AEA Open Call Audition in New York City Feb 11, 2009

There will be an Actor's Equity Association open call for Chorus members in New York City on February 11, 2009 for actors 18+ only. I have included a FAQ below. If you have any additional questions on the audition process, I will be happy to answer them. Please leave a comment below. SPRING AWAKENING — ECC / Singers New York, NY

.... Call Type Equity Chorus Date of Audition 2/11/2009 Location Ripley-Grier Studios, (NY Spaces) 520 Eighth Avenue (36th/37th St.) New York, NY 16th Floor Time(s) Wednesday, February 11, 2009 10 AM — Equity female singers 2 PM — Equity male singers Chorus rules are in effect. A monitor will be provided. Personnel Book and Lyrics: Steven Sater Based on the play by Frank Wedekind Music: Duncan Sheik Director: Michael Mayer Musical Director: Kimberly Grigsby Casting Directors: Jim Carnahan & Carrie Gardner Contract Production (League) Tour, Tier D. Seeking Equity Singers: Characters' age 14 – 16. Teenagers exploring a variety of issues including sex, relationships, abuse and independence. Must all have extremely strong pop/rock voices Breakdown This notice does not have a breakdown. Preparation Please prepare a short alt-rock or folk-rock song. Bring picture and resume, stapled together. Other IMPORTANT CASTING NOTE for these roles: Seeking actors 18+ who can believably play the ages described below. All roles are young teenagers. Seeking all ethnicities. Performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to attend. Always bring your Equity Membership Card to auditions. FAQ 1. If I'm not 18, can I still audition? You must be 18 to travel on the tour. Only audition if you will be 18 in the next few months. 2. Will there be additional Open Calls in the future? Undoubtedly. We just don't have any more dates or cities yet at this time. This open call is a required one by Equity. 3. What does Equity mean? Actor's Equity Association, or AEA, is the professional union for actors and stage managers. You must be an AEA member to work on Broadway, though not all national tours are AEA (ours is). 4. I am Non-Equity. Does that mean I can't audition? You do not have to be Equity to audition; the production can make you Equity if you are hired. Non-Eqs will only be seen if time permits. If you are planning on coming, you should get there early to secure your place on the waiting list and plan on staying for a while. Non-equity members are seen only if slots are available or if an AEA actor fails to come back during the day for his/her slot. 5. Really? Like How Early? At least 2 or 3 hours before the scheduled start time. 6. I can't make it. Am I SOL? Not at all. Actors who cannot attend are encouraged to submit an audition reel via the official website. Read more about it: http://www.springawakening...com/land/audition/ 7 . Have Any Audition Advice? Yes. 1) Walk in confident and smiling. Be ready to engage in conversation before singing. They want to see your personality. Be present. 2) Nerves are to be expected, but take a moment to ground yourself before you start. Take your time. Then signal to the accompanist that you're ready. 3) Many people have a too rigid and too controlled idea of how their performance should go. Be flexible and spontaneous. Trust the work you put in will be there and allow yourself to play in your audition..they need to see if you can be directed and take adjustments. Having an idea of how things "should" go makes you less able to do that. 4) Biggest note. Be prepared...many people practice with their CD player or iPod and get thrown when they hear it from the piano for the first time. Know the song backwards and forwards. 5) The finish is worth 30%. Even if you think you messed up, never let 'em see you sweat. Don't make excuses. Your last impression is as important as your first impression. Always thank the accompanist. 6) It is my experience that AEA open calls tend to be a little more curt. Don't take things personally. It's very likely you will go in, do your song, and leave. You won't get feedback or hear back right away. Trust that you made an impression. 8) Can you recommend a folk/indie rock song for me? Er, no. That's a very personal choice. Pick a song that shows off your voice well. The genre doesn't matter that much. It's true we have a preference for hearing something that is not traditional Broadway music, at the same time, the spectrum of what is acceptable is large. Lauren Pritchard sang "Over the Rainbow" at her audition. We want interesting voices. We want singers who can "act" their song and give meaning to the words, not just make beautiful sounds. Pick a song that means something to you and that you know well. When you're nervous, the words to a new song you just learnt have a tendency to go out the window! 9) Can we sing a capella? No. They not only need to see whether you have the voice, but they also need to know if you can follow music. You will look unprepared if you don't have the sheet music. You can find sheet music at www.musicnotes.com. Break legs! Pun