Wednesday Addams Character Study and Audition ;)

[carissaferguson]

Posted: 7/1/17 at 11:55pm

Hello!

I am getting myself prepared for an Addams Family audition in about 4 months. My dream role is Wednesday Addams and even though its a small community theatre program, I am up against some tough competition considering that it is a college production and I am in high school.

I am willing to work and study as much about this character as i possibly can. I am open to any songs that would possibly be good for a stunning audition song. I am comfortable belting to a C. I want a song that shows off the dark side of me while also showing off my belt. Not anything too overdone though.

If anyone has anything they'd like to contribute PLEASE feel free. I also need tips on how to study and become like this character more. I am hoping this will be my big break in my town and I am ready to work as hard as I need to so that I can accomplish this. Thanks! Have a great day :)

Updated On: 7/2/17 at 11:55 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 12:19am

Do you really need to prepare for 4 months? It's Wednesday Addams, not Madame Rose for goodness sake. 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 2:58am

I'm with Adamgreer. More to the point, if you are truly ''willing to work and study as much about this character as i possibly can'' and ''ready to work as hard as I need,'' there are SO many resources already available to you on the Internet simply by Googling (''how to audition'' or ''Addams Family'' ) or viewing videos on YouTube. This is the kind of work any ambitious aspiring actor should be doing nowadays in researching a role, so you might as well develop the knack for it now. (I hope you didn't post your plea expecting any shortcuts.) Finally, as urgent as this seems to you, it's not really necessary to post a second thread (with the same text) on this message board labeled: ''HELP ME ASAP PLEASE,'' only 4 minutes after your first thread. Break a leg at your audition!

Updated On: 7/2/17 at 02:58 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 5:58am

Research the role and make choices based on what you learn.  

But you can only be so prepared ...there isn't only one way to play any character.  You have no idea how the director sees the part.

 

Also, you need to stop putting so much importance in one role/audition...your dream role, your big break...this will only lead to disappointment.  Especially if you are working in this for 4 months.

Question: how is this both a community theater and a college production? 

[carissaferguson]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 12:38pm

I appreciate the time and honest opinion from all of you... 

Adamgreer - I find that it is best to take roles seriously way far ahead of time, rather than prepare the day before or last minute. My voice teacher was asking for an audition song so we could start working that is why I am trying to prepare so early :)

Wayman_Wong - I have already googled and researched a lot about this character already! This was one of my internet stops so that I could see if anyone had an up to date, live opinion on my situation. Posting on this message board was actually the exact opposite of a shortcut for me. It was one of the many things I have done and will be doing to try and become more like this character. As for the second thread, I though I was posting in a different category rather than the same Broadway one, and couldn't find a way to delete it. That is why there were two different posts with the same text. 

Dramamama611 - I appreciate your opinion but I have to disagree to some level. I believe that feeling confident and excited for a big audition can help you WANT to be the best. It can propel you to work harder and study more than anyone else. That said, I thank you for your time and honest opinion about this matter. About the community theater and college production mix up: The show itself is being put on at a college, by a college, but the roles are open for auditioning by the public in addition to the college students. The politics tend to lean toward the college students, which is why I am trying to get as many tips as possible for this role because I am only in high school. 

Again, thank you for your time. I am just a 16 year old trying to pursue her dream one step at a time. Have a nice day :)

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 12:50pm

The show itself is being put on at a college, by a college, but the roles are open for auditioning by the public in addition to the college students. The politics tend to lean toward the college students, which is why I am trying to get as many tips as possible for this role because I am only in high school. 

Good luck with this and by all means be realistic - 150% of the female college alumni auditioning are after this role first-and-foremost.  Use the prep more as experience and not set your hopes up high.  As mentioned above, life experience teaches you to not have expectations and just do your best.  As a fellow artist myself, I've seen that the projects I didn't focus on or expected to get were the ones I obtained.  Same is said by countless actors who've said the auditions they didn't really care for were the jobs they ended up getting (from LuPone in EVITA, Sally Field in TV's GIDGET, etc.).  

Spending 4 months prepping for an audition is unhealthy.  Everything you described on doing is work you do AFTER you obtained the role - not just for a 2-3 minute audition.  No one does all that research and prep until after they secured the role.  

[carissaferguson]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 1:11pm

Thanks for your opinion. I am not only preparing for this audition but three more as well. I'd rather not just put an audition off as it is no big deal. I put this post up asking for audition songs to work on and have basically gotten butchered by everyone. I think everyone else has most of the negative comments covered. So please, if you are not here to help me with songs for my range and character, you aren't needed. Thank you and have a nice day. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 1:18pm

Wow....that is NOT all you asked about.   People here (or at least MOST people here) ARE trying to be helpful.  Not a single person "butchered" you, but gave you sound  and mature advice.

 

No one suggested you wait until last minute....there are more than two extremes....over doing it and underdoing.  The world is not black or white, but a beautiful selection of grays, too.   I didn't say it wasn't important, but that if you make it TOO important, you are likely to get crushed seeing how the odds are against you.

And their casting isn't "political" -- of COURSE they are going to want to cast their own students before relying on the community.

