Little Stars Stage School

Grade 1 - you must pick 2 of the following skills.

Either - Dance   - Good Time 

            Acting  -  I don't like boys/girls 

                           Peggy/Pete the Pirate 

            Singing -   Castle on a cloud

Peggy the Pirate Acting piece

(To audience)
Hi, I'm Peggy. Peggy the... Well, I don't have a true pirate name yet.
Well, some of them call me... Peggy the Pint Sized Pirate. But I'm tired of it. I won't stand for it anymore.  
(Hears someone and put hands on hips) 
Yes, I'm standing. 
I'm so tired of short jokes. Anyway, Today is my big day. I finally am going to be a pirate. I've dreamed about this day since I was little.
Well, I'm still little... and I'm still dreaming. But finally the day has come. I'm going to do it. I'm going to be a pirate.
I am so excited. This is the first time I have tried out for a pirate crew. But after more and more pirates were picked, I got worried because no one was picking me.  And then they stopped picking and walked away.  They didn't even see me!
Wait! What about me?!
Now I'll never be a pirate.
(PEGGY cries)  

Grade 2 -  You have to pick 2 skills from the following

  

Singing - Wouldn't it be Lovely  (Martine McCutchen version is best to practise with)

             

Dance -  I just can't wait to be King

Acting -   A Little Princess 

 

A Little Princess Acting piece

Sara: I don't have a mother either... she's in heaven with my baby sister... But that doesn't mean I can't talk to her, I talk to her all the time... I tell her everything and I know she hears me because... because that's what angels do. My mom is an angel and yours is too. With beautiful satin wings, a silk dress, and a crown of baby rosebuds, and they all live together in a castle. And do you know what it's made out of? Sunflowers. Hundreds of them, so bright they shine like the sun. And when they want to go anywhere they just whistle, like this...(whistles) and a cloud swoops down to the front gate and picks them up and as they ride through the air, over the moon and through the stars... until they are hovering right above us, that's how they can look down and make sure we're all right. And sometimes they even send messages. Of course you can't hear them with all the noise you were making... but don't worry they'll always try again... just in case you missed them.

Here are some possible ideas for exam pieces, words you should be familiar with and song choices:

Words the examiner may use and ask you questions containing:

Contrast – The difference

Moods,  Period,  Pace

Similarities – the same

Characters – how they are similar in both pieces.

Techniques –

Breathing – diaphragmatic breathing. 

Long, slow, high notes – sustained breath control.

Anchoring – belting.  No breath just voice.  Using contact with the floor to aid control.

Twang – higher notes.

Falsetto – airy fairy voice – pushing more air through.

Legato – smooth sounds

Staccato – Short sounds

Vibrato – controlled rhythmic beating of vocal chords.

Conveying different time periods – Use of language, Accent, Articulation, Posture

Articulation

Diction

What style is your dance?  What makes it that style?

How have your prepared for your exam?

Hot seating

Improvisation as character   

Possible song choices:

Wouldn't it be loverly - My Fair Lady
Never fully dressed - Annie
Briar Rose - Sleeping Beauty 

I just can't wait to be king - Lion King
Lifes what you make it - Hannah Montanna
Mama Mia - Mama Mia 
Fabulous - high school musical 
Spoonful of Sugar - Mary Poppins 
Sound of Music - Sound of Music
My favourite things - Sound of Music

Just around the Riverbend - pocahontas  
I won't say I'm in love - Hercules 
Naughty - Matilda
You Are The Music In Me - High School Musical 
When will my life begin - Tangled
Happy Working Song - Enchanted 
Too Cool - camp rock
This is me - camp rock
Miss Baltimore Crabs - Hairspray

Good Morning Baltimore - Hairspray
Big Blonde and Beautiful - Hairspray
Cooties - Hairspray
Popular- Wicked 
Ireland - Legally Blonde
Mix tape - Avenue Q
Little girls - Annie 
So much better - Legally Blonde

Let's hear it for the boy - footloose
Holding out for a Hero - footloose 
All that jazz - chicago 
Fame - Fame
Out tonight - Rent 



Slow tempo 

Once upon a dream - sleeping beauty
This is our song - camp rock 
Let's make believe we're in love - footloose
When she loved me - toystory 
Dream of me - Get over it 
Colours of the wind - pocahontas 
Part of your world - The Little Mermaid

This little girl - Matilda
My house- Matilda
Tomorrow - Annie 
The climb - Hannah Montanna

S.O.S. - Mama Mia
I dreamed a dream - Les Mis

Castle on a cloud - Les Mis 
Walk away - High School Musical
When there was me and you - High School Musical 
Whistle down the wind - whistle down the wind
Gotta go my own way- high school musical
I see the light - tangled 

Maybe - Annie 
Where is love - Oliver!
Beauty and the Beast - Beauty and the beast hopelessly devoted - grease 
Someones waiting for you - the rescuers

There are worse things I could do - Grease 
Legally Blonde - Legally Blonde 
No Good Deed - wicked
On my own - Les Mis
Can you find it in your heart - Footloose
There's a fine fine line - Avenue Q
Without you - rent 
Quiet - Matilda 
I'm not that girl - wicked 

Em from Clean Break by Jacqueline Wilson trying to comfort her little sister Vita: Grade 3 or 4

Vita?  Are you crying?  Hey, come out.  You’ll suffocate.  It’s OK Vita, you don’t need to be embarrassed.  Have you got any tissues?  I’ll go and get you some loo-roll.

