How do you cast a song?
Casting the right songs for musical theater productions is a crucial part of bringing the show to life. It involves matching songs and vocal parts to the actors and characters in order to showcase their skills and advance the story. Choosing the wrong songs or vocal arrangements can damage the integrity of the production, while casting the right ones allows actors to shine and creates memorable musical moments.
When casting a song for a musical, the creative team must consider the character arcs, vocal ranges, and dramatic context in order to select the musical numbers that will work best. The songs help reveal key traits and emotions of the characters. Miscasting songs can potentially diminish the impact of important plot points and character development. With thoughtful song selection and casting, the musical numbers can truly come alive on stage.
Understand the Show
The first step in casting any musical is to thoroughly understand the show itself. This involves carefully reading through the entire script multiple times to grasp the overarching story, plot points, character arcs, themes, and tone. It can be helpful to also listen to the soundtrack or watch a video of a previous production to gain further insight into the music and lyrics.
When analyzing the script, pay close attention to how the characters are described and any cues within the dialogue and lyrics. Make note of each character’s personality traits, background, motivations, goals, and relationship dynamics. Understanding the nuances of each role is crucial in order to find actors who can bring these characters to life. Really delve into the meaning and purpose behind the story to comprehend why the writers chose to tell this particular narrative.
Additionally, think about the overall themes and messages woven throughout the book, lyrics, and score. What ideas or issues are being explored and what is the show trying to say? How do the character journeys tie into the central themes? Having a strong grasp on the show’s main themes will help guide casting choices.
Analyze the Characters
When casting a musical, it’s essential to carefully analyze each character to determine the best vocal range, acting ability, and overall fit for the role. Look closely at details like the character’s age, gender, personality traits, character arc throughout the story, and relationships with other characters (Source 1). For example, the ingénue lead role often requires a soprano with strong acting chops to portray the journey from naivety to maturity. The comic relief sidekick may need an excellent sense of comedic timing in addition to vocals. Pay attention to how characters interact – does the story contain a mother-daughter duo, a romantic couple, siblings, or a dynamic between authority figures and subordinates? The relationships between characters can guide casting decisions as well.
Match Vocal Ranges
When casting a musical, it’s crucial to match the vocal range and tessitura (where the song sits in a singer’s range) of each role to the actor’s vocal abilities. As the Backstage article (“How to Find Your Vocal Range”) explains, singers should know their full vocal range from lowest to highest notes. However, it’s the tessitura that matters most for casting. A role with a high tessitura that sits in the upper range would be vocally fatiguing for a lower voiced singer.
The audition notice should indicate the vocal range needed for each role, such as ” Alto/Mezzo Belt: F3-E5″ (according to the Reddit thread “How to indicate voice types in MT Auditions”). If the composer wrote a specific vocal line, it’s for a reason. As the blog “Vocal Classification in Musical Theater” notes, casting against vocal type can risk vocal health and the intention of the show. Work with the director to match actors to appropriate roles for their vocal range. Have singers mark their range on their audition form, and consider individual tessitura over wider total range. With care, you can assemble a vocally capable cast.
Find the Right Songs
When casting a musical, it’s important for the casting team to match performers with songs that showcase their vocal range and acting abilities. Avoid having all auditioners sing the same popular overdone songs like “Defying Gravity” from Wicked or “On My Own” from Les Miserables. Instead, make a wishlist of song options for each role that suit the character. Look for songs that aren’t performed as often but still demonstrate the singer’s talent. Check out musical theatre songbooks for hidden gems. For ensemble roles, find choral numbers or solo songs that fit the style and tone of the show. Keep in mind the accompaniment – some songs rely heavily on background instrumentals. Try having auditioners bring in their own accompanist or accompaniment tracks. With the right song list, you’ll better assess performers and find the perfect cast.
