Auditioning For Musicals: Working Through The Recall System

Here's the third of three articles I wrote on the process of auditioning for a West End or Broadway show.

As a vocal coach specialising in successful singing auditions, I know that the auditioning process can be either a dismal failure that actors want to hide from, or an opportunity to present your work to the same knowledgeable people in a well-defined sequence of events. This article describes working through the recall system, and how a coach can help performers through the different recall stages.

Auditioning For Musicals: Working Through The Recall System

When an actor, singer or dancer auditions for a show, it is very rare that they are cast on the first hearing. With thousands of actors singers and dancers looking for work, the recall system is a necessary evil. (One of our clients in the UK had to go through 9 recalls - all at her own expense - before being cast in the show.) This article describes the different stages of auditioning, and how I coach performers through the system.

I'm assuming that you have either succeeded in or bypassed the preliminary stage of auditioning, the open call (or cattle call), and completed the first full call.

Getting a recall means that the company has decided you might fit the part and are at approximately the right level for them. They want to find out more about you and how you deal with the material in the show. They will usually give you music and script for the roles they want you to audition for.

If the production company haven't given any music or instructions, but has asked you to sing your own choice for them again, my advice is NOT to take new songs "to show something different" but to polish the same songs that were sung in the first audition. I also advise wearing the same clothes - after all, it's that song, that performance and that clothing that was appropriate enough to get you the recall, so why jeopardize your chances?

During a coaching session for auditions, we focus on the song, the character and the story - what's the package that we're selling? This technique, used for first auditions with your own choice of song, can be applied to the recall. We'll explore the songs the casting panel has provided, identify the style elements of the show and incorporate them into the song (and your voice). We'll also nail the personality aspects of the character, and experiment with dialogue and scenes to carry the character through singing AND speaking to produce a cohesive performance.

That's the first major hurdle. But the second recall is different again. By this time you will probably have been given not just the music but also some clues or advice on how the company wants the character to be played. In coaching for the second recall, we might experiment with different readings of the song based on different subtexts. It's important in the second recall that you give a clear performance, but can remain flexible as an actor.

The third recall is usually a more flexible event. You now know that you are at the right level and appropriate for the role. Often in the third recall the director and musical director will work with you in detail. This is the time to listen and experiment! Occasionally other auditioning actors will be brought in to "match up" a potential cast. My coaching sessions for the third recall are much more focussed, using information and hints given by the panel.

For example, working on auditions for the musical Spring Awakening recently, one of my clients was looking at three different roles and had been given very specific instructions from the directors for all three songs. So we worked on more aggression and bite in the consonants for one character, a more fluid, lyrical feel with some musical style tweaks for the second, and a hypnotic, sexually dominant feel for the third.

Another client was working on recalls for Mamma Mia and was up for two of the three leading ladies. So we worked on the dialogue for each character, identifying and shaping the differences between the two roles, finding the essence of their speech patterns, speed of delivery, pitch range and characterisation. Then we carried those differences into the songs to give a complete, identifiable package for each of the leads.

By the time you get to the fourth, fifth or sixth recall, you will have a relationship with the casting panel, and they have more time to discuss what they want to experience from you. You should be able to find out if there are any weaknesses in your presentation, and what you can do about it. Experimentation is vital here so know your material!

Occasionally at this point, it's less about you and more about the casting panel being in disagreement about what the role requires. Perhaps a show originates on Broadway and comes over to the West End (or vice versa). In these cases there is often an American casting contingent who might have very different ideas. Just stay calm and do what you do. Be prepared to change everything that you have done so far. Stay focussed and open, and listen very carefully to what you are being told. In the rare event that you receive conflicting information, follow the advice of the person with the highest authority!

And if you don't get any further in this particular journey, remember that the casting panel in your country has already approved your performing and will remember you for other shows.

Auditioning for jobs is a fact of life for the actor singer dancer. Once you become more successful at singing auditions, casting directors start to see you in other roles and you can bypass the first stages of auditioning (although even for the stars auditioning never goes away - "Would you like to pop in for a chat and a little sing?").

Landing a role in a Broadway show or getting a West End lead can be incredibly rewarding. Working the Recall System in this way can help you understand the process and get you there quicker.

