I often find myself marveling at a young actor’s natural ability to connect emotionally to a monologue. It seems to be second nature for my students to find material that gives them the greatest chance of delivering a standout performance. However, when called upon to sing a musical theater song, the ability to connect emotionally to a lyric becomes a challenge! As the music begins to play and the young actor begins to sing, their performance often falls flat, is devoid of emotion, and lacks that all-important ingredient for a great performance: authenticity.
Is the lack of authenticity a matter of poor song choice? Is it because bursting into song feels unnatural? Are they too concerned with hitting the right note? Or is simply that the disconnect because they mimic the cast recording and are not able to “make it their own”?
If you’re a parent of a child performer, use these homework assignments to translate their natural ability to speak with authenticity into singing with authenticity!
1. Pose the question, “Why do actors on stage burst into song during a musical?” A child is fully aware that breaking into song during math class to express their hatred for algebra would be reason for
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