BWW Blog: Brynn Bonne - The Top 10 Audition Song 'Dont's' for Teenage Actresses

I have been involved in theatre for a long time in many aspects. From being a performer, to doing tech to being an audition reader, I have heard, seen and participated in many auditions. Yes there are many overdone songs, and many posts about them too, but there are many "do nots" as well. Here are the top ten "don'ts" for all you teenage actresses going on your next audition.

1. PULLED- THE ADDAMS FAMILY

This is one of the most challenging songs I have come across. It is one of the only songs that is in the right age category for teenage auditionees, but if not done right, it can cause huge problems. This song requires a strong, clean soprano belt that not many people are capable of. Often the people with the cleanest belts are altos that, from my experience, have trouble hitting the higher notes by the end of the song which leads to a strong and powerful sound switching into a head voice register that ruins the power that has just been brought to the table. And for the sopranos who are able to reach the notes near the end, since they don't sing a lot in their lower register and try to show off their excellent soprano chops, they don't have the same clean and powerful belt as the mezzos/altos and can't execute the number to its full potential. This song has been done quite often in the last 2 years, it is only the right choice if you can give the directors a good balance between belt and soprano that can make this song the good choice for you.

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2. ANYTHING THAT THE COMPANY YOU ARE AUDITIONING FOR HAS DONE IN THE LAST 3 YEARS

This is a very significant point that may require you to do a bit of research. If you go into the audition room having prepared a killer rendition of Good Morning Baltimore but the company you are auditioning for just finished their run of Hairspray last spring, chances are they will be listening to your song like how the person they cast in the role of the song your sang it, that they won't be fully invested in your performance. The same goes for songs that are made famous by someone. If you pick a song that is less known and less familiar with the company you are auditioning for, they are more likely to listen to how you sound singing the song than how you match up to the person they heard sing the song before you. Also, if you have seen the production of the song you have chosen, that the company has done in the past, you find yourself comparing your voice to how they directed it and who they cast that you don't focus on emphasizing your vocal qualities. Don't play "Jane Doe" as the character, play yourself as the character for ultimate success.

3. ADELAIDE'S LAMENT- GUYS AND DOLLS

Ok this song is defiantly a good song for teens to avoid in their next audition. This is one of the best songs to come out of the golden age for belters, and this act one showstopper must be performed not sung. In an audition, you don't usually get to sing your piece all the way through, and when you are at an audition, the creative team observing you does not get to see the performance of this song in context, and that is what this song needs to be successfully executed. This song is meant to be sung on stage when you play the role of Adelaide in Guys And Dolls and it does not get the admiration it deserves by being sung in the audition room. Also, this song should not be sung by teens specifically because the character of this piece has been engaged for 14 years, and most people have barely been alive that long.

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4. ANYTHING DISNEY

This is a bit surprising to be pitting on this list but there is a good reasoning behind it. There are not many roles for teens in theatre that arn't much older than them, and this includes ensemble. When you are auditioning for an older character or older ensemble member, the creative team is looking for someone young that can be professional and have a good maturity level that is right for the adult company. You can go in and slate perfectly and read your sides with such grace, but if you sing a Disney song, all will be cancelled out. A Disney song will make you seem younger than you are which could hurt your chances of being cast. There are many other excellent choices out there for you to sing, and since Disney is very mainstream, it can make the creative team think that you don't have enough professionalism for the production.

5. I KNOW THINGS NOW- INTO THE WOODS

Just like a Disney song, this is another number that could sway the casting teams opinion about you. There are very minimal solos for teen characters and since most children in theatre don't have many solos either, they tend to sing a lot of the teen solos- this song included. When you are a teen singing a song meant for a teen and the casting team has just heard this song sung by many children, it groups you in with the younger auditioners and puts a dent in their view of your maturity. This song specifically is one to avoid as it is a song written by Sondheim, and is very difficult for accompanists to play on the spot, depending on their experience and a Sondheim piece is very complex and not the best option for an audition- especially an up tempo Sondheim such as this one. Lastly this is a song that needs to be sung in context in order to fully understand the words of the piece and if someone is not familiar with the show might not fully grasp the meaning of this piece.

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6. WAITING FOR LIFE- ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

This song is not so much overdone, as it is overused. Many people don't use this song for auditions very often but it is used mostly for concerts and recitals. It is a very straightforward melody that don't really show of strong vocal quality for anyone who sings this piece and has a melody that can grow to be annoying overtime. This is a song that is very flat and doesn't have the excitement of the up tempo songs that the creative team is looking for.

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7. THINK OF ME- PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

This song should be avoided for one reason and one reason only. It is for a classical soprano with major chops to pull it off. This is a very challenging song that requires a very classically trained soprano to sing it. It is an excellent song for sopranos to learn and practice in a vocal class or independently, but not for your audition. It is a song that you need to practice for many years before using it for an audition or recital because of the challenge this piece provides. There are other amazing soprano songs that you can sing that show off your soprano voice, but this is a song that is too complex for the audition atmosphere and should not be used in the audition room.

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8. BURN- HAMILTON: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL

This whole musical has taken the world by storm over the past 2 years, and there anew many good solos like this one to come out of it. Although, this one is something teenagers should be on the lookout for. With this shows growing popularity, this song will be used at almost any audition to take place, and at an audition, the maIn Focus is to separate yourself from the crowd and prove why you Of all people deserve the role. If you sing the same song as many others auditioning, you won't give yourself that edge that says you have something different and unique to bring to the table. Also, this song has a lot of mature themes that many teenage actresses don't have the experience to touch on. The best thing, and most important thing to do in musical theatre pieces is to find a way to connect to your character by being able to understand their backstory and play to it while you sing. It is very rare that teenagers deal with cheating husbands involved in high government positions that it is very hard to really connect with your character and understand the true motivations behind the piece that it is better to pick a piece that has something you can find that sparks a

connection between you and your character.

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9. ANYTHING SUNG BY A CHARACTER OLDER THAN 40

This is a more obvious one on my list but there is a good explanation for why it is on here. The main reason why you should not sing a song by a character significantly older than you is because of the major age gap between you and your character. Most songs written for "older" women to sing talk about actually being old in the lyrics and it is strange for a director to listen to a teen sung about all the life experiences that have obviously not been experienced, or even close to having been experienced by the auditionee. Also, for an audition it is best to sing a song by a character you could most likely play fairly soon in your life, and you won't really be playing many characters who are in their 40's quite soon, so it is better to stick to songs intended for a younger group of actresses to perform.

10. DEFYING GRAVITY- WICKED

Ah yes, we finally come upon the piece to end all pieces. Wicked. Wicked is one of the most popular musicals among teenage performers, and it shouldn't belong in the audition room. This song is a tough song, and if not prepared or worked on constantly, it can be unsuccessful. This piece has a lot of challenging higher belts along with many strong lower register notes that need a lot of focus, and if you do not have the access to that focus it is not the piece you should do for your audition.Also, after the popular performance on "glee" that has alterations to the version from the broadway production, there have been many covers of the glee version, that make the song even more challenging to perform. Because that version wasn't intended to be in a musical and performed the way it would be on Broadway, it is very hard to connect to the characters true emotions as this version was meant to be sung and not performed. Because of the overuse of this song, and the many challenges and problems that can arise with this piece, And should not choose "defying gravity" for your next audition.

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All of this being said, auditions can be either the best or worst part of your acting career and having strong confident audition choices can make you truly stand out and enjoy the audition experience. Having the right audition piece can give you a great sense of confidence going into the audition room that will increase your chances of success.

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