Audition

Principal Auditions | Rehearsals | Audition Particulars | Audition Form

Auditions for HMS Pinafore will be Friday, January 3, with call-backs January 5

To schedule an audition, please fill out this form.  Online Signups will go live for auditions on Dec 1st.

Auditions 2025

Friday, January 3 2025 at The Durham Arts Council, in the IBM Rehearsal Hall starting at 7pm.

You may also choose to send us a video audition. Please fill out the audition form and then send your video, or a link to it, to producer@durhamsavoyards.org with AUDITION VIDEO in the subject line.

Call-backs:
Sunday January 5th in the IBM Rehearsal Hall, at the Durham Arts Council,  from 2pm to 5:00pm.

All auditions are open auditions: ALL must come and audition to be considered for a role/chorus.

Audition selections:

Please come prepared to sing up to 32 bars of music from Gilbert and Sullivan, other light opera or musical theatre.  We recommend selecting a piece of music that isn’t from HMS Pinafore.  An accompanist will be provided.  If you are auditioning for a lead role, select something that will show the directors why you are right for that role.  If you would like for our pianist to accompany you, please bring sheet music for them in the key in which you will be singing. Or you may provide your own accompanist, accompany yourself, or sing unaccompanied.

Rehearsals: Rehearsals for HMS Pinafore will begin in January, 2025.
All participants will need to be/become active dues-paying members of the Durham Savoyards (see dues link in upper right corner of this webpage).

We have adopted the Chicago Theatre Standards.  Please download and review them from: https://www.notinourhouse.org/download-the-standards/ If the link to the Chicago Theatre Standards site does not work, you can download a copy from this link that is current as of 2022-Jan-09 → LOCAL COPY OF CTS.

For callbacks —

Reading selections: TBD

Music selections:

TBD

Here’s a link to the score for free in IMSLP:   Score 

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What is the Royal Chorus?

Audition Particulars

Like to audition for the next show, but don’t know how to prepare?
Take a look at these general notes taken from prior years’ audition tips!

Your initial audition will be very short and will consist of one song selection and a brief assessment of vocal range.  You may be asked to sing the selection again with some change, to see how well you can take direction.  The callbacks will be a combination of singing and reading lines.   Auditioning actors should also consider the singing portion of the evening as an acting audition. The Directors will be looking for personality and the ability to convey character and story via music.  You may be asked to sing in a group to see how well you take choral direction, or to ensemble selections so that the directors can see how well various voices blend together, as well as how well different people interact.  All stage chorus and lead candidates will have a dance / movement assessment section as well.

Callbacks will also include an acting assessment during which actors will read short scenes from the script. The Directors will be looking for chemistry between actors as well as stage presence and storytelling ability. They will also be assessing actors’ attentiveness to detail and ability to take direction. It is a good idea for actors to be familiar with the characters and with the libretto if possible. No audition scenes will be given out in advance. The Directors will want to see all actors addressing the text from the same point of view and, again, want to see how they rise to the challenge of taking direction and acting collaboratively and in the moment.

In short, the initial audition is to assess individual vocal qualities. The callbacks will focus on music, acting, dance, and collaborative interaction with other singers/actors.

Vocal Range: It will save time if you already know your highest and lowest reliable note, so that you can jot them on the audition sheet. If you don’t know, we’ll find them during the audition.

Chorus: As always, those auditioning for chorus may sing anything they wish, but a favorite tune from a Broadway musical, opera, or G&S show is preferred.  Or whatever. Be as plain or as fancy as you like, from any style of repertoire you like, but remember, brevity is a virtue! One minute or less, please. Choose something you know without thinking about it, just so we can hear the general quality of your voice. Please bring sheet music in the correct key, unless you plan to sing without accompaniment or to accompany yourself.

Royal Chorus: When performing in the Carolina Theatre we place choristers in the boxes alongside the stage to serve as additional singing forces.  These are crucial reinforcements to the choral sound, for which we need good solid self-sufficient singers. The time commitment is much less for Royal Chorus than for stage chorus, so please give a thought to auditioning for the Royals if you can’t make time for the full rehearsal schedule. Or please consider keeping this as an option during auditions. You’ll have a good seat for every performance, plus the fun of singing along.

Principals:  You only need to prepare one selection, even if you are interested in more than one role. Please bring sheet music in the correct key, the key in which you will be singing. Please limit your selection to one minute, even if you need to start within your piece to highlight the passages that best display your abilities.  There will be a dialog portion of the call-backs, to see how the different actors interact and play off each other.  For the musical selections, we will go over each passage as a group before we begin singing it in combinations.  You may end up singing or acting selections that are unrelated to the role(s) for which you are being considered.

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