Who knew Tim’s Sea Salt potato chips were the key to a flawless audition?
According to the choir director, Mr. Weeks, oily potato chips and herbal teas are central to maintaining a strong voice. Mr. Weeks suggests eating potato chips post-audition because the special oil layer is healthy for the throat; his personal favorite is Tim’s Sea Salt.
As the Prep theatre program prepares for the winter musical, Guys and Dolls, Mr. Weeks, and Sophomore thespians Oliver Martinez, and Joe Maskill offer advice for those looking to audition.
Mr. Weeks is entering his fifth year as choir director at Seattle Prep and recommends: “First off, research the show so you know a little bit about it going into the audition. Do your best to practice with just the accompaniment and notice not the singer singing along with you. At the end of the day do your best and put the energy out there.”
On resting vocals before an audition, each interviewee highly recommended the red flavor of Throat Coat, an herbal tea that soothes the throat, in addition to limiting speaking and singing. Though a common misconception, Throat Coat is most effective served warm, instead of steaming hot.
Joe Maskill ‘26, who has performed in two Prep productions, advised, “Know your stuff going into it; don’t wait until the last second to prepare. Be familiar with the material; get familiar with the show and take material that matches your skills.”
Oliver Martinez ‘26, who plays Nick Bottom in the fall musical, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, encourages students, “Trust yourself. If you practice, you know yourself, you will have a fun, good time.”
For warmup, Joe Maskill paces across the room to connect with his character and Oliver Martinez likes to take a moment just by himself to capture the moment.
Finally, Mr. Weeks encourages students to try musical theater. He stresses the value of musical theater in high school, “I think it’s vitally important because musical theater is magic. It connects so many art forms. It connects singing, it connects acting, it connects dancing and, even, instrumental music, so musical theater, to me, is kind of like one of the pinnacles of art. I think it’s really special that high schoolers and middle schoolers and professionals and amateurs get to practice this because it is just great artistic work.”
