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Mastering College Musical Theatre Auditions

Online Companion

elcome to the online companion of our book, Mastering College Musical Theatre Auditions: Sound Advice for Students, Teachers, and Parents. 

Giving a successful college audition is incredibly challenging and takes months of preparation. Our book will walk you through every step of this process, from figuring out where to audition and choosing audition material to deciding where to attend. Each chapter focuses on a question central to the audition process with special sections for the student, teacher, and parent. This book, which has been vetted by professionals on both sides of the table, offers honest, practical advice that will make auditioning for college a positive experience for all involved.

Purchase the book by clicking here. 

Below, you will find a host of resources related to the book. We will continue to update these resources, as college auditions continue to evolve in the coming years. 

CHAPTER 1

Recommended Reading

CHAPTER 2

Activity: Comparing Degrees

  • Click here to download Theatre & Performance Studies Major Requirements at Kennesaw State University 

  • Click here to review the Degree Plan at Oklahoma City University 

  • Answer the following questions and prompts through your research of the above curricula:

    • Find the course description for AADS1102 at Kennesaw State University. 

    • What differences do you see between OCU’s Bachelor of Music degree and KSU’s BA degree?

    • Which institution requires more General Education credits?

    • Which institution will have you studying Shakespeare in Acting V?

    • If you had to decide between these two institutions, what program would you pick and why? 

    • Which institution laid out their curriculum in the clearest way?

    • Make a list of questions you might have for an admissions councelor after reviewing each curriculum.

Recommended Reading

Resources

CHAPTER 3

Headshots

Resume

Personal Statement

Parent Resources

Recommended Reading

CHAPTER 4

Activity: Finding Your Essence

  • Ask a peer (preferably a fellow young performer) to join you in answering the following questions for each of you:

    • List six adjectives that describe you  and your partner.

    • Name the first three musical roles you can think of that match you and your partner’s essence.

    • Name three other out-of-the-box roles you feel you and your partner could play, even if their attributes may not necessarily align with the actors who originally embodied those characters. 

  • Discuss the similarities and differences in how you see yourselves. If there are notable differences, consider why that might be. Recognize that how we see ourselves is deeply personal. Create safe space for challenging conversations that may arise as a result.

An Incomplete List of Musicals Written by BIPOC Writers

Recommended Reading

Resources

  • Click here for An Incomplete List of Musicals by BIPOC Writers

CHAPTER 5

So in Love

  • Click here to listen to “So in Love” from Kiss Me, Kate (1948)

  • Click here for Version 1 – Audition Cut of “So in Love”

  • Click here for Version 2 – Audition Cut of “So in Love”

Activity: Cutting Monologues

  •  Click here to download the Monologue Cutting Activity

Recommended Reading

Resources

CHAPTER 6

Action Verbs

Translate the Words

Change Focus

Recommended Reading

Resources

CHAPTER 8

Prescreens

Unifieds

Recommended Reading

Resources

CHAPTER 9

Recommended Reading

CHAPTER 10

Recommended Reading

APPENDICES

 

APPENDIX A

College Audition Spreadsheet

 

Below is a sample spreadsheet young artists and parents should create together to keep track of the many deadlines and requirements each school has. We’ve included some fun inside jokes for musical theatre geeks like ourselves on these completely fabricated institutions. Enjoy finding them!

 

Of course, you should feel free to modify this to your own needs. You might find other categories that are important to your particular situation. By all means, add them.

 

Click here for Sample College Audition Spreadsheet

 

APPENDIX B

Summer Musical Theatre Intensives

Below is a list of summer musical theatre intensives offered in the United States and a few abroad. This is not a comprehensive or recommended list. Ask your teachers if they know of other opportunities in your area and make sure to research the intensives as you would a college program.

Click here for a list of Summer Musical Theatre Intensives

 

APPENDIX C

Overdone or Inappropriate Songs

It’s impossible to list every song that may be either overdone or inappropriate. The list of writers, shows, and songs that go in and out of fashion changes all the time. When in doubt, consult a musical theatre professional about what (not) to perform. 

Click here for Overdone or Inappropriate Songs

 

APPENDIX D

Song Recommendations by Voice Type

Similar to Appendix C, these songs will also go in and out of fashion. Also, not every song listed here will be appropriate for everyone in a particular voice type. We hope this short list will get your imagination going about other songs that might right for you.

