“Why Are All the D’Ysquiths Dying?”: My Gentleman’s Guide Experience

I saw this show just last night, and the very first thing I wanted to do when I got home was sit down and write this review. I didn’t, only because it was 11:30 at night and I’d been up for nearly 20 hours. That just goes to show you how wonderful this show was; even soaked to the skin and more than 7 hours after the show ended, it was still all I could think about.

First of all, I’d just to give a shout out to the staff of the Walter Kerr theatre. They were all quite lovely whenever I encountered them; definitely more friendly than many of the other theatre staff I’ve met in the past. So A+ job to them, as well.

It took 3 flights of stairs to get to my seat, and I ended up being the first row on the third story, or the balcony. I wasn’t really prepared for that kind of view; we looked down on everything, and sometimes we had to lean over the railing to see what was going on because many of the lights were right in front of us. I don’t know what I expected, having paid less than $50 for my ticket, but it wasn’t that. Still, I could see everything, so it was great!

The view from my seat

I’ll be the first one to admit that, before Tony season, I really didn’t care about this show at all. I thought it was a clever idea, but something about it just didn’t make me say, “Wow! I need to see that show.” Watching the Tony performance of “I’ve Decided to Marry You” (linked for your viewing pleasure) totally changed that. Still, I hadn’t even considered going to see it on my trip to New York until my mom’s boyfriend surprised me with tickets as an early Christmas present. And let me tell you, I’m so glad that he did.

The show was just incredible from start to finish. I usually cry at the overture of any show that I see (I just get overwhelmed with the emotion of seeing a live performance; I don’t really know how to explain it), but I didn’t have a chance to cry because I was laughing right from the start.

I absolutely can’t give enough praise to the two leading men. Bryce Pinkham, who plays Monty Navarro in the show, was absolutely not what I expected in the best of ways. He really plays up the physicality of the role from the moment he steps on stage; he leaps and jumps and twirls and does the most hilarious things with his facial expressions throughout the whole show. He played Monty as a lot more flamboyant than I expected, but it just worked.

And Jefferson Mays. JEFFERSON. MAYS. I think leaving it there would be enough. This amazing actor plays the majority of the D’Ysquith family (which includes Asquith D’Ysqith Jr., Lord Asquith D’Ysquith Sr., Lord Adalbert D’Ysquith, the Reverend Lord Ezekial D’Ysqith, Henry D’Ysquith, Lady Hyacinth D’Ysqith, Major Lord Bartholomew D’Ysquith, and Lady Salome D’Ysquith Pumphrey. That’s 8 characters, friends). He was just hysterical the whole time. One of my favorite parts was when he was singing “I Don’t Understand the Poor” as Lord Adalbert. During his first chorus, he sang the first line (“I don’t understand the poor”), then stopped the music, looked up at the balcony where I was sitting, and pointed at all of us, making faces the whole time. He then proceeded to put his hands around his mouth and shout-sing the rest of the chorus to us. I was literally crying from laughter.

The “I’ve Decided to Marry You” sequence was probably my favorite part of the show, followed closely by the “Poison in My Pocket” scene. They’re almost impossible to describe without giving away major plot points, so I’ll restrain myself. I laughed completely though both songs; they were just wonderful. “I’ve Decided to Marry You” was definitely better live than on any award shows, and it really solidified my liking for Catherine Walker as Phoebe D’Ysquith. I was a bit skeptical of her, only because it the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade performance, it seemed like she was trying too hard to imitate Lauren Worsham’s Phoebe. However, she was so much better during this performance, and I think that’s because she was putting her own spin on the role instead of trying to copy what someone else had done. Kudos to her.

After the show, I went outside to the stage door to see if they would come out to sign playbills. It took them about 20 minutes or so, but they did, and it was the best stage door experience I’ve ever had. They were all so apologetic because it was raining outside (although we were under a covered construction area, so it didn’t matter much). I was standing right by the door, so they all came to me either first or second.

