I had the pleasure of playing piano for the UVA Drama Department's auditions for Evita today. I say "pleasure" because not only was it a lot of fun as always, but I also got paid more than enough to cover the cost of last week's party at our house. FTW!
Having accompanied for numerous musical theater auditions over the past few years, I would like to offer some advice to any future auditioners out there from a pianist's perspective.
1. Bring sheet music for your audition. Chances are, you're not as good of a singer as you think you are. It's the sad truth. The director hires an audition pianist for a reason, so don't sing a cappella. You're more likely to stay in pitch and time with accompaniment. Additionally, the piano is there because the director wants to hear if you can follow the music, something he or she can't tell if you sing a cappella, which makes it less likely that you'll be cast.
2. Sing a tonal song. For some reason, several of the auditioners today decided to use really modern pieces that 1) did not accurately convey their vocal talent or 2) were very difficult for me to sight read. Having no sense of humility, I'm not afraid to say that I'm pretty darn good at sight reading. So if I can't do it, there aren't a lot of audition pianists out there who can.
3. When given the opportunity, do your monologue first. Even a sight reader as talented as myself (seriously, no humility here whatsoever) can't play a song perfectly the first time he or she sees it. By doing your monologue first, you give your accompanist a minute or so to at least look at the piece and figure out its structure, chord progression, and general feel before you perform it. This is especially helpful when you bring in a ridiculous song written in 7/8 time or in the key of G flat.
4. If the pianist asks you what tempo you'd like to take, sing the first line for him or her. Rarely is an auditioner able to accurately count out the speed at which he or she wants to sing the audition piece. It's not his or her fault, he or she is probably just nervous. Instead of tapping out a rhythm, sing the first line to the accompanist, because it's simply a more accurate way of conveying how you want the song to sound.
5. Compliment the pianist. Okay, this is probably the most trivial piece of advice I have, but I absolutely love receiving compliments. I usually know or have accompanied most of the people who audition for plays at the UVA Drama Department, but my favorite auditioner today was a young man that I had never met before. As he approached me to give me his sheet music, the first thing he said was, "Oh, you're a great pianist! I remember going to your fourth-year recital. It was awesome!" I think I nearly fainted with pleasure right then and there.
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