Musical Theatre Festival: Saturday February 20, 2010
Song & Aria Festival: Saturday March 6 & Sunday March 7, 2010
For Musical Theatre Festival information, click HERE
 

For Song & Aria Festival information, click HERE

The Song Festival was originally known as the NATS Student Auditions, which are held around the US in numerous states and chapters where NATS is active. These auditions were designed to provide students with an audition experience outside the high-pressure, competitive arena of the professional world.

The NATS - Boston Song Festival is divided into two events: Music Theater Auditions and Song and Aria Auditions. Each event is held once each calendar year, and is open to students aged 13 and up who study with NATS-Boston members. The students are divided by age into numerous divisions and therefore compete with those at a similar stage of development. Preliminary and Runoff rounds are held, and Finals take place in the form of a public concert.

Any teacher who wishes to enter a student must be a current member of both the national NATS organization and the Boston Chapter. Sponsoring teachers are required to participate at the event (or send a substitute), serving as judges and monitors. Student achievements are rewarded with monetary prizes to finalists in each division. The true spirit of the festival is for students to sing and receive comments and encouragement from other teachers, and for teachers to meet and share their knowledge and good fellowship.

NATS Boston Chapter Song and Aria Auditions
Each year NATS-Boston gives our member teachers the opportunity to sponsor singers for the Song Festival, a full day of adjudications and prizes. Check back on this page for future information about the Song & Aria Audition dates, application procedures, and policies.

NATS Boston Chapter Musical Theater Auditions
The American Musical Theater is unique; its roots are in the 19th century, beginning humbly as an offshoot of minstrel shows and vaudeville skits where songs were inserted. Soon the form developed into a play with many musical numbers., and it has held an important role in the American theatrical and musical scene ever since. Musical Theater has changed through the decades, often to mirror the musical tastes of the times, with influences of ragtime, jazz, blues, rock and the like. Names such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart/Hammerstein have been seen on marquees next to the more recent Stephen Sondheim, Jonathan Larsen, William Finn and Andrew Lippa, just to name a few. All of these composers and their songs are beloved by singers and audiences.

Musical Theater has a broad appeal. There are currently revivals and new shows not only in Broadway theaters, but also in high schools, colleges, and local theaters. Performance and employment opportunities abound, including theme parks, cruise lines, jingle singing and voice-over work, to name a few.

Because of the great number of students interested in this style of music, NATS-Boston instituted its Musical Theater Auditions in 2001 as part of our Song Festival.

NATS Boston Chapter wishes to foster this interest in students and encourage teachers of Musical Theater to join and participate. The event, including Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final rounds, takes place all on one Saturday.

Any teacher who wishes to enter a student must be a current member of National NATS and the Boston Chapter; the auditions are open to students aged 13 and up in six age-segregated divisions. All sponsoring teachers must participate at the event (or send a substitute) where they serve as judges and monitors for the first two rounds. Our final round judges are invited professionals from the musical theater world.

For more information about our Musical Theater Auditions, contact us.