Underused Audition Material

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 8:39pm

Hi i'm getting ready for college auditions and i'm trying to find some underused (and good) material to use. I sing in a baritenor range and i'm classically trained so I can do legit and more contemporary (for example one of my pieces is It's Hard to speak my heart from Parade).  I need ballads and uptempos. I'm in an interesting pickle. Usually I'm the one who gives out audition songs but i'm only good at finding ones for other people LOL. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 8:51pm

Who I'd Be, but I'm pretty sure that's overused.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 9:03pm

I'm also a "baritenor" so here are some of the songs I have in my audition book, that might be good for you:

 

"Fallin'" from They're Playing Our Song

 

"Heart and Soul" by Loesser and Carmichael (though the song is very well-known, I don't think it's sung at auditions very often)

 

"Johanna" from Sweeney Todd - probably a bit overused, but still a good audition song 

 

"Role of a Lifetime" from Bare 

 

"The Jolly Roger" by Dorothy Foster Brown - a musical theatre-esque song, but I believe it's not from a musical. Very fun Baritone pirate number. 

 

"The Proposal" from Titanic the Musical 

 

The title song from "Anyone Can Whistle" 

 

The title song from "Camelot" 

 

"More I Cannot Wish You" from Guys and Dolls 

[Actriz2]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 10:02pm

Sing the entire Soliloquy from Carousel.

Even if they try to stop you.

Just keep going.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 10:05pm

^ That sounds like something Singer's Bad Advice on Twitter would say.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 10:45pm

I'm not certain on what a baritenor's range is (see Obsessed video). I'm also not sure what's popular for guys to audition with outside of Phantom, Les Mis, and the big classic musicals so I'll just pick things that I think would be impressive/allow you to show off.

 

"What Is It About Her" or "Let Me Drown" from The Wild Party

 

"Forbidden Fruit" from The Apple Tree (I think they might have lowered it for Marc Kudisch)

 

"In A Little While" from Once Upon a Mattress might be a nice song if you have to audition for a classic musical and you don't want to go with the other obvious choices.

 

I'm sure they're popular but I think "I Talk to the Trees" and "Carino Mio" from Paint Your Wagon would be gorgeous audition songs. Same thing for "You Should Be Loved" from Side Show. Any Fred/Petruchio song from Kiss Me Kate is probably almost popular as "Agony" from Into the Woods but those songs would be great.

 

I have no idea if "The Olive Tree" from Kismet is popular or not but it's nice if you've got a lower range. Do a lot of baritenors sing "Stay" from Do I Hear a Waltz? "In the Broken Promise Land of Fifteen" from Lolita My Love? "What Kind of Fool Am I" from Stop the World -I Want To Get Off?

 

I hope you found something from that helpful.

[SundayInThePark2]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 11:49pm

I don't know about these, but here goes...

Me- Beauty and the Beast the Musical

What Kind of Fool Am I- Stop the World I Want to Get Off

They Call the Wind Mariah- Paint Your Wagon

The Girl That I Marry- Annie Get Your Gun

Goodbye Old Girl- Damn Yankees

This is the Moment- Jekyll & Hyde

Where is the Life That Late I Led- Kiss Me Kate

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 9/8/15 at 12:28am

I would advise you not to worry as much about finding obscure things that nobody else is doing and focus on finding the pieces that best show off your voice and ability. You'll make more far more of an impact at an audition if you can go in and completely nail your piece, even if it is perceived by some as overused.

The other thing to keep in mind when making your choices is your accompanist. Many accompanists are indeed great sight readers, but it definitely helps them when they have at least a passing familiarity with the piece you put down in front of them. I've seen people walk in with "that totally rare song that was cut from some hardly known musical" and their audition completely falls apart because the accompanist can't nail it perfectly, as it was the first time they had ever seen or heard that song.

(And if that does happen, whether on something well known or obscure, DON'T BLAME THE ACCOMPANIST. They may have screwed you over big time, but you don't know what their relationship is with the people behind that table.)

[Mike Costa]

Posted: 9/8/15 at 12:36am

Both Sunday and Snarker have given you great material for your age and voice type.

It is misguided to sing obscure material at auditions for college or professionally.  You would never want the auditor to be paying attention to the SONG, you want them paying attention to what YOU are doing with the song that shows YOUR talent.  An unknown song gets in the way of that.

 Many books written by amateurs and introduction letters to non-Union  auditions  provide a list of the greatest archtype songs ever written in Am Musical Theater and ask you NOT  to sing them.  The  auditors must learn that they  are NOT there to be entertained, they are there to find stars.  Sing the star song if you are right for it.  Never sing a song no one has heard, save those for your nifty club act.

 

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 9/8/15 at 2:52am

I agree with the advice to sing what you feel works best for you, not the most obscure thing you can find. If you love a song and sing it well and it shows off your abilities, that's the most important thing. 

[JBradshaw]

Posted: 9/8/15 at 3:04am

I used female songs for all the colleges I applied to ("shy" from mattress)

i got into all  

theyre more interest in seeing potential talent. 

Dont fret 

[ggersten]

Posted: 9/8/15 at 8:17am

Megan Hilty auditioned for college with Corner of the Sky.

Sing what you want (within the guidelines) - and sing it well.