An “alive, energized, immediate human being” is what musical theater director Ray Roderick is looking for when he holds an audition.
“In New York, we’re looking for folks to help us tell stories; dynamic artists who just have to express themselves,” Roderick told students while teaching a master class in Studio 115 of the Performing Arts Building last Monday.
Roderick says that attacking the world through telling stories — the very thing actors do when studying, rehearsing and working — offers help for life.
When acting, one must be fearless, willing to make mistakes and ready to fall on one’s face, and, according to Roderick, this is a skill set anyone can put to use in daily life.
“It’s the willingness to be able to fall down?that’s essential to creating new work,” he said, while advising students on how to approach work in theater.
After moving to New York in 1981 and landing both commercial and Broadway gigs, Roderick spent 18 years as an actor before transitioning into directing.
Roderick’s main purpose in teaching Monday’s master class was to share his expertise on what musical theater casting directors are looking for, and how to better prepare for auditions with this knowledge in mind.
“You are not right for every show, but you’re right for some. You’ve gotta find your voice,” he said. “Focus on being you.”
Roderick shared his veteran knowledge of the musical theater audition world by opening the class up for preselected students to perform mock auditions, and then discussing and critiquing their work with the whole class.
He set up the unfortunate, but typical, environment a performer must rise above during a casting call.
“(The auditioners) have been there all day. They’re drinking coffee and they are or aren’t interested,” he said.
Throughout the six mock auditions, Roderick would challenge students by putting them in situations they are likely to encounter at a New York City audition.
For some students, he would ask immediately upon the close of their first song, “OK, do you have another song for me?” and with some, he would continue to ask the same question even after they performed their second song, which they may or may have not been expecting to sing.
After soprano Natalie Blackman sang her prepared song, Roderick asked what else she was able to sing and then spontaneously propositioned her with, “Do you know the end of ‘I Could Have Danced All Night?'” and asked her to sing the last verse.
Addressing the topic of audition etiquette, Roderick told students to always have their music books near the piano for easy access.
“Expect to sing that second song,” he said.
As far as repertoire, Roderick suggests performers have songs from various genres of musical theater in the event they are prompted with a “What do you have to sing in the fashion of ‘Oklahoma?'” or any other genre-defining musical.
Roderick left students with focal points including: showing more dynamic range, taking the listener on a bigger ride, making bold choices, incorporating specificity and surprise, making communication the main goal, being yourself and making your audition material your own.
“Don’t deny who you are,” he said. “It’s actually freeing to be yourself.”
Ray Roderick is the current director of the nationally touring musical production, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” and will return to the U with the production later this year.