Audition Prep!

Have you ever been to an audition or callback before? In this article you will learn how to prep and pursue an audition/callback without stressing!

When you sign up for your audition make sure to pay attention to details such as your audition time, place of audition, and any instructions that are provided. It's important before you audition to listen to the music from the show to become familiar with it and establish what kind of show it is. After listening to the show, decide a few characters that you would like to be and prepare for the role in your audition.

Most auditions require one or two audition songs and/or a monologue. When deciding what song to use, make sure it matches the genre of the show and the character you wish to be. For an example, do not audition with a song of a main character if you are auditioning for the role of a villian. When you find your sheet music make sure that there is a line for pianist so the accompanist can play along with you when you sing. When deciding a monologue, make sure you practice a lot because in most cases a monologue is more difficult than the song.

When you arrive at your vocal audition the most appropriate thing to wear is church clothes. As a girl you should wear character shoes and curl/straighten your hair. Any make-up you wear should be light and natural, remember that the directors want to see you!

For a dance audition you should wear clothes you are comfortable moving around in and are appropriate. A good example of this would be to wear a leotard with tights. You should bring all the types of dance shoes you have in case the choreographer would like to see different styles, in some cases you might just wear your sneakers.

Gather all your clothes in advance, and iron anything that seems crumpled.

At every audition you should have a tote bag/backpack full of everything you need. You want to look organized and having everything in a bag is a great way to do that.

In your bag you should have:

• binder filled with your songs (make sure to have back-ups), monologues, headshots, and resume
• honey water/tea
• touch-ups for makeup
• dance shoes

The day of the audition try to cut out dairy from your diet. It can coat your throat and could mess up your speaking/singing. If you need to eat right before the audition a good snack is a granola bar, it keeps you full and is okay with your throat. A good thing to drink is tea or honey water to keep you hydrated and feeling healthy.

You can find vocal warm-ups all over YouTube but don't over-do it. Don't try to belt a note that's out of your range when exercising, because it could throw you off. Tongue twisters are a good trick for a monologue to keep you alert and warm. Stretch your body out before a dance call.

You should begin rehearsing for your audition long before it comes. You should know your song forwards and backwards and feel comfortable giving your monologue. Don't "mark" when rehearsing. This means to treat every time you rehearse like it's the audition. Act and speak out through your monologue every time you rehearse to get comfortable with it. I find it helpful to memorize the monologue because looking down at a piece of paper can make me nervous. Don't skip high notes or difficult parts when your singing because you don't want to get used to it.

When arriving at an audition come completely prepared and ready. Don't change there and don't warm-up in the lobby. Show up minimally 15 minutes early. Audition processes can run really early so coming early is helpful.

When going in, relax. If you practiced enough you should have nothing to worry about. Don't practice in the lobby before because you don't want to mark anything. Let your personality show! Your audition starts the second you walk through the doors, so be respectful and nice. If you mess up - don't let it show. Mistakes are a good thing and can show how you act on stage.

Callbacks can mean different things so don't freak out if you get one or not! It only means that the director wants to see something that they didn't see at the audition. Don't be nervous and bring everything you brought to the audition to the callback.

I hope you learned from this article! Break a leg, I'm sure you will do an amazing job!