Unifieds. For those who have endured through these audition sessions, I tip my hat to you. It’s a stressful and hectic process which proves to be more fruitless than successful. But there are those times when the stars align that a unified audition goes so well, an offer of admission is made.

These are rare but I’ve seen them happen. More often, a student will come in, give a strong audition and that will at the very least, put them on our radar as a strong candidate for admission later on. Then there’s the flip side, when we see a student give a lackluster audition that disqualifies them from consideration. It doesn’t happen in the majority, but it does happen.

While there isn’t a sure-fire blueprint for success to get into every school you audition for, there are definitely things you can do to help your chances in that room.

Auditions, College TheatreChristopher PetersonDecember 5, 2018Chris Peterson, Unifieds

Sometimes Your Accompanist Sucks (and what to do if that happens)

Recently, I attended a college audition session where there was constant issues with the accompanist. While they were certainly trying their best, they just weren’t skilled enough to be able to play an audition session at this level. And because of this, it had a negative impact on the students auditioning that day. Each person after the next had some issues; whether it was rhythms, key signature, every student seemed to be off when singing their selections.

Over the course of your performing career, this is going to happen to you. While the majority of accompanists are fantastic, talented and helpful, there will be some who can torpedo your audition with their lack of skill.

AuditionsChristopher PetersonNovember 25, 2018Chris Peterson

Poor Jud Fry : A Different Perspective on Oklahoma!

The theatre is all about perspective. Depending on how you look at a song or characters, the entire arc of the story can change. Take Grease for instance. On one side it's viewed at as a fun, teenage musical about falling in love and getting through high school. On the other hand, it's a cautionary tale, making the statement that it's okay to succumb to peer pressure to get the boy of your dreams.

By looking at some of these shows in a different light, it allows us to see through the eyes of a different character. One musical that comes to mind is Oklahoma!

EditorialChristopher PetersonOctober 15, 2018Chris Peterson

BFA Auditions: Do You Have Another Monologue? You'd Better

Whenever someone asks me for audition advice, there are two things I mention first:

Know the character and context of your audition material.
Have multiple pieces ready to go.

The first is pretty obvious. It doesn’t matter what monologue or song you’re auditioning with. Know exactly who that character is and what is going on in that moment of the text.

But the second is something you might be surprised more auditionees, especially college bound students, don’t know about.

AuditionsChristopher PetersonSeptember 10, 2018Chris Peterson

BFA Auditions 101: Keep Your Monologues Clean

Educators and recruiters are certainly looking to see your versatility, but that doesn't mean your audition material needs to contain a ton of expletives or sexual imagery.

Auditions, College TheatreChristopher PetersonAugust 27, 2018Chris Peterson

Acting is a Job. You're Allowed to Complain About It

Let me asking you something: Have you ever had a bad day at work? Has your boss ever treated you unfairly? Have you ever become so frustrated with your job that you begin to question why you put yourself through the stress day in/day out?

I'd say most, if not all of us, have had days like this. It's normal to want to vent your frustrations about your workday.

However, I find it interesting that when actors complain about their work, instead of the "I hear that" type of replies, they're thrown the cliché "Well this is the business" or "If you can't handle it, get out" or "You don't know what stress is yet" or any other proverb that tries to disqualify an actor's frustration because it's the industry.

The Acting LifeChristopher PetersonJuly 24, 2018Chris Peterson

It's Time for a Tony for Best Ensemble

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 12, 2018Chris Peterson

Why Do We Applaud Kicklines?

Months ago, I was watching a musical that included some very impressive choreography. It didn't hurt that this local production also had quite a number of talented dancers in the ensemble.

One moment in particular that I found most impressive was a group tap number, but even when the company did synchronized wings, the audience hardly reacted. However the moment that four characters did a kickline, you would have thought they were receiving a standing ovation.

Dance, EditorialChristopher PetersonJanuary 3, 2018Chris Peterson

10 Revivals That Could Work Next Year

Is it just me or are revivals of shows on Broadway, getting better and better these days? With the early praise of Once on this Island and the soon-to-open productions of Carousel and My Fair Lady, revivals are becoming the must-see productions nowadays. Here are 10 more we'd love to see come back sooner than later.

Broadway, EditorialChristopher PetersonDecember 28, 2017Chris Peterson, revivals

Were You Actually Screwed Over or Just Didn't Get the Role?

Seldom does the casting of a local production occur and I don't hear about some sort of casting controversy. Every time I'm told of these "atrocities", I tend to ask myself, as well as the person telling me, were you actually screwed over or just didn't get the role?

EditorialChristopher PetersonNovember 26, 2017Chris Peterson

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