You have a big audition coming up. Your music is ready. Your acting skills are sharp. Then comes the big question: what to wear to an audition for a musical? Unless you’re going out for a professional production or a Broadway show, full-on dancewear is probably a bit weird. (Imagine wearing a leotard and tights to a community theater audition!) You could wear jeans, but that doesn’t quite show that you’re serious about the production.
What to Wear to an Audition for a Musical: Sample Outfits
Okay. So we know that your audition outfit needs to be comfortable and flattering. But what clothes fit the bill? We’ve got you covered — check out our go-to outfits below.
When You’re Auditioning for a Romantic Lead in a Musical
Are you auditioning for the female lead in a musical? You’ll want to wear something that’s feminine, tasteful, and a little bit flirty. The perfect option? A cute fit-and-flare dress.
These dresses show off your curves, but also give you room to breathe when you’re singing. Choose a color and pattern that’s flattering and attention-grabbing — but make sure it’s not so loud that it’s wearing you.
Great All-Around Musical Audition Outfit for Women
Sometimes, you just want an audition outfit that’s easy and simple — especially if you’re running to your audition from work! For that, we love a wrap dress. It’s basically the streamlined, sophisticated version of the wrap top and skirt.
The trick? Find a dress that’s made from flexible fabric with good recovery. That way, it hangs beautifully, hugs your curves, and stretches when you breathe or dance. This is a fantastic outfit when you’re auditioning for a musical that’s heavier on the acting and singing and light on dancing. It looks beautiful onstage — and honors the professionalism of the musical — but moves easily during a dance audition.
We love this floral wrap dress when you’re auditioning for a musical theater show with a retro vibe (think Annie or Guys and Dolls).
Here are a few audition dresses we love (click on the pictures to see them on Amazon):
Another great option is a skirt and shirt. You can customize it to your personality — and the character you’re auditioning for. Plus, we love that you’ll actually be able to wear these pieces frequently in your everyday life. We love this Clueless-inspired outfit for a contemporary musical theater audition:
For an audition outfit that’s somewhere in between, try a wrap shirt and a flippy skirt! Wrap tops are impossibly feminine and SO flattering on practically any body type. The skirt moves beautifully when you dance, and looks gorgeous onstage while you’re singing. Plus, if you’re a little insecure about your bum and thighs, this audition outfit can help you feel confident and beautiful.
This wrap shirt shows off your body while giving you plenty of coverage — the perfect thing to wear for a musical audition. The wrap is built-in, so you don’t need to worry about ties coming undone while you sing or dance. The waist is fitted to give you a gorgeous shape, but the stretchy fabric flexes easily to let you breathe. Need a little less cleavage? Slip a leotard or a tank top underneath. (Or, if you’re auditioning for a musical like Chicago, make the most of that deep V!)
Here’s another wrap top; this one’s from Capezio, a well-known dance brand. This one’s perfect when you want exactly the right fit — the adjustable ties fasten in the back, where they won’t get in your way.
Are you auditioning for a Golden Age musical? (Think The Music Man or The Sound of Music) This SweatyRocks midi skirt is perfect. It falls a little below the knee, so it hints at vintage fashion, but it’s still modern. The fit is super flattering, and the waistband allows you to breathe. We also like this solid-colored skirt and this knife-pleated skirt.
Want something a little shorter? This skirt is simple and versatile. (We love an outfit you can wear to many different auditions!) It’s a great piece to wear if you’re a little bottom-heavy — it’s got enough of a flare that it moves beautifully when you dance, but not so much that it makes you look huge. The stretchy fabric makes it easy to kick and move during the dance part of the musical audition.
When You’re Auditioning for a Dance Musical
Are you auditioning for West Side Story, Chicago, or Anything Goes? For these dance-heavy musicals, the dance audition is just as important as the singing component. In this case, we love a classic dance-inspired outfit.
We love these bright red leggings paired with a striped top — they make you impossible to ignore!
For women, yoga pants and a colorful dance shirt are a great choice. The colorful shirt helps you stand out at the audition, and the fitted leggings show off the line of your body. Plus, when you slip into character shoes, your legs will look amazing! In most cases, it’s perfectly fine to wear this outfit to the singing and reading parts of the audition, as well.
Feeling a little more low-key? You can also go with an all-black audition outfit, like this:
Recreate this Audition Outfit
These Baleara leggings are designed specifically for dance, so they’re perfect for a musical theatre audition. We love the high waist — no muffin top, and you won’t feel overexposed when you lift your arms.
Feeling body confident? Show off your legs in these shiny Natalie Dancewear leggings. They’re made by a dance brand, so they’re easy to move in during an audition — plus, you can choose from a million different colors to stand out from the other auditioners. (We love the bright red and dark fuschia options.)