Poor Dancer, you’ve made her all wet.  Have you stopped crying now? You know Dad’s not really mad at you don’t you?  Dad never gets mad at anyone; especially you Vita.  You know you’re his favourite.  You’re everyone’s favourite.  Blow your nose again. 

There now princess Vita, we all come over a little weepy at times.  Let me wipe your little nose for you.  There now.  Shall I tell you a secret?

You’re my favourite too!  You’re much prettier than boring old fat Em and you’re not a silly little sausage like Maxie.  When Dad comes next time we can be much nicer to him as long as he doesn’t bring that Sarah.  She’s horrible.  Dad’s gone mad like her better than mum. 

I’m not going to get married at all.  It’s too easy to pick the wrong person.  I’m going to live all by myself and I’m going to eat all my favourite things every day and stay up as late as I like, and I shall read all day and write stories and draw pictures with no one bothering me or fussing about needing to be looked after.

I shall have a friendly dog and a little cat to curl up on my lap.  My sister vita will come visiting riding on Dancer the Reindeer with her good kind obedient husband and six pretty little girls, and my brother maxie will come visiting with his big bold wife and his six silly sausage boys and so I will have more than enough company thankyou!

Dad will come to.  He’ll have made this fantastic Hollywood movie and be ever so rich and famous so he’ll have his own special holiday beach house.  We’ll all go and stay and swim and laze on the beach and be happy happy happy.

Grandmere from the Princess Diaries – sixsational: Grade 4 or 5

That was your father on the phone.  He is extremely distraught.  He just head from the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco.  Apparently some of your snails have drifted over to their bay.

Good?  Good?  Amelia I don’t pretend to understand any of this – all this fuss over a little plant and some snails but I would think you of all people would know that… when you introduce a new species into a foreign environment, total devastation can occur.

Have you learnt nothing I’ve tried to teach you this past year Amelia?  Nothing of tact or diplomacy or even SIMPLE COMMON SENSE!  I GUESS NOT!  Well?

Well are you going to tell me what’s got your so frazzled?  Don’t try and deny it Amelia you are as bad at hiding your true feelings as your father.  What happened at school today that’s got you so upset?

Lily nominated you to run for student council president?  But that’s wonderful news.  Who are you running against?  Lana Weinberger?  Interesting turn of events.  There’s no reason however that you shouldn’t be able to defeat this Lana person.  You’re a Princess remember!  What’s she?  A Cheerleader!  Being a royal is always beneficial!  Shall we begin with your lesson for today Amelia?  I believe a little brushing up on our public speaking techniques might be in order give the circumstances.

The Princess Diaries - Grade 3,4,5
written by Gina Wendkos, from the novel by Meg Cabot

Mia: Hi, um... hello. I'm Mia. Um, it's stopped raining! I'm really no good at speech-making. Normally I get so nervous that I faint or run away, or sometimes I even get sick. But you really didn't need to know that... But I'm not so afraid anymore. See, my father helped me. Earlier this evening had every intention of giving up my claim to the throne. And my mother 0helped me, by telling me it was ok, and by supporting me like she has for my entire life. But then I wondered how I'd feel after abdicating my role as Princess of Genovia. Would I feel relieved, or would I feel sad? And then I realized how many stupid times a day I use the word 'I.' And probably all I ever do is think about myself. And how lame is that when there's like seven billion other people out there on the planet, and... sorry, I'm going too fast. But then I thought, if I cared about the other seven billion out there, instead of just me, that's probably a much better use of my time.
See, if i were Princess of Genovia, then my thoughts and the thoughts of people smarter than me would be much better heard, and just maybe those thoughts could be turned into actions. So this morning when I woke up, I was Mia Thermopolis. But now I choose to be forevermore, Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Princess of Genovia.

Twilight - Grade 6
written by Melissa Rosenberg, from the novel by Stephenie Meyer

Bella: You're impossibly fast, and strong. Your skin is pale white and ice cold. Your eyes change color, and sometimes you speak like--like you're from a different time. You never eat or drink anything. You don't go out in the sunlight. ... How old are you?

How long have you been seventeen?

I know what you are.  Vampire.  I’m not afraid.  You won't hurt me. (he takes her arm and leads her, walking fast) 

Where are we going?.  It's like diamonds. You're beautiful.  I know you’ve killed people before but it doesn’t matter.   I trust you.  I'm here. I trust you.

