Zodiacs

Wednesday 4th June
6pm-8pm (extended class)

At Stage Door we recognize that one of the hardest parts about being involved in musicals is actually getting in to the musical in the first place! Auditions can be really scary and hard to prepare for. The more you audition, the better you get at preparing, managing your nerves and conducting yourself in the actual audition. 
For this reason Stage Door offer audition training sessions where our senior Musical Theatre students can prepare and partake in mock audition exercises to practice and hone their audition technique.

Last term students were made aware that their 2025 audition training session will be held this term. We are pleased to confirm that this is scheduled to take place shortly, on Wednesday 4th of June between 6pm-8pm.

We know that auditioning can be incredibly uncomfortable, but strongly encourage students to come along on the 4th to experience and practice auditioning in a safe and constructive environment. Students will be provided with feedback on their audition technique pointing out areas of strength and weakness, so that they know what is working well for them, and where to focus their preparation efforts ahead of their next audition experience.

The training session will be run as a mock audition and will comprise of three parts - two compulsory, and the third entirely optional.

PART 1: Group Dance Audition - ALL
The majority of Musical Theatre auditions will require auditionees to take part in a group dance audition. We will therefore be including a dance audition section in our mock audition. 
There is nothing for students to prepare for this section of the audition. 
Students will be taught a short section of a dance by a guest choreographer and given a short amount of time to rehearse it, before ‘performing’ the section in small groups for the choreographer.

PART 2: Solo Singing Audition - ALL
Musical Theatre auditions will always involve singing - usually alone, but sometimes in a small group. Sometimes auditionees will be set a specific song to bring to the audition, while other times they are given the freedom to choose a suitable song themselves. 
This year our students have been tasked with learning the song “Great Expectations” from the musical The Outsiders for their mock audition. Students have the option of either learning and presenting the full song, or just the first page of the song. Students are strongly encouraged to learn the lyrics of the song off by heart, however lyric sheets can be used if required. Students will present their song to a panel of 1 or 2 people with none of their peers in the room. 
Resources to help with learning this song (sheet music, track, backing track, lyric sheet) are available on this page, click on the song title listed on the right hand side of the page, under Resources (above the tutor pics) to access these.

PART 3: Small Group Item - OPTIONAL
In Term One students were made aware of the option to work together with others in their class to present a small group item.  This item must involve two or more people from the Constellations and/or Zodiacs class (any number of students can be involved). The item can be of any performance nature eg singing, dancing, acting, poetry readings, playing instruments, gymnastics, magic tricks, etc - anything goes!

Throughout the year our Zodiacs class will work on several numbers that they will ultimately present at our Musical Theatre End of Year Showcase performances at the end of the year, on Saturday 22 November, 2025 (scroll down for more information about our 2025 Musical Theatre Showcase). 

Parents and Students are asked to keep an eye on this page, where updates, practice resources and homework notes will be regularly added throughout the year. 

TERM ONE SONG: Alexander Hamilton
From Hamilton: An American Musical 
With music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Hamilton is a sung-and-rapped-through biographical musical which covers the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and his involvement in the American Revolution and the political history of the early United States. Miranda described Hamilton as about "America then, as told by America now".
Our song "Alexander Hamilton" is the opening number of the show. 
It is expository, setting up who the main character is and summarizing the first two decades of his life in a "bracingly economical synopsis of Hamilton's early years". It also introduces the other lead and supporting actors in the musical (Aaron Burr, John Laurens, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, George Washington, Hercules Mulligan, Marquis de Lafayette, Angelica Schuyler Church, Peggy Schuyler, and Maria Reynolds), who briefly describe their characters’ relationships to Hamilton. This "prologue" to the story, according to Patheos, "doesn't just bring Hamilton to life, but all of his contemporaries as well".

TERM TWO SONG: Thoroughly Modern Millie
From Thoroughly Modern Millie
With music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics by Dick Scanlan

Thoroughly Modern Millie is based on the 1967 film of the same name, which itself was based on the British musical Chrysanthemum, which opened in London in 1956. Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of a small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York City to marry for money instead of love – a thoroughly modern aim in 1922, when women were just entering the workforce. Millie soon begins to take delight in the flapper lifestyle as she sings our song “Thoroughly Modern Millie” 

Song lyrics and practice tracks for all Zodaics songs can be downloaded from this webpage for practicing at home. Click on the song title listed on the right hand side of the page, under Resources (above the tutor pics) to access these.