January 20, 2007
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Secret Garden
This morning I auditioned for a part in the musical The Secret Garden, singing the song “If I can’t love her” from Beauty and the Beast the musical. I must say, it was a good choice- rather than singing something from Secret Garden. Quite honestly, most of those songs were duets or involved multiple singers and the male voices were tenor or high baritone range. I can do it, but it wouldn’t have demonstrated my voice at its best. As it is, they only had me sing the first part- so I didn’t get anywhere near to the top of my range. I do not know if I will get a part- my personal hope is just to be a part of the chorus, which I think has a bass/baritone part for me in it. I really do not think that at this point I have the voice for one of the lead roles- not in this musical, with a mostly tenor range.
It does make me want to get involved in choir again at the least- voice lessons wouldn’t hurt either, but I could practice on my own enough to extent my range. My voice is really out of practice and my range much reduced from what it once was- and was becoming, as well.
I’d love to be a part of a musical production, so even being in the chorus or an understudy would be wonderful- some incredible girls and a few adults adutioned this morning as well, and I can tell the quality of the cast is going to be just wonderful. Even if I cannot be in it, I will definitely go to see the final product. I strongly encourage you to consider buying the soundtrack to it! It was delightful to listen to the whole soundtrack through with my Wife- it made her want to read the book again. If you have ever listened to or enjoyed musicals like Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, or any sort of musical you will definitely enjoy this one. It has some absolutely beautiful and elegant harmonies and songs with a variety of music styles from classical, to Irish, to Indian style.
I encourage you to listen to one of my favourites- a song the hunchback Uncle of the main character sings to his son, who they feel is very ill and he fears also has his hunchback. He only sees his son at night, while he sleeps, and in this song is speaking to his sleeping son- who has never met him while awake.
-Patrick
Comments (2)
It is always better to sing something from another production. The director and producers usually have something in mind for the roles, and so you only really want them to hear your voice and see your ‘look’. A song with nothing to do with their production doesn’t muddle their thinking. I miss the stage. I haven’t been able to do anything since my babies came along, Adams work isn’t very forgiving for rehearsal schedules. I was in theatre at school and my only publicly staged production was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Then I fell pregnant. *grumpy* I hope you get the role!
Oh, but I covet the Narrator role in Joseph.
I would also have had the best fun playing Potiphars wife. They gave the narrator to two girls who sang in bands. I’ll be nice and say they did good. I’ll be truthful and say I had a whole octave higher than them. The musical director had to transpose most of them down about 2 steps. It was frustrating, to say the least. I was a wife (so technically ensemble) but we also toyed with it a little, so there were a few bits where we were able to be a little different, ie, you know the Potiphar intro? Well, he had ‘secrataries’, and three of us did the intro with him.
It took me ages to get the ‘warble’ out of my voice. Practice practice practice, basically. Try to imagine your note with a begining and the end with a straight string in the middle. Keep your voice on that string at all times. After a while you don’t even have to think about it, except on the reeeeeeeally long ones.
I had been in school choirs for as long as I can remember, and was ensemble for most school productions, as I was too little. Then, my first lead role was as a boy, funnily enough. I played Hark in Hark the Herald Angel a school play when I was 10 and in grade 5. I beat all the grade 7 kids. They didn’t talk to me for ages.
(I’d love to find that play. It was awesome) So yeah. From then on, I was pretty much the female lead in all our school stuff, Esther, Juliet (twice), and then they cut the drama department right before they did The Importance of Being Ernest, which is my all time favourite play (I think it’s hillarious) and then I moved schools and did Joseph. They staged it publicly, and it ran for two weeks, Monday thru friday matinees and Thursday thru Sunday evenings. There was noise made about touring with it, but there was some kind of cost or insurance issue and so it never eventuated.
When I moved interstate, the local ametuer company staged Le Mis not long after we got up, and then the next two I was pregnant for (they do them every two years) Fiddler and then Guys and Dolls. I think this time, I’ll actually go and join the company, not just wait for the advertisement in the paper.
I too desperately need to exersize my voice more. I can tell already I’ve dropped about half to a full octave, and I’m a descant soprano, so that’s pretty shocking, really. After Joseph I rarely sang, after singing pretty much for 10 years straight. So, I’m getting it back up and working again for church, but it’s not nearly enough. I feel you on the cost of lessons. I was looking into music lessons for my eldest, and it’s standard for like $20 per half hour. I nearly fell over. I’d hate to see what voice coaching costs now days. :-/