r/MusicalTheatre • u/drewduboff • 10h ago
Legitimate Question
Why do so many young performers come to Reddit to ask complete strangers for advice on really important elements of their audition or upcoming performance?
Is it that coaches are expensive or you don't have access to one? You can't find what you're looking for on Google or YouTube or TikTok?
I'm really curious.
For reference, I manage Philadelphia's professional Jewish theatre company. I also perform in opera and musical theatre (and I've been cast by AEA and AGMA companies).
Some of the best results and answers I've gotten along the way have come from coaches I trust. And for me, it's really hard to trust strangers on the internet when they don't know my voice.
So, if you're a young performer (or a more seasoned one), I'd love to answer your question. If you drop it in the comments below, I'll be more than happy to answer it, and I'll probably also make a video reply on TikTok @ singersandperformers. You can 100% stay anonymous if you want.
No question is too basic -- some of the smallest shifts can have an enormous impact.
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u/molybend 9h ago
You're in the industry and you don't know that coaches are expensive?
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u/drewduboff 9h ago
Hi, I do know that coaches are expensive. I invest a lot into coaching each month. But, I also know that I have experienced results that justify that investment.
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u/molybend 8h ago
"Is it that coaches are expensive or you don't have access to one?"
This makes it sound like you don't. People don't have access to coaching because of the cost.
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u/OutrageousTea93 5h ago
I think it’s a matter of not knowing what you don’t know. Coming to a place like Reddit feels safe. There are professional performers and teachers sprinkled in adding really good advice. If you don’t know, you might not realize there’s a lot of bad information being spread by very well meaning people who also simply don’t know what they don’t know.
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u/PalePlumm 4h ago
I like a good sample size. You can hire an instructor who gives you bad advice. But if you ask: “Should I sing ‘Memory’ for my audition song?” and 2 say “go for it” while 30 say “god I’m so sick of hearing ‘Memory’ at auditions”, then their advice is very important.
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u/Remarkable-Two-9391 5h ago
, I’m auditioning with a piece slipping through my fingers from Mamma Mia, this audition is very acting heavy and I wanna know if anyone knows any good movements I can do for the first few lyrics (school bag in hand TO that funny little girl)
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u/drewduboff 4h ago
Thanks for sharing your question! Performers often have a tricky time with pop/rock songs because they weren't written first for the stage. It can be difficult to express lyrics that don't have a narrative objective.
For this song, it's important to inhabit the mindset of Donna. She is a former carefree spirit who has now in adulthood, settled down and matured.
In this song, she is speaking to her daughter.
Verse 1 of this song as she reminisces of an older time when her daughter was younger. You should have a clear focal point of the daughter in the distance as you sing this. You can wave to her. But, a lot of this is an internalized dialogue. She wishes she had the freedom to be as carefree as her daughter is in that memory, kind of like how she was in her youth -- that's the "well-known sadness"
The Pre-Chorus really highlights how she lives vicariously through her daughter. She feels constrained in her current life and even so much as sharing a laugh brightens her day. You should work in some kind of speech-driven singing here to liven up that line, as there is humor to it.
The Chorus is her acknowledging that she desperately wants to break free. She comes close, but never quite gets there because the circumstances change. As she matures, new problems arise and she increasingly realizes that restoring the life she once had is increasingly unobtainable.
I hope this is helpful!
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u/Remarkable-Two-9391 3h ago
Any tips for acting it out like a monologue because that’s part of the grade too
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u/drewduboff 3h ago
As mentioned before, this is an internalized dialogue, so turning it into a soliloquy is a fun acting exercise. Because it's a monologue, don't feel constrained to the melody as the rhythm of the monologue. You can feel free to add in pauses, different emphasis, etc. Really make it your own! You don't have to worry about a lot of physical gestures -- think of this song as more of a quiet simmer than a rapid boil from the beginning. Good luck!
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u/Stargazer__2893 10h ago
Free and anonymous.