The Audition Post (Songs and Monologues)

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 8:38pm

Since there have been so many posts regarding the upcoming college audition processes, I figured it might be good to have one ongoing post people can refer back to for advice and performance sugesstions. So here we go...I'll kick it off with some good female songs and a list of songs not to do, and then later tonight I'll post some roles and shows that have good female monologues in them!
FEMALE SONGS:

Pop Mix:
The Night it had to end-Romance Romance
Come Back with the Same Look-Song and Dance
Take that Look off Your Face-SOng and Dance
I Never Danced with You-Lunch
Comedic Songs (I think these are Soprano)
I Said No- (written by Frank Loesser)
The Physician-Nymph Errant
Mr. Gershwin-unreleased, but I know of people who have copies

BELT-UPTEMPOS
I'm Not At All In Love-The Pajama Game
A Trip to the Library-She Loves Me
Ooh My Feet-Most Happy Fella
It's a Perfect Relationship-Bells Are Ringing
He's Here-How Now DOw Jones
The Gentleman is a Dope-Allegro
You're i nteh Doghouse Now-DIck Tracy
More-Dick Tracey
Everything I've Got-(Rogers and Hart)
Nobody Does it Like Me- (Cy Coleman)
A Little Brains A Little Talent-Damn Yankees
You Can Always Count On Me-City of Angels (a little mature)
No Man Left for Me- Will Rogers Follies
Dancing All the Time- Big
Don't Tell Mamma-Cabaret
Perfectly Marvelous-Cabaret
Where am I Going?-Sweet Charity
You've Got Possibilities-Superman
I Wanna Be Yours-Little Me (sometimes hard to find)
The SOng with the VIolins-Bucchino
It's An Art-Working
I Can Cook Too-On the Town
Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm- How To Suceed....
I Just Wanna Be a Star-Nunsense
The Laziest Gal In Town-(Porter)
Everybody's Girl-Steel Pier (very mature)
Shoppin Around-Harold Rome
Lost and Foud-CIty of Angels (very mature)

SOPRANO BALLADS:
Why Did I chose You?-The YEarling
Dear Friend- She Loves Me
Vanilla Ice Cream-She Loves Me
That'll Show Him-Forum
Ribbons Down My Back-Hello Dolly
Before I Gaze at You Again-Camelot
*Simple Joys of Maidenhood-Camelot (really an uptempo Soprano)
It's Bad For Me- Nymph Errant
Will He Like Me?-She Loves Me
Mira-Carnival
Mr. Wonderful-Mr.Wonderful
I Never Said I Loved You-Dear World
Green Finch and Linnet Bird-Sweeney Todd (perhaps the only age-appropriate Sondheim song that is somewhat acceptable to sing at an audition)
You Are Love-(I'm not sure, but I think ti is from SHowboat)

LOW BALLADS
Sooner or Later- Dick Tracy
COme Rain or Come Shine- Harold Arlen
Ten Cents a Dance-Rodgers and Hart
He's Good For Me-Seesaw
Where is the Warmth-Baker's Wife
They Say that Falling in Love-Aniie Get your Gun (maybe a little overused, not sure)
My Own Space-The Act
Cry Me a River-Standard
He Was too Good to Me-Rodgers and Hart
With Every Breath I Take-CIty of Angels
Lion Tamer-The Magic Show (just a note-it helps if you are really adorably little and cute for this song)
What Makes Me Love Him? The Apple Tree
Isn't this better?-Kander and Ebb
Arthur-Kander and Ebb
I Will Be Loved Tonight-I Love you, You're Perfect...

Try and avoid these shows:
Rent, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Secret Garden, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Aida, The Mystery of Edwin Drood


Okay-so there are the songs I can muster up-I apologize for any typos and my special capitalization skills...Monologues will be up soon!
always,
~m~

[ponine24601]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 8:47pm

whoa. thanks for that!

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 8:48pm

No guy's songs?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 8:53pm

VoiceofReason is clearly a major resource on this board. Run with his/her ideas. I'm most intrigued by the range/variety.

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 8:54pm

I don't have that many, but some great ones, I've recently heard of could be:

Where Did that Little Dog Go-Snoopy
the Kite-Charlie Brown
Touch and Go-How Now Dow Jones
Metropolis has some good songs, as does She Loves Me
I'll try and find some more
~m~

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 8:55pm

Oh- and I'm a her!
~m~

[GaLiNdaFied]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 8:57pm

Thanks Voice! That was wonderful!

