I remember a few years back casting directors would list "No Les Miz or Miss Saigon" in their ads for auditions. What are the overdone songs right now?
Each year when I try out for my fall high school musical, I always hear from about 10 freshman girls that the are doing "Little Girls" from Annie.....boooo.
Any audition I always hear one girl and sometimes guys sing Summertime...im so sick of it. Its all because of American Idol when Fantasia did it of course she didn't even have the right tune!!!!
"Passion can drive you crazy but is there any other way to live"
I'd have to go with WICKED, PHANTOM and maybe even RENT since the movie has been out.
Methinks LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA will fall into this category soon
"TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD"- LES MISERABLES---
"THERE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE KNOWN AS SHOW PEOPLE... WE'RE BORN EVERY NIGHT AT HALF HOUR CALL!"--- CURTAINS
I'll throw JRB material in general to this mix -- I've heard Stars and the Moon too many times to care anymore, and L5Y has gotten a bit too prominent as well.
Plus, it almost invariably gets butchered by a accompianist who doesn't quite get the groove on it unless they're really, REALLY good.
Yeah, my frieind auditioned for our school musical last year and said she heard quite a few songs from Millie, and I've heard of a couple people who did songs from Rent (Seasons Of Love and One Song Glory) and from Grease as well. Also, quite a few things for Hair.
"I can't figure out what kind of life this is, comedy or tragedy, I just know it's showbiz. And what if I don't agree with the lines I have to read? They don't pay me enough, the way I see it."
This year at every audition i've been at i've heard Les Miserables, Phantom, Wicked, and RENT just murdered. I've heard people try the end of Defying Gravity so many times and it just never works. It's *almost* killed that musical for me.
"I'll show you a laughgasm. I'll gasm all over this stage!"
"Interesting choice"
Both at Florida district and state thespian competition this year, I heard "Climbing Uphill" from L5Y done at least thirty times (including from a girl in my troupe.) Unfortunately, none of the renditions I heard were good... "Spelling Bee" was also done to death this year.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
For the last two shows I've had to cast way too many people auditioned with songs from The Last 5 Years and Songs for a New World which got real old real fast. For the next show I direct there will be a BIG SIGN that says "NO LAST 5 YEARS OR SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD"
The University of Michigan Dept. of MT lists these:
"In preparing for the audition, avoid choosing songs from ANNIE, BIG RIVER, CANDIDE, A CHORUS LINE, GREASE, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR."
Big River surprised me, but I can understand all the choices. :)
Definitely, absolutely: Jason Robert Brown. His entire oeuvre. Every song. Every last five year. Every star and moon.
Most people auditioning for Broadway shows know better than to go in with LES MIZ or WICKED. I haven't heard "Memory" from CATS sung for a professional audition in a long time. You could probably get away with that one.
I've heard my new philosphy from charlie brown way to many times.....
My secret: I sing guys songs (Cuz I can sing tenor!) Even though I'm a girl, right now i'm working oin consider yourself from oliver, last year i did a song from Peter pan
Fear no more the heat o' the sun,
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone and ta'en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
~Cymbeline
Here's a comprehensive list for you. Anything from:
WICKED LES MISERABLES RENT CHICAGO JEKYLL AND HYDE PHANTOM THE LAST FIVE YEARS (or pretty much anything else from JRB)
Also many "famous" musical theater songs from classic shows, including: Can't Help Lovin' That Man If I Loved You What I Did For Love I Hate Men Somewhere That's Green Adelaide's Lament I Could Have Danced All Night Shy Don't Cry For Me Argentina I Get a Kick Out of You Lonely Room Oh What a Beautiful Morning Some Enchanted Evening This Nearly Was Mine
For men, it's easier. But for women, especially sopranos, it can be difficult to find something that they haven't hard ten zillion times. But of course, if you do something REALLY well, even if it is overdone, ultimately that's what matters the most!
Oh geez, Wicked is about to drive me insane. A lot of people have been attempting Wizard and I and Popular at the auditions I've been at... I don't even own the Wicked music, I would never even attempt it.
At a recent audition workshop I was at I sang I Got Rhythm. I know it is probably somewhat overdone but I needed a fun uptempo song. I used to always sing One Boy at auditions too from Bye Bye Birdie but it's been a few years since I used that.
There's this one song a girl sang at this workshop and it's driving me crazy that I can't remember the name of it. It's from a show called like Jim and Bob or something really random, and the song was something about flying and being like an eagle. Anyone have any idea what I'm talking about?