Tips, tricks, and resources for auditioning and creating the large group speech contest performance piece.

2. With an elbow partner…
0 What’s your favorite musical
theatre show? Why?
0 What makes great musical
theatre GREAT?

3. Overview
0 Auditioning your talent
0 Selecting your music
0 Creating your story

4. Auditioning
Should we…
Audition kids to fit the piece we’ve chosen?
OR
Find a piece to fit our kids?
It depends.

5. How Do I Audition Them?
0 Batman cards = You
have an audition
technique to share
0 Robin cards = You want
to learn about an
audition technique

6. Recruit
0 Choir
0 Dance team
0 Cheer squad
0 Martial artists
0 Info meetings / workshops

7. Audition Suggestions
0 Prepare excerpt (i.e. verse/chorus) from song
(student-choice)
0 Teach solo and/or harmony section of song
you’re interested in using
0 Sing “The Star-Spangled Banner”
0 Provides direct comparison
0 Difficult song
0 Use scales or exercises to check for range

8. What Should I Look For?
Every Coach can
listen for:
Advanced Coaches
may listen for:
0 Expressiveness
(voice and body)
0 Pitch
0 Volume
0 Range
0 Vocal blend as an
ensemble
0 Similar vowel
shape
0 Cohesiveness
energy / ability

9. How Do I Find Material?
0 Batman cards = You
have a resource to share
0 Robin cards = You want
to learn about resources
Find a different group than last time!

10. Resources
Explore, Familiarize, Immerse
0 Newmusicaltheatre.com
0 Video, electronic sheet music
0 YouTube
0 Tony Award performances, great performers
0 Bluegobo.com
0 “YouTube” of Broadway clips
0 Make friends!
0 Music directors, choreographers, pianists, enthusiasts
0 Use your students

11. Resources
Obtaining Material
0 MTI (Music Theatre International) – mtishows.com
0 IHSSA / MTI agreement: Rent libretto for $75/show;
$50 refund upon return; order perusal copies
0BMI and ASCAP – all material free for IHSSA
0 Musicals101.com – stage musical rights index

12. Matching Material
to Your Students
0 Select work you are passionate about
0 Match to your talent pool
0 Vocal range
0 Style
0 Difficulty
0 Dance ability
0 Accompaniment
0 Avoid overdone pieces

13. Judging Criteria
0 PERFORMANCE traits, not content
0 Characterization
0 Vocal / Music Delivery
0 Physical Delivery (does not require dance)
0 Ensemble Effect
0 Overall Effectiveness

14. How Do I Format My Piece?
0 The Scene
0Excerpt pulled from libretto
0 The Mini-Musical
0 Samplings of songs to create
0 The Mash-Up
0 Pull songs from various shows (or the
same show) to create your own story

15. The Scene
0 Pull dialogue and a song (or songs) from libretto
0 Look for a scene with conflict, resolution
0 Perform as written
0 Allows deeper development of character, objective

16. The Mini-Musical
0 3-5 songs from the same show
0 Beginning
0 Effective hook
0 Establishes mood, character, conflict
0 Middle
0 Character development
0 Conflict
0 End
0 Memorable resolution

17. The Mash-Up
0 Create your own story to share
0 3-5 songs from different musicals
0 Music works together thematically
0 Establishes beginning, middle, end

18. You’re the Superhero!
0 Form a group of 4-6 people
0 Each group will receive a task
0 Solve the “problem” and be prepared to share with
the group

19. Open Forum
0 Questions for the group?
0 Tips or tricks of the trade?