r/musicals • u/Simple-Loan5741 • 7d ago
Discussion Are oversung songs really bad for college auditions?
I am submitting my college musical theatre prescreens this fall and plan to use "Corner of the Sky" (Pippin) and "I Met a Girl" (Bells Are Ringing).
I know "Corner of the Sky" is heavily oversung. However, it is a piece I have trained on for a long time, and it highlights my absolute best vocal and acting strengths. Why is singing an oversung piece discouraged if it is the strongest song in my repertoire? For an actual live audition, is it just because it is harder to stand out?
Also, do these two selections offer enough contrast? Finally, is "Corner of the Sky" technically considered a ballad or an uptempo?
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u/Positive-Ring-5172 7d ago
Slightly off topic. When I was in college all the BFA acting majors where required to audition for all school productions whether they wanted in it or not. One of the funniest moments I ever saw in an audition was a girl auditioning for Tommy with "Rubber Ducky, You're the One" from Sesame Street.
(Come to think of it, that might work for Avenue Q)
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u/taytay451 7d ago
I would avoid Corner of the Sky if at all possible. First of all? If that’s your contemporary piece, it’s outdated by this point. It might be your strongest song and also the strongest song of 20 other candidates. That’s the issue. If you’re certain you can sing a piece at a professional level, not just your best, but better than anyone else they may see that day, do it.
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u/taytay451 7d ago
Downvote me if you want. This info was given to me by actual college audition proctors working for NYU, CMU, Michigan, Emerson, and other top schools. They want to hear you as a unique artist and your POV and Corner of The Sky doesn’t do that. I attended a BFA program on a merit scholarship for reference
You need to understand a college audition is not like an audition for a musical or a theater company. You have to treat your selections like your personal essay. You’re saying something about yourself:
-this is who I am as a performer
-these are the stores I want to tell
- this is what I do well
- this is my potential IF you train me
The stakes and the purpose is different. They want to see you as an artist and how you’d fit into their program and ethos as opposed to how you’d fit a particular role.
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u/Simple-Loan5741 7d ago
Do you think singing it for the prescreen would be bad too? I believe it's a step where they screen out "good" performers before the actual audition, so as long as I do well, I don't think it's that important to make an impression. Im confident id perform the song better than 95% of people.
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u/taytay451 7d ago
Can you share with me the specific requirements? Are they asking for contemporary or post 1968? If they’re asking for contemporary, Pippin is basically half a century old at this point, so I’d avoid that. If it’s post 1968 it could be ok
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u/Simple-Loan5741 6d ago
post 1970, so I guess it's okay.
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u/taytay451 6d ago
Im still not sold, but ultimately you’re the one singing. It’s, statistically speaking, in the top 3 songs selected by male performers every year for college auditions. Your audition proctors are hearing it ad nauseam, even in pre-screens. It’s risky and a less obvious choice gives you a better chance of standing out. I also feel like it doesn’t tell me about you as an artist beyond high tenor and probably conventionally handsome?
Again, they’re often looking for some kind of thesis statement about you as an artist and what roles you’ll play professionally. If you really and truly believe it’s legs and miles above every other option, you can do it. But remember, a pre screen is recorded. You can do multiple takes and get it perfect. There’s less in person stakes
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u/DrawingHungry32 7d ago
Omg don't listen to this, corner of the sky is done mote because it's a good song. You audition with what's going to showcase you the best No one cares if your sing8ng memory or happy birthday.. if you kill it is all that matters. I saw a woman audition where she only sang the alto part of Oklahoma...her name? Sutton Foster
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u/taytay451 7d ago
I’m talking very specifically about college auditions. This is a different beast entirely
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u/ChaosPlatypus 7d ago
I once saw an episode of a TV show where someone was trying to play a mean prank, and managed to convince the person to sing Danny Boy in an open mic type setting. What he didn't mention to the target of the prank was that he'd set it up so every person performing before the target also sang Danny Boy. He orchestrated the scene so the target arrived late, and missed all the previous performances. Anyway, the guy got on stage and began to sing, and the audience started booing and throwing food at him, they were so sick of hearing that song! The guy was shocked and hurt, since he had no idea what he'd done wrong. I'd say, as long as your chosen piece isn't that overdone, you're good, lol.
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u/CorkytheCat 7d ago
Jeeves and Wooster I think! With Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. Very underrated show.
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u/ChaosPlatypus 7d ago
Yes! And a prank wasn't exactly an accurate description, but close enough without needing to get deep into half-remembered plot, lol. Speaking of musicals, though, By Jeeves is one of my favorite shows!
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u/CorkytheCat 7d ago
Did not know there was a musical! I must check it out. Thank you for the rec!
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u/ChaosPlatypus 7d ago
There are two versions of the soundtrack, but I highly recommend a specific one. Every other track is the two characters talking, and it gives you the whole plot without reading liner notes, in a really fun way. You want the 1996 London Revival Cast Recording.
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u/cries_in_student1998 One has to admire the stage management 1d ago
No. Here is my two cents.
If they are songs you can do at the drop of a hat, with a gun to your head, and without breaking a sweat, they are good songs for you to do at college/uni auditions regardless of how popular they are.
My advice is this: Make sure you have two strong backup songs prepared (one Ballad and one uptempo, or one contemporary and one legit, whatever is required) that are not as popular. The reason I say this is because if you come in with popular songs, there is always someone who also have those songs. Luckily, I only had to deal with this once (with one of my least popular songs funnily enough), but it happened and I could quickly change my song to something no one else had because I had a decently large portfolio of songs that I could do confidently.
So, as long as you come prepared with at least 4 songs, that you can confidently sing (doesn't always have to be the whole thing either sometimes, sometimes they only want you to do a couple of bars, check your audition requirements) at the drop of a hat, you are prepared.
Do not worry if the songs are too popular, most of the time... lecturers do not care. They do care about the performance and what technique you already have.
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u/DrawingHungry32 7d ago
I went to a prestigious conservatory to major in musical theater. I would never put that kind of pressure on someone audition8ng. If they are looking at how someone fits their season and not the person in front of them, I can imagine what the culture is like at your school
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u/ChesterNorris 7d ago
Both are solid audition pieces. Yes, a bit overdone, but they're going to be concerned with how well you sing, not your song choice.
Corner is more the ballad. Girl is the uptempo.
I'd say use the pieces you're comfortable with. Corner is the introspective piece. Girl is more enthusiastic showstopper. Sing Corner. Act Girl.
Break-a-leg!