with a Nancy, be sure to give her the occasional worshipful look. Plan every move and be believable.

Oh Oh, I almost forgot - the accent! Try to get the accent down for the words that you will be using in your audition.

Good luck!

[music is my life!!!]

wow! thanks! unfortunately, i can't audition for nancy cuz i'm a bit too young but i was thinking for it a fine life during the line "if you don't mind having to deal with fagin", i could really exaggerate the "fagin" and laugh... how does that sound?

[SecondBestBet]

I'm a little confused here - which part(s) of Its a Fine Life are you singing? Bet doesn't sing the Fagin line in the script. She sings:

"It's a Fine Life" - with Nancy
"Who cares if straightlaces sneer at us in the street. Fine airs and fine graces" - with Nancy
"Who knows what we may find" - with Nancy
"On many a behind" - with Nancy
"No flounces, no feathers, no frills and furbiloes. All winds and all weathers ain't good for fancy clothes" - solo!
"These we can just afford" - with Nancy
"What Matters?" - solo!
"We've got our bed and board" - with Nancy
"And we don't mean pence" - with Everyone
"If you don't mind having to like or lump it, it's a fine life" - with Nancy
"...fine life" - finale with Everyone

It would help to know which lines they are having you to sing for your audition if it is different from the script.

[music is my life!!!]

well we've got to sing all the parts from "no flounces" until "don't mean pence!"... does that help?

[SecondBestBet]

I have a sort of dancing/blocking thing going for the It's a Fine Life portion of Bet, but I the audition shouldn't have to include a dance bit while singing. Just go for some gestures to emphasize your point.

"No flounces, no feathers, no frills and furbiloes" - for this I am mocking the upperclass and so I use uppity moves, lifted nose, and proper speech tone. I take mincing steps and swish my skirt fancily.

"All winds and all weathers, ain't good for fancy clothes" - here I come back to reality with a bang, singing louder and baudier. I gesture out with my arms and look up on "weathers", put my hands on hips for "ain't good" and shake my head in a wry manner on the last line.

"These trappings, these tatters, these we can just afford" - we gesture to clothes on the first line, on the last line nod and smile

"What future, what matters, we've got our bed and board" - we shrug on what future and throw our hand out like "pfft, who cares" on what matters, on bed and board we cross our arms back to back with each other, nod and smile

"If you don't mind having to deal with Fagin, it's a Fine Life" - we skip over to Fagin and razz him. In the absence of Fagin, maybe gesture with a thumb over your shoulder or something. A small laugh would be fine if it doesn't mess up the vocals

"Though diseased rats threaten to bring the plague in, it's a fine life" - I lift up my skirts in fear, pretending there are actually rats running around, and jump up on a bench and pretend that I am going to faint. For you, maybe just widen your eyes and and act a little more intense, like when a storyteller gets close to the climax or something

"But the grass is green and dense, on the right side of the fence" - I just sort of bounce a little to this part. Maybe just pull back from the intensity of diseased rats and become matter-of-fact, that's what our Nancy does

"And we take good care of it, that we get our share of it" - here Nancy gets a determined gleam in her eye and and becomes firm

"And we don't mean pence" - big finale, Nancy spread her arms out and we all hold the last note a bit about 3 counts

My advice is to just go with what gets the point across, you must connect with the audience/CD and pull them into your song, and above all, do what feels natural so you won't forget a move and become nervous or uncertain. Don't sacrifice the vocals for any move but don't just stand and belt, either.

[music is my life!!!]

Thank you so much! i mean i usually just stand there and sing with a coupla actions but now i know what to do! thank you so much! i'll keep you updated!


TTFN!

[Melody]

I'm auditioning for Oliver next week...and will be trying for Nancy. My problem is that I don't know what song i should sing. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm an alto/mezzo soprano. I was thinking of possibly singing Mame (from Mame).

Is this a good idea?

Thanks

[broadwaybabe14]

I was just in a school production of Oliver! i was Mrs. Sowerberry and I had a blast! it was my first lead role so it was really great! best of luck to you!

[music is my life!!!]

wow! thank you!

[music is my life!!!]

