We just completed our first day of on campus musical theatre auditions at Shenandoah Conservatory and what a day it was. We saw a lot of really well prepared auditions with fewer questionable choices than we’ve seen in the past. A few things came to mind today that I thought were worth sharing.

• There are a lot of girls offering “How ’bout a dance?” this year. I love the song, its age appropriate, and its easy to cut. Just know that its beginning to be overdone. I wouldn’t drop it mid audition season, but if you have other choices that you feel good about, you may want to switch things up.
• Be prepared to talk about roles that you would like to perform. You should be able to talk about at least three.
• Be able to honestly discuss what you think are your strengths and weaknesses.
• Let your personality show in your dance audition. Smile, have fun, but don’t ask too many questions. We want to see that you are enjoying the whole process of the audition even if dance is your weakness.
• Be able to talk about things that you are interested in outside of musical theatre and preferably music. Its nice to know that young performers have other interests and enjoy doing other things. Cooking, hiking, camping, running, working out, playing chess, or any other activities help show your individuality.

Most of all – have fun! We know you are nervous, we know you really want this, and we know its really hard to be in your position. But remember – we were there too when we were your age. We get it.

Matt