Singing Advice

Speaking Shakespeare

Goldberg isn't interested in simply getting Bard wannabes to speak the poetry and prose; he wants it to flow through the entire body.

Projection Protection

A play can be as hard on the voice as a musical, with actors required to communicate intense emotions on a nightly basis—emotions that can stress the vocal folds, causing swelling and worse.

Voice 10, Acting…10

The ability to suspend disbelief has always been the operagoer's stock-in-trade. You have to be able to squint just right to imagine that the 40-something soprano who could best you at arm wrestling is a callow, put-upon waif.

Below the Belt

Seth Rudetsky calls himself a deconstructor. Rudetsky appropriated the word to describe his compulsion to analyze show tunes as performed by the singers he "ido-Lizas."

Developing Dialects

The ability to speak convincingly in different dialects is an important part of an actor's tool kit. No matter how well you connect emotionally with a role, a false or inappropriate accent can diminish the final result.

Cabaret Classroom

The point—as Sutton Foster and Nora York promote it to their students—is that cabaret is a venue where the voice is only a part of the entertainment equation.

Ear Training With Bruce Arnold

The ability to accurately hear and analyze music is one of the hallmarks of a great musician. Most music students develop it through ear training. But traditional methods can leave them frustrated when they try to apply the concepts they've learned to actual music.

Singing for Actors

David Coury declares, "The most comprehensive way to get a speaking voice in shape is through singing." That's part of the reason he's known for working with actors who have never sung.

Acting Your 16 Bars

Musical theater hopefuls sing their 16 carefully chosen bars at open calls. One after another, they belt their highest notes as loud as they can and then...nothing except a thank you.

Nancy Reardon's Advice for Reporters and Hosts is Useful for Actors Too

The voice has everything to do with "personality." She says, "The voice is so important—and not a shrill voice. A low voice. Think of the voices you love. They're all low."