As recommended in the sources provided, having a wishlist of song options for each role can help you find less overdone musical theatre audition songs that still showcase the performer’s abilities (https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/pick-song-material-musical-theater-auditions-4203/). It also allows you to match songs to vocal ranges and avoid having all auditioners sing the same popular options (https://www.stefanholmstrom.co.uk/single-post/how-to-choose-an-audition-song).
Consider Context
When choosing an audition song, it’s important to pick one that fits the context of the character you’re auditioning for as well as the scene or show itself. You want the song to make sense for the character to be singing in the context of the musical or play.
For example, according to the Musical Theatre Educators blog, “The Ins and Outs of Selecting Audition Repertoire”, you don’t want to sing a comedic song for a serious drama audition. The song needs to be tonally appropriate for the show and character.
Similarly, as explained in Backstage magazine’s article “5 Important Audition Song Choices to Make”, you want to pick a song that fits the time period and style of the show. Don’t sing a contemporary pop song for a classical musical set in the 1800s.
Research the context and time period of the musical and choose songs that make sense for the character to sing within the world of the show. The song should align with the character’s emotions and motivations as well as the overall themes and feel of the production.
Work With the Director
The music director plays a key role in collaborating with the director to shape the overall vision and direction of the show. As the Berklee article explains, the music director works closely with the director and other members of the creative team to oversee all musical aspects of the production. One of the most important collaborative tasks is developing interpretations of the characters and bringing the director’s vision for them to life through the music.
The music director assists the director in analyzing each character and understanding their emotional arcs and objectives in order to match songs and vocal performances accordingly. They explore how the music can be used to convey the inner thoughts and feelings of different characters. Together, the director and music director make important creative decisions about the songs, arrangements, orchestrations, and more to fulfill the characters as envisioned by the director.
Strong communication and teamwork between the director and music director are essential throughout the rehearsal process. The music director provides feedback to the director on how musical choices are working and offers suggestions when needed. Both collaborate closely on auditions, rehearsals, and continuing to refine the show. Their partnership and unified vision ultimately allows all the elements – acting, singing, music – to come together into a cohesive and engaging theatrical production.
Audition Tips
When auditioning for a musical, it’s important to be as prepared as possible. Here are some key tips for singers:
Choose an appropriate 16-32 bar cut from a song that shows off your vocal range and acting abilities. Pick a selection that is age-appropriate and reflects the character you’re auditioning for (source). Practice the song regularly with proper technique and memorize the lyrics.
Bring sheet music in the correct key for the accompanist. It should be clearly marked with your name and any cuts or repeats (source). Be prepared to sight read music at the audition if asked.
Dress appropriately to convey professionalism. Attire and grooming should align with the role you are seeking without being over the top.
When doing cold readings, focus on bringing the character to life through intentional acting choices. Do not rush through the sides. Remember to slate by introducing yourself and the role you are reading for.
Most importantly, relax and give your best performance! Confidence and preparation are key to nailing the audition.
Cast the Show
After completing auditions, it’s time to review your notes and make final casting decisions. Consider each character and the overall impression each auditioning actor made. Assess not just their solo singing and acting, but also their chemistry with others during group numbers or scenes. You’ll want a balanced and cohesive cast that fits the tone and needs of your production. While star power is appealing, casting should ultimately serve the show itself.
According to Director’s Guide – Auditions, encourage students to take ownership of their roles during the casting process. And as recommended by Making Final Casting Decisions, assess all elements of each audition before finalizing your picks. Once decided, simply post the cast list rather than making a big announcement. Save the excitement for opening night!
Conclusion
Casting a musical show requires thoughtfulness and care at every step. The casting process starts with fully understanding the story, characters, and vocal demands of the show. Auditioning performers must be evaluated not just on their vocal talents, but how well they embody and interpret their characters. Matching vocal ranges and styles to characters is crucial for bringing the musical to life. The director’s vision helps guide all casting decisions. With open communication and collaboration between the production team and performers, the end result can be a phenomenal cast that delivers showstopping musical numbers. At its best, thoughtful casting unleashes the full potential of a musical to move and delight audiences.