Overdone monologues/songs

[Valerain]

Hi, I'm preparing for my auditions to acting school and I wonder, do you guys, have in mind any 'oh so much overdone' songs, monologues? I mean, I wanted to try 'I'm the greatest star'/'I'm a bagel' from Funny girl as monologue but I heard it's one of 'don't you dare to try it unless you don't want to get in'.
So any ideas, advices?

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Stuff the stay away from:

ROMEO AND JULIET
WICKED
LES MISERABLES

[Hughes83]

Rent and Phantom are pretty much the most overdone things in the world. Probably Jekyll & Hyde too, but that's purely speculation because there were four different J&H songs at my school last semester.

[Visceral_Fella]

Look up the lists of overdone songs and monologues from different schools. I believe Millikin has on, and so does CCM. Try other schools and also, StrawHats has a list. See if you can get your hands on that one as well.

[Lloyd321]

If you act the sh*t of it, don't worry if it's overdone! If a boy comes in and sings "Corner of the Sky" and really has a story and acting beats (and sounds decent on the song) it can be great.

Sometimes an overdone song or monologue done well, specifically for you, as if you were in those relationships and circumstances, can be a refreshing thing.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

"Giants in the Sky" from INTO THE WOODS is also overdone.

[missmaree]

I've been told to avoid anything from Wicked, Les Mis, Phantom, The Last 5 Years, Chicago, Jekyll & Hyde, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Wild Party and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Plus the extremely overdone songs like; Astonishing, A Call From the Vatican, songs from Chess, Don't Rain on my Parade, Always true to you in my fashion, As Long As He Needs Me, Your Daddy's Son, Moonfall, Take Back Your Mink, My New Philosophy ... i forget the rest but i know them when i hear them.

I hope that helps

[Broadwayballadlove96]

Don't do anything from Phantom, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Wicked, Chicago, Miss Saigon. It's ok if the show is slightly popular as long as you don't do the most famous songs. For example if you wanted to do a song from Jekyll and Hyde, it would be ok to do songs such as Obsession and The Confrontation, but stay away from This is the Moment, Once Upon a Dream, and Someone Like You. Also as a rule of thumb just stay away from Memory from Cats, while that song is beautiful and amazing it was OVERDONE years ago! Hope this helped.

[Abgoody]

Check out google

[Freedrama]

Here are some newer, original monologues to check out: http://www.freedrama.net/small1.html
Free monologues

[bobs3]

At least for a young actor, if you want to make sure you "do not get the part" then do Ronnie's Huck Finn monologue from HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES. It is the most overdone monologue and casting directors will usually roll their eyes once someone starts it. "Oh no, not this AGAIN."

[BroadwayBaby4]

To be honest sing the song you do the best. I know it goes against what others might tell you, but if you are good you're good, regardless of the song you sing. If you have the worlds best "On My Own" from Les Mis, then do it! I sang songs from "Jekyll and Hyde" and "Last Five Years," both of which were on the "forbidden list" and I got accepted to all of the schools I auditioned for. While overdone songs can be distracting to a person auditioning, you always want to put your best foot forward. And if that means singing a song we've all heard 200,000 times so be it.