Musicals in Spain: opportunities and how to prepare your audition

Musical theatre in Spain has undergone a radical transformation over the past fifteen years. What was once considered a minor genre or purely an import is today one of the most active sectors of the country's performing arts, with productions that fill theatres of one and two thousand seats for months, stable runs in Madrid and Barcelona, and a growing demand for triple-threat performers —who sing, dance and act with equal command—. If you want to work in musicals in Spain, there has never been a better time, and it has never been more demanding.

This guide explains how the sector works, who the key players in the industry are, what casting directors look for and how to structure your preparation so you arrive at a musical audition in the best possible shape.

The musical theatre sector in Spain: an industry on the rise

Spain has established itself as one of the most dynamic musical theatre markets in continental Europe. Madrid is the undisputed epicentre: the Teatro Coliseum, the Teatro Lope de Vega, the Teatro Rialto and the Teatro EDP Gran Vía have hosted top-tier international productions in recent years with locally produced Spanish-language adaptations. Barcelona, with the Teatre Victòria and the Apolo, also has a stable and growing musical scene.

The boom is not limited to the major cities. Festivals such as the San Javier Theatre and Dance Festival (Murcia) or the musical theatre seasons in mid-sized cities like Valencia, Seville or Bilbao have multiplied job opportunities beyond the capital's circuit. And the proliferation of mid-sized companies producing smaller-scale musicals —with tighter budgets but a higher production frequency— has opened the market to performers at different stages of their careers.

The leading producers: who does what

Getting to know the players in the sector is the first step to steering your career. These are the most relevant producers on the Spanish musical scene:

• Stage Entertainment España: The subsidiary of the Dutch multinational is the leading reference for large-scale commercial musicals in Spain. It has produced titles such as El Rey León, El fantasma de la ópera, We Will Rock You, Chicago, Mamma Mia! and Grease. Its auditions tend to be the most competitive on the market and its contracts the longest and best paid.
• SOM Produce: A leading Spanish producer of mid- and large-scale musicals. Responsible for hits like Hoy no me puedo levantar and Jesucristo Superstar. It is strongly committed to local talent and has a casting policy that values a track record on the Spanish stage.
• Crossover Producciones: Specialised in pop-rock musicals and mid-scale productions with great attention to visual and sound design. It has launched the careers of many performers from the emerging generation.
• ND Entretenimiento: A large-scale producer that has brought international Broadway and West End productions to Spain. Its castings usually include rounds in Madrid and Barcelona and, occasionally, search rounds in other cities.
• Regional and small-scale companies: A growing network of companies across the country —many based in conservatories or higher schools of dramatic art— produces small-scale musicals that are an excellent breeding ground for performers building their musical résumé.

What musical casting directors look for

A musical audition is structurally different from a theatre or film one. The casting panel usually includes the production director, the musical director and the choreographer, and each one evaluates a different dimension of your work. Understanding what each is watching helps you prepare more strategically.

The production director

Evaluates your stage presence, your ability to inhabit the character and how you fit the tone of the production. They want to know whether you can sustain a story for two hours, whether you have natural charisma and whether you are the kind of performer they want to work with through months of rehearsals and performances.

The musical director

Listens to the quality, range and versatility of your voice. They also assess your musicality —whether you read scores, whether you have a good ear, whether you adapt to the dynamics of the accompaniment— and your vocal stamina for a long-running production. They are not necessarily looking for the biggest voice; they are looking for the voice best suited to the role and the most technically solid.

The choreographer

Observes your ability to pick up choreography quickly, your sense of rhythm, your physical presence and your movement style. In many musical castings, the movement session carries as much weight as the vocal one; turning up without physical preparation is one of the most common mistakes.

How to prepare the vocal part of your audition

Vocal preparation for a musical audition takes months of steady work, not a few days of revision. These are the keys:

Choose the right songs

Your audition book should include at least three songs: one that shows your full range, one that demonstrates your ability to act through your voice and one that is stylistically aligned with the type of production you are auditioning for. Never bring a song from the very musical you are auditioning for —the panel knows it better than you and any comparison works against you.

Pieces from Broadway's golden age (Rodgers and Hammerstein, Sondheim, Kander and Ebb) are classics for versatile auditions because they show vocal skill, theatricality and style all at once. For pop-rock productions, add contemporary repertoire from Jason Robert Brown, Lin-Manuel Miranda or Frank Wildhorn.

Work with a vocal coach who specialises in musicals

A classical or generic pop singing coach is not enough for a musical audition. Look for someone who knows the repertoire, who understands projecting in large halls without a headset mic and who can help you build the performance within the song. A song in a musical is a scene: it needs an objective, an emotional transition and a finish the panel remembers.

Prepare your backing track

Most musical auditions allow or require you to bring a backing track instead of a pianist. Make sure the transposition is right for your voice, that the tempo is the one you need and that the audio file is good quality. Carrying the same track in two formats (USB and a cloud link) saves you technical trouble on the day of the audition.

The movement and dance part

The level of dance required varies depending on the production: there are large-scale musicals that need performers with professional dance technique (jazz, contemporary, tap, ballet) and others where movement is secondary to singing and acting. Research before the audition what kind of movement the production involves and adapt your preparation.

For group movement auditions —where the choreographer teaches a combination on the spot and you have to reproduce it—, the most valuable thing is not technical perfection but the ability to learn fast, keep the rhythm and project stage energy while you move. A technical but cold dancer is less interesting than a performer with good movement and a living presence.

• Keep up a regular physical training routine: jazz, contemporary, actors' yoga, pilates.
• Practise learning short choreographies in little time. Record yourself and review.
• Bring comfortable but professional clothing to movement auditions. Nothing that limits your range of movement or that doesn't make you feel good about yourself.
• If you are asked to do something outside your technical range, do it with confidence and intention. Attitude counts.

The training you need for musicals in Spain

The Spanish sector demands performers with increasingly solid triple-threat training. The most recognised training options in the field of musical theatre are:

• ESAD (Higher Schools of Dramatic Art): Those in Madrid and Barcelona offer musical theatre specialisations or subjects within their acting curricula.
• Escuela de Teatro Musical Carlos Martín (Madrid): One of the most solid references in the country, with graduates who regularly work in Stage Entertainment and SOM Produce productions.
• Conservatorio Superior de Música y Teatro de Murcia: With a specialisation in musical theatre, it has earned recognition for the quality of its graduates.
• Master's in Musical Theatre at private centres: Several academies in Madrid and Barcelona offer intensive two-year programmes covering vocal technique, dance, acting and workshops with industry professionals.
• Training abroad: For those looking to raise their level, programmes in the United Kingdom (Mountview, Bird College, ArtsEd) or in the United States remain the international benchmark.