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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