How Many Bars to Sing for an Audition

Video Transcript

"ATHENA REICH: In this segment, I'm going to talk about the 8, 16 and 32-bar cut. In Broadway auditions, when they ask for a song, what they really mean is about 32 bars. They don't mean a whole song, which means about a verse and a chorus. An example of a cut is I do "Shy". I do the chorus of "Shy" which is actually pretty long and that, about 32 bars, so that counts as my song. Never do a whole song when they ask for a song. It's a verse and a chorus or at 32 bars, same thing. Sometimes, they ask for a 16-bar cut especially in a chorus call audition. So, always take the cut, you want to end at the end of that. You want to end with a big ending. Don't take the first 16 bars of a chorus. So, I come in, I'm aware that it's wrong and to be meek as I am. Everybody knows this song, "Shy" so it's okay to come in there. An 8-bar cut, I would say 8 bars to the end. So, I would come in, "God knows I try though I'm frightened and shy." I--so, 8 bars, 16, 32...."