HOW TO GET THE ROLE YOU WANT
How Our Auditions Work
After class starts you will be given a script and a paper that breaks down exactly what to prepare for auditions. You can find the music and material to practice in our dropbox here.
In class we will have everyone sit with their scripts and waterbottles. You will get to audition for your top 2 choices for roles (but be prepared for top 3!) We will ask you to tell us your top 5 choices for parts
We will call out a particular role, anyone using one of their 2 auditions for that role can get up and join a line. You can bring your script and use it, you do not need to be memorized, just very familiar with the material. We will go through the music once together and then go down the line, each person getting a chance to step forward and sing the music individually or read the lines.
Repeat until we have seen every role. If there’s time we may ask some people to get up and show more.
Tips
Plant your feet, don’t wander, wiggle or sway
Be BIG! We want to see a big, animated character full of life and energy and facial expressions
BE FAMILIAR WITH THE MATERIAL! Being memorized is great!! But it is ok to look at you script. But we can tell the difference between someone stumbling through the material for the first time and someone who has practiced it dozens of times.
Be LOUD! Sing or act to the back of the room above the judges’ heads.
Practice in front of your parents! Really! It makes a huge difference.
Picking your top 5
Choose 5 roles that will make you happy. This really helps up to understand what kind of parts you are comfortable with. Are you guaranteed one of your top 5? No but we really try!!! Please don’t leave any blank.
Audition Smart
Go for the parts you want but also pay attention. Is there a pretty amazing medium sized role no one is going for? GO for it! I promise if you were already the perfect pick for a lead then no director is going to move you to a smaller role because you tried it so it can’t hurt. But it may help you really impress your director and end up with something really cool.
Practice the Music
I promise, no matter how good you sound you will NOT get the part if you cant sing in key and on time with the music so practice!!
Dress The Part
Auditions are about impressing a judge. Dress nicely and don’t wear ripped jeans, crocs, flip flops, or tee shirts with lots of distracting pictures or messages. A perfect audition outfit is a summer dress and a pair of flats with your hair out of your face, or a solid color top and a nice pair of jeans or a pair of dress pants and a nice sweater or a button down etc etc.
Sending in a Video Audition
If you cannot attend an audition and need to send in a video audition instead, we completely understand. Follow these steps for a successful audition.
1) Follow all the steps above
2) Just because you are in your house doesn’t mean you can’t be professional. Please stand up and find an empty-ish place in your house. Do not sit on your bed in you pjs. Dress well, stand up and perform!!
3) BE FAMILIAR WITH THE MATERIAL! Being memorized is great!! But it is ok to look at you script. But we can tell the difference between someone stumbling through the material for the first time and someone who has practiced it dozens of times.
4) Introduce yourself with your name and what roles you are auditioning for at the top of the video
5) If you are singing you must still sing with a backing track!
6) Upload the video to youtube and then send up the link. Make sure you set it as “NOT for children” (I know that sounds weird but trust me) and “Public” alternatively you can email the video directly but please make sure the settings will allow anyone with the link to watch it not just the one email address you send it to.
What to do if you don’t get the role you want.
STEP 1 TAKE A BREATH: You have your heart set on the lead, we understand. If you are auditioning in a room of 35 people for the role of Ariel, there are probably 20 other girls that want it too! One of you will get it but 19 of you wont. If you aren’t cast in your dream role what next? First off, understand that it is ok to be disappointed! Take a breath. If you haven’t been disappointed in casting then you haven’t been doing this very long or you are very very lucky. You don’t have to pretend to be delighted that you were cast as dancing bush number two, but please be kind to the person who was just cast as Ariel, both in front of her face and behind her back the same way you hope she will be for you when you get your dream role. Trust that your directors are very good at this and have been doing this for a very long time. You are in a room full of people that have all played small roles some times. They came back for a reason. What we do here is about a lot more than the role you play and when we put on a show everyone has fun and everyone grows.
STEP 2 UNDERSTAND HOW CASTING WORKS: Casting is SO HARD, especially when you really care about everyone auditioning. It’s a complex puzzle where you know that no matter what some people are going to be hurt. Your directors are trying to balance what is best for every single student and what will help them each grow with what they are capable of doing and what will make the best show.
STEP 3 ASSESS WHERE YOU CAN GROW: When you are ready, look at yourself honestly. Don’t ask yourself “what did I do wrong?” ask “how can I grow?” Is your dancing, acting and vocals as strong as it could be? Are you bold and loud and making big choices and giving every number 100% every time? Are you on pitch? On the right timing? Do you sing, really practice singing, listening to yourself and making adjustments and doing it again? How many dance classes are you in this year? Are you in voice lessons?
STEP 4 WORK TO GROW: Put the work in! Show up, work your butt off, be kind to you peers, take classes, have a positive attitude and perform perform perform. Be that kid who every single time we run a number the director can’t take their eyes off you because you GLOW. Make your director notice you so that she leans over to the other staff all semester and says “Wow! She’s ready for a bigger role!”
A note to parents
* You play a CRUCIAL role in your child’s success. You wouldn’t believe how obvious the difference is between the kid that struggles by themselves in their bedroom to practice with no help and no audience and the kid who has sung their song a dozen times for their parents before they get in front of us. This audition matters to your kid, help them succeed. Guide them through making their peice fit the suggestions above. Give them feedback about being louder and bigger etc. Help them!
