All tagged Rent
Spring is close, but not close enough, so we find ourselves getting cabin fever and our cranky meters are dialed up to high. A little levity seems to be what the doctor has ordered, so I thought it might be fun to muse what certain hit musicals would look like on paper (having a little fun with boiling them down to their barest components). This is merely for fun and I hope no one will take offense. In fact, I’m hoping you’ll share some of your own ideas here.
Auditioning for musical theatre can be a daunting, stressful, enjoyable, exhilarating, adrenaline- inducing experience all rolled into one short bid to secure yourself work as a performer. Dedicated musical theatre performers are always looking for ways to improve their auditions as singers, actors, and dancers. Having been on both sides of the table as an actor and a director, I have looked at this issue from two perspectives. Having consulted with other casting directors over the years, a pattern has emerged in what we directors most-want actors to be ready for when they enter that audition room. Here are some items that focus on the singing and acting do’s and don’ts you may (or may not) have thought about, but that will hopefully lead to a more successful audition experience for you.
If you are like me, a bitter, sarcastic Muppet-like creature, Valentine’s Day isn’t exactly your cup of tea. We of this ilk condemn the holiday as a commercially created reason to spend money on cards, flowers, sweets, and for the most entrenched of us, jewelry. We bemoan the coming of old February 14 and pray to God that Cupid’s arrow misfires and lands squarely between his own cherubic eyes.
The other day, a friend and I were discussing those songs we always skip when listening to cast recordings. Not that the songs in question are necessarily unpleasant or ineffective, but, for one reason or another, they just don't appeal to the individual listener. We all must have a few songs that are not necessarily our cup of tea despite their popularity or inclusion in a beloved score. As my friend and I chatted, it became clear that we both felt passionately about certain songs to be jumped in favor of moving along to a different song.
