If We Were on Broadway…

It takes more than just looking AMAZING in spandex to make it on Broadway. You have to sing, too! (Photo of Jakob Karr in Flashdance the Musical by DRGPhotography)

For our July/August issue, we talked to cover stars Kamille Upshaw and Jakob Karr about making the transition from dancer to dancer/singer/actor, and they gave us tons of good advice—including a few tips on choosing a song to sing at auditions. (As Jakob learned the hard way, “Happy Birthday to You” is not the best option.) This, of course, made the Dance Spirit editors think about what we would sing if we were trying to make it in musical theater ourselves. I asked each editor, “If you were trying out for a Broadway show, what would your audition song be?” Here’s what they said:

“ ‘The Power of Love’ by Celine Dion. It’s not a Broadway song, and I really can’t hit any of the high notes. I would definitely not get the job, but this song is my jam, so I’d go for it with a ton of passion and a smile.” —Alison Feller, editor in chief

“ ‘All That Jazz.’ Classic and easy to belt out—plus I could throw in a few Fosse-esque moves to distract from the wrong notes, because there’d be a lot of them.” —Margaret Fuhrer, associate editor

“Ah, the question that crushed all my Broadway dreams. I’m tone deaf and have the worst singing voice ever—it wouldn’t matter which song I attempted, I’m sure I’d be shown the door immediately.” —Michael Anne Bailey, assistant editor

What would mine be? “Out Tonight” from Rent. I practice in the shower ever morning, and I haven’t had any complaints from my neighbors yet. (Read: I sound amazing.)

The verdict: The DS editors should stick to our day jobs. Collectively, we’d probably make the worst ensemble in Broadway history!

Now it’s your turn. What would your go-to audition song be?