Good audition pieces for baritone/bass?

[Quixote73]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 11:04pm

Dear all,

I am looking for a few good musical theater audition pieces for baritone/bass that haven't been overdone in auditions. Specifically, I am looking for the following:

(1) One ballad and one light piece;
(2) Must be Broadway pieces;
(3) Difficulty level should be medium to hard, and should show good range (although I am more of a bass than a baritone, so I do better in the lower ranges)
(4) Should be pieces that are not overdone in auditions;
(5) Should be no more than 2 minutes/16 bars or be able to be easily cut to 2 min./16 bars

Thank you in advance for any recommendations you can provide!

Best,
Steve

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 11:15pm

Are you allowed to transpose songs (and if so, do you know someone who can?) When I was more of an actor I used to always have issue because I have a really low bass range--something Broadway isn't very forgiving of (it didn't help that I tended to get call backs for male dance roles which are even less likely to be low vocally). One of the pieces that went over the best, as a light song, was Sondheim's Live Alone and Like It, but I did have it transposed by a friend.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 11:18pm

A few questions to help us help you:
(1). How old are you?
(2). What's your physical type?
(3). Is there a specific show/role you're going for?
(4). Do you mean 16 bars or two minutes?- they're very different lengths (16 bars is 30 seconds).

[Quixote73]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 4:46am

Thanks very much for your responses!

EricMontreal -- yes, I can transpose songs. I can probably do it myself or hire someone to do it. Thanks for the Sondheim recommendation. Did you have that taken down a third when you sang it?

bwaylvsong -- I'm sorry for not being clear about the 16 bars/2 min. specification. I am applying for several conservatories, and they usually require a 2 min. ballad and a 2 min. light piece in their auditions. However, I do want to have material prepared for show auditions as well, and they usually limit pieces to 16 bars. At this time, however, I am not auditioning for a specific show.

I am 39 years old, 5'8", 190 lbs., broad-shouldered, balding. I've been told that I look like Jason Alexander (George Constanza in "Seinfeld") when I wear glasses.

Thanks again!
Steve



Updated On: 8/22/12 at 04:46 AM

[Quixote73]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 4:46am

Updated On: 8/22/12 at 04:46 AM

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 11:38am

I was once told that if you look like a specific actor it isnt a bad idea to look at the roles they have played to help specify your type. So in this case, anything Psudelos does in ...Forum would probably be worth looking at.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:06pm

That's really not great advice. Just looking like somebody doesn't mean you also sound like that person, or have the same acting style, or technique.

[michellek45]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:18pm

For the ballad you could use either of the "Meditations" from Shenandoah or "Walking Among My Yesterdays" from The Happy Time. This one might be too popular, but "I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight" from Camelot is good to show off your rhythm and speed. If you're a character actor, you could make "What Chance Have I With Love" from Louisiana Purchase into a really amusing audition.

For loads of suggestions, you can try looking at the 16-Bar Theatre Audition Book for Baritone/Bass (http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/The-16-Bar-Theatre-Audition-Baritone-Bass/5123905).

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:22pm

If Ever I Would Leave You (Camelot)
Where Is the Life That Late I Led? (Kiss Me, Kate)

[Quixote73]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:03pm

Thanks to all for these great suggestions!

michellek -- I was actually thinking of "I've Heard it All Before" from Shenandoah. I like The Happy Time suggestion too. "What Chance Have I With Love" would indeed be a fun piece to do.

madbrian -- I like "If Ever I Would Leave You", but I fear that anything from Camelot might be too popular to do for auditions... what do others think?

Another piece I was thinking of is "Epilogue" from Threepenny Opera -- it has good range and is short, and I don't think it is done too much. Thoughts?

I was also thinking of "The Road You Didn't Take" from Follies. Would this be a good choice, or is that also too popular?

Thanks again for all your advice!

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/22/12 at 8:10pm

Yes, I took it down a third.

I think The Road You Didn't Take is a good choice--I'm sure it's done, but I doubt it's overly done.

[brettnyny2]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 5:28pm

Love "Heard it all before" too, but it's not a great audition song because you couldn't necessarily count on the accompanist being able to play all those fast arpeggios. 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 9:50pm

I’m also a bass-baritone. I find Sondheim wrote a lot of great low baritone roles. I would look at Buddy’s Blues (as a solo piece with funny girl voices) instead of The Road You Didn’t Take. The latter is SO hard for pianists to play, and even if they can play it, it’s hard to do without practicing it with them ahead of time so you can stay together. I’ve stopped doing it for auditions. For a videotaped audition though, it might be okay. However, in general, your audition songs should be from roles you would likely get cast in, and from your description of yourself, you sound like the standard musical theatre “character man,” and are therefore more of a Buddy than a Ben.

Also from Sondheim and not overdone:

I’m Calm from Forum
Now from Night Music
Franklin Shepard Inc from Merrily (REALLY hard but a great showcase if you can pull it off)
Gun Song (Czolgosz solo) from Assassins

And check out Addison in Road Show/Bounce.

Break a leg!

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/11/18 at 10:05pm

Wait...hold on...this thread is from 2012?!?!? Well Steve, wherever you are...hope you got into a good school...