The first one that came out was Bryce Pinkham, and I was absolutely taken aback by his normal speaking voice. In my head, I knew he wasn’t British, but I still thought “this is wrong” when he started speaking and sounded American. He signed my playbill, and I asked if I could take a picture with him, which he did. He was just a complete sweetheart the whole time, and he didn’t seem to mind that I was shaking like leaf.

Tony nominee Bryce Pinkham and myself!

Then Lisa O’Hare, who played Sibella Hallward, one of Monty’s two ladies, came out. She was also very nice, but a bit rushed. I really don’t blame her, because not only was it rainy and cold outside, but it was a two-show day, so she had to come back and do it all again later. Still, the fact that she came out at all was so nice of her, and she was perfectly lovely (and expectedly British!)

Lisa O’Hare and I!

The last one to come out was Jefferson Mays, and I was more than a little starstruck. I babbled a bit, talking about how wonderful he was and how it was such an honor to meet him. We weren’t able to get a picture, but we did have a full conversation, and it was wonderful. He was so nice; he asked me where I was from, I told him “Worcester, Massachusetts,” and he said “Oh, Woostah!” It made my day. When he had to leave, he turned to us all and said “Thank you all so much for coming. I’m going home to take a nap!” which was just about the best way to leave, I think.

All in all, this was a wonderful show and an experience for the books. This musical deserves every ounce of praise it has gotten over the past year, and the Best Musical Tony couldn’t have gone to a better show. I’m already looking forward to (possibly) going to see it again in February!

 

Broadway Babies: First Time Broadway Experiences

Your first time seeing a Broadway show isn’t something you forget. Mine, for example, was in 2005, and I was going to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with my aunt. The trip itself was less than perfect, but the show was unbelievable. I’m a little fuzzy on the specifics (I was 12, after all), but I remember two things: The flying car was amazing and the child catcher was, as in the movie, creepy as all hell.

I decided to talk to a few people about their first experiences with a Broadway show. It’s just amazing how much people remember, whether they saw the show 10 years ago or 2 months ago. No one forgets their first Broadway show, kids.

Jess C.

Musical She Saw: The Lion King
Age She Was: 8
Where She Saw It: New Amsterdam Theatre
What She Remembers: “It was my first time being in New York and we went at night. I remember tons of lights everywhere, especially on our way in the taxi. I remember being mesmerized by the theater, it was huge. We sat in the orchestra, all the way in the back and I remember pretty much the whole show. I thought it was amazing that the stage could move and that they could have people walking up the walls and everything. It was just amazing. I got a little Simba novelty stuffed toy and I held on to him for the entire rest of the trip. It was just fantastic.”

Kelly S.

Photo courtesy theksteele on Instagram

Musical She Saw: Newsies
Age She Was: 19
Where She Saw It: The Nederlander Theater
What She Remembers: “I had previously seen the movie version of Newsies, and I loved the music and the dancing and all of that, so I was very excited when I heard it was going to be a stage show; it made a lot of sense to me. I had seen other shows before, but it was the first show I saw on Broadway. I was blown away by not only the talent, the sets, the organization, but also the… I’m gonna say wonder, of seeing a Broadway show on Broadway. I cried at a show that you probably shouldn’t cry at. Even knowing the story from the movie, knowing the basics of the story, I was still very engaged with everything that was happening onstage. I was just very happy to be in the presence of such a unique experience.”

Linda C.

Musical She Saw: How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Age She Was: 15
Where She Saw It: The Al Hirschfeld Theatre
What She Remembers: “I saw the show while on a trip with my high school, and Daniel Radcliffe was playing Finch at the time. Honestly, we went just to see him, and I was really pleasantly surprised; who knew that Harry Potter was such a good dancer? Overall, I was surprised at how much I liked the show. It was a very classicly 50s Broadway show, which I’m not really sure if I liked. The main female solo was called “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm,” and you can only imagine what that was about, so the feminist in me wasn’t really having it. But I took it for face value, and the performance quality was fantastic.”

Jennifer D.

