Cabaret Audition

[BroadwayJim]

Hello everybody, so this year my school is doing the musical cabaret as our spring show and our director has made it quite clear that he is looking for a Joel-Grey-type emcee more than an Alan-Cumming-type. I plan on singing If You Could See Her (The Gorilla Song) and I have a couple questions; what should be my mindset going into the audition? Like what should I think about the emcee as? What does he represent? What is his purpose? Also I'm a generally skinny kid, and kind of in the shorter side (5'6"). Should i spend time trying to get muscle definition? I have a feeling I will NOT be shirtless a lot anyway, so is it even worth it?

[cknick]

Think of the Emcee as more of a "naughty" in the sense that he is mischievous. Don't think overtly sexual, like Alan Cumming, though you can certainly layer that in. I think being thin is good for the Emcee. Too much muscle definition will place you more as a cabaret boy and less of a leering figure. Break a leg! One of my favorite musicals.

[debora2]

Well, emcee character is imagined as patent-leather hair, rouged cheeks, purple lips and drag-queen eyelashes. But what I suggest would be to go with cknick suggestion. Get into the character, don’t be nervous and ever ting would become simple enough for audition.