How to Become a Musical Theatre Singer: The Essential Guide

Introduction to Musical Theatre

Musical Theatre is different from Broadway theatre, even though they’re on the same principle – stories and numbers – because they take place in different time periods and usually have more elaborate sets, costumes, and songs than most professional shows on Broadway. They also feature long dialogue solos and ensemble numbers. Because musicals are usually based on novels, they can vary wildly from one-act plays to 20-30 act epics. The only common denominator, of course, is that they’re both about a story (or perhaps several stories) and the performance, instead of about characters on a stage, focuses more on the actors and/or dancers. Many musicals incorporate songs from Broadway plays, while others are entirely original.

What can I expect from a musical theatre audition?

It is important to understand that the musical theatre audition can take two different forms: Sight-reading (reading through of the score), singing auditions. There are also warm-up exercises that are effective in getting you ready for your audition. If your goal is to become a lead actor, your audition will consist of singing and the singing audition. For a background singer, the singing audition is just as important as the singing one. The singing auditions can either be group or solo. In fact, it is very common for a singer to audition for the role of a soloist and then be cast as a member of a small ensemble in the chorus or on stage as a small soloist. Practising As we know, musical theatre requires different types of training.

The Basics of Singing

First and foremost, singing is a physical activity, and it comes naturally to most people. All you need to do to sing well is to practise your technique regularly. Everything is very personal, but there are rules to follow and not so much that you should hurt your throat. As for your voice, you need to be able to expand your chest, make it round, and even develop it a little lower than the average person, but not too low that you would feel uncomfortable singing in public.

You may think that learning to sing is a difficult thing but it is not. One of the best things you can do is to sing for yourself. This will help you discover your voice. You will also discover your posture. You will need to learn a number of techniques, ways of keeping your head in the right place and improving your breathing. Then you can sing a song for yourself.

Developing Your Vocabulary

Each musical requires a different selection of songs which requires a certain variety of vocabulary and delivery system. Some characters need a higher range of music and a shorter amount of time while others need more frequent songs and a longer time. This is why it is important to develop your natural musical vocabulary during your studies and audition process. It is important for you to learn the different speech patterns and vocal tics that you will encounter. You will not only improve your musicality but also your pronunciation. Work with a tutor or singer to develop these tools and habits. Musical Versus dramatic You will have to differentiate your roles. A musical theatre is a form of entertainment, but it is also a tool for inspiring and informing in the acting life.

Breathing Technique

As we know that breathing is the most important part of any singer’s technique. I think that this is a step by step procedure that should be taken: Do not start your breathing as if you are doing normal power breaths. Instead, you need to keep the breathing very smooth and comfortable. Take it slow and controlled to make sure that you get enough oxygen in your system. Start the song at a relaxed tempo and build your speed. You will find that you can get into the right flow easily and let go of your lungs by the end of the song. You should not need to breathe as hard and clear as if you were in an intense power breathing exercise. Furthermore, you should not stretch your chest out either. Just open it like a curtain.

Physical Conditioning

Musical Theatre is an expressive art, and one of the key components of its success is the ability to provide the full impact of a phrase from every possible musical range. The work for this part, in a huge variety of musical forms, demands both vocal and dramatic capacities. Whether you decide to specialize in a small-voice repertoire such as Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 or the soprano role of Tosca, or you decide to embrace the full-voice repertoire with the huge voices of popular music, your work will take you beyond the well-known ideas and traditional song forms. Every period or musical genre has its own specific demands and capabilities, of which some are key: The expansion of popular vocal repertoires, and the inclusion of new sounds Vocal styles that differ widely from opera.

Conclusion

Although the beginning of musical theatre is not well understood, many experts agree that by the turn of the 20th century, in the United States, the main style of the musicals was based on the American songbook of the mid-19th century, and was highly rhythmic. The most popular American composers of musicals were Rodgers and Hammerstein, and their operas and oratorios, as well as musical comedies, also fell under this general umbrella. Of course, the style has changed since that period, but the musical theatre style has remained popular.

Music Meleti offers a Musical Theatre Singing Workshop that provides you with a supportive, friendly, and enjoyable environment, while you learn the skills that enable aspirants to become singing actors, dancers or even both. In this series of workshops, Music Meleti will offer you live mentorships. Bringing you the best artists who will impart their insights to their deftness and share their experience and exercises that helped them succeed in the Musical Theatre Industry.