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 9:00pm

"Try and avoid these shows:
Rent, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Secret Garden, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Aida, The Mystery of Edwin Drood "
Hey, great post, but may I ask why you should avoid songs from these shows? Thanks in advance.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 9:03pm

How about "My Own Morning" from HALLELUJAH, BABY? Still a wonderful score from a show that's dated and doesn't work.

[kitkatgirl54]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 9:05pm

songs from shows in the "shows to avoid list" are too overused for auditions .. the last thing the auditors want to hear is another version of "On My Own".

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 9:06pm

In my opinion, "On my own" is a really great song to sing because it can really show off a voice and your acting. Although it may be overused, these is a reason for that. I used this song on an auditon last year and it got me a part. But I can understand that after a while they are sick of it.

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 9:10pm

In response to Born: That's simply a list compiled from various college websites (often they put a list of songs that are strongly recommended not to do) It's definitly not a NEVER DO THESE list, jsut more of a , 'it's nice to hear new things' suggestion! Same goes for the list at the bottom of the post!

WOMEN'S CONTEMPORARY MONOLOGUES: (here we go )


SERIOUS:
(SHOW/AUTHOR/ROLE)

Agnes of God/John Pielmeier/Agnes
Antigone/Jean Anoulih/Ismene, Antigone
The Ash Girl/Timberlake Wertenbaker/Cinderella
Backstop/Joan Ackerman/various
Beautiful Bodies/Laura Cunningham/Donna
Brilliant Traces/CIndy Johnson/Roseanna
Bums/R. Shaffaron/Evelyn
COllected Stories/Donald Marguilles/Lisa
Credeaux Canvas/Keith Bunin/ Amelia
Cripple of Innishmann/Martin McDonagh/Helen
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea/JOhn Patrick Shanley/Roberta
The Debutante Ball/Beth Henley/Teddy
The Effect of Gamma Rays .../Paul Zindel/Tillie, Ruth
In the Boom Boom Room/David Rabe/Chrissy
The LAramie Project/Moises Kaufman/various
The Little Foxes/Lillian Hellman/Alexandra
Metamorphosis/Mary ZImmerman/various
Mourning Becomes Electra/Eugene O'Neill/Lavinia
ROad To Mecca/Athol Fugard/Elsa
Sally's Gone, She Left Her Name/Russell Davis/Sally
Suddenly Last Summer/Tennessee/Cathrine
Vital Signs/Jane MArtin/CLover
Where Has TOmmy Flowers Gone?/Terrance McNally/Nedda


A trap with Women's serious monologues, is that they often revolve around abortion, sex, or drugs, anything that is good quality and not about any of those is generally a good idea.

Ones you might want to avoid:
Baby with the Bathwater, Laughing Wild, Loose Ends, Beyond Therapy, Night Luster, Boy's Life, Plaza Suite, The Odd Couple, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, Wit, Quilters, Gypsy, The Fantasticks, The Woolgatherers, The Vagina Monologues, Fat Men in Skirts, Darlene Dances,Star Spangled Girl, Runaways, Butterflies are Free, Chorus Line, Diary of Anne Frank, Oleanna, and 'Dentity Crisis.


Comedic Monologues, on their way!

Updated On: 8/18/04 at 09:10 PM

[Elphie6689]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 9:15pm

i have an audition for West Side Story for Maria.. i was wondering if you knew any good songs to use.. because I am going totally blank..

[shesings]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 9:54pm

I agree with avoiding "On My Own". I had many teachers who did a lot of auditioning for broadway shows, natl tours, etc who said if they heard that song one more time they were going to shoot themselves. Often they said the minute they heard the intro they tuned out. As opposed to a less used song that would be more interesting. there are plenty of songs out there that would show off your acting skills, and aren't quite so overused. Another one to avoid: "Somewhere That's Green". Apparently everyone thinks they are an "Audrey"

[Taryn]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 10:24pm

I just recently saw Me and My Girl and thought "Thinking of No One But Me" was another wonderful belty up-tempo song. The first thing I thought was, "Ooh, I'd love to have the sheet music for that."

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 10:26pm

I would stay away from Ribbons Down My Back. Very, very overused.

Posted: 8/18/04 at 10:39pm

How about the Wizard and I? WICKED but that's only to be used (like most songs) if you sing really good!

