Musical theater is a great way for singers to up their game, expand their horizons and gain valuable performance skills.

But whether you’ve played the lead in every major production that’s rolled through your town or you’ve only just started thinking about hitting the theatrical stage, it all starts with the audition.

You can generally find everything you need to know about musical theater audition opportunities in your area online.   Just google ‘your city’ ‘musical theater auditions’ and you should have a few links that will get you started.  Late winter/early spring is a popular time to cast shows for the summer season so February is a good time to begin your audition planning.

There are basically three types of musical theater opportunities:

1. Fee based (usually children’s theater organizations who charge you a fee to participate and receive some theater training)
2. Volunteer (generally community theater organizations for older kids through adults) and,
3. Paid (for Equity actors, which are basically union members)  Some theaters may also offer paid parts to non-equity actors.

Every theater organization has their own rules for the audition process, but here’s a basic breakdown of the two most common:

• Casual Audition: May allow you to sing with a karaoke track or acapella.  Doesn’t require a bio or headshots.  May ask you to recite a prepared monologue (solo act).
• Standard Audition: Will require a bio and headshot (more on that in a bit).  Will also require you to bring marked sheet music for an accompanist to play 16 bars for you to sing along to.  Will generally require you to learn a dance step and perform it as well as reading from a selection provided for you.

So what is the best way to prepare?  Here are a few tips to make sure you’re ready for any audition;

Always have two pieces of music prepared: a ballad and an uptempo song. You never want to audition with a song from the production you’re auditioning for so it’s good to build your song list as time allows.  Depending on the types of auditions you’ll be taking on, buy sheet music and mark 16 bars of the chorus (or another part if it highlights your ability better) or buy the karaoke track to have on hand.   Why do you need both types of songs?  You may choose a ballad and be asked to sing something more upbeat or visa versa.  Either way, you’re prepared!

Prepare a bio. Even if it’s not required, it will help to sell your talent to the decision makers.  A bio should include at least your name, age, height and weight at the top.  Below, it should list ANYthing you’ve done that has made you a better actor/singer.  Generally this would be names of productions you’ve been in, the organization that put it on and the part you played.  If you’re slim on experience, expand on the bottom section, which should include other public singing/speaking experience and special education like voice instruction and dance classes you’ve taken.  Why all the extras?  It may just be your mad karate skills that tip the scales in your favorite for the new Karate Kid Musical (no… that doesn’t really exist.)

Include a picture/headshot. This can be as simple as a nice snapshot of you in the upper right hand of your bio sheet or a full 8×10, if you happen to have one.  Actors who pursue paid roles generally have an 8×10 or a photo card, which is usually a postcard sized photo sheet showing them as different characters.  It’s not necessary to have either of these for most volunteer auditions, but if you’re competing in a large market (LA, NY, Chicago, San Fran, etc.) for equity roles you’ll want to have one.

BEST ONLINE RESOURCES FOR AUDITIONING FOR MUSICAL THEATER

Get Your Music:

Musical Theatre Audition: Invaluable for it’s searchable database of audition songs by gender, age, style and more. (click the ‘songs’ button) LOVE that it tells you which songs are overused in auditions.  Avoid those like the plague.  Directors are so tired of hearing them that it really works against you.

Music Notes: Purchase and download sheet music to audition with.  This is the only site I’ve found that includes a ‘Hear It’ button so you can actually listen to the arrangement and double check that it’s in a good key for you and let’s you transpose it if it’s not!  That’s HUGE.

Total Sheet Music: Also allows you to listen and download sheet music.  No transposing, but a great library of stuff to choose from.

The Karaoke Channel: Claims to be the worlds largest karaoke library.  They do have a ton of good stuff.  Click the link and get six free songs when you purchase six.

iTunes Store: They must have the worlds 2nd largest library of karaoke tracks.  Easy to search and download.

Get Audition Info:

BackStage: Good resource for union and equity actors to see who’s auditioning for what.  Requires registration.

Stage Agent: Also geared toward union and equity auditions, but some community theaters are listed.  Requires registration.

Auditions Theater: Not a very well organized site, but includes both non-equity and equity auditions and an email list.

Other Resources:

Google Directory of Musical Resources: A long list of organizations that provide related resources for auditioning.

DMOZ Directory of Audition Resources: Much shorter list, some repeats, but good stuff.

Have a question?  An audition story?  A resource to add?  Leave it in the comments section below.

Now, get out there and audition!

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

Maybe I get it now. After just recently getting back on my feet after a year long medical recovery, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the day I would get back out there and start singing again. But it’s different this time. I’m pretty sure it’s directly related to one of the very few things I remember from my science class; a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body NOT in motion tends to think of excuses to stop them from ever getting started. Ok, I don’t remember it EXACTLY, but the premise is the same!

It IS harder to get out there and get singing if you’re not doing anything. It’s especially challenging if you have moved to a new place or don’t know anyone involved in the local music scene.

But here’s the BEST news: once you get started, you’ll find more opportunities to sing and the momentum will start to carry itself; as long as you don’t STOP!

I am now the proud owner of more new audio equipment than I need to get out there and start singing again. I’ve bought resources and done research on my next project, but I’ve found it’s way harder this time to just kick my own butt out the door and start SINGING again. So if you’re stuck, I so empathize!

Do you sing? Do you miss it? Then there are no more excuses!

Here are some ideas to get your ball rolling again:

Not ready to solo yet?

• Join an ensemble, team or choir at your church
• Join a community choir or musical theater group
• Check your local chamber of commerce and parks and rec department for group singing opportunities that are open to the public

Confident in your ability but not sure where to start?

• Check craigslist for bands in your area looking for singers
• Get some karaoke tracks, a mic and a small powered speaker and volunteer to sing community centers, malls, community celebrations, fairs and festivals  (just call to see who to talk to and record yourself singing a couple songs at home so you can prove you can sing)
• Record yourself singing the Star Spangled banner and submit the audio to your local sports teams.  Even major league baseball team require little more to consider you for the slot.  And you get in to the game free!
• Audition for musical theater in the biggest city nearby every opportunity you get.  Even if you don’t get the part, the experience of preparing and auditioning will sharpen your skills
• Offer to sing solos at your church
• Put together a business card to sing at wedding and renewal ceremonies (with either karaoke tracks or an accompanist)

Know some other musicians?

• Do a web search and see what restaurants/venues in your area hire bands that do the kind of music you like.  You only need a small acoustic group to get booked.  Put a set together, practice, record a couple of songs at home and start looking for bookings.  If you’re new, you probably won’t get paid, but the experience and the exposure just may get you future paid gigs.
• Contact state fairs and community festivals.  Almost all have smaller side stages they try to fill with a variety of music (not usually paid, but great experience and exposure).
• Make sure your musician friends know you’re looking for singing opportunities.  They will tell the other musicians they know and you might just be singing backup with one band one weekend and lead with another the next.   Remember, the lead singer is bound to go on vacation or get sick eventually, so scope out your favorite groups and learn the music so you’re ready when the opportunity arises.

www.thejazzchick.com

So why aren’t you singing?  It’s time to get back in the game.

As for me, I’m off to sing some love songs at at restaurant for Valentine’s Day; me and my sexy, sexy mic that, no honey, I didn’t really need but makes me want to sing even more.

One gig leads to another.  And that’s how singers sing!

Share where you’ve been singing or make your pledge to get going right now in the comments section below!

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy