#108: Dear Julie… extra pieces?

Wednesday 11/27/24

(thanks to a real one who let me know that this didn’t post this morning!)

DEAR JULIE: I have 16 auditions scheduled for college. Only about half posted what we need to prepare. How do I get ready without knowing? I don’t want to cram!

We love when schools we pay a lot of money to audition at give us NO information when they fully know what they want to see!

I know you will have already prepared some of these things so I’m including everything you probably prepared for prescreens as well. To start, remember, at MOST schools you will most likely have to perform a live dance audition. This may or may not include you doing a 16 count IMPROV moment. So… think about what you may do! In terms of prepared material:

1. Contemporary Musical Theatre Song - think post 1970 (their rules) but be careful how far back you really go - cut should be under about 80 seconds and then cuttable to under 60, or just 1 cut under 60. 

2. Classic/Traditional/Golden Age Musical Theatre Song think pre-1970 but not rock and contrasting in style/voice/tone from the contemporary cut. This song should also be about 80 seconds and then cuttable to under 60, or just 1 cut under 60. 

3. Pop/Radio song! This can be ANY pop song from the last 40 years or so (unless you slay some Frankie Valli or jazz). Don’t overthink this. Find an artist you like, or an MT composer who also is a pop writer and start there. Less than 60 seconds.

4. A backup MT song of your choosing. If it can be in a part of your voice you haven’t used, or in another style, even better. Less than 60 seconds. 

5. Contemporary Monologue - schools will say post 1950 but I think that isn’t very helpful. Try 90s/early 2000s to today. Keep it about 60 seconds. 

6. 2nd Contemporary Monologue - see #5. Also, you may not need this but good to have on hand. Should be different in tone than #5. 

7. Classic NON SHAKESPEARE Monologue - think 1800s-1910. Keep it under 60 seconds & contrasting in tone from #5. You mostly will use this and #5. 

8. Shakespeare Monologue - under 60 seconds. You most likely won’t need this. 

YES that is 8 pieces. I’m sorry. But I cannot imagine a world where you would need anything else. 

Dreams Don’t Die

Julie