Why did you hate me so much when we met?  I can't read your mind. You have to tell me what you're thinking.  I'm not afraid of you, I'm only afraid of losing you. I feel like you're going to disappear.

About three things I’m absolutely positive: first, you’re a vampire. Second, there’s  a part of you--and I don't know how dominant that part might be--that thirsts for my blood. And third, I am was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with you.

From Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. - Grade 3 or 4

VIOLET: I’m a gum chewer normally, but when I heard about these ticket things of Mr. Wonka’s, I laid off the gum and switched to candy bars in the hope of striking it lucky.  Now, of course, I’m right back on gum.  I just adore gum.  I can’t do without it.  I munch it all day long except for a few minutes at mealtimes when I take it out and stick it behind my ear for safekeeping.  To tell you the honest truth, I would not feel comfortable if I didn’t have that little wedge of gum to chew on every moment of the day, I really wouldn’t.  My mother says it’s not ladylike and it looks ugly to see a girl’s jaw going up and down like mine do all the time, but I don’t agree.  And who is she to criticize, anyway, because if you ask me, I’d say her jaws are going up and down almost as much as mine are from yelling at me every minute of the day.  And now, it may interest you to know that this piece of gum I’m chewing right at this moment is one I’ve been working on for over three months solid.  That’s a record, that is.  It’s beaten the record held by my best friend, Miss Cornelia Prinzmetel.  And was she ever mad!  It’s my most treasured possession now, this piece of gum is.  At nights, I just stick it on the end of the bedpost, and it’s as good as ever in the mornings…a…bit…hard…at…first…maybe…

What Katy did by Susan Coolidge - Grade 4 or 5

It was Christmas-eve.  The fairy of the Rosary was quite ill.  She had a dreadful cold in her head, and the poplar-tree fairy, just over there, told her that sassafras tea is good for colds.  So she made a large acorn-cup full, and then cuddled herself in where the wood looks so black and soft, and fell asleep.  In the middle of the night, when she was snoring soundly, there was a noise in the forest, and a dreadful black bull with fiery eyes galloped up.  He saw our poor Rosy Posy and , opening his big mouth, he was just going to bite her in two; but at that minute a little fat man, with a wand in his hand, popped out from behind the stump.  It was Santa Claus of course.  He gave the bull such a rap with his wand that he moo-ed dreadfully and then put up his fore-paw to see if his nose was still on or not.  He found it was , but it hurt him so that he mooed again, and galloped off as fast as he could further into the woods.   The Santa Clause waked up the fairy, and told her that if she didn’t take better care of Rosy Posy he should put some other fairy into her place, and set her to keep guard over a prickly, scratchy, blackberry-bush!

Of course I didn’t make this tale up.  I couldn’t!  What do you mean is there really a fairy?

Of Course there’s really a fairy!! I am a fairy, Dorry!

Deborah – witch Child.  - Grade 5 or 6

Where do you go?  To the forest? 

You do not go to the forest to collect flowers.  And you do not go with Master Morse.  We know that that is not all that you do.  You talk to the animals, bend trees to your will.  Conjure spirits.  Mett with the Indians.  Dance naked!

See she blushes!  You blush from guilt.  We know what you do.  You put spells on people.  Don’t worry.  We will not tell.  Not if you promise to help us. 

Don’t pretend innocence.  We know what you can do.  Today is Mayday Eve 0 a very great night for Witches, I believe.  A night when you can see things.  Like your future husband. And bind him to you, if you have the skill.  We know that you do.  You did it for Rebekah, you can do it for her.

Rebekah and Tobias.  You wove a spell to bind him to her.  A love spell.  That was your work.  Do not try to hoodwink us.  You secured Tobias for her.  He would not have chosen her, why would he?  She is ugly.  You even turned the revered Johnson to her and away from me!  Or perhaps you want him for yourself?

Elias Cornwell then!  Everyone knows he won’t hear a word against you and favours you above all others!  I want Tobias.  I want you to put a curse on Rebekah.  Make a poppet.  Stick pins in it.  I want her and the child dead.

Alice In Wonderland Monologue - Grade 5

ALICE: [Angrily] Why, how impolite of him. I asked him a civil question, and he pretended not to hear me. That's not at all nice. [Calling after him] I say, Mr. White Rabbit, where are you going? Hmmm. He won't answer me. And I do so want to know what he is late for. I wonder if I might follow him. Why not? There's no rule that I mayn't go where I please. I--I will follow him. Wait for me, Mr. White Rabbit. I'm coming, too! [Falling] How curious. I never realized that rabbit holes were so dark . . . and so long . . . and so empty. I believe I have been falling for five minutes, and I still can't see the bottom! Hmph! After such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling downstairs. How brave they'll all think me at home. Why, I wouldn't say anything about it even if I fell off the top of the house! I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time. I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny that would be. Oh, I think I see the bottom. Yes, I'm sure I see the bottom. I shall hit the bottom, hit it very hard, and oh, how it will hurt!

Mean Girls