Click here for Song Recommendations by Voice Type

 

APPENDIX E

Overdone or Inappropriate Monologues

Click here for Overdone or Inappropriate Monologues

 

APPENDIX F

Monologue Recommendations by Genre

Click here for Monologue Recommendations by Genre

 

APPENDIX G

Six Steps to Learning a New Monologue

Click here for Six Steps to Learning a New Monologue

 

APPENDIX H

Six Steps to Learning a New Song

Click here for Six Steps to Learning a New Song

Click here to watch a video demonstration

 

APPENDIX I

Sample Audition Cuts

 

Included here are three different examples of audition cuts: 16-bar (consecutive), 16-bar (copied and paste) and 32-bar.  Note how easy they are for the pianist to read.

 

16-bar cut (consecutive) 

“You Don’t Know Love”from Falling to Earth

Music by: David Sisco 

Lyrics by: Tom Gualtieri

 

This is the simplest scenario for an audition cut: singing the last section. You’ll notice this 16-bar cut is actually 20 measures long. Not a problem. Remember: always finish the thought in your audition cut. 

 

Make sure to lightly cross off any music that is not pertinent to your audition cut. Also bracket off the start of the audition cut and write “BEGIN,” just to avoid any confusion. The cut is only two pages, which will allow you to place it in your binder without making the accompanist turn a page. These kinds of details are very much appreciated. 

 

As noted above, highlight any important changes in the music, such as metronome mark, meter and time signature. This will draw the accompanist’s eye to them when sight reading, helping them to support you better. 

 

Again, your accompanist will be playing hundreds of songs the day of your audition – do anything you can to make their lives easier.

 

16-bar cut (spliced) 

“Moments of You”

Music by: David Sisco

Lyrics by: Tom Gualtieri

 

In this cut, you’ll notice we skipped from page 2 to page 5. It just so happened that removing the first chorus and second verse of the song made for a very clean audition cut. This is unusual. Splicing a cut like this will most likely require more pages. Wherever possible, consolidate by cutting extraneous music out and pasting the audition cut together. If you have access to Finale, Sibelius, or someone who uses these programs, they may be able to create cleaner audition cuts for you. This isn’t absolutely necessary, but can be very helpful. Use your judgment and put all your auditions cuts in front of a professional (preferably a knowledgeable voice teacher or vocal coach) before your audition.

 

Also notice that this cut is 23 measures long, featuring a full verse, pre-chorus, and chorus. Again, this is OK. As mentioned in Chapter 6, many contemporary songs don’t cut as easily as their Golden Age counterparts. As long as you deliver your song with conviction, the folks behind the table won’t be counting measures. 

 

When stopping in the middle of the song, make sure to mark “END” and cross out any music that isn’t pertinent to your audition cut.

 

32-bar cut 

“Moments of You”

Music by: David Sisco

Lyrics by: Tom Gualtieri

Reprinted with permission

 

This is an exact 32-bar cut featuring the bridge, chorus and coda of the song. Make sure to mark the score as notated in each of these three examples. 

 

APPENDIX J

Wild Card Interview Questions

 

Some institutions will interview you, either during or separate from your audition time. Try to relax, listen to the question, and look at the person who spoke to you.

Tell us something about yourself that has nothing to do with theatWhy do you want to come to our school?

  • What other schools have you applied to? *

  • Of the musicals you have seen which is your favorite? What did you love about it?

  • What shows have you performed in? What was your favorite role and why? 

  • What are you looking to get out of this program?

  • What do you see yourself doing in five years?

  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?

  • Do you have any special skills you can show me?

  • Why do you want to be an actor? 

  • Why did you choose your monologue/song?

  • What questions do you have for us?**

 * This is an unfair question to ask, but we know colleges ask it anyway. You can avoid a direct answer by talking about what you’re looking for in a school, and that their institution exemplifies those qualities.

 

**Always have a question prepared that can’t be answered by looking at their website. It will show them you’ve done your homework and are truly interested in their school.

 

APPENDIX K

School Score Card

You may want to develop your own system of grading each institution, but if you desire a template, click here.