I had a great time judging solo & duet musical theatre at The Florida State Thespian Festival last weekend! Lots of great talent. And I firmly believe that "theatre kids" are more poised, fun, confident, and social than any other teenagers!
During my time judging, I made some observations that may be helpful to students competing in the future. Here are some of my top do's/don'ts:
1. Dress Up. It makes such a difference in your performance. You don't have to wear a ballgown or a suit...BUT, ladies, a nice dress that is eye-catching and professional. And guys, a button-down (non-wrinkly!) and a nice pair of pants is a great choice. And please, for the love of God, please...wear shoes!
2. Always have extra copies of your pre-recorded music. It was such a bummer for the kids who got up there with burnt CD's that didn't work. Always make sure you have several copies/cd's with you that work after being tested in several cd players. If it were me, I would even bring my own CD player just in case.
3. Do not sing something from WICKED, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, or LES MIS. It always tends to be really overdone.
4. Do not climb on chairs during your song. There's just no need for it. So many people felt the need to stand on chairs, and two nearly fell down. Use the chair only for necessary blocking when you need to be sitting down.
5. BREATHE. Breath support is your friend. When you get nervous, your breaths tend to be more shallow and really affect your ability to sing from a proper, supported place. Remember that this is YOUR five minutes. Don't rush. Go through your sheet music and circle every spot you take a breath, and practice over and over again.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
No comments:
Post a Comment