So, you have the opportunity to audition for one of theater’s most celebrated, form-changing shows: “Rent.” The rock musical, with book, music, and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, centers on a group of young folks living amid the tumult of artistic fulfillment, financial disarray, and the AIDS crisis. Featuring bangers like “Seasons of Love,” “Tango: Maureen,” and “What You Own,” the show is a wonderful chance for any actor to level up. (Just ask Idina Menzel, who counts “Rent” as her first professional theater job.)
But how do you serve yourself best in the audition room (or on self-tape)? Read our helpful tips and rockin’ selections to ensure you won’t get sent straight to voice mail.
It fits the genre: Leave your Rodgers and Hammerstein in the piano bench. “Rent” is a full-on rock and roll musical, with heavy guitars, pop-driven melodies, and committed vocals. Your selection should show the production team that you’re ready to rock.
It shows capital-E Emotion: “Rent” is one of the more earnest musicals in the canon, a show of searing pain and soaring heart. This isn’t the time for a post-modern, ironically funny piece of shenanigans. Plant your feet and show them how you feel.
It fits your voice and type: Above all, fall back on the standard common sense for musical auditioning: Start with yourself. Pick a song that matches your vocal and performance identity, and show the casting directors the best version of you.
“30/90” from “tick, tick... BOOM!”
If you’re auditioning for a Jonathan Larson musical, how about auditioning with another Jonathan Larson musical? The opening number from the playwright’s 2001 autobiographical show is a burst of energy and emotion. It’s perfect to show off those rock musical pipes while tapping into the coming-of-age existentialism that powers Larson’s work.
“Mama Who Bore Me” from “Spring Awakening”
Another influential rock musical about young people trying to fight an uncaring system, “Spring Awakening” opens with the gorgeous, folk-tinged ballad “Mama Who Bore Me.” This is a perfect cut to audition for any of the female “Rent” roles, especially Mimi, whose “Light My Candle” bears similar stylistic and emotional similarities to this tune.
“When It’s Time” from “American Idiot”
Adapted from Green Day’s iconic concept record of the same name, “American Idiot” features this brand-new tune penned by the pop-punk trio. “When It’s Time” is as pure as ballads can get, a painfully earnest piece of pleading that will lay bare any actor’s vulnerability.
“You Don’t Know” from “Next to Normal”
A brief but incendiary howl of frustration from Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s rock musical “Next to Normal,” “You Don’t Know” is ideal for packing a punch in record time. There’s a seething, chugging verse full of venom and loathing, followed by a full-throated hook of rebellion—and then it’s out! A tune sure to make an impression.
“Waving Through a Window” from “Dear Evan Hansen”
In “Rent,” Mark is a documentary filmmaker who has trouble relating to the world around him without a camera lens in between. “Waving Through a Window,” the rollicking pop-rock tune from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s “Dear Evan Hansen,” is a great piece to convey this kind of emotional separation. But don’t be tempted to riff because of its hooky melodic construction—sing it pure and raw.
“Me and the Sky” from “Come From Away”
It can be tempting to stick with morose, even maudlin songs for “Rent” audition purposes. But there’s a ton of celebration, joy, and rebellion in Larson’s work—and you can show that side of punk-rock triumph in “Me and the Sky” from “Come From Away.” A direct, fist-pumping tune about smashing the glass ceiling, “Me and the Sky” contrasts storytelling with one helluva chorus to belt.