Musical She Saw: Wicked
Age She Was: 15
Where She Saw It: The Gershwin Theatre
What She Remembers: “Unfortunately I was sitting in the back, but I remember being really blown away when I saw it. I didn’t know what to expect and I had read the book, so I didn’t know how closely it was going to follow it. I just remember really liking the props and the way they set up everything. The time passed really quickly,  when intermission came I was like “What, really?” because I was just so absorbed by it.”

What was your first Broadway show, friends? Tell me about it!

The Perils of a Perpetually Sick Auditioner

I’m going to preface this post by saying that I am pretty much always some kind of sick. I’m just really susceptible to sickness, especially in the winter time. I also often get bouts of vertigo (which is awful and terrible and my soul hurts for anyone who has to suffer through it), and you literally can’t do anything when you’re suffering from a vertigo spell. I’m just generally a stressed out person, and when I get stressed, I get sick.

This becomes problematic when you’re a theatre person. Honestly, it’s problematic for anyone, but being sick during an audition could ruin your chances at being cast. And that would really suck.

I’ve learned to embrace the fact that, if I have an audition coming up, I’m probably going to be sick on/near that date. Right now, for example: auditions for my college’s production of Into the Woods are next week, and I have some sort of weird combination of a really bad cold and low-grade strep throat. It’s fabulous timing, as always.

Here are some of the things that I’ve been doing to try and help make sure that I’m well again by next week!

1. Drink tea like nobody’s business – I hate tea, but I’ve been drinking two or three cups a day since I got sick (decaf, of course). Tea is good to help you feel better when you’re sick, and even when you’re not sick, it’s good for the voice before an audition! Two birds, one stone. (Also, try to drink decaf tea if possible, because lots of people don’t recommend having a lot of caffeine on or around your audition date!)

2. Go on vocal rest, to the extent that you can – If you’re a student and/or a chatterbox, like me, this one is pretty tough. Try to avoid speaking if you don’t have to. I have a single room in my apartment, so I tend to lock myself in there and listen to music or relax or do my homework. I talk to my roommates on occasion, but not enough to strain my voice. Of course, if you’re a student actor, you have to talk in class or for class work. Just try not to strain your voice.

3. Avoid dairy like the plague – This is another one that’s good to do when you’re sick or when you have an audition coming up, so again: two birds, one stone. Dairy likes to clog your throat with grossness, and when you’re already sick, you have enough grossness to go around. Avoiding dairy will only make life easier.

4. Take all the vitamins/medicine that you need – Honestly, I’ve been taking DayQuil or ibuprofen like nobody’s business. Even if it’s just a quick fix, it does help you feel better for the time being. My apartment has an entire shelf of Emergen-C, and we’ve all been drinking it. It helps!

5. REST – This is probably the most difficult one of all for me. It’s coming up on finals week here, and I have tests, quizzes, projects, papers, everything due. Most of my time that I’m not in class is dedicated to getting something done. But I have to realize that resting is the best thing to make me feel better. Lately, I’ve been pretty good about making myself take a nap if I’m really feeling tired or taking a break between assignments to just chill out and do nothing. This is a big one, kids.

Is there anything I missed that you all think is important? I’m taking any advice I can to get rid of this weird cold in the next week or so, and I’m open to any and all suggestions!

I hope that, if you celebrate Thanksgiving, you had a wonderful holiday! And if you don’t, I hope you had a lovely week regardless!

The Life of a Student Actor: James Z.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying your turkey (or, in my family’s case, lasagna) dinner!

Because of the crazy amount of traveling I’ve had to do this week (I honestly feel like I’ve been in the car for days), I’m posting another “Life of a Student Actor” piece. I know I just did one last week and I really do try not to post the same thing two weeks in a row, but there are just so many fantastic people willing to answer my questions, and now I have a bunch of them queued up!

I’ll definitely be posting a bit more frequently in the next week or so! Plus, I have a trip to New York coming up next weekend (where I’ll be seeing either Pippin or Les Mis!), so I’m sure I’ll have plenty to share about that!

Happy Turkey day to all! Enjoy your time with your families and, if you’re a Christmas-aholic like me, play that Christmas music with pride! Your time has finally arrived!

