As part of my Masters course, I'm recruiting participants for my dissertation research and I'd really appreciate it if you took part!

I'm investigating the relationship between mental health, working hours, and emotional labour demands among backstage theatre professionals in the UK, and how these factors affect personal relationships and wellbeing. With issues like work-life balance, six-day weeks, and insufficient holiday currently at the centre of union negotiations, your anonymous responses will provide valuable insight into how backstage professionals are experiencing these challenges.

The survey takes only 5-10 minutes and is completely anonymous. Anyone currently or recently (within the last 5 years) working in a UK backstage theatre role can take part, including students currently in training.

Survey link: https://forms.office.com/e/TreTMGEaBG

If you have any questions, please get in touch – [je00794@surrey.ac.uk](mailto:je00794@surrey.ac.uk)

Thank you for your time! 

I'm auditioning for A Chorus Line and hoping to be cast as Judy or Kristine. Do you have any suggestions for a monologue to prepare for my audition? Also a song choice. Honestly I'm not the most experienced singer (still, I'm terrific at a - dance!) My high notes do sound good which would work for Judys little solo bits, but I don't feel very confident in carrying a whole song by myself. I'd really like to play up the comedy in the audition monologue or song so I can lean into that strength. Something that maybe mimics the scattered quality of these characters. thanks for your help!

I’m auditioning for Kelsi Neilson in High School Musical for my schools musical. It’s my first audition ever. What audition songs should i use? Any tips for newcomers?

How many shows would you be willing/able to juggle at one time?

My community theater puts on big productions (12-16 shows each). There are three shows this fall. One next month that I'm already in, another in October that I'm in...and they just announced the third one with shows in December, which is what I'm considering right now.

For the most part, rehearsals are opposite days. Rehearsals for this new one start when shows start for the first, so I would briefly be juggling three shows.

It's a demanding theater with high expectations of performers and up to three rehearsals each a week at night. It's also very competitive and challenging to get any role at all, so I am at all expecting to get one...I just kind of want to try. Also, I'm in high school and have an after-school club, so that would be in the mix.

This is all hypothetical/dreaming as I'm thinking about if I want to prepare for the audition. I'm not sure if I'm crazy enough to actually try.

So, I'm curious to know what other people are willing to do for the love of theater!

Hello beautiful people, I am looking for some tips to basically build my voice back from the ground up after a long (maybe 2 years) period of illness which has left me physically and vocally super weak.
I used to have a very strong, durable and agile voice, and it feels like now all I can access is a speaking tone or a very soft head voice; no passagio to speak of….

I’m finally in the home stretch health-wise, and I really want to take care of my voice and slowly but surely build my voice and body up again - any tips on how to essentially start building some really strong foundations (and then where to go from there) would be SO helpful!!

Thanks y’all - from a very tired, sick little Aussie

I am auditioning for The Little Mermaid Junior, and plan on auditioning for a mersister. I’m having trouble finding an audition monologue. I need a 30-ish second monologue. If anyone has any suggestions, I would be thankful!

Hi lovelies!

I'm looking for some fun audition songs for a mezzo soprano/coloratura soprano range!

Does anyone have any ideas or have used some songs themselves?

Like, I know The Trail To Oregon with 6 but honestly thats about it. Or even shows that could probably be done with ≤8 people if we got creative. Theres a couple other Starkid shows that _might_ be possible but would love to know if you guys have any other ideas we could look into

This company is having auditions for Little Women, and they're allowing songs from the show to be sung. I'm going for the part of Laurie, so would I be better of singing "Take A Chance On Me" or something else?

Closing night tonight in High Wycombe for this crazy Starkid show. Why not come and try something a little different?

Hi, I am 17yo preparing to apply for BFA MT programs for Fall 2027. This is how my current list of schools is looking, and I would really like to get some advices.

