The Audition Advantage

Shaun and I realized that between the two of us, we'd been doing shows, teaching classes, and participating in auditions for nearly 30 years. We saw that the skills we had were things we could impart to others. So we formed The Audition Advantage. 

There was a lot of paperwork involved in creating a business. But, now we're legal and established.

We've got cards out at theatres and dance studios. We're creating a flyer. We each mention the business in our performance bios. We have a nice website, a Twitter account and a Facebook page. We put ads in programs for high school plays and musicals. Yet, business does not seem to be picking up. 

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I'm an Addict

Photo by Julia. Used by Creative Commons License.

Hi. My name is Nicole and I’m an audition addict. (It’s a thing. Really.) I’m on a string of them right now. And I’m looking for more. I can’t seem to stop myself. There is a rush of adrenaline in the preparation. A high in the performance. Almost always followed by a terrible crash.

I said it last week, but it bears repeating. To audition, you must have unshakable confidence and a wide streak of masochism. Otherwise, you won’t survive.

You know what the worst ones are? The ones you never hear from. Not the, “We’ve decided to go with someone else for this role”. Just the ones that never call, or email, or text. It’s very rude. Understandable, though. I mean, who wants to call a bunch of people and give them bad news?! I wouldn’t. But, still. It would be nice to hear from you. Just so I stop waiting.

The best ones? You’d think it would be the ones that you get. It isn’t. The best ones are the ones you learn from. This is not mutually exclusive of the worst ones, mind you. I’ve learned a lot in these past few auditions where I got nothing:

1. Don’t wear 4 inch heels. I become a giant.
2. My German accent is not great.
3. I am a dancer. I move like one. Deal with it.
4. I’m funny. Especially when I curse. Because no one expects it.
5. Speed, in learning and in movement, is really not my thing. I can work on that.
6. I have limits, lines, preferences and standards. I won’t do things that don’t fit with that.

This is a pretty good list of things to have learned in the last month or so! And I know I have much more to learn. Bring it on!

Facing My Fears

Photo by Hope Grows. Used by Creative Commons License.

I’m taking voice lessons. I don’t want to. I don’t like it. But I know I need to.

I wrote a loooooong time ago that I am a dancer, who can act and sing. Singing is definitely listed third. Clearly, I do not suck at it, as I just finished Godspell, where I did lots of singing, with 3 solos. I took voice lessons in college. I was actually a voice minor.  I just don’t trust myself at it.

The hardest thing for me in singing is the breath control. It is the complete opposite of my Pilates work. And my Pilates muscle memory, because I trained so intensely and still do it pretty much every day, is much sharper than my vocal muscle memory. In my next role as Ivy (one of the wicked stepsister’s in “Cinderella”), I’m going to need a lot of breath control. While I sing a bit, I spend most of my time screeching, screaming and tittering. I need to support my voice with lots of air, or I’ll lose it before we open!


Plus, there are some auditions coming up that I need to sing for. And really, I’m getting a little tired of the anxiety attacks when it comes to singing! So, I’m facing my fears. Voice lessons, here we come.

I’ve said before that professional performers are this odd combination of supreme confidence and utter vulnerability. You absolutely must believe that you can do every part you audition for. And, at the same time, you must be prepared to be rejected. Over and over. And over. But keep that unshakable core, and go for the next one.

I know it will be good for me. I will learn more about myself and my skills. I will walk into those auditions with more confidence than if I just went with what I have. It will make me a better teacher.

For now, I’ll just fake it. I’m an actor, after all.

Audition Advice

SLSC Uncle Shakes by Ina Centaur, used by Creative Commons license

I’ve been teaching a Musical Theatre Master Class at Hedgerow Theatre (with my brother-in-law Jeff, who is the Music Director there) for the past 5 weeks. We still have 5 weeks to go. Each week, we’ve focused on a skill of Musical Theatre- singing, dancing, acting, and character development so far. This week- auditions. And, as an audition coach, it’s my turn to teach! Here’s some of what I’m planning to share with my class:

Auditions. A terrifying, yet absolutely necessary part of a performer’s life. As an audition coach, it’s my job to demystify the process and help the performer prepare for each audition.

I think there are 2 very important things to remember going into each audition:

1. The auditors want you to do well. Really. Honest. They do. You see, their job is to cast the show, fill their program, create a company, etc. They want you to do well, so they can do their job. I get excited at auditions, to hear or see something new, unexpected, fun. I’m excited to do my part, and I can’t wait to meet the people I’ll be working with!
2. An audition is a performance. Auditions are not a test. Auditions are a solo performance.  They are a show- your show. Knock ‘em dead. You’ve selected material that you feel confident in, so perform it! You most often have control over your song and monologue, and you play a character in those. So why not in the dance, too?
I have a student who had to do a ballet audition. He had never taken a ballet class in his life! So, he came to me. We did ballet class for a few weeks. Then, we had a mock audition. He was making it through the combinations, but they were simply a series of steps to him. There was no emotion, and no confidence. So, I told him that he had to play a danseur (The male term for ballet dancer. Not ballerinO, despite popular opinion); his character was good at ballet.  It completely changed his thought process. It was a revelation for me as a coach as well. Auditions are a performance. Those who are ready to perform will do well.

I have a feeling I will return to this topic next week, after I teach the class and get feedback on these points from the students. But first, what is your feedback? And, what are your biggest audition concerns that you would love for a coach to address?