HI again! I just got back from my audition and although i was so nervous, i think i did ok! I got a few laughs in my mrs s audition and there were only 3 of us going for her. They liked my singing but over 20 of us wqent for Bet!

The cast list hasn't been posted yet but i'll keep you guys updated!

x x x

[music is my life!!!]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

i didn't even get one of the street seller parts!

the people on the list are just the favourites! How unfair?!?!?!?

they've still gotta cast the chairperson, old sally, old lady, bow street runner and fagin's gang....

what do they do? i'm desperate!

[BroadwayObssessed]

[music is my life!!!]

ok. now i just wanna be old sally... THAT'S how desperate i am! i could've sworn i'd got a part!

[BroadwayObssessed]

Good luck!

Me and old sally were townspeople too, so hopefully you'll get to be Old Sally/townsperson, then you'll get to sing and act. Well once again Best of luck! (I don't think I can say that enough)

[music is my life!!!]

wow! thank you so much! i seem to be blessed with characters that die!
is ols sally only in one scene?

[BroadwayObssessed]

Yeah, I believe our scene was like act 2 scene 6 or something. but Old Lady and Old Sally are onstage for the entire scene.

The Old Sally scene has Widow Corney, Old Sally, and Old Lady for the most part...but Mr. Bumble comes in at the end of that scene to sing the reprise of "Oliver!" with W. Corney (Mrs. Bumble)

[music is my life!!!]

Are they good parts?

[SecondBestBet]

Our Old Sally nearly steals the show and is very memorable because she's so darn good at dying! She's quite the pivotal character as she is the one to reveal Oliver's true identity!

I'm sorry you didn't get what you were hoping for. Neither did my son. Oliver and Dodger went to two girls that are the director's favorites, even though Dodger sang terribly off key. My son got Charley Bates/orphan.

However...ha!ha!...he has two solo lines in Food Glorious Food and makes such an impression in those two lines that people always come up to him afterward and tell him he has an amazing voice.

So you can still get recognition no matter how small you are cast.

At least if a director is going to just obviously cast favorites regardless of actual talent, you know it isn't anything you did!

Keep us posted!

[music is my life!!!]

Wow! It's amazing the recognition you can get for a smaller part! I'll find out on Friday but if they put anything on the website i'll let you know!

Thanks!

[krazykels10]

I just had an audition for Oliver! too. There wasn't a very big turn out but quite a group of high school students (like me...). We found out who was cast today. I was cast as Charlotte Sowerberry and my friend was cast as Bet.

I wish you lots of luck! I hope you get a part you want (even if it wasn't your first choice!) !!

[music is my life!!!]

Wow! Well done! You'll be great! BTW, tonight i'm finding out if I got a smaller part (like old sally)... I really hope i get one but I'll come back later to update things!

x x x

[BroadwayObssessed]

good luck!

[music is my life!!!]

Have you ever lost parts to a director's favourite?

Have you ever lost parts AND been forgotten about until last minute?

Well... i have. Tonight was the worst rehearsal I've been to! I didn't get Old Sally or any other part (except for chorus) and I was so bored that I wasn't doing anything!
What DID NOT HELP was the fact that in lessons and generally I've been ignored and the director left me and my friend out so we'd only be onstage for the last line of Dodger's part in consider yourself then everyone else came in!

I've never felt so frustrated... ANOTHER point is that when I auditioned for Bet, you had to say if you wanted to go for Carlotte to tell them you wanted to be considered for her....

In my audition I was sooooooooo nervous and I forgot so I went into the Mrs S audition thinking about lines and to tell them.... I forgot and the girl who got Charlotte can't act! ANOTHER thing - the guy who's playing Noah is the one I like (as in "like", you know! ) and to see them both flirting....

I feel so dejected... x x x

[BroadwayObssessed]

Most that stuff happened to me in Oliver too...

The producer's daughter was cast as nancy, and the producer's neice was cast as widow corney.

I really liked the person who played Bill Sykes, and to see Nancy doing some of her things was sad. I didn't let it annoy me though since I knew he didn't like her very much

I got through it though, and I had a really fun time...and I'm sure you will too