COME PREPARED. We can tell who has followed the directions on the website by practicing a song and a script.

VOCAL FULLNESS. Be loud!!! We want actors who will be able to be heard by the audience both when they sing and when they speak. This is always the first thing we notice and look for, and it typically carries more weight than anything else.

STAGE PRESENCE. Actors who move around the stage area and use gestures and facial expressions with purpose and confidence.

SINGING IN-TUNE (major priority for roles that sing solos). Singers who can stay on pitch with a pleasant sound.

TIMING (major priority for roles that sing solos). Singers who can properly keep in time with the background music.

MATURITY. Kids get nervous when they audition. Sometimes the nervousness shows itself and kids become overly silly and giggly. Other times, they get overly shy and need a lot of coaxing. For major roles, we need kids that will be mature enough to perform without needing too much taming or coaxing. Maturity also applies to how young actors treat each other. For romantic roles, especially, we are looking for actors who can use appropriate physical touch (holding a hand, linking an arm, giving a hug, etc.) and be respectful with members of the opposite gender.

MEMORIZATION. If a kid can memorize their lines well for an audition, it proves to us that they will be willing and able to memorize lines for the actual show. Also, kids who have their lines memorized thoroughly can typically perform better because they are not hindered by a script in their hand. ... However ... Sometimes kids worry so much about the memorization that they perform worse on all the categories listed above. Try not to stress out about the memorization too much. While we are looking to see if kids have put effort into memorizing their part, we would rather see someone mess-up with confidence than see someone who has all their lines memorized but has not put any personality into their character. 

CHARACTERIZATION. For certain roles, we are looking for specific things. For example, some characters might be required to have: a sense of humor; a menacing presence; a child-like demeanor; an accent; a sense of authority, etc. We encourage actors to use their own unique characteristics to their advantage when auditioning for specific roles.