“CAN YOU SING SOMETHING ELSE”
A lot of actors panic when they hear the question, “Can you sing something else?” The problem usually is not the singing itself. It’s that they never prepared for the question. They spent all their time rehearsing the first song and zero time rehearsing what happens after it.
HAVE A PLAN
I’m a Broadway audition coach, and actors should assume that every audition could involve being asked for another selection from the book.
Which means the response should already be prepared long before stepping into the room.
OPTION 1: “WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR?”
This gives the creative team maximum freedom. The actor hands over the table of contents and lets them choose whatever they want.
But this is also the riskiest strategy because it only works if every single song in the book is truly performance-ready. If there are songs sitting in the binder that would cause panic if chosen, this option becomes dangerous very quickly.
Offering the whole book means being prepared to back up the confidence of that offer.
OPTION 2: OFFER TWO TITLES
“Sure, I could sing X or Y. Which would you prefer?”
This is one of the smartest approaches because it still gives the room choice while allowing the actor to control the boundaries.
Maybe one option is Golden Age and one is contemporary. Maybe one is a ballad and one is an uptempo.
It also helps that the creative team will often gravitate toward titles they already know. Familiarity helps people process information faster in high-volume audition settings.
OPTION 3: ASK FOR THE CATEGORY
“Absolutely. What kind of vibe are you looking for?”
This is the collaborative version. Instead of asking them to choose a specific title, the actor lets them choose the category: contemporary musical theatre, Golden Age, pop/rock, ballad, uptempo, and so on.
Then the actor supplies the actual song choice inside that framework. It keeps the interaction flexible while still protecting the actor from scrambling.
OPTION 4: “WHATEVER YOU WANT”
Sometimes the team will simply say, “Whatever you want to sing.”
That is not the moment to become random.
That is the moment to pull out the undeniable song. The one that consistently changes the temperature in the room. The one that feels inseparable from the actor’s artistic identity.
Because at that point, the room is no longer asking whether the actor can follow instructions. They are asking who the actor actually is.
MATCH THEIR ENERGY
There is also a larger principle underneath all of this: complement the room’s energy.
If they are highly specific, meet them with specificity. If they are vague, help shape the choice for them.
Auditions are collaborative conversations, not guessing games.
ALWAYS HAVE BACKUPS
Sometimes the room may reject the offered options and ask for something else entirely. That is completely normal.
Prepared actors expect this. They already have backups ready.
Because preparedness communicates professionalism before the actor even sings a single note.
🥜 IN A NUTSHELL
The best way to handle “Can you sing something else?” is to prepare for it long before anyone asks.
