So, this upcoming fall my schools musical will be How to Succeed in Business without really Trying. I really want the role of Bud Frump! I have been working very hard to get it down, but I wondered if anyone could give me any audition tips for when I go in there so I really can nail the audition and also some tips for callbacks! I am about 5'7" African American male and I wear glasses and I am a baritone/bass. Like I said I really want this role, but there is also this suck up kid who might get the role which also makes me nervous, he is rude, and entitled but they seem to like him, because he sucks up. But they like me as well, but the difference is I dont suck up. My relationship with our main director is a little awkward, but the music director loves me! And it is opposite with him, but they both like us, just him a little more it seems. It will be both of our senior year show and I really want this role to go out with a bang. I really want to impress them and do my absolute best. Our freshman year we were both just ensemble, Sophomore year We both had just bit roles, but he was also the understudy for the lead. And then this year we did B&B and he was Cogsworth and understudy for the beast and I was just another bit part. But mind you this year the show was a complete mess with casting and the show was a trainwreck so Im trying not to worry too much about that, and they seem like they have learned from their trainwreck of a show they had this year. Also both times he was the understudy for the lead when he had to fill in in rehearsals it wasnt pretty. And also I have other experience as well, I have done community theater with both teens and adults, and in some had lead roles. And also our director told me he would have given me a lead in two other shows he was planning to pick for this year, so I take that as a good sign that they are willing to give me a lead. I think I have a good chance to get one as well because all though my drama department has alot of guys, I feel as if there are really on 5 of us who have a real shot at the leads, but the thing is there are really only 4 lead roles in this show, Finch, Biggley, Bud, and Bratt. And the role I want if I dont get Bud is Bratt. Also Twimble maybe he could count be he only has a song and a scene. I was thinking the kid who got Gaston last year could maybe be Twimble cause the directors had a very hard time with him, he would often try to change the blocking and go on a random spree of things and they got very annoyed, our music director likes hate him. Maybe he could be Twimble and then the other roles could be open to the other 4 of us, but this is all just wishful thing. I will really work hard for this, and basically what I want to know is some good audition and callback tips in general, and for this show specifically Bud, and what I should do about this other young man?

Dear 3mshaw,

Doggone it all! I should have rented "HtSiB..WRT" from the video store when I rented "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", because I know next to nothing about the show! ARG! I'm sorry.

Well, I hope that you are able to get some advice soon. I'll be renting that movie as soon as I can, because I've been wondering about it for quite awhile!

Thank you in advance for your reply.