Now, for a shirt! This sleeveless Bestisun shirt is slightly loose in the front, so you can breathe easily during the singing part of a musical audition. It’s sleeveless, so you won’t get too hot, while the open back tastefully shows off a cute sports bra and gives juuuust a hint of sexiness.
Want a little more coverage? This long-sleeved Yucharmyi shirt is a little loose, but still shows off your collarbone. The real surprise is in the open back. If you want more coverage, just slip a tank top under the shirt for the same impact with less skin.
Do you want something a little more athletic? Running and yoga shirts are your best bet. They’re designed to move easily, so you can feel comfortable during your dance audition. Most are made with wicking material to keep you cool when you’re sweating with nerves. Best of all? They come in a million different colors, so you can show off your personality or enhance your audition for a specific character. We love these two:
What to Wear Under Your Audition Clothes: Dance-Friendly Underwear and Shapers
The right base layer can make or break your outfit when you’re figuring out what to wear to audition for a musical. You want something that smooths out your lumpy bits without being so tight that it restricts your singing or dancing. Here are some of our favorite option
Dance Briefs for Women
We love these B Dancewear dance briefs for women — the high waist smooths down your belly, and the lower-cut leg is flattering for all body types. Go ahead a do a high kick during your dance audition; the leg openings stay in place, so your business won’t show! Our favorite option? Wear a fun color over a pair of black tights or nude dance tights.
Dance Briefs for Men
Fellas, even if you’re not a trained dancer, you still need a nice, snug pair of underwear to keep things where they should be. You can wear your favorite tighty-whities, but they aren’t really made for dancing. A better option for a musical audition? These Capezio dance briefs. They’ll let you move, and you won’t have to worry about slippage.
Body Shapers
Have you ever felt insecure about random lumps and bumps onstage? Enter the humble body shaper! These slightly unsightly garments fit snugly — but not too snugly — pulling everything in and giving you a smoother silhouette. You’ll look and feel fantastic, whether you’re in a dress or a pair of leggings. The women of Theater Love prefer the wear-your-own bra shapers. That way, we can customize our base layers to suit our individual shapes!
If you’re wearing a skirt, we love this Maidenform shaper. Layer it over a pair of tights, and you don’t even need to wear dance pants! The flexible leg openings are ideal to wear for musical auditions because they allow a full range of motion.
For leggings and pants, we like this mid-thing Maidenform shaper. It helps your pants fit better, and you don’t need to worry about the legs showing.
Choosing an Audition Outfit
So what do you wear? As you’re putting together the perfect audition outfit, you should look for clothes that are:
Comfortable: Your audition outfit should make you feel completely comfortable in any position. If the director asks you to drop down and crawl across the floor on all fours, you should be able to do it without popping a button or tearing a seam. This is super important when you’re auditioning for a musical because of one thing — the singing! If you can’t take a good deep breath, you’re hosed. Not sure if you have the right outfit? Wear it while you sing through your audition music and do a few jazz squares. If you’re feeling even a little bit restricted, move on to a different outfit. When you’re nervous and breathing faster during the audition, you’ll be glad you did.
Fitted but not too tight: In an audition for a musical, the director and choreographer need to see how you move. During the dance portion, they need to see the line of your body. Baggy clothes make it difficult to see your physicality; instead, wear something that’s fitted but not tight. This is true no matter what your size! You shouldn’t feel like a sausage squashed into a casing, but you also shouldn’t look like a rectangle.
Flattering: As you’re figuring out what to wear to an audition for a musical, the MOST IMPORTANT THING is that it makes you feel like the most badass, beautiful, amazing version of yourself. When you feel confident, it shows in every other part of your audition. If you’re uncomfortable, or if the hem of your dress keeps riding up, you won’t be able to focus on wowing the director. Your goal? Find an audition outfit that makes you want to strut down the street with all eyes on you.
Take Your Audition Outfit for a Test Drive
Have you ever picked out a killer outfit, left the house, and realized it’s all wrong? When you’re onstage, you want to avoid that feeling at all costs. Before you make a final decision on what to wear for a musical audition, take your outfit out for a spin. Wear it around town or to school. Sing in it. Dance in it. Try to read sides for your character in it. If you feel great, you’ve got a winner. If you’re constantly adjusting it or feeling weird about how much cleavage it exposes, find something else to wear! That way, you can nail your next audition.
So that’s that! We hope this helps you decide what to wear to an audition for a musical. Let us know if you have any questions, or share your favorite audition outfits in the comments. Happy auditioning!
