Revitalising Your Repertoire: Ballads for Music Theatre Auditions
Who doesn’t like a good ballad? In musicals they carry the emotion, the story, and they are what the audience often remembers afterwards (along with flying people, helicopters and chandeliers!) But a good ballad really says something, and here are some examples that may jog your memory, or hopefully are useful to add to your audition folder. Happy singing!
“Will He Like Me?” From She Loves Me
Sopranos will love singing this sweet song about the nerves you might feel before a first date. Although the melody jumps about a little, accenting the important words in the text (as we always do in music theatre) will really help your phrasing. And remember, any Warm Me Up exercise with long notes will help in preparation - try Happy Ahs and Long Oohs from the Tuned Up category
“Out There” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
This is almost a mid tempo ballad for a high male voice. Watch for the angles in the melody and careful not to over sing them, you could be in danger of going out of tune. If you feel that the song itself is a little long, it’s easily trimmed or halved for an audition! Here’s two versions: The wonderful Michael Arden, and then a beautiful rendition from Joshua Castille as Quasimodo and E.J. Cardona as the Voice of Quasimodo in the 5th Ave Theatre production.
“A Bit Of Earth” from The Secret Garden
With more of a legit sound for the baritones, this song is a true gem. Don’t forget to play the subtext, for when the little girl asked for ‘a bit of earth’ she actually meant love. Sing the song evenly, with smooth phrasing and strong support. The music really speaks for itself here, but have a listen to this wonderful version from Australia’s Philip Quast.
“Back To Before” from Ragtime
This song may need a cut, you can perhaps leave out the first or second verse, or even start from the bridge, as the first clip shows from the recent Broadway production. The second clip will let you hear the whole song - they are interesting to compare. A trap here would be to fall behind the beat, make sure you listen for it carefully, because there is a drive to it. In short, save the really big and long notes for the end- it’s a great song to show off your best belt!
“Fifty Percent” from Ballroom
This is a great dramatic ballad for females, especially belters. The writers have the task of making the audience feel for someone who’s having an affair with a married man… and succeed. Here’s an interesting concert performance from Dorothy Loudon who originated the role - she’s clearly not the best belter, but she’s a stunning actress and you believe every word she says. It's worth watching the long intro that adds to the story although the song proper starts two minutes in.