[norayouadora]

Hi all!

So, my community theater is doing "Bye Bye Birdie" this summer, and I'm thinking that I'd like to audition. I'm not familiar with the show (not by any stretch of the imagination) but from what I've read, it sounds sort of cute. And I can't go a whole summer without doing a musical, so my local group is the most natural choice to audition.

Only problem is, I'm not sure if there are any parts in the show that suit me. Physically, I am 16 (almost 17) and look about my age, or maybe a little older. I also have blue eyes and light-ish brown hair, and I am -- how do you say? (now here's the clincher) -- delightfully chubby. As far as my skill level, my strength is my singing (mezzo-soprano belt) and I'm a good actress, especially with character roles. I think I'm a pretty good dancer. I've been told that I "move well," whatever that means but somewhat of a slow learner with more difficult steps, and very little to almost no formal training.

So, knowing that, can anyone help me out with the kind of parts I should be aiming for in this show (if any)? I have no idea what any of the parts I like. I've looked everywhere online, and the most I can find about any of the characters is a sentence or two. I know this is a lot to ask, but is it possible for anyone to give me more details about the characters? Not the men, of course, but just the younger female roles. My theater group isn't full of amazing talent, so I'm not sure that the dancing thing will be a huge deal. However, the fatness might. Any help would be *greatly* appreciated!

Oh, and while you're at it, any ideas for an audition song? I was thinking something from "Hairspray" because of the time, but I wasn't sure if that would put too much emphasis on my "fat girl" persona, y'know? Or maybe it's all in my head.

Thanks again, and hope to hear from you!

[LisaKitty]

I think a number from Hairspray would be an excellent choice for an audition piece for this show!

As far as young female roles, there really is only the one, Kim. I don't know how your director generally casts things, but she is usually played by a "conventionally pretty" (read - slender and cute) soprano. Then again, based on the picture in your avatar, I think you're very cute, and would make an absolutely adorable Kim, so why not go for it?!

However, if you are willing to be in the ensemble, they usually need tons of teenagers, of all shapes and sizes. There's a lot of stuff for the teen ensemble to do, singing and dancing and such.

Oh, and there's also Kim's friend, I can't remember her name right now, but she's really obnoxious and fun. No solos, but a lot of fun dialogue. That might be another good one to try for.

Break a leg at your audition!

[what_the_heck013]

[norayouadora]

Hmm, okay, so from what I've read on here (and what I can gather from other websites) Ursula sounds like a really fun part! Definitely sounds like something I could do. Does she have a lot of lines or singing?

I'm really excited about auditions now--and they're still, like, three weeks away! I'm thinking about singing a selection from "Welcome to the 60's" from Hairspray, but I'm not sure which part to do (it's supposed to be about 16 bars).

Oh, and I forgot to mention, I'm also 5'8"... Would that pose a height issue, or no? Glad to hear from ya; thanks!

[what_the_heck013]

Ursula has quite a few lines (it's a supporting role) and she has quite a few funny lines ("Let's have an orgy", pronounced with a hard "g"). As I said, if the director adds in the song "Bye Bye Birdie" you would have several solos in that.
"Welcome to the 60's" sounds fine because it has the same message as BBB. I would sing the first verse and refrain. Perfect song choice.

[norayouadora]

Okay, great... I'm really psyched about this audition now.

Auditions are in two weeks. Next weekend, April 7-9 is the weekend of my school's musical (Oklahoma! lol), and then the weekend after that (April 15) is auditions for Bye Bye Birdie. Don't you just love the theater life?--As soon as one show is over, another begins. Hehe.

I'm really excited now! I think I will go with your suggestion for "Welcome to the 60's," and I have a friend that can lend me the music. I'll be sure to post on here after auditions to tell you how it went.

Thanks so much for all the help.


PS. Can you tell I like smilies? Haha.

[BroadwayBud]

I was thinking that you'd make a GREAT Mae Peterson. Even though she does not sing, she is the epitome of an awesome character role! If your comunity theater generally doesn't include older adults, definately consider this role! It's a show stealer! If you want an even more detailed outline of this character, just ask! My highschool just finished our production of Bye Bye Birdie, so I've got all the details!

