TheMostImportantElementtoaGoodComedyAuditionSongisSurprise.

Ifyouvenevertalkedtoanotherhumanbefore,orlaughed,ortalkedtoanotherhumanbeingbeforeaboutlaughing,then
maybethisisbignews.Butifyouhave,thenyouhaveprobablycomeupwiththisideaalready:Themostimportantelementto
comedyissurprise.
Thisishardwired,right?WelaughatBusterKeatonslippingonabananapeelbecausewedontexpectit.Firstthelildudeis
upright,walkingdownthestreet.Weexpecthimtokeeponkeepingon.
ButwhenBtotheKgoesdownhardonalittlescrapofyellowfruitcasing,itjigglesthepicture.Thewheelsofourthinkingare
interrupted,andguesswhat?Welaugh.Itsthebestofallpossibleresponsestothesurprising,treacherouscrazymakerwecall
life.(Cryingishellonourmascara.)
Soitfollowsthatwhenitcomestoanauditionsonginthecomedycategoryformusicaltheaterauditions,oneofyourgoals
shouldbetosurprisethepersonbehindthetable,whethertheyveheardyoursongslyricsbeforeornot.
Sohow?Okay.Weknowthatweshouldincludesurpriseinourauditions.ButhowthehellshouldweDOthatwithoutscaring
thebejeezusoutofallthenicepeopleintheroom?Hereareafewelementstoplaywithwhenyourelookingtouncoveran
elementofsurpriseandgiveyourcomedysongsanewtwist.
A)Persona
Thisisprettysimple:singasongyouwouldntnormallybecalledupontosing.

Ifthesongisusuallysungbyawideeyedsoprano,andyoureabeefycharacteractor:surprise!

IfyouareaprimmiddleagedwomanandyoubustoutaLudacrisrap:surprise!

Ifthecharacteryoubeginwithtransformsthroughoutthesongintosomeoneradicallydifferentbytheend:surprise!
Thinkingaboutpersonaissomethingthatyouusuallydobeforechoosingasonginthefirstplace.Sostarttolookaroundfor
songsthatareoutsideofyourcomfortzone,personawise.YoushouldstarttogetsomeprettyzanyideasSuttonFosteronce
prancedaroundNewYorkauditionhallssingingOklahoma,atunemeantforawholedangchorus.
Anotherwaytothinkaboutthisiscontext.Inthecontextofanaudition,anauditorwilldecideanumberofthingsaboutyou
betweenthetimeyouopenthedoorupuntilthetimeyouopenyourmouth.Pickingasongthatnormallywouldntbesungby
thepersontheyvedecidedyouare,orchangingyourpersonaradicallythroughthestoryofyourpiece,isgoingtosubverttheir
expectations.Andthatsexactlywhatyouwant.
B)ChangesinTempo,RhythmandStyle
Whenyouremakingasongyourownandplease,please,
makeasongyourown
youareallowedtochangethetempo.Youre
allowedtotossinsometraintracks(musicallyknownasacaesura)tohaltamelodywhileyourcharacterexperiencesa
moment.Andinthecontextofanaudition,wherenoperformancerightsareinvolvedandyouveproperlyobtainedyoursheet
music,youreallowedtohaveanarrangercreateanewgroovetoanoldtune,oranoldtunetoanewgroove.
Considerallofthese,alongwithanyotherwaystochangethetempo,rhythmorstyleofasong,aswaytotellyourstoryanew.
Andofcourse,makesureyouknowexactlywhyyouredoingit,orwhatyourcharactersemotionsarethatmakehimorher
wantorneedtoexpresstheirstoryinthisparticularway.
IdontknowofanyonepersonallywhoisusingthisawesomeDuckTalesSaturdayMorningSlowJamasanauditionsongyet,
butIcantimaginewhynot.Itsbadass.
Pleasenote:Idontsuggestdoingthiswithneworlessfamiliarwork,orworkwherethecomposershavemeticulouslycrafteda
songtoincludecomictimingwithinit.Thisworksbestwithstandards,popsongs,orotherextremelywellknownpieces,where
thelistenerscanbelulledintoafalsesenseofsecurity.Oh,Iknowthisone.Iknowwhatscomingnext.BAM!Bananapeel.
Laughter.Likeahorseandcarriage,thosetwothings.Ahorse.(Caesura.Longercaesurathanexpected.Perhapswithavamp,
andaraisedfinger.)Andacarriage.
C)ActingtheShitOutofIt
Finally,considerthisoldchestnut:ActtheSHIToutofyoursong.
Youmostlikelyhavesomecomedysongsinyourbookalreadythatareperfectforyou.Theyvegotnewcontexts,and
surprisingrhythms.Thewritershavealreadyputthejokesin,oryouvefoundjokesbetweenthewords.
Butforsomereason,theydontworkanymore.Yourekindofboredwiththem,andyouwalkoutofaroomknowingyoudidnt
lightafireunderanybodyelsesasseither.