 

Name: James Z.
Most Recent Role: Frank Lubey in All My Sons

What’s your favorite part of putting on a show?
My favorite part of putting on a show would be the rehearsal period and the bonding that happens during it. You get to really meet your fellow castmates and create strong bonds that you can bring into your performance, and make new friends as well.

Do you have any kind of pre-show ritual?
Usually before a show I say a little prayer, just to have a second person looking over me. I like to keep to myself and warm myself up as well.

Do you have any other commitments, academic or otherwise?
Besides theatre I am a full time student with six classes and I’m on the dance company.

How do you juggle a full class schedule, rehearsal times, and other commitments?
I basically have no life during the fall. I’m constantly running to this rehearsal or at another trying to do homework and other work in between. I do as much work as I can during breaks and weekends.

Any advice for other student actors?
I would say do as much as you want and do what you love, but learn how to time manage because once you learn how to do you, you’re golden!

The Life of a Student Actor: Beth T.

Name: Beth T.
Most Recent Role: Technically, director of 9 to 5
Acting: “Always a Bridesmaid” soloist in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

What’s your favorite part of putting on a show?
My favorite part is cast bonding. Putting on a show is a really intimate experience, so it’s important to really get to know the people you’re working with. Doing shows is such a great way to make friends, and you become close so fast.

Do you have any kind of pre-show ritual?
Before every opening night my friend and I dance to “The Pennywhistle Song” from the movie The Power of One. It was a ritual we had in high school, and we still do it for every show now. We actually got to share it with everyone involved in our production of 9 to 5: the Musical this past October before our first show.

Do you have any other commitments, academic or otherwise?
I have kind of a lot of other commitments. I’m currently doing a senior honors project and have a ten hour/week internship in addition to three classes. I also work as a media tech at the stage on campus and as a peer writing consultant at the reading and writing center, and I’m co-president of the Relay for Life Club and vice president for the Musical Theatre Guild.

How do you juggle a full class schedule, rehearsal times, and those other commitments?
I wish I had a decent answer for this! To be honest, it’s a strggle, but it’s so worth it because I care so much about everything I do. It’s really a matter of prioritizing. What’s coming up soon? What needs the most preparation? What can I delegate? My agenda book is actually my best friend. There are a lot of late nights, but whenever I have a break in the day I try to get some homework done or send any emails I need to send for one of my clubs or look over my lines or blocking. Also, I’ve learned to tolerate coffee.

Any advice for other student actors?
Absolutely stick with acting! Even when times get tough, it’s not worth it to give it up. If you’re struggling with academics or work or anything, talk to your directors. They’ll help you figure it out. Carry your script with you everywhere you go because you’ll appreciate those random free moments where you can look over your lines. Sing in the shower even if you’re in a dorm. Always ask questions! And most importantly, keep in touch with the people you meet through theatre. They’re some of the best friends you’ll ever meet.

Plus Sized Girl in a Theatrical World

Let’s talk about being plus-sized in the theatre world, shall we?

I’m a big girl; I always have been, and I’m okay with that. I could go on for an entire post about being a plus-sized girl in modern society, but that would take a lot more time than I have, and it’s not really relevant to theatre. What is relevant, though, is the thought that always inevitably finds its way into my head after a less-than-successful audition: if I were skinnier, would I have gotten the part I wanted?

I find that I’ve always been typecast into the more “motherly” kind of role; I’ve played a lot of maids, moms and grandmothers in the past. Part of that is my personality (I’m definitely the “Mama Bear” of my group of friends, and I think any of them will tell you that), but I know for a fact that it is, in part, because of my weight. And that, friends, really sucks.

During my senior year of high school, our spring musical was Little Shop of Horrors. Naturally, I wanted to be Audrey, so I worked on my high pitched New York accent for the entire month leading up to the audition. My friends and I all talked about who we thought was going to be cast as who, and they all said they thought I had a really good chance at being Audrey (of course, it’s my friends, so you could say they were just being nice. But we all wanted Audrey). My audition went well, I was super confident, and then I didn’t get it. Instead, I got Mrs. Luce, a walk-on role in one song, a middle-aged woman who tries to get Seymour to appear on her magazine.