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Jeremy Fisher trains singers and performers to find and maintain their best. He's the author of Successful Singing Auditions, and creator of the Voicebox Videos (featured on the BBC and broadcast to an estimated 44,000,000 people). Sign up for Jeremy's free newsletter containing original interviews, pre-release offers and receive your BONUS free copy of "86 things you never hear a singer say" at http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/

Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/ for the latest downloads:
the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)
86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)
The Voicebox Videos DVD website tells you all about the Looking At A Voice endoscopy video series
The Vocal Process website has a series of free articles on vocal technique and style, memorising and different musical genres.

Auditioning for Musicals: What To Do In The First Audition

Here's the second of three articles I wrote on the process of auditioning for a West End or Broadway show.

For actors singers and dancers, auditioning for musicals is a way of life. But what if this is your first musicals audition? How do you behave, what do you have to do, and how should you prepare? This article focusses on the first (private) audition in the process of auditioning for a musical

Auditioning For Musicals: What To Do In The First Audition

You've got an audition for a musical theatre show. What do you do and what do you aim to achieve?

First, let's explore what an audition is for. For the casting panel, it's an opportunity to see new people, or to remind themselves of familiar people. It's a chance to see who and what is out there, to make decisions about casting, and to match up different actors to make a company. For you, it's an opportunity to let the casting panel get to know your performing ability, hear you sing and see you in your choice of character.

Now let's explore what the first audition is not. It's not a true performance - the audience doesn't applaud, they haven't paid to see you, there are no lights, no costumes and no makeup (other than what you have brought with you). It's not a complete show either, as the panel will expect to watch you come in as you, then change into character in front of them. And finally, the first audition will not get you the job. That may sound odd, but in reality West End auditions and Broadway auditions can go on for up to 9 recalls spread over several months. And on large-scale musicals you definitely won't be cast on the strength of your first audition.

Remember that the company wants to know how skilled you are, how well you inhabit the character, how well you deal with being on stage, and whether you are the appropriate professional level for the production. So the key points are to appear professional, well-prepared and confident with your material. And for the first audition it's vital for an actor, singer or dancer to use song material that's suitable for their casting, voice and abilities.

Let's examine some of the common mistakes that auditionees make. Singers might be confident of how they sound, but don't think about character or story. In musical theater, this is a complete no-no. Yes, you might have a lovely voice but we're interested in your character's journey through the song. Musical Theater differs from opera or song recital in that the music serves and heightens the text, and characterisation is vital. Conversely, actors might be very confident of their subtext and characterisation, but might not have a solid vocal technique. While strong character decisions can carry an actor through dodgy vocalising, remember that this is a musical genre, and usually you will be performing 8 shows a week or more. For your own sanity (and the sanity of those around you), it's imperative that your vocal technique is strong and clear enough for you to sustain and repeat what you are doing accurately and without strain. If not, a single cold can knock your performance sideways. For dancers who are used to expressing themselves in movement, using words and music can be a real challenge. And since many dancers start very young, learning a solid technique in a new discipline can seem like a mountainous task. It's important for dancers to find voice, text or singing teachers who are able to adapt their teaching styles to the dance-trained body and mind. Choose repertoire that you have a physical connection with, pieces that you feel they can play with. And don't be afraid to move during an audition - you don't have to stay rooted to the spot!

When coaching a singer/actor/dancer for the first call, the sessions usually focus on choosing repertoire that suits your physical and energetic casting, and helping you find (and maintain) your very best performance of it. We will also deal with the various problems surrounding auditions using your own-choice songs - presenting YOUR version of the song to the pianist in 15 seconds or less, how to find the focus of your song and get into character instantly, interacting with the panel, even altering your performance of your familiar repertoire to suit the style of that particular show.

Sometimes you can alter the subtext or storyline of a song to fit the show that is currently casting. If you have to sing just a 16bar excerpt or a cut version, your storyline will be different anyway - it's not a good idea to try playing the full song journey if you're only singing half the song! You might focus on the one aspect of the character that appears in that extract, or impose a journey on the music, or bring an event that happens later in the full song into that particular musical moment. So if you are using the same song for the cattle call and the first full audition (also known as the privates), you will almost certainly need more than one mental map of the song.

