After Easter theaters finally start getting serious about casting next season. For those who are also serious about getting a career going here the best strategy is simple: be here. If you’re a seasoned performer, keep an eye out for shows which you’ve performed and can convincingly audition for. These days many theaters hold these auditions on short notice so you have to be here to hear about them and be ready to drop everything to audition. April through June is now the best time for this. If you can, avoid the expensive flights before and after the holidays! Your money will be better spent on rent and food!
Especially because you have to please stage directors, moving well and showing a dynamic stage presence is often as important as singing well. In particular ‘specialty’ roles and voice types are sought after, but you have to understand German preferences. We’re not talking about potential, we’re talking about tonight! If you’re a bass and can always get that low C as well as the high F, you do have a better shot than the lovely lyric coloratura. The same is true of tenors who performed and can prosper singing Verdi and Puccini, or a really good alto who has a booming low voice. Even those singers have to understand the system and speak the language, so I recommend planning to stay for at least three months. By the way, agents still say theaters are always looking for a good tenor, but I was a pretty good tenor and there was always plenty of competition for every job. It was never easy and it’s never going to be easy!