So You Want to Be in Show Business?
How to Get a Part in a Broadway Play
If you’ve got talent, you know it. That’s true. What’s also true is that a lot of people who think they have talent don’t. With any luck, by the time you are old enough to start making important life and career decisions, you will know the truth about yourself—whether you’re triple-threat star material or destined to be a wanna be forever.
If your friends and family have been looking for tactful ways to let you down easy, keep your day job, but if you’ve decided against all odds that you have what it takes to make it on Broadway, read on.
Preparation
It takes more than talent to make it big in show business. You’ve got to have training, dedication, a strong will and another way to make a living while you audition for shows. A good education is the best insurance that you won’t starve while you wait for your big break. If you can figure out a way to get acting, singing and dance training while you study for a “real life” degree, you will be armed with all you need to make it in the big time.
Aside from academics, a triple-threat performer will need specialized training in voice, theatre and movement. If you can afford it, sign up for dance classes as early as possible, find a good vocal instructor by asking other singers where they were trained, and take an acting class at a reputable studio or school.
When you are ready to begin the auditioning process, have a professional photographer take an 8X10 headshot of you looking as much like yourself and as natural as possible. Do not go for glamour, as the point of this headshot is to make you look adaptable to as many different roles as possible. Go for clean cut and simple. And headshots should always be in black and white, not color. Take the original slide to a photo duplicator, and have around 50 or so high-quality copies made.
Unless you have training in writing and producing resumes, you will want to go to a professional resume writer to have your resume produced. Don’t worry about your prior experience. Just list your name at the top and center, followed by your contact information, any union affiliation and then your prior plays, roles, theaters, etc. If you have no experience in acting, list your training and your special talents and interests. Attach the trimmed resume to the back of your headshot using a staple at each corner. Do not try to save on staples by attaching at two corners only. This will appear unprofessional!
Prepare two songs—one up-tempo number and one ballad—and tape the sheet music to heavy card stock, so that it opens accordion style for the pianist. Mark out the best 16 bars of each number to show off your talent, as you will usually only be allowed to sing this much of the song on your initial audition.
Prepare a 2-minute comic and a 2-minute dramatic monologue. Memorize until you are completely comfortable with the words, and then work on dramatic “beats” when you are “off-book.”
Auditions
Purchase a subscription to Backstage newspaper or subscribe to their online site. Regularly check the updated casting information to get details about upcoming auditions in your area.
Keep a written daily calendar with cutout clippings or written instructions, including the casting company, show, venue, time, date and location of the audition, performance requests and other pertinent information about the auditions. Try to organize your day to prioritize the auditions in the order of most likely to least likely casting, as well as their location throughout the city and other factors that might affect your day.
Arrive early at the audition, and be prepared to stand in line. Do not “dress the part” of the character you are auditioning for. Rather, wear clean clothes with simple lines that do not distract the casting director from your performance.
When it is your turn to go inside, walk with confidence, and introduce yourself to the panel of auditors. Hand your picture and resume to the casting person, lay out your sheet music on the piano, and go over the 16 bars verbally with the pianist before you start to sing.
Walk to the center of the audition space, smile and nod to the pianist, and look just over the heads of your auditors as you sing. If you are doing a monologue, gather yourself a moment after you are centered, and proceed.
When you have completed the audition, wait quietly for the panel to discuss your performance and look at your resume. If they want more, they’ll ask for more. If they say, “Thank you,” don’t look disappointed! You may have made the cut. They may just be doing initial auditioning first and plan to call you back another day for the next round. Be courteous, smile, thank them for their time, gather your music, and walk out of the room. Move on to your next audition.
Don’t be discouraged if the phone doesn’t ring immediately once you begin auditioning. It can take months to cast a show, and every audition to do is one step closer to your big break. Just do your best, keep studying, find part-time work to pay the bills, and sooner or later, your big break will come!
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