Audition Help!!! High School Show or Community Theatre?

From personal experience, favoritism is bad. If you go to the place where they know you, yeah, you might get a lead role. And you might also get a really bad rep at your high school. The kids at your high school's MT program are going to think A) You think you're better than them, or B) You aren't confident enough in your abilities to try to snag a lead your first time around. Or a combination of the two. Even if you try out for your high school's show as a freshman and get chorus, that is quite possibly the best thing that will ever happen to you.

Story time:

My freshman year, I was already signed as a trained dancer for the Southeastern Michigan Classical Ballet Co. and the Dance Grosse Ile tap and jazz co. However, my brother did all the musicals at his high school and so I wanted to as well. I tried out for the Sound of Music (giving up a larger part in SMCB's recital to do so) and got the role of....a nun. I was hurt, embarrassed, and frankly, I felt like I deserved better with my talents. But I am not a quitter, so I rehearsed the latin and wore the habit and felt like an idiot doing so. 2 nights before the show, the girl playing Louisa (the part I tried out for) got appendicitis and couldn't do that weekend's shows. I knew all the music and fit the costumes, and my friend/stage worker Kevin asked me if I could do it, I said yes, quickly learned the rest of it, and did the part (may I say, almost flawlessly). From then on, I had the best reputation in my MT program, and for me, the director chose Carousel as the next musical and featured me as Louisa (not a bad part for a sophomore) which was not a lead, but was an amazing dancing role. I went on to be Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, direct/produce/act as Olive in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and be Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie. I also choreographed all of them. Now, I'm getting ready to move to NYC to be in one of the most prestigious theater programs in America, that produced Barbara Walters and Julianna Margulies.

Moral: take a chance. Go for the high school. It will look more committed to have it on college apps and you will make your best friends there. Make friends with your director and really, give it your all. Take the small parts and learn how to make them bigger. Learn how to stand out in a group. You will appreciate it someday, I know sure as anything that I did.

Oh yeah, and this is all true.

Here I Am from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Astonshing from Little Women Diva's Lament from Spamalot And I Am Telling You from Dreamgirls Someone Like You from Jekyll and Hyde Easy As Life from Aida One Day I'll Fly Away from Moulin Rouge Shy from Once Upon A Matress My Strongest Suit from Aida *All this songs must be well, seeing as they're a few what poppy and uptempo, very similar to some of the songs within the exhibit. I used My most powerful swimsuit and was once solid as Sharpay. All that Jazz isn't that unhealthy, but it surely would no longer exhibit off your voice that good, seeing as how you're a soprano, however I do not know you. Good Luck to your Audition!!

It's sure a conundrum. Going for the HS show would put your foot in the door of the theater experience there, while the community theater experience looks to be a better part if you can get it.

My suggestion is go for the community theater show, and invite the muckety mucks at the school to see it (assuming you get a good part in it).

honestly (as a high school sophmore who got a lead in a high school play when i was still in middle school (skakespear i might add ;)) go with the community theatre....but if u have time...try for the high school one too....get as much experience as possible and it never hurts to be backround actor sometimes....trust me i have done it my far share of times :)