Heressomethingthatcanchangeyourrelationshiptothoseoranysongs,anditsthebiggestsurpriseofall,whenitcomesto
musicaltheatrecomedysongauditions.
Considerjustactingthecrapoutofthem.
Forgetthejokesyouvedecidedon.Lookatthebasiccircumstancesofthesong.Whatishappening?Whoareyoutalkingto?
Whydoesyourcharactersaytheveryfirstphrasetheysay?Whydonttheystoptalkingatthatpoint,isthereareasontheygo
ontothesecondphrase?Aretherechangesinthetacticstheyusethataresimilartothewayareal,actualhumanbeing
changestacticsintheirspeakingorthinking?Aretherefearsthatyoucanregisterwhilesinging,orrealizationsyoucanmakein
realtime?
IgiveyouChristinePedisingingBockandHarnicksATriptotheLibrary,asongwithmanystrikesagainstitwhenitcomesto
auditions.Theauditorshavemostlikelyhearditbefore.Itsacharactersong.Itcaninviteshmacting.Butitsabrilliantlyricwith
abeautifuljourney,andIcouldputChristineonrepeatasshelivessimplythroughthestory.
Thatwomanshouldbehiredforeverything.
So,friends,pleaseremember:Sometimesthemostunexpectedthingthatcanhappentothepersonbehindthetableduringa
comedicmusicalsauditiondayistohaveanactorcomeinandexpresseverywordandnotetheysaysimply,withoutmugging,
puttingonashow,orglossingoverspecifics.
Bethatactor.Betheverybestactoryoucanbe.Especiallyincomedy.
Theresponsemaysurpriseyou.
eressomethingthatcanchangeyourrelationshiptothoseoranysongs,anditsthebiggestsurpriseofall,whenitcomesto
musicaltheatrecomedysongauditions.
Considerjustactingthecrapoutofthem.
Forgetthejokesyouvedecidedon.Lookatthebasiccircumstancesofthesong.Whatishappening?Whoareyoutalkingto?
Whydoesyourcharactersaytheveryfirstphrasetheysay?Whydonttheystoptalkingatthatpoint,isthereareasontheygo
ontothesecondphrase?Aretherechangesinthetacticstheyusethataresimilartothewayareal,actualhumanbeing
changestacticsintheirspeakingorthinking?Aretherefearsthatyoucanregisterwhilesinging,orrealizationsyoucanmakein
realtime?
IgiveyouChristinePedisingingBockandHarnicksATriptotheLibrary,asongwithmanystrikesagainstitwhenitcomesto
auditions.Theauditorshavemostlikelyhearditbefore.Itsacharactersong.Itcaninviteshmacting.Butitsabrilliantlyricwith
abeautifuljourney,andIcouldputChristineonrepeatasshelivessimplythroughthestory.
Thatwomanshouldbehiredforeverything.
So,friends,pleaseremember:Sometimesthemostunexpectedthingthatcanhappentothepersonbehindthetableduringa
comedicmusicalsauditiondayistohaveanactorcomeinandexpresseverywordandnotetheysaysimply,withoutmugging,
puttingonashow,orglossingoverspecifics.
Bethatactor.Betheverybestactoryoucanbe.Especiallyincomedy.
Theresponsemaysurpriseyou.
eressomethingthatcanchangeyourrelationshiptothoseoranysongs,anditsthebiggestsurpriseofall,whenitcomesto
musicaltheatrecomedysongauditions.
Considerjustactingthecrapoutofthem.
Forgetthejokesyouvedecidedon.Lookatthebasiccircumstancesofthesong.Whatishappening?Whoareyoutalkingto?
Whydoesyourcharactersaytheveryfirstphrasetheysay?Whydonttheystoptalkingatthatpoint,isthereareasontheygo
ontothesecondphrase?Aretherechangesinthetacticstheyusethataresimilartothewayareal,actualhumanbeing
changestacticsintheirspeakingorthinking?Aretherefearsthatyoucanregisterwhilesinging,orrealizationsyoucanmakein
realtime?
IgiveyouChristinePedisingingBockandHarnicksATriptotheLibrary,asongwithmanystrikesagainstitwhenitcomesto
auditions.Theauditorshavemostlikelyhearditbefore.Itsacharactersong.Itcaninviteshmacting.Butitsabrilliantlyricwith
abeautifuljourney,andIcouldputChristineonrepeatasshelivessimplythroughthestory.
Thatwomanshouldbehiredforeverything.

So,friends,pleaseremember:Sometimesthemostunexpectedthingthatcanhappentothepersonbehindthetableduringa
comedicmusicalsauditiondayistohaveanactorcomeinandexpresseverywordandnotetheysaysimply,withoutmugging,
puttingonashow,orglossingoverspecifics.
Bethatactor.Betheverybestactoryoucanbe.Especiallyincomedy.
Theresponsemaysurpriseyou.
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