After the show was over, I talked to my director (also my English teacher) about the show and the auditions. I grew a pair and asked her if I was even in the running for Audrey, and, as it turns out, I was in the top 3 girls for the part. She gave me a list of a few reasons why they went with the other girl, and one of those reasons was “we knew we had the appropriate costumes that would fit her.”

Every other reason I was perfectly fine with, but THAT is the reason that made me angry. I know that the role of Audrey requires costumes on the sexier side, but they make sexy clothes for plus sized girls, too. Say it with me, friends: “Someone’s weight should not be an excuse not to cast them.” You would think a woman who has been involved in theatre her whole life would know that.

Another friend of mine, a music major, told her vocal coach that she wanted to sing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” at her recital. The woman looked at her and said “well, you know, honey, you can sing that song really well and everything, but Evita was really into her looks, and she just doesn’t look like you.”

I know these are two really extreme examples, but they’re real. They are actual things that plus-sized actresses have had to deal with. I will say that my collegiate theatrical experience has been much more positive, but I know others aren’t so lucky. This particularly ridiculous post caught my eye, but I take comfort in the last few sentences

Two years later I moved to New York City to pursue a career on Broadway professionally (yup, I have other talents besides writing haha) and while being a plus size singer/actress has its challenges, no one has been so bluntly hurtful as that high school drama teacher.

On the surface, it doesn’t look that promising. But what I’m taking out of it is this: the professional world is much more accepting of us fabulous, plus-sized divas. There are parts for us other than Tracy Turnblad out there (although, let’s be honest, I’d die if I got the chance to play Tracy). We can play Evita, we can play Audrey, we can play ANY PART WE WANT. In high school or in the less-professional community theaters, some directors (like mine or my friend’s vocal coach) let appearance get in the way of an otherwise perfect casting.

I take solace in the fact that, out there in the real world, beautiful, fabulously talented plus-sized actresses are making a name for themselves, proving you don’t have to be skinny to be the perfect girl for the part.

Fellow plus-sized actresses: I want to hear your stories! I sincerely hope you haven’t had to deal with any idiots like my high school director.

The Dreaded PSD: Post-Show Depression Really Exists

Curtain call for our last performance of 9 to 5 was just a little bit less than 5 days ago (4 days, 22 hours and 12 minutes ago, to be exact). How do I know the exact time? Because that was the moment that my entire schedule cleared up for the first time since school began.

That’s me, 3rd from the right in the second row. You know, the one wearing the shirt that kind of looks gold but also kind of looks like the color of baby poop?

I’m not going to lie: it’s really nice to have some time to myself. I was able to do a full grocery shopping, spend time planning Halloween costumes with my roommates and even thoroughly clean my room (insert dramatic gasp here). All that took up maybe a day and half.

What have I been doing the other 3 and a half days? Thinking about the show. As much as I try, I can’t stop looking at our production stills, and I definitely can’t get that music out of my head quite yet. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be singing “9 to 5, what a way to make a livin’” until I die.

PSD, or post show depression, is something that I think every performer deals with after a show closes. It’s hard not to: you spend all day, every day with a group of people, and then in the course of a day, you’re lucky if you see them on your way to class. I’m lucky because the majority of my cast lives in the same area that I do, so I’ve seen a lot of them walking to class or eating lunch. Obviously, though, it’s not the same as sitting down and chatting with your cast members.

Here are just a few ways that I’ve been dealing with that post-show sadness!

Make definitive plans with your cast mates : As soon as the show ended (after all the tears were shed), I made plans with a few people to hang out this week. It’s not the same as seeing each other every day, but it gives us something to look forward to! Plus, we’re going to watch Newsies, and is there anything better than a young, singin’-and-dancin’ Christian Bale? I think not.