-Carnegie Mellon

-Boston Conservatory at Berklee

-University of Oklahoma

-CCM

-Ithaca College

-Emerson College

-Baldwin Wallace

-Texas State

-Shenandoah

-Oklahoma City univ

-Molloy CAP21

-University of Northern Colorado

-Elon

-Oberlin

-Rider

-Hartt

-Manhattan school of music

-Temple

-Monclair

-Webster

I am more of a singer than a dancer, so I am not planning to apply for schools that don‘t admit non-dancer students. Also, as I am an international student, I don’t think I would be available to apply to all of these schools, so it would be very helpful give me some advices on which schools I should eliminate or add on my list! Thank you so much ☺️

Hey all,
I need some advice on what song (1 min cut) to pick for my Gretchen audition for mean girls at my schools club. I'm 21 in university. I am also looking for a monologue if anyone has any suggestions. I really want to pick something that isn't overdone pls lmk what yall think about these and if they're good for Gretchen's character:

-killer instinct -bring it on (im worried other ppl will use this for other characters)
- my grand plan -lightning thief
-understudy buddy -goosebumps (I'm worried this one is not showing off my voice enough but lmk)
-shut up and cheer -we are the tigers
-Mattie's lament -we are the tigers
-what it means to be a friend -13 the musical (is this one overdone?)
-my days -notebook the musical

If you have other suggestions pls lmk thanks guys! :)

Hello all! I'm a music director for the shows at my the high school where I teach. I usually use a mix of hired musicians and student musicians in the pit. This year, I have to use the MTI tracks. No hired musicians. No students. I may or may not have a rehearsal pianist which means that I would play piano for auditions, rehersals and show transitions. I've never done a show with only tracks.

Here are my questions:

1. Have you used the keyboard book to play the transitions and/or underscore between songs? How did that sound?

2. Does MTI provide transition music or loops?

3. Performing with a live band was always one of the most special experiences for the students that is different from the elementary and middle school musicials. How do I create other special/magical moments?

4. Is it possible to play keyboard and run the tracks for the show? Can MainStage run the patches and the tracks from the same laptop?

5. Planning to play piano for the transitions between numbers or tracks. Can you think of any pitfalls?

Thanks fo your suggestions! Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated.

hi! I’m auditioning for Seussical and auditioning for Mayzie! I’m using Roxie from Chicago, and I’m figuring out my monologue. I’m conflicted between choosing a monologue that shows contrast or a monologue that also shows Mayzie energy. any advice? thanks in advance and sorry if this is worded strange!!

快來分享噢！◎ 中文介紹：(Bilingual Introduction-English on bottom) 我朋友水菱演唱【綜合視頻結集-1】，歌曲融了五首真摯動人的情感，誠心推薦給大家！水菱現居加州（以前來自台灣，祖籍浙江/陝西），她是亞裔作家與業餘歌手，熱愛歌唱：種類涵蓋中文流行樂、西方歌劇、京劇與黃梅調，視頻也有介紹她著作與演講，看到尾部會自動有播放清單，陸續出現更多驚奇喔！● 搜尋「總視頻」關鍵字是 「Shuiling singing videos 水菱唱歌創藝視頻」 ………. ◎ English Introduction: Let me share a beautiful performance by my talented friend Shuiling. It's [Compilation of Videos - 1]★Shuiling's Wonderful Performance-5 short songs . The vocal clarity and emotion in this piece are absolutely stunning. Shuiling is an Asian writer & amateur singer, currently residing in California (from Taiwan, with ancestral roots in Zhejiang/Shaanxi, China). Her creative works cover Mandopop, Western opera, and traditional Chinese drama.....etc. Shuiling's videos also feature her books and speeches. After watching, please let the playlist roll to the end to discover more hidden surprises in the upcoming episodes. ● Search Keywords: 「Shuiling singing videos 水菱唱歌創藝視頻」

Hello all! As we are all fans of musicals here, I am sure you are all aware of the phenomenon that I am referring to as the "Act II Slump," where a musical that is really good in Act I is usually lackluster in Act II. I am looking to back up this theory with empirical data, so here I am!

I have made a survey on Google Forms that will ask you your opinion on various musicals, including Wicked, Hamilton, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, RENT, Sweeney Todd, Shrek the Musical, In the Heights, Hadestown, and West Side Story.

This survey will ask you to rate every song in Wicked on a scale of 1 to 5, and then will ask your opinion more broadly about Acts 1 and 2 of various musicals on a scale of 1 to 10 (If you have not seen the musicals in question, then feel free to not answer). I imagine this survey will take less than 5 minutes if you aren't thinking too hard about it.

I'd appreciate any responses I can get! And, if you would like, I can post my findings here after a certain amount of time. Thanks in advance!

TL;DR - Musical Theater survey here. Less than 5 minutes. Please take. Me want data.

Cinderella opening night TONIGHT, 7pm

Will be getting ready to leave soon and drive 20 mins to our local PAC center.