Penn State Musical Theatre Auditions

Your audition will happen in two parts – an individual appointment and a dance call.

Individual Appointment: Please prepare two songs and one monologue. See below for suggestions as well as length. One song must be written before 1970. The two songs should contrast (one ballad, one up-tempo). The monologue should be from a published play written after 1950.

Dance Call: You will taught a short dance combination in a group. After learning together, we will do the combination in small groups of 3-4 in order to adjudicate.

Here are several suggestions as you consider your audition…

1. A successful audition begins with careful, intelligent material selection. Pick material that you feel reflects a bit of who you are and what you think. Where possible, try to select songs and monologues that fit your age bracket and life experience. Things that are “performative” (big production numbers from musicals, monologues with “shocking” subject matters or language do not usually translate well to the audition room.

1. Pick material that you do well and that you are passionate about. This is very different than picking material based on a belted high note or series of skills you are looking to showcase. We are much more interested in what your material tells us about you than things that showcase all of your skills. At Penn State, we don’t publish a list of “do not sing” material – we are happy to hear anything you prepare. We do suggest, however, that you try to avoid material that is either currently on Broadway, huge and “performative” in nature, or has been originated and imprinted by a very well-known living artist.

1. Think of the two songs and the monologue as an introduction to who you are as a young artist and person. Remember, we aren't looking for the perfect casting decision. We are looking for talented and curious artists – people with whom we will spend a great deal of time over four years.

1. Pay careful attention to cutting and editing your selections. We are asking that you keep each of your selections (two songs, one monologue) to 60-90 seconds each.

1. The up-tempo and ballad should contrast. One song needs to have been written before 1970. What we are looking for is one song in a more “traditional vocalism” and one using more of a “contemporary vocalism.” We would encourage you to also contrast your songs from a content perspective as well (try not to sing two “love songs” or two songs with similar circumstances and objectives).

1. If possible, try to find a way to rehearse with someone who can play the music that you will provide our accompanist. Singing the first time with an accompanist at an audition can be difficult.

• On-Campus auditions will be held in the Theatre Building on our University Park, PA campus. You should come to the first floor lobby area.
• New York, NY auditions will be held at Open Jar Studios –1601 Broadway (12^th floor) – Broadway and 48^th Street (enter of 48^th Street) in Studio 12J. (Holding/ Waiting Room is the studio next door – 12N)
• Chicago, IL Auditions will be held at the Fine Arts Building Annex at 410 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL. We will be in Studio C.
  

Faculty for our auditions can change from location to location, but the head of our Musical Theatre program, John Simpkins, will be at every location. We will also be video recording all auditions so that all of our faculty can participate even if they aren’t in the room at the time!

Here are some of the faculty you might see at your audition:

• John Simpkins, Head of Musical Theatre at Penn State
• Gwen Walker, Voice
• Wendell Franklin, Acting
• Natalie Malotke, Dance
• Gabriella Sam, Voice
• Christine O’Grady Roberts, Directing

Here are several things you can do to help yourself on the day of your audition…

1. Give yourself the best chance for success. You are a busy person. You're probably juggling your Penn State audition with other auditions, school shows, lessons, a job, your social life, and school work. If you are auditioning on campus, try to arrive the day before if possible. That way you can familiarize yourself with the campus, take a self-guided tour, look for the audition location, and hopefully get a good night’s sleep.
2. Manage your energy. Many people in our field think of auditions as difficult events full of anxiety. We invite you to think about your audition as a great opportunity to share your work with us. A time to introduce yourself and your passions to a group of people who are on your side in that process. We want nothing more than for your audition to go well! Try to grab a few minutes before you come in the room to breathe and center yourself. Hopefully this will slow your clock down just a bit so you can do great work when you join us in the room.
3. When you enter the room, please visit the accompanist first. Give your tempo for both songs and then join us in the center of the room. You are welcome to start with anything you like – the songs, the monologue, or splitting up the songs and the monologue in the middle. Consider what gives you the best chance for success in the order you choose (is there a vocalism that you use that might help you understand how to best order your songs, for instance). Please DO NOT SLATE. We will speak to you, ask you what you are going to do first, etc. – but please do not prepare a slate. Just talk with us in the room and then we’ll move into the work together.
4. Be ready for the unexpected. We may stop you and work with you on a piece; we may cut you off and ask you to move to your next piece; we may vocalize you, or we may ask you to do something unplanned. We have a short time to get to know as much about you and your work as possible. If we've seen what we need to see, or feel that we need to see something different, our request will only help us learn about you.
   
5. Wear comfortable clothing for the dance call. Something that allows you to move comfortably. Dance clothing is preferred if possible (if not, athletic clothing is next best). Bring a couple of different shoe options so you can choose based on the floor (character shoes, jazz sneakers, etc.).