Look at pictures from the show : Our theatre club does this really cool thing that is super helpful in the days after the show closes. Everyone involved with the show gets a poster with our names written on the white side of it. After we strike the set, everyone goes around and writes a note on everyone else’s poster, telling them how much we love them or what a great job they did. We also do this thing called “Egg Awards,” which is just like any other award ceremony, except the categories are really silly and the “awards” are construction paper cut out in the shape of an egg. For example, one of the Eggs I won this year was the “poor parenting” egg, because I had a baby in the opening number, and I threw him offstage the last night (parent of the year, I know). Reading my poster, looking at my eggs or even my pictures have helped so much in the last week. Sometimes I cry a little when I read some of the notes that people have written me, but it’s a good cry.

 

Start your preparation for the next show : I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m a tad bit crazy for this one. I find, though, that one thing that helps me to move on from one show is to start preparing for the next. I don’t even know what the next show is going to be, but you bet I’m already practicing a few songs for that audition. Practice makes perfect, right?

Post-show Depression never lasts too long, friends. Pretty soon you’ll look at the pictures and laugh at how ugly the costumes were, or hear the music and thing “God, I hated learning that song.” All you have to do is get through this rough patch!

Any other tips for getting through PSD? God knows I could always use some new tricks, especially since my next show is the last one before I graduate! I’m pretty sure I’ll be crying for weeks after that show ends!

And, to leave you all on a happy note, here are some more production photos from 9 to 5. Enjoy!

“Joy to the Girls”

“Yeah, Let’s Go Get Drinks!”

The cast, with our 2 directors in the front!

The Life of a Student Actor: Sarah C.

First of all, I’m so sorry for not posting last week! We were just getting into Hell Week for 9 to 5, and I’m sure you all know how crazy things get. But Hell Week is over, the show has begun performances, and I’m back in business!

Honestly, I feel like some of the people in this cast are literal superheroes. They are all incredible people who do an amazing job bringing their characters to life, all while having so many other things they have to worry about. Really, they’re all rockstars.

That got me thinking: obviously we’re not the only people who do what we do. We’re not the only people who manage to stay sane while trying to get school work done AND be in a show. So why not take a look at some of those magic people?

Name: Sarah C.
Most Recent Role: Beth in Little Women

What is your favorite part of putting on a show?
This might sound a bit narcissistic, but I love that moment when you hear the audience applaud for the first time. Even if you’re offstage, there’s just nothing like hearing that reacting. The directors have heard the same lines and the same song lyrics over and over again, so obviously their reaction isn’t going to be as great as an audience who’s hearing all this for the first time. It really makes you feel so great.

Do you have any kind of pre-show ritual?
The day of the show, I like to keep to myself as much as possible. I feel like it’s kind of like hibernating; I’m by myself for most of the day, and that makes it even better when I actually get to go out on stage. Obviously there’s only so much time I can be by myself; once call time rolls around, you’re with the cast and crew straight through until curtain call. But for those few hours between class and call, I’m pretty much just by myself. I have a few vocal warmups from high school that I always do right before a show, too.

Do you have any other commitments, academic or otherwise?
I’m in a service-based sorority at my school, so obviously that takes up a lot of time. We have tons of events and, since I’m one of the senior members, I spend a lot of time planning mixers and fundraisers and all that kind of stuff. Plus I have a job at a kindergarten, which takes up most of my mornings. I have a pretty packed schedule.

How do you juggle a full class schedule, rehearsal times, and those other commitments?
A lot of times I just have to sit back and take a deep breath. It can get pretty overwhelming at times, but I know I can manage it. I find that writing out a to-do list in the morning helps me out a ton; if nothing else, it helps me hold myself accountable for things. Plus, I really, really, really treasure my alone time. I’m around all kinds of people constantly, so I cherish those few moments where I can just sit by myself.

Any advice for other student actors?
Don’t wish away your time. Yeah, it gets really stressful when you’re in the middle of a show and it’s midterm season and you have papers due in every class. Once it’s done, though, you’re not going to know what to do with all your free time. You’re going to miss going to dance rehearsal, even if you hated going when you actually had to. Really. Make sure you know what a blessing it is while it’s there.

