Ace Your Audition: Part I

Preparing

Hellooooo, it's Maeve! I've been to many auditions in my time, so listen in close -- I'm sharing some inside tips!

Read Part II: What to Bring
Read Part III: The Big Day

Be Prepared Know the show! Pick a monologue, scene, song, or piece of choreography that matches the themes in the show. Singing a fun and upbeat song from Legally Blonde: The Musical might not be the best idea if you're auditioning for a sad or serious play like Les Miserables.

Practice, Practice, Practice And not just the night before (or the hour before!) the audition. Before an audition, I practice for hours by myself, in front of family members, in front of the BSG, even in front of Marty (he's my biggest fan)! I get so nervous if I don't seriously know my material—and we all know from Charlotte what happens when you get really nervous—remember that first day of school disaster?

Audition Style When auditioning, it's so important to be comfortable while still looking professional. Normally, Katani helps me out with this, but here are a few things I've picked up on my own. Sweat pants and jeans are a definite no-no for auditions. They make you look unprofessional. Also, since sweat pants are really bulky and jeans can be pretty stiff, it'll be really difficult to move around in them.

For a classic audition look, I always go with a knee-length skirt with leggings or tights. On the top, I wear a pink leotard, but a tank top or any other comfortable shirt will do. I never wear jewelry or distracting hair accessories to an audition. This is something Katani and I normally disagree on. She doesn't understand that on the stage accessories can get in your way. The last thing you need to be worrying about at an audition is whether or not your headband if going to fall off or if you’re going to get tangled in your necklace.

On my feet, I wear pretty much anything that's comfortable except for sandals or flip flops. Closed toed shoes work best because they keep your feet in line—wearing sandals will make it really difficult for you to move around without tripping. Dance shoes or nice sneakers work. If you don't have the right shoes, you can always dance in socks or tights.