Is it rude to sing along at a Broadway show?
Don't Sing Along
It's tempting sometimes, we know. But if you want to sing on Broadway, then you're going to have to audition like those people up onstage did. Your fellow Broadway fans paid the big bucks to hear the professionals flex their vocal muscles, not you. Save your sweet singing for post-show karaoke.
Please do not sing audibly during a show unless it is a show with actual audience participation. Musicals are expensive and people are attending to enjoy the performance of the actors not to listen to the person behind them sing along.
If the lead singer asks the audience to participate, or if it's an anthem-like song that most of audience starts singing, then it's OK. This does not mean it's cool to sing during quiet, mellow shows or if no one else is singing. Then it's just plain annoying. Singing along is part of the experience.
- Don't Arrive Late. This is a big no-no. ...
- Don't Use Your Programme as a Fan. ...
- Don't Eat. ...
- Don't Talk During the Show. ...
- Don't Laugh Excessively at Inappropriate Times. ...
- Don't Use Your Phone or Any Other Electronic Devices. ...
- Don't Kiss Your Significant Other During the Show. ...
- Don't Cough.
Catcalling, whistling, screaming, and booing at performers is also considered bad taste. You are not in the privacy of your own home; theater is a shared experience and you must keep in mind that any extraneous noise you make distracts from what people have paid to see.
- Turn Off Your Cell Phone. ...
- Don't Send Text Messages During the Show. ...
- There is no photography or videoing allowed in the theater. ...
- Eat Your Dinner Before the Show, Not DURING It. ...
- If You Have To Cough, Cover Your Mouth.
If you've ever had a career in the arts, or know someone who has, you are likely aware that saying the word “Macbeth” inside a theatre is strictly taboo unless one is rehearsing or in the midst of performing Shakespeare's dark tragedy. Doing so is almost universally believed to bring about bad luck or even disaster.
“We need everyone to be able to both sing and dance because the ensemble is where we pull our understudies from.” Dancier shows—particularly those that incorporate ballet and cast with a dance-first focus—don't always require as much vocal experience. Casting directors see potential and a good work ethic in you.
Virtually all Hollywood musicals – from West Side Story (1961) and Grease (1978), to Chicago (2002) and High School Musical (2006) – are shot with the actors lip-syncing while on camera to a vocal track they pre-recorded in a studio weeks or months prior.
They arrive late and leave early (some even so rude as to enter or leave while the music is being played), hold lengthy conversations during the concert, put their feet up on the seats in front of them, make excessive noise while taking notes on the concert (such as ripping paper out of a note pad, loud pencil ...
Why do singers lip sync in concerts?
Some artists switch between live singing and lip syncing during a performance, particularly during songs that require them to hit particularly high or low notes. Lip syncing these notes ensures that the performer will not be out of tune or strain their voice.
Don't sing if it hurts.
If your throat hurts, if you have an infection of any kind or if you've strained your voice through overuse, don't sing. Put yourself on vocal rest. Drink a lot of water. Get some extra sleep.
The computerized system then randomly selects song choices for people to perform. Even when participants aren't on stage singing, they are encouraged to sing along from the audience. At the end of the show, everyone is welcomed on stage for a “my shot” encore for one last song.
While everyone will be encouraged to sing along with fellow Hamilton fans from the audience, singers also can lead songs from the stage in a singalong fashion.
If you are confident that you have an original, fresh and exciting approach to a song from the show you are auditioning for, go for it. Most importantly, if that song is the one you have prepared--don't ditch it for a replacement right before entering the room. Go with what you know and love!
Enter the auditorium quietly. Once you have been seated, be alert to activity on the stage as the musicians take their place for the concert. When the conductor enters, it is customary to applaud politely. Whistling, yelling, or screaming is not appropriate at any time before, during, or after a concert.