Ace Your Audition in New York

LESSONS

Before you go to the audition you want to make sure you’ve honed your skills. If you haven’t, other people have. While you were busy “chillin” everyone else was busting their butt in class so they can steal your job. THEN, even after you book the gig- keep taking class.
A lot of the time it’s easier to take classes that you’re already good at, it fuels yourself esteem and reinforces your talent. All of that is great, but what about brushing up on the things that you know need a little work?? Maybe you aren’t the best tap dancer, well if your voice is incredible but you audition for Thoroughly Modern Millie and can’t tap- then your voice doesn’t matter all that much!

If you want to go Broadway, you’ve got to do it all. Dance classes, acting classes, voice lessons, improv, etc. Push yourself to KEEP LEARNING AND GROWING! Then, you are limitless!

THE VOICE!

Your sense of humor may be objective, you can occasionally fake the dancing if you get put in the chorus (in the back) but with singing, we can ALL HEAR WHEN SOMETHING IS OFF. If you’re struggling in the vocal department, by all means for the sake of our hearing, go take some lessons. Singing isn’t easy if it doesn’t come naturally, you have to practice your scales, warm up, work on the “holes” in your voice and make a conscious effort to improve. I was a voice teacher and from watching my students work REALLY hard, I saw massive improvements. It can happen.

When you audition you'll probably visit:

HEADSHOTS

Even though you may be spectacular looking in person, if you walk out of the audition and you leave the casting directors with a crappy picture of yourself (before you could figure out how to do you hair correctly) that will be the last image of you they have in their heads. Your pictures shouldn’t be prettier than you are, they shouldn’t make you look thinner or taller…they should look like YOU.
Now, this usually isn’t a cheap thing, it’s an investment and it’s well worth it. However, if you change your “look” your pictures should change too.
Build your portfolio if you’re an actor or different types of “characters” you could play, then, if you get called in to audition for the role of the nerd, you’ve got headshots that show you can pull it off.
Figure out what your looks are. Pick a few pictures to get several prints of; smiling, serious, full body. etc.

Sometimes, if you’re lucky you can find a photographer looking to expand his/her portfolio on Craiglist and for your time, you receive a disk of pics. Pretty good deal!

Your "BOOK"

SO. You’ve been taking your lessons, you’ve figured out how to breathe correctly, you have your monologues prepared, and you’ve stretched so much that you can kick your face if the casting director wants you to….now what about your repertoire??

Bringing just ONE song to an audition will not suffice. Throughout your time taking lessons, learning music, etc. you should be compiling a “book” of all of the tunes you can sing. Not only should you know all of the songs, they should be perfected and sung like you’ve sang them everyday of your life, effortlessly. Know the lyrics, and have  the sheet music prepared at 16 bars, since you rarely get to sing more than that anyway (unless it’s a callback.)

Your book should contain a variety of genres and styles. If you go to audition for Spring Awakening they aren’t going to want to hear a tune from Les Miserables. BUT next week when you go to the Les Mis audition, they aren’t going to want to hear you sing a rock/pop song. Classical, folk, jazz, musical theater (and all it’s varieties), rock, 50’s and 60’s tunes, should all be in your BOOK!

Apparel

Apparel isn’t as important if you’re going to an acting only audition. With that being said, if you are going to an acting audition- it’s smart to dress the part. If you’re auditioning for the role of someone innocent, don’t go in with heavy black eye liner all tarted up. You won’t book it.
If you’re going to a Broadway audition, don’t think that just because you’re auditioning for the a singing role, that you won’t be asked to dance. You probably will be, so be prepared. Shoes, tights, dance wear, bring a bag and bring it all.

Audition Resources:

Know your casting directors:

Become familiar with these names, because you’ll be hearing them a lot.

Telsey + Co
Binder Casting
Avy Kaufman Casting
Susan Shopmaker Casting
Tara Rubin Casting
Grant Wilfley
Impossible Casting