Modern Singer Book Club: March
Welcome back to book club! This year, we want to challenge everyone to pick up something new, so we cultivated a list of books in three categories: For Fun— books that have been turned into operas, For Music— books about music and the industry, and For Learning— to learn something outside of the music industry. This month's focus is on the art of crossover into musical theatre. More and more opera companies are adding musical theatre to their seasons which means there's always something new to learn. Even if you aren't a belter, chances are you've been asked to present a musical theatre piece in your auditions. Take a look at another side of the music industry and see what you find out about yourself as you become a more well-rounded performer.
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For Fun
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama, this play is a complex, metaphorical, and, at times, symbolic, examination of AIDS, homosexuality, and how society dealt with these topics in America during the 1980s. Primarily, Angels in America focuses on a gay couple in Manhattan, but the play also examines other storylines that occasionally intersect with the couple. Reading plays is a great way to start getting into the drama while challenging yourself to step away from the music. While the music in an opera or a musical can lead actors to make certain choices on certain beats, straight plays will challenge you to think more critically about the text and character analysis behind your choices.
For Music
Making it on Broadway: Actors' Tales of Climbing to the Top by David Weinir and Jodie Langel
Contrary to popular belief, the life of a stage performer is not always as glamorous as it seems. Inside Making it on Broadway, you'll find the words of more than 150 Broadway stars providing personal insight into their struggle for stardom in vividly candid interviews. This book offers stories to serve as a sobering reality check for those pursuing careers on the stage while entertaining the theatre lover. This book shares firsthand accounts of professional actors' difficult yet fulfilling journeys to Broadway: moving to New York, finding survival jobs, auditioning, landing roles, avoiding pitfalls, forging a family life, and much more. Everyone considering the move to the Big Apple, even if you're not trying for the Broadway route, will find a lot of good advice.
For Learning
Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff
The casting director for Chicago, Pippin, Becket, Gypsy, The Graduate, The Sound of Music and Jesus Christ Superstar tells you how you can find your dream role!
With Michael Shurtleff telling you the behind the scenes details and Bob Fosse writing the intro, how have you not started reading this yet? Inside, you'll find absolutely everything an actor needs to know: what to do the moment before you walk into an audition, how to use humor and create mystery, how to develop a distinct style of storytelling, and how to evaluate the room. Take a tip from someone who knows a thing or two about auditions because he's seen them all!
