Acting in an audition for a musical..?

You need to interpret the character yourself while drawing in classic references. Watch as many examples of the character you can find and pick what you like from each interpretation. After watching enough you'll formulate your own ideas about what you like and what's good! As a music director I look for someone who knows the classic interpretation but is not afraid to add themselves into it! However, remember that you're performing for an paying audience just as much as your performing for yourself. You wouldn't even be able to audition if there wasn't an audience to support the art! My point, don't go so crazy with your interpretation that you distance yourself from the classic character. The Director won't like it because they know the audience won't! More importantly I look at intonation and timbre. You would never believe how many people audition for parts who can't sing in tune or have bad tone!!

The very best way to practice your cold-reading skills is to do it a LOT on your own time. Go to your library every couple of weeks and check out a bunch of scripts, or hunt for cheap used copies in used bookstores.

And if it's a role that has a "classic" interpretation, there's nothing wrong with utilizing that as well -- you just don't want to imitate another actor. I saw an outstanding production of "The King & I" last year -- it was the first time I saw an actor venture far from Yul Brynner in playing the King, as a lot of actors tend not to incorporate much uniqueness to that role.

So you can hint at classic performance styles of famous roles, but then show you're truly a thinking artist by putting your own stamp on it. And of course, whenever possible get the script of a play at least a week before the audition.

Put your self in your character's shoes. It helps a lot! For instance, if you have to sing a song about being torn away from the person you love, then sing about being torn apart from the one you love in your eyes! It'll be easy to sympathize with your character that way. Another tip: when it comes to hand gestures and body motion, just think about how your character is feeling. If they're happy, then walk with a skip in your step and a smile on your face. If they're upset, slouch over a bit, relax everything in your body, and act like you want nothing from the world. If they're mad, use quick exaggerated hand motions and stomp your foot as if you were impatient, Third: Analyze your lines and songs. Ask yourself questions like: -Who is my character talking to? -What is their relation to each other? (ex. friend, parent, etc.) -Why are they talking/singing? -What do they want to achieve/receive? -What might be going through their minds? Questions like that. Make sure you fully understand everything that is happening. Do a little research on your character if you have to. Lastly, be calm. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. The more practice, the more smoothly it will be for you and the better the performance will be. In addition, I suggest you exercise your voice everyday if you're not doing so already. Keep it as strong as possible. I think that's all I gotta say. I hope your performance blows everyone away :) Break a leg!

Practice on other scripts.

For Acting, I would recommend

http://www.hollywoodnorth.com/