 

[carissaferguson]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 1:30pm

Read my original post! All I was asking for was an audition tips and a song that would fit the part. Although I did mention that I am open to anything that anyone has to contribute, I meant character wise. Not becoming critical about the fact that I am preparing for an audition "too early". Every person is different. In a month I start school, I start work, I start extra curricular activities. Right now it is summer and I have 12 hour days in which all I do is go to rehearse for my current show. My schedule will soon become packed and I thought that getting ahead of the game NOW, rather than waiting until I have no time to prepare, would be smart. You didn't know the background, you didn't know my reasoning, but you went ahead and assumed that I am being to happy go lucky about it all. My initial post was polite and I apologize in advance for not being so polite now. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 1:42pm

Oh, just show up to the audition, sing your song and hope for the best.  The ones casting could care less about ALL the character study you did and ALL the prep and how you had to shuffle your schedule to prepare for the audition.  2-3 minutes you get.  If anything, ask around what those casting those college productions ask for at auditions (a monologue as well as a song?; just a song?) and base your preparation on that.  If you're only required to sing a song, you are saving yourself wasted time which you have no open slot for.  

We're not your parents to blow smoke up your ass and give you unmerited encouragement.  No one gives a rat's ass, quite honestly.  You're not hearing what you want to hear so to you, we're being negative and unsupportive.  

Life is gonna be tough on this one, Obi Wan.  

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 2:09pm

And you don't seem to know what "happy go lucky" means.    Because that isn't what anyone thought.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 2:16pm

You are 16, you're treating this like a life or death situation. Just have fun! Soon enough, adulthood will set in, and you'll have real issues and struggles to deal with, preparing for Wednesday Addams will be the least of your worries. Don't make this about being your "big break." Just have fun and enjoy being a teenager. 

Updated On: 7/2/17 at 02:16 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 2:44pm

Any moment now we're all going to be accused of bullying.  

[carissaferguson]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 3:11pm

No. not bullying. Just being straight up rude. Lets approach this another way. 

If I were to come on here and simply say

"Hello! I have a Wednesday Addams audition coming up. Struggling to find audition songs. Anyone have any suggestions or tips for getting into character?" 

The response would have probably been a heck of a lot different. Why? Because I didn't mention the fact that its a couple months away. Some nice person would have come along and given me a couple of audition songs and everyone would have been happy and it would have been fine. But instead, I get backlash for including that my audition is far out and rather than help me with my ACTUAL problem... you criticize me for a decision that you can't control. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 3:17pm

See, people WERE just trying to help.  But you don't want to see it that way.    Just because you don't like the form in which the attempt at help came, you don't need to get defensive.  And because of your defensiveness, this is all the thread has become about.

 

 

[carissaferguson]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 3:23pm

I understand that people were trying to tell me that four months is too long to start preparing. I completely understand that and if that's the help they want to give then great, thanks. But that isn't the help that I asked for. Lets explain this in a different way. 

If I went into a grocery store and all I wanted was eggs, would you come along and try to sell me milk? Probably not. All I came here asking for was eggs. And all you people just shot milk straight at me.

I thank you for your opinion on the fact that 4 months is too far out and that you think its too much preparation. I realize that you think you are helping me by telling me this but I don't need help in that area. I just want an audition song. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 3:23pm

Kill the bullies!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 3:46pm

Having read this entire threat, people maturely answered you original question with some, I would say, straight forward and practical advice. All of it good. There was no being rude or bullying. If you are going to get into theatre you have to have a thick skin. It is best to listen to people who offer advise from experience. It might very well help you avoid disappointment and hurt down the road. LISTEN to the Cast recording, get an idea for yourself of your interpretation of the character and it should be easy to choose an audition song from there.

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 3:54pm

Wishing you lots of luck, carissa. My question: why is there a winky face in the thread title?

[Sunny11]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 4:14pm

I am sorry if this is a stupid question but have you watched the 1960s tv series or the 1990s movies ?

 

Aside from the research point of view , I would recommend them because of how good they are. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 4:19pm

You'll definitely make an impression over all the others if you incorporate this into your audition: 

[Sunny11]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 5:41pm

^ That little girl could dance !

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2V8wDnSopaY

It's interesting how much Wednesday changed over the various incarnations. My favourite was christina riccis protrayal. she had a truly dark soul and a dry sense of humour.

I only saw the musical once but if memory serves me right she was more of less a normal teenager who was embarrassed by her odd family which disappointed me at the time.

 

 

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 9:06pm

Brody Fosse, that gif made me smile from ear to ear! LOVE her and the show. Was startled to find out the set was actually oink!

 

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 9:09pm

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/2/17 at 9:19pm

Those gaudy colors are intentional as they were filming in black and white film which captures colors differently.  Hues don't read true-to-form.  That's why 1966's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? was filmed in black & white: because of the make-up being used on Elizabeth Taylor to transform her (then in her 30s) into a 50 plus year old.  In color she looked monstrous.  Same applies to 1959's SOME LIKE IT HOT - the make-up on both Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis was horrible in color but leveled out in black & white.  If you ever see rare color photos of the sets from black & white films, the colors were horrendous as they were color-organized to read certain shades in black & white.  Same with costumes: brown reads red in black & white, etc.