Tips from an Experienced Auditioner

It’s audition season, ladies and gentlemen! And by audition season, I mean any season; the best (and worst) thing about auditions is that they can happen at any time. Sure, peak audition season is September (for all of those auditioning for start-of-the-school-year shows), December (for all the Spring shows that go up in February or March), and February (college auditions!) Still, you can have an audition at any time, and it’s always good to be prepared.

I’ve gone through many a musical audition in my day, and I’ve come across some pretty awesome resources along the way. Here’s my pre-audition regimen, complete with all those fantastic resources!

1. God’s gift to auditioner’s everywhere. This magical thing is called StageAgent, and it is literally the best thing on Earth. It has tons of shows in it’s archives, giving a list of characters and their voice parts for almost every one (See, for example, their pages on Into the Woods and Spring Awakening). I find this most helpful when I’m researching the show before my audition. I like to go in knowing exactly which parts I could fit, and this site helps me out with that like you wouldn’t believe. You can also search their database for audition songs and monologues, and tailor the search to exactly your needs (it’s definitely not the best database out there, though. I recommend doing some secondary research elsewhere). And while I always recommend doing some additional research on the show you’re auditioning for or songs you can sing, it’s a fantastic starting point or place to go when you’re stuck. It’s literally amazing.

2. Songs to avoid. We all know that “On My Own” is an amazing song, and tons of girls can sing it well, but if you bring that song to an audition, the directors are probably going to roll their eyes at you. I know this list is incredibly long, so obviously take it with a grain of salt; of course it’s better to rock “Notice Me, Horton” or “Don’t Rain on My Parade” than pick a song you’re not comfortable singing just because it’s not on the list. While these are pretty great guidelines if you’re looking to be unique and make a good impression, it really depends on your director. I know a girl that just rocked an audition with both “On My Own” AND “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” and she ended up being cast as Lucy T. Slut in Avenue Q (arguably the best role in the show). Be careful of this one, and if you do chose to sing a song this popular, be sure to bring your own character to it: hundreds of people have auditioned with it before you, and hundreds will audition with it after you.

3. Likewise, monologues to avoid.

4. What to eat on audition day. The really crappy thing about being a singer is that what you put into your body affects what you’ll sound like that day. If you’re drinking all kinds of milk and eating cheese and ice cream and other miscellaneous dairy product, chances are your voice isn’t going to be in tip-top shape. Of course, it’s not enough to start those habits just on the day of your audition, and that’s the best thing about this website: it tells you both what to avoid and what to actually eat on the days leading up to your audition to help your voice be the best that it can be.

5. Coping with the inevitable nerves. I know this is easier said that done, trust me. What always helps me is to remember that the directors I am auditioning for want me to do well. Why would they want anyone to do badly? It just limits the casting options. And if I may add my own advice: confidence is key. If you walk in there completely believing that you’re going to blow them out of the water, chances are you will. Take a deep breath, relax, and rock that song/monologue/dance/anything.

6. Vocal warm-ups. In my experience, most music directors have you warm up with them once you get to auditions (please keep in mind that my experience is limited to school plays and community theatre; college auditions and other more professional settings are different!) Either way, it never hurts to warm up yourself before you get there. This site has some pretty great warm-ups, but definitely don’t limit yourself; even just singing your scales as you walk around helps!

7. Dealing with possible rejection. Although I really hope you never have to deal with this, sometimes you’re not going to make it into the show you’re auditioning for. Rejection sucks, and I know that first hand; in fact, I’m dealing with some audition rejection right now, and let me tell you, it’s pretty terrible. But that is no excuse to wallow: I was sad for a solid day, and then I picked myself up, put a smile on my face, and starting practicing for the next audition. The key is not to dwell on what you think you did wrong, but to learn from it and let it make you even better for your next audition. This website has some pretty great insight, too!

Any other helpful hints or resources that I haven’t mentioned here? Leave a comment and let me know; I always love getting more advice!

Happy auditioning!

