On Monday, Nov. 24, the Music Department went through the audition process for their upcoming spring musical, “Rent”, in Hunziker Black Box Theater.
The Music Department does yearly fall and spring musicals, with one of the more recent ones being “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, according to Christopher Hilbert, the vocal area coordinator. Hilbert shared that for the upcoming play, they wanted to do something that would invite new students, especially non-music majors. With that, they chose “Rent”, the rock opera based on “La Bohème” by Giacomo Puccini. The music department’s attempt at bringing in more students was a success, for the audition slots were full, according to Hilbert.
The Auditions Process
In a dimly lit building with a calming atmosphere, notes of piano and students warming up their singing voices and filling out audition forms shone brightly with possibilities, hope, and a chance for a lead role. Students from different majors gathered, excited and ready to showcase their talents to the casting directors.
Emilee Rodriguez, a public relations major minoring in psychology, was practicing a song from the musical “Rent” in hopes of getting the part of Mimi Márquez, the female lead. This was her first time auditioning at William Paterson University; however, she had prior experience in performing and theatre during her high school years, even showing her dedication through a music note tattoo. Rodriguez stated she intends to bring the story to life through music and touch people.
Another student, Carlos Navarro, a music education major, waited patiently for his turn on a couch nearby, filling out his audition form with excitement, but also with a calm mindset that whatever happens, happens. While he has only been in one other play in high school, starring as the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast”, Navarro sought out a role in this musical to be a part of something different.
“It’s interesting, you know,” Navarro said. “They’ve [the school] only ever done, you know, opera-like musicals; this would probably be the first time they’d do an actual rock sort of performance.”
The first student to step into the audition room and perform head-on was free-spirited and confident. Ezekiel Frasier, a popular music major, as well as a film, radio, and television major, dressed in a white leopard and baggy sweatpants. He strolled into the Black Box Theater with high hopes and dreams of getting a role, although he doesn’t have his sights set on a particular one.
“I try not to limit myself with only one role as it might mentally block me off of other possibilities and opportunities,” Frasier said.
Many of the students auditioning went into the audition room with the same mindset – it’s not the end of the world, there are other roles out there – and with the same passion for music and experience in theatre, each of them harboring strong personalities.
Rodriguez was excited, though mostly nervous. Navarro, Frasier, along with everyone else patiently waiting outside, felt the same way. They still felt confident in their abilities through their preparation based on the character they wanted to play and who they are as a performer.
Rodriguez explained her attempt at method acting as part of training for the role.
“Panic,” Rodriguez claimed. “But the panic turns into the chaos that the character [Mimi] has. So she moves around a lot, she dances a lot, she’s chaotic. So bringing that panic into that helps … And, like, I already know the show inside and out, so I feel like I’m prepared for that. But it’s just the energy.”
Frasier also shared his process in getting prepared for the role.
“The first thing I did was … read the lyrics,” Frasier shared. “Not even listen to the song, like, do it musical-wise. Just … reading the lyrics of whatever song I needed to choose, and getting those locked in. Because for me, I can learn a very difficult piece and it sound amazing, but I will mess it up every single time. So the lyrics for me is the most important part, and then after that, I just keep repeating it.”
Every student had different methods, but a majority of them did the same ritual: not eating the entire day.
“It’s not the best habit,” Frasier admitted. “I just drink water all day. And I have a teaspoon of honey right before leaving my room.”
Derek Sandoval, a freshman film, audio, and TV major, was fourth in the auditioning slot and attempted to reenact a song that he performed in the only other musical that he played a character in, The Dentist. He shared that it was to play it smart and do what he knows.
“I feel very chill, you know,” Sandoval said. “I feel confident in my abilities, but I feel like whatever happens, happens.”
Mint Herrmann, a freshman popular music major with a voice concentration, had a little turn of events when preparing for the audition due to being on voice rest for medical reasons. Their way of training was adapting and overcoming some vocal obstacles, and constantly belting out in song to adjust to their new range. However, their mental training before the audition played a part as well.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Herrmann said. “I mean, I’m like – I try not to get super jittery because it kind of trips you up … The less anxious you are, the better you perform.”
In this case, performing in front of the head musical director brings some type of anxiety, especially when you are put in the center of a room.
Both Frasier and Navarro reported a big red ‘X’ duct taped on the floor as the starting point. When the directors would call you in, the student would shake hands with the musical director, exchange pleasantries, then have to stand on the ‘X’ to begin, and would be able to start whenever they felt ready. In the performance field, it is called a reference point, according to Frasier. You should always end there, but don’t ever look at it.
“If your piece is too short, they’re definitely gonna ask you to sing,” Navarro recalled when he got out of the Black Box Theater. “I pulled out one of the songs from ‘Rent’, but then – I butchered it, because I was like ‘wait a minute, I forgot how this went!’ ‘cause my nerves just made me forget, and all over the place … Then they give you a callback, and that’s it.”
According to Navarro, Hilbert set up the auditions to see how well students can harmonize with other people and to see what range they’re in, or if they can sing a certain part of a song. When each audition ended, depending on the student’s voice range and ability to harmonize, the student would likely receive a sheet of paper showing all the musical notes of ‘Rent’s’ songs that would be needed to memorize. Not only are the musical directors looking for harmony in voices and the ability to read music, but also harmony in the students themselves. The emotional connection must be there.
“Especially for a show like this, you have to have chemistry with all the characters,” Rodriguez stated. “And it goes deeper [in the story] because they’re going through drug abuse, and they’re going through AIDs crisis, and they’re going through losing each other, so they really have to have a bond. So it’s a hard show to do, emotional. Emotionally wise to bring all that in there. It’s heavy.”
So, while everyone is waiting patiently for the call-backs and to see who got what part, a new journey of emotional ties and bonding begins for this batch of hopeful and confident students.
