Hi folks, I've been pondering about this for a while so I thought it time I asked your opinion.
When one is auditioning :
a) for a place in music college/conservatoire at a fairly advanced level,lets say maybe Masters or PGdip.
and
b) for a specific role in a production,

how much do appearances count?
Are they looking for so much more than just the right voice?
Will a small in stature man even be given the lead?
Or a tall woman the same?Would being taller than the man be a problem?
What if you have a great voice but are by todays standards rather overweight, will it go against you?
How important is it to be physically perfect for the role as well as vocally so?

Should those who do not fit the mould just give up now?!
I guess I am asking if "lookism" is as prevalent as I fear.
Opinions awaited with interest.
Thanks,
Big Momma.

Just a very quick reply: For musical theatre work looks are far more important I think, but there is work to be had for all sorts of shapes and sizes of opera singer although one needs to be well turned out and very fit and active. There are some short leading men that I can think of and some very tall sopranos too. It does not seem to be a great problem. Being a little heavy too isn't a great crime but being grossly obese would certainly count against anyone looking for a performance career.

I agree with Petrat - Musical Theatre is looking more for a certain type - you need the physique, the acting ability, the dancing ability and the voice - it's a wonder they ever find anyone !

In classical circles looks count less, certainly, but I don't hold much hope for this holding out for long - there's a new wave of 'pretty' opera stars appearing and producers and opera companies are becoming more and more demanding too as they attempt to make opera se`xy again...

Wanders off to consider a diet.

Considers diet.

Nah. Pass the cake.

Yes, especially in Musical Theatre size DOES matter.

In auditions for Unis/Colleges, it is usually not a problem - which TURNS into one later on though, because sometimes, we are just ill prepared for life outside the safe University-walls. I felt properly equipped vocally, but that's not the main issue - you also need the looks AND the personality for this job.

It is not as bad in classical singing, but the trend definitely goes more towards the "right" appearance these days (meaning right looks for a certain role).
You can all hit me now, but sometimes, this doesn't have to be a bad thing: I admit that I find it tricky to see a Madame Butterfly who is 6 feet tall and weighs 15 stone
But I also wouldn't want to see a Ruth in "Pirates of Penzance" who is only 20 and very petite.
If I close my eyes, the beautiful or "matching" voice might justify everything - but I could listen to a CD then, couldn't I? It is called "Music Theatre" for a reason. And a theatre production is not a recital ...
I firmly believe though there's a niche and parts for everyone and if someone has equal vocal talent (and the competition is massive!), I prefer to see the one in the part who has the "whole package" - in both directions ...

No slaps from me, Mezzo1974. I recently went to a performance of Der Rosenkavalier, which was musically very good, but didn't work visually - the soprano singing Sophie must have been 6' tall, so towered over Octavian and the Marschallin, and could look Baron Ochs straight in the eye when they were both standing

Considering girth for a moment - Pavarotti, anyone?

Or Monserrat Caballe?

Hmmm, yes thanks for that.
As I feared, it will/may be a problem in the future then.
6ft , but slim and beautiful mezzo soprano anyone?
Interestingly, she has played Ruth in Pirates and Marchellina in Figaro!
I know it sounds awful but I'm worrying in case she DOES get in college and we spend all that £££££££££
...and then- no work, unemployment and massive debt.
Sometimes I cant sleep at night worrying about it all frankly.

Big Momma.

It might be a problem, but I know at least four or five singers who are around 6ft and have made very decent careers for themselves. On stage they don't look out of place in the slightest. These are all females.

I plaued Mabel in Pirates in 1996 at 4' 11" tall.

This was not a problem, as it allowed the choreography to use a lot of lifts. I was only about 8 stone at the time so light enough, and besides, I knew how to make my self easy to lift.

Size was not an issue, as I portrayed her as fiesty, and melodramatic. Anyone who comes in with Cadenza is not whimp.

What was more important was the singing, providing I was convincing with that, I could fit in with any blocking thrown at me. It reinforced the most important thing about singing, in that you have to have an animated face.

You can create size through acting, unfortunately, you cannot shrink!

You can create size through acting, unfortunately, you cannot shrink!


yes I would agree being smaller than average is probably less of a disadvantage than being too tall.
I fact, it's more of a problem in most areas of life!

I can understand the worries of a parent when their child wants to start an artistic career, but can I just say that not everyone who studies music MUST end up on stage? There are so many ways to have a fulfilling life as a musician, and a performance career is only one of them. I willingly gave up theatre because I wanted a settled private life. I lived like a gypsy for quite a while, and by the time I was 30 I already felt I had enough (some people enjoy this lifestyle though, that's merely a character thing). I still perform, but it is not the bread and butter anymore, and I now can DECIDE which job I want to take on or not (if performing is your main income, you cannot always do that, and you sometimes end up doing shows or concerts you are not really fond of to say it politely ).

There are a million ways to live as a musician. It maybe doesn't make you rich, but if you found your place, it makes you happy. I wouldn't want to swap in a million years, I never regretted anything, even the experiences I wouldn't want to repeat - they finally showed me what I DON'T want and made me find my place.

The most important thing is that you encourage your daughter to go down the route she wants to, even if it gives you belly rumbles. My parents, especially my mum, where always very supportive although I know today that the mere thought of having a "singing daughter" worried them sick at times
I didn't mean to discourage you by saying how things are. Yes, life as a performer is hard and sometimes (better: probably always) far away from the fancy lifestyle so many people think it is. You and your daughter have to be prepared that she will probably be knocked back on many auditions. This is a fact of life, and we have to learn to deal with it. The competition is massive, and being knocked back does not mean you are not good - but maybe someone else is better or more suitable. It also happens in other jobs, but jobs in theatres are very rare, so the competitive pressure is naturally high.

If she is committed though and loves what she is doing, she will find her way and be able to make a living (she probably won't earn millions though ) - it does not necessarily have to be a performing career. And most of all, she will be happy ...

To be honest when I arrived at college I wanted to be a performer, but I am very happy teaching and doing the occasional local gig.

It is possible to go to college and not get yourself into huge amounts of debt, but I was one of those students who saw this was going to happen, protested against it and lobbied my MP.

Personally, I believe one is better reading music than performing arts, however the music specialist are my children's primary school has a performing arts degree, and has brought on not just music, but dancing and acting too.

Teaching is a very valuable thing to do with life, and certainly not to be considered a poor second cousin to performing.

The most successful people in any walk of life are the ones who have had a problem that they haven't been able to sort out with a quick fix, or at all. They work harder, try harder and in the end that's what will get noticed the most. It's not who you know it's who wants to know you and if she can get into a conservatoire and does her best to impress and works really really hard then I'm sure the tutors will do all they can to help her get by.

Good luck to her!

I think it depends - in a show we did in school, there were two choices for Miss Hannigan, but in the end it came down to a question of appearance - who looked most like the character? But sometimes, height and size can suit the character at either end of the scale!

Daisy Pulls It off ?
What a show!
I hear some alarm bells ringing in my distant memory though.. I think she WAS Miss Hannigan!
Big Momma.

I agree Music Theatre is a complete package of looks voice acting and dance ability. It also depends on what sort of parts you play as well. If you are a character player it is less important
Looks are just as important in straigh acting as ability

In opera it depends on the roles you play. In the UK You can have a good performing career as a character artist provided the voice matches parts you aspire to In romantic or leading roles you have to look good I am afraid

I have a friend who has an excellent romantic tenor voice - he is fat balding and 50. He gets lots of work in Scandinavia where it does not matter so much