Once you have found good songs, a session from a qualified coach can help you find your own version of the material, and lead you to create living, sustainable characterisations that use your best talents and assets. With songs that match your casting, good performance skills and a professional attitude, you will definitely be noticed.

And what do you aim to achieve in the first audition? To get the first recall.

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Jeremy Fisher trains singers and performers to find and maintain their best. He's the author of Successful Singing Auditions, and creator of the Voicebox Videos (featured on the BBC and broadcast to an estimated 44,000,000 people). Sign up for Jeremy's free newsletter containing original interviews, pre-release offers and receive your BONUS free copy of "86 things you never hear a singer say" at http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/


[You are welcome to reproduce the article on your website or blog provided you include the author name, biog details and website link at the end of the article.]

Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/ for the latest downloads:
the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)
86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)
The Voicebox Videos DVD website tells you all about the Looking At A Voice endoscopy video series
The Vocal Process website has a series of free articles on vocal technique and style, memorising and different musical genres.

Expert tips for tribute band singers

Is there a singer in your music collection that you want to cover?

How do they make those sounds?


You can't really go and ask them, so if you want to pay tribute to their talent, how can you find their vocal signature sound?

I train professional singers and their teachers, and I work with a number of tribute band singers who need to sound like someone else. I will use a mix of hearing, imitating and imagination to help find the "feel-sound" of a recording artist. So here are some exercises I use every day with my students.

First, I need to know whether my cover band singer has all the notes in their voice that they are going to need for the song. Remember that songs are always recorded in a key that suits the individual recording artist. You are not the same as your chosen artist (you may be a different age or even a different sex), so their key may not suit you. It does make a difference which key you are in, whether a tune sits well in your voice. I usually begin by asking my cover band singer to hum the tune, using ng' (as in the word "sing") instead of the normal mm humming sound. The humming lets me know whether the actual notes are easy to hit, without getting too worried about the sound or style. It also tells me whether we need to change the key of the song for that singer.

You can usually recognize a recording artist within a few notes because of their 'signature sound'. It's what the artist does with their physical structure (their body and throat) that makes the sound itself unique. Your favorite recording artist probably uses a singing sound close to their speaking voice.

Here's an exercise to help you feel what it's like to speak with your chosen artist's vocal "setup", the shapes they make with their throat and mouth: Use your imagination to find how your artist would talk. You don't even need to hear them speak (it's actually better if you don't know). Just listen to the way they sing and imitate what you think their speaking voice would sound like if they spoke like they sang. Listen to the way they pronounce words, the volume of the sound (soft and breathy, loud and straight), and how direct or gentle they are. Imagine them talking to you, telling you (for example) what they had for breakfast that morning. Feel the way they talk, and then speak, matching the sounds you think they would make.

With the same feeling in your sound, begin to talk on a higher pitch and then a lower pitch. We normally sing above and below the pitches that we speak on, so try speaking in a higher and lower voice than your normal one. You might feel ridiculous, but it really helps to get into someone's vocal habits.

Naturally, your chosen artist may be using several sounds or 'voice qualities'. That's fine. Choose another sound (louder or softer) that they use in their singing, and imagine how they would speak with that sound. Again, experiment with speaking higher and lower using the new sound.

When you feel comfortable with using their vocal setup in your speaking voice, you can start to use it in singing. Sing the song you were humming earlier and add the words, using the same shapes and sounds you've been experimenting with.

You'll be surprised how close to your chosen artist you sound. Go back and listen again to the recording, and notice how much more you understand the feel and flavor of the performance. Capturing the essence of an artist's voice is simple when you know how!

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Discover more simple and profound singing techniques from Jeremy's voice training company Vocal Process, "revolutionizing the way singing is taught" (LINK Magazine)
http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk



[you are welcome to publish this article on your own website or blog provided the author's biog and Vocal Process weblink above is included]



Visit http://www.vocalprocess.co.uk/ for the latest downloads:
the Vocal Process eZINE (free electronic magazine)
86 things you never hear a singer say (free ebook)
The Voicebox Videos DVD website tells you all about the Looking At A Voice endoscopy video series
The Vocal Process website has a series of free articles on vocal technique and style, memorising and different musical genres.