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 10:49pm

Some colleges do like you to use current broadway shows for songs, but others discourage it. Themost imporant thing is that you choose a song that not only showcases your vocal power, but also one that you and your personality can really shine through in. Remember, they aren't just choosing a great singer, they are also looking for someone they want to work with for the next four years.

Also--I will be out of town the nxt few days, so the few of you who sent me request, will have to wait a little bit longer for a response, and I probably wont get the rest of the monologues up before I leave. I will resume posting them when I return.
always,
~m~

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 11:07pm

I really hate hearing cliche songs at auditions, bugs the heck outta me...

[BalletGirl85]

Posted: 8/19/04 at 2:50am

I wouldn't audition with Wicked or Millie right now. Every audition I go to, everyone is doing "Popular" or "Gimme Gimme" and usually VERY BADLY and it's sooooooo annoying. Honestly, I woudn't go in with something currently on Broadway...because chances are, everyone has seen this show or heard the recording and is psyched that they are, like, SOOOO amazingly cool because they have a song from a totally new show...and yeah, so do the 2394234 other people at the audition.

Get the play "Extreme Girl" by Barbara Blackburm for great monologues for teen girls and women. You will laugh your ass off.

Also, don't do a monologue that's older than your age range. At the last audition I did in NYC, I went in last minute and didn't have a monologue so I did one of Nora's tired and true monologues from "Brighton Beach Memoirs" because even though I am 19, I am short and have professionally only ever played 12-16 and that monologue was the only one done by a character I could realistically play. Even though it might be a monologue on the "Don't do" list, they gave me praise for doing one that was appropriate to my age and appearance, where most of the other girls my age who went in did stuff from shows where the roles were like, late 30s and whatever. So if you have to choose between doing one that is overdone or one that is obscure but doesn't fit you at ALL, pick the overdone one and just make it your own.

Another monologue hint...buy plays rather than monologue books because most monologue books are generic and it's so much easier to just find a play you like and pick a suitable monologue from that. And if you do choose a monologue from a monologue book, buy the play where the monologue is from, or you will most likely have NO idea what is going on in the monologue...and more often than not, you will get the wrong idea about what that character is trying to convey. I know, I did that when I was 13 and broke every major rule as I did a monologue from "Midsummer" and had noooo idea what it was about, lol. So if you find a monologue, GET THE PLAY and read it!!

[RustyJusty830]

Posted: 8/19/04 at 3:39am

What's everyone's opinion on singing Sondheim at auditions? I've heard so many different views on this topic...it sometimes can be difficult for many accompianists to play, however, its some goooood material! I've heard the same with Jason Robert Brown

[Amneris]

Posted: 8/19/04 at 7:32am

dont ever sing VANILLA ICECREAM at an audition..it's as overdone as ON MY OWN.

[Amneris]

Posted: 8/19/04 at 7:41am

Thanks for the list btw!!! it is a big help also :

FEELINGS - The Apple Tree
THE PARTIES OVER - Bells Are Ringing
I STILL BELIEVE IN LOVE - They're Playing Our Song
LOVE SCENE - Fame The Musical
PORTRAIT - A My Name Is Alice
WHOS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR - Goldy Locks The Musical
BUS FROM AMARILLO - Best Little Whorehouse In Texas
ORDINARY WOMAN - Pippin
NOBODY DOES IT LIKE ME - SeeSaw
FRANK MILLS - Hair
BILL - Showboat
MOVIE OF MY MIND - Miss Saigon
Updated On: 8/19/04 at 07:41 AM

[BalletGirl85]

Posted: 8/19/04 at 7:48am

I love Frank Mills, I did that the first time I auditioned for BYE BYE BIRDIE because I was like wheeee, that'll be fun, and they cracked up and I got cast as Ursula. And of course no one knew what it was from, lol.

[Coondiggitydogg]

Posted: 8/19/04 at 9:59am

Hery i have monologues for people. THis is a great resource. but dont just use them if u find one u like buy the play so that u can understand the character more and really understand what your monologue is saying

Women:
http://www.sunnyhillsdrama.com/women%20monologues.htm

Men:
http://www.sunnyhillsdrama.com/men's%20monologues.htm

Anyone got some good ideas dfor a 2 minute song for baritone. it needs to contrast my monologue and i think i will be doing a deep more dramatic monlogue
I'm thinking the kite but i am really open to any suggestions