[ToTheShelterOfMagnolias]

It's a pretty self-explanatory question: Do you think it's better to choose a song that fits with your character's personality, or your own? Just wondering...

[everdancing]

I think there was a thread kinda like this from a little bit ago....

Uhh, as for your question, I would say it depends.


///Found it! Here's the thread I was thinking of! http://musicals.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=58069

[MaryMag]

In the case of open calls in NY, the casting directors there are usually in the process of casting many other shows - not just the one you're auditioning for. So even if you're not right for the show you're auditioning for, the CDs may think hey we should call him/her about this other show we're doing.

In the case of high school, community, and some professional stuff, the CDs that are seeing you are just casting for a particular show or a particualr season. (Yes, the chances are good that the CDs have other projects going on with other theaters doing other shows etc, but I wouldn't rely on that as heavily as with the CDs in NY at open calls.) So you need to appear right for that particular show or season.

In the thread you linked, everdancing, I worry that LHSTrombone's vocal coach just simply wasn't giving him the right music for the shows he was auditioning for. When I think of the last few big open calls in NY that I've heard of, they've been things like Wicked, Hairspray, and Spring Awakening. The first two are DEFINITELY high belt shows. If his coach sent him in with R&H, of COURSE the belters would fare better than he did. My old vocal coach wasn't perfect - he sent me to some auditions with some stinkers (he encouraged me to use a song from Phantom more than once.) So coaches aren't right all the time.

But my personal opinion on singing your style or the style of the show is to SING THE STYLE OF THE SHOW. Don't go in to any lerner and loewe, rodgers and hammerstein, porter, or gershwin with a stephen schwartz high belt song or a high school musical pop soprano song or even an art song or aria! Conversely, don't go in to a Hairspray or Wicked audition with R&H, L&L, porter, or gershwin.

Picking an audition song is all about making it as easy as possible for the CDs to see you playing whatever role you're aiming for. So why do anything that makes it HARD for them to see you as Ado Annie? Why sing Dr. Dre? Why sing Sweet Tranvestite? (which makes you sound like a domineering, hedonistic crossdresser?) You'll find that when trying to find the perfect audition song that screams "I am Ado Annie!" you'll naturally want a similar musical sound working in your favor.