[Missa]

Does anyone have any tips on how to pull of the "perfect" Audrey voice?

I really like how Kerry Butler did her voice for the part...

But I can only really do the voice/accent when I sing..

It's harder for me when I'm speaking.

ANY tips would be VERY helpful.

Thank you!

[boundxx4xxbroadway]

Well my local theater just did this show and the role of Audrey was double cast. Both of them really added a higher pitch to their speaking voice for the part. I also remember them walking around talking with the accent for practice. But I have seen the show done both ways (where audreys voice is kind of off pitch and key like the movie and where her voice is perfect like Kerry Butler's rendition) and I must say the Kerry Butler version is a lot more pleasant. Some good songs to practice with are Good Morning Baltimore and I Can Hear The Bells if you practice singing them with a a little more adult tone that audrey has. Additonally if you really want to get the range of Audrey practice Kerry Butler's version of Suddenly Seymour. Good Luck!

[BWayBeltingQueen]

well, I absolutely love Ellen Greene, so I modeled my voice after her. I practiced my NY accent for about 2 months and got it down really well. It helped I had roommate from NYC a year ago!
I raised my pitch quite a bit for the speaking parts and kept it high, but not so pitchy, for the softer songs. I switched to belt at the appropriate times.
I found it worked really well and a lot of people liked it.
It hurt my throat a lot though to switch between the speaking voice and the belting by the time opening came around.

Though I think the worst pain was tritsing around in pumps for 3 months...my knees were in such pain from those damn heels...ugh! oh well, it was so worth it, got a laugh everytime

[dcrowley]

I think you should just make the part your own.... How do you think Audrey should sound? What is her physical life? Using one of the former Audrey actor's performances as a model is good, but don't make it a cheap imitation.

[belloftheball]

Mine was part Kerry, part Ellen, and mostly me. I just kind of picked it up from listening to Kerry on the album and Ellen in the movie...mine had a lot of squeakiness. It's really about her being very cute and adorable.

I didn't have any problems singing or belting with the accent. In fact, I got a lot of compliments on my accent.

I memorize my lines by reading them aloud over and over, so I read them aloud with the accent and spent all of my time backstage speaking with the accent. It felt very odd to go back to my normal voice after closing night! (It was a three-week intensive so I spent almost 3 weeks straight in character!)

The heels are painful, so wear slippers backstage. Bandaids are helpful!

It's an amazing part. I hope you have fun with it!

[*BroadwayLights*]

I'm doing the role right now, and the voice is definitely coming easy. What I was told was not to keep the sound in your throat, speak in you "head voice" and to use lots of air, to make it sound breathy.

[belloftheball]

[SmallTownIngenue]

Does Audrey necessarily have to be a belter? My school might do it next year, and I'll be a senior and have a pretty big shot at it. My speaking voice is naturally very high-pitched and girlish, my looks are very Audrey-esque, and I am very good at comedic roles, as well as serious. The only thing I'm worried about is my voice-I'm a very high soprano but my belt is getting better, although I prefer to sing Somewhere That's Green mostly in head voice, although I can sing the big showy part of Suddenly Seymour in head voice. So would it be totally terrible for a soprano to play Audrey?

[BroadwayBaby26]

[music is my life!!!]

i think her singing voice should be very belty (like Nacny in Oliver!) but should also have a very good thin fold voice. Audrey's not that confident so she wouldn't always be belting would she?

[music is my life!!!]

[SmallTownIngenue]

Yeah I meant to say chest voice and I totally get what you are saying about Suddenly Seymour.

[~GertrudeMcFuzz~]

I think for "Suddenly, Seymour", it really depends on your voice specifically when you sing the song. Although it wouldn't sound right if sung very operatically, if you don't feel comfortable belting, you could try it out in a powerful head voice. The song is meant to be belted and you should try if you can. Personally, I've found that the song doesn't necessarily sound bad in your head voice, as long as you're not trying to sing it like an opera singer.