“You Wonder About All the Turns You Don’t Take”: My If/Then Experience

My summer was pretty terrible. I worked at an extremely short-staffed bookstore, and since I am a seasonal employee, they could give me as many or as few hours as they wanted. Needless to say, I worked 40 hours a week just about every week. I know 40 hour weeks are generally the standard in the work force, but I’m still in college, and I’m not ready to sell my soul to any given company just yet. Especially not for just over minimum wage.

The one thing this hellish summer did allow me to do, though, was take a few days off and go up to good ol’ NYC. Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess, two actors that I love like nobody’s business, were in Phantom together, and there was absolutely no way I wasn’t going to see them. I found myself a buddy, a hole-in-the-wall hotel, a ticketing website that gave students substantial discounts and I was good to go.

And if I was staying overnight in New York anyway, why not see a matinee the next day? There are so many amazing shows out there, and I only get to go to New York once, maybe twice a year. I worked hard for my paycheck, and what better way to spend it than on Broadway tickets?

The show we chose was If/Then. I’ll be honest: I was a little disappointed at first. I was really gunning for Pippin or Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. In the end, though, tickets to all 3 shows were the same price, and If/Then had Idina Menzel. Sold.

I’m not sure why I didn’t think very much of If/Then at the time. The composing team that worked on it wrote my favorite musical (Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey of Next to Normal fame), I’d seen Idina rock it on the Tony Awards broadcast, and I owned the cast recording. Still, I was a little iffy on the show itself. But the tickets were only $40, and it was the first time Idina Menzel had been on Broadway since Wicked, which was over 10 years ago. With her skyrocketing career, it’ll probably be at least another 10 years before she’s on Broadway again. That fact alone was worth the ticket price.

The overture started, and in the moment the spotlight came up on Idina saying “Hey, it’s me,” I knew I made the right choice (and so did everyone around me, because I squealed like a 5-year-old). I was completely captivated throughout the entire show. Music that I thought was only okay on the cast recording was 10 times more amazing live. There were moments when I snorted from laughing so hard, and there were moments when I cried watching Idina’s character, Elizabeth, try to navigate life.

Just a brief synopsis of the show itself: It focuses on Elizabeth, an almost-40 year old woman coming back to New York after divorcing her husband in Phoenix. She goes to the park to meet two friends: Lucas, an old college boyfriend who now spends his time trying to save the world, and Kate, her new, friendly and outgoing neighbor. When she gets to the park, she is faced with a choice: should she start going by “Beth” and go to the protest with Lucas, or should she take the name “Liz” and go listen to the street performers with Kate? The show follows the two paths her life could take from that point: red lighting represents the Liz universe, while blue lighting represents the Beth universe.

The thing that I loved most about this musical is that it really enforced the idea that every little thing, no matter how trivial it seems, could affect your life tremendously. (If you don’t want little mini-spoilers, don’t read on!) In the “Liz-verse”, she misses a cell phone call in the park because she is talking to Josh, a solider just home from Iraq; while she misses out on a job opportunity, she ends up meeting the man who she’ll eventually marry. In the “Beth-verse”, she takes the phone call and ends up getting an incredible job as a city planner, but she doesn’t meet Josh.

I’m hoping that you’ll all take my advice and go see the show if you can, so I’m not going to say much more so I don’t spoil it for you. I will say this, though: I cry at pretty much every Broadway show I ever go to (it’s true), but I have never cried so hard as I did watching Idina sing “Always Starting Over.” It was the song she sang at the Tony Awards, so I thought I was prepared for what I was going to see, but watching it in the context of the show… I can’t even describe it. I’ve never given an actor a standing ovation in the middle of a show before, but I did for this, and she deserved it. I just watched the Tony Awards performance again (and yes, I cried again while I was watching it. I have no shame), but let me just say, while that performance is incredible in itself, it’s nothing compared to seeing it live.

My If/Then experience was incredible in every sense of the word. I constantly listen to the cast recording and wish I lived closer to New York so I could go see it again. Plus, I got to take a selfie with James Snyder, who plays Josh, at the stage door after the show. Sadly, that photo was lost when my phone broke less than a week after my trip (and yes, I do hate myself for not posting it on Facebook or Instagram), but I do have a photo of the playbill he signed!