Many years ago I was asked to audition for the role of Flora in" Turn of the
Screw" (B Britten) The producer had heard me as Belinda in Dido and Aeneus
when I was still a student (6 yrs prior to that) and thought I would be
ideal. Anyway, I auditioned with Suzanna's aria , singing it as Suzanna,in
my normal voice, because I wanted to show how the voice had developed and
didn't think I'd get a chance to audition again that quickly .I didn't get
the part and was very dissappointed, because the producer really wanted me.
Two weeks before the opening night I was asked to jump in because the
singer they had chosen couldn't cope with modern music. I sang the role as
Flora is, a young girl.That's what acting is about, after all. Later I
received an award for best supporting role.
When I challenged the conductor as to why I didn't get the role in the first
place, he said that I had sounded too mature at the audition. But I had
auditioned with Susanna, who is not a child!!! Two seasons later I was
offered Anne in Merry Wives because they had heard me audition with Suzanna,
so they knew what I sounded like. I landed up singing Anne and Flora on
alternate nights and felt quite schizophrenic. Same conductor, same
management. Is a puzzlement!!
I don't quite know what the above tale is supposed to illustrate. That one
can never do it right? I suppose doing what is appropriate is the bottom
line here.(excuse the pun!) What are you auditioning for? Just a general:
"here I am "or for a specific role? Maybe doing something closer to what
they are looking for might be less risky? But if they are looking for a
charachter actress, you should be fine doing that with which you are
comfortable.
Good luck!
Regards
Susi
----------
>From: Mezzoid@a...
>To: vocalist-temporary@egroups.com
>Subject: Re: [vocalist] Acting audition accent advice?
>Date: Fri, Jan 12, 2001, 5:18 AM
>
> In a message dated 01/11/2001 2:49:20 PM Central Standard Time,
> mightymezzo@h... writes:
>
> << I thinking of using one of the Old Lady's speeches from "Candide," as I
> just
> played the role last summer. When I played the Old Lady, I used a weird
> half-Spanish half-French half-Yiddish accent. (She's easily assimilated,
> after all.) For the auditions, I thought I would use an accent, not as
> extreme as the performance dialect, but noticeable.
>
> Anyone think that this is a mistake? Should I just go with my normal
> civilized East Coast Fluffyan Usonian speech? >>
>
> I personally think you should use whatever dialect is appropriate to the
> character. You wouldn't go in and do Shakespeare like you come from Chicago
> - unless that's the direction of that particular production.
>
>
>
> Christine Thomas
> Wauwatosa, WI
> <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/mezzoid/myhomepage/profile.html">
> http://hometown.aol.com/mezzoid/myhomepage/profile.html</A>
>
> "I love to sing-a, about the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a"
>
>
>
>
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