[norayouadora]

Hmm, that definitely sounds like a fun role, but unfortunately my community theater does usually have older adults involved. How old is Mae supposed to be in the show? We generally has a good mix of ages--from kids of about 6 or 7, to adults in their late 50s. I'm sure there will be tons more teenagers that adults who audition for this show, because it's so teen-heavy. However, there is usually a healthy amount of adults in every production. What do you think?

Something else I was wondering about--is there a certain age where the directors might cut off for the teens? A friend of mine wants to audition for the same production, for Ursula. We are pretty equal in talent: She has a weaker voice but is a phenomenal dancer, and we're both good actresses (and we're both sort of chubby. hehe). However, she is 19 and I'm 16. I think she could definitely act the part well, but to the eye she simply looks older than a teenager, you know? How important is dancing talent, for this show? And for Ursula, specifically? I'm starting to worry that she might get this part. Hmmph.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[BroadwayBud]

Mae Peterson is Albert's mother, so I'd say she's anywhere from 50-70 years old. As for the dancing talent, it depends on the staging for each song and your director's ideas. We had very little dancing in most songs, but a neighboring high school doing the same production added dancing to everything! So, I'd have to say it depends.

[pinkstiletto510]

I personally like "I Can Hear the Bells" over "Welcome to the 60s" since Birie is set in the early 1950s

Just audition and dont worry about what the director will want- all directors are different....... when i did the show Mae was cast as a drag role (like, we had a man play the role as a woman- 'twas great)

[norayouadora]

Actually, I was kind of toying with the idea of "I Can Hear the Bells," but I just always prefer a more up-tempo song like "Welcome to the 60's," you know? Plus, "I Can Hear the Bells" doesn't have a very wide range, and I like to sing songs that show off my range a little bit more. Singing is my strongest suit, so I like to emphasize that whenever possible! Lol.

But it hadn't occurred to me that the time periods might be off. Do you think that would pose a big problem? I have access to the music for both songs (and all of the songs in the show, for that matter ) so availability is no issue... If I do "I Can Hear the Bells," what part of it do you recommend I should sing for the audition (about 16 bars)?

[what_the_heck013]

[pinkstiletto510]

[MsDivaKate]

What role did you end up getting?

As for a fat girl not being able to play Kim, our Kim was definitely NOT skinny at all.

[norayouadora]

Oh, it's very odd. All I know is that I definitely made the cast--but the director decided not to specifically cast Kim's friends (y'know: Nancy, Helen, Margie, Alice, etc etc), but just hand out all the singing parts and chorus lines at the read-thru. That seems so dumb to me, though. I mean I'm sure he has his reasons and all, but I'm not sure if I'm want to do it with no guarantee that I'll get anything. Wow, that sounds conceited, but oh well! I have to talk to a few of my friends and see if they're doing it... Then maybe I will. When I think about it, I'll probably just end up doing it but I'm not sure yet, and I want to at least kind of PRETEND that I'm debating it.

[LisaKitty]

Congrats Nora!!

Actually, that is pretty typical in community theatre to not specifically cast the smaller ensemble roles until the first rehearsal. I've been in several shows where the director did it that way. Sometimes it backfires (like when an actor turns down a chorus role, only to find out that he would have had a good chance at a really fun supporting role), but a lot of directors probably find it easier to cast those roles after they find out exactly who they have to choose from in the ensemble.

That's my theory anyway, and I'm sticking to it!

But even if you end up being non-featured teen ensemble, I still think you're going to have a blast. I definitely think you should accept, especially if you have friends in the cast. What a fun way to spend the summer!

[what_the_heck013]

When I did Bye Bye Birdie at my H.S, they did it the same way (luckliy, us guys got cast). Anyone who wasn't called back, but cast anyway in a chorus role, got their specific name and character at the first rehearsal. I think that it's done this way because there are so many bit parts. When I did The Music Man, casting was done in a similar way. I would definitely suggest doing this show. Even if you're only in the chorus, it is such a BLAST! And certain characters in the chorus, have the oppurtunity to steal the show. I played Harvey Johnson and that's what happened to me.