Meet Liz Caplan, the Vocal Coach Behind the Tony Award-Winning Stars of

Hedwig, Aladdin and Les Miz

By Adam Hetrick and Michael Gioia
09 Jun 2014
Broadway go-to vocal coach and teacher Liz
Caplan was among the first industry professionals
to take part in Playbill.com's Booking It! feature,
which offers in-depth insights, need-to-know tips
and essential tricks of the trade. Want to rock like
Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig or discover the
magic behind the voice of Aladdin's James
Monroe Iglehart? Read our interview with Caplan
below.
During the June 8 Tony Awards ceremony at
Radio City Music Hall, Harris (Hedwig and the
Angry Inch) and Iglehart (Aladdin) both took a
moment during their acceptance speeches to
thank veteran Broadway vocal coach Caplan for
keeping them in top vocal health. Caplan's vocal
essentials, which help the stars maintain their
voices eight performances a week, has also led numerous artists to the podium
on Tony Awards night.
.Caplan has been a vocal coach in New York City for over 30 years and lectures
around the world. She is the vocal supervisor of the Broadway and touring
productions of the Tony-winning musicals Once and The Book of Mormon, as
well as American Idiot, Rock of Ages and Jason Robert Brown's 13. She is also
the vocal consultant on such productions as Wicked, Motown the Musical,
Disney's Aladdin, The Last Goodbye, In the Heights and Next to Normal, as well
as the "White House Salute to Burt Bacharach." This season she serves as the
vocal supervisor on Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Neil Patrick Harris.
Her students range from Tony Award-winning Broadway actors Nikki M. James
(Book of Mormon), Steve Kazee (Once) and Patina Miller (Pippin), to stars of
the recording industry, including Sara Bareilles, James Blunt, Natasha
Bedingfield, Eric Hutchinson, Empire of the Sun, Lily Allen, The Goo Goo Dolls,
The Darkness, among others.
Caplan provided coaching on camera and played piano for Carey Mulligan in
the 2011 Steve McQueen film "Shame"; and was vocal coach for the Golden
Globe-winning film adaptation of Les Misrables, in support of Amanda Seyfried
and others. She is also the vocal coach for Stephen Colbert of the "Colbert
Report."
A frequent commentator for CNN and Reuters, her affiliations include The
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, The Drama League, and
National Association of Teachers of Singing, where she has been a speaker,
panelist and workshop facilitator. She is also on the faculty of the Voice
Foundation in Philadelphia and is a member of the New York Singing Teachers'
Association, as well as a member of the Voice and Speech Therapists
Association.
When you find yourself getting sick, or in danger of losing your voice -
and still have to audition or perform - what are the best ways to prepare
and to take care of your voice?
Caplan: As long as one stays on top of one's immune system (ability to get
through typical bugs quickly by maintaining good health), there are many
remedies and witchy brews that I recommend to my students for quick health
boosts: immediate large doses of Ester-C (the body depletes of this immune
support supplement when under the weather) in combination with Zinc, oregano
(supplements or oil on tongue), ginger tea, echinacea/goldenseal tea or drops,
as well as garlic (nature's antibiotic).
Besides these immune boosting supplements and remedies, one can vocalize
slowly and gently in order to get muscles supple. If the sinuses are congested, I
have specific vocal exercises that bulldoze through them in order to feel oxygen
moving through the sinus passages. This is to ensure the singer does not
succumb to using compensatory muscles (which create excess laryngeal
pressure) in lieu of nasal resonance.
It's important to keep the sinuses and throat moisturized. I recommend having
either Ayr or Ocean Saline mists standing by for sinuses and Entertainer's
Secret Throat Relief for the larynx. These sprays (homeopathic and over the
counter) will also keep any bacteria from getting deeper into the upper
respiratory cavities.
Meet Liz Caplan, the Vocal Coach Behind the Tony Award-Winning Stars of
Hedwig, Aladdin and Les Miz
For performers who may identify as a soprano, or alto, etc., how important
is versatility? Should singers work to develop different parts of their voice
in order to get cast, or focus on their strong point?
Caplan: The short answer is actors/singers should develop all parts of their
voice. Gone, unfortunately, are the days of music school rules of only working
within your tessitura (Italian for "texture"). The tessitura is where you can sing
for the longest amount of time without fatiguing. If one wants a versatile career
with longevity, the actor must work all registers of his or her voice. From one
audition to the next, from one production to the next, the human voice will be
challenged depending on the character one gets bestowed.
Singing every note one is capable of vocalizing goes against every tenet of "old
school" training. When voice majors leave university training having only worked
within their tessitura, they will find themselves challenged when asked to sing in
a different register with an unfamiliar timbre. This becomes problematic when
the singer tries to push to compensate for lack of muscle support in untrained
areas of the voice. Vocal damage could ensue.
I have always liked to work the voice's middle registers first in order to
strengthen the part of the voice that people often refer to as the "hole" in their
instrument. This hole happens when you bear down too heavily in an unfamiliar
and untrained register. One ends up with a lower register that's super beefy, an
upper register that sounds somewhat breathy, and then a non-existent middle
register. Once the middle voice has some suppleness, strength and volume, it
becomes easier to distribute that same timbre below and above the middle.
Because there is finally balance amongst the registers, belting per se might
never be necessary. And don't we all desire a seamless instrument?

What are some common mistakes you see performers make that can
strain or damage the voice?

Caplan: The first common mistake is not warming up. This is where I get old-
school myself. I believe that warming up helps prepare the actor for any
variables that might rear themselves at an audition, rehearsal and performance.
Examples of such variables are weather and temperature, allergies (dust and
mold are detriments for singers), amount of sleep, nutrition, hydration,
respiratory health, adrenal health, muscular skeletal alignment, energy and
mood. If one warms up, you at least have a sense of the sound you are capable
of making on a given day. This removes the element of surprise.
Training the voice and keeping it healthy is much like training for the Olympics.
One must train constantly, and not just last minute. I think at one time or
another we have taken a short cut and "crammed" vocalizing in when you
haven't been on top of doing so. You realize quickly how the muscles are
smarter than you, and are not so willing to perform on command. So ongoing
vocal work is so much more fulfilling when the part for which you are perfect
finally comes around and you are prepared.
Other common mistakes are realizing that food allergies, alcohol and smoking
might not agree with your voice and help your cause. I'm not trying to be a stick
in the mud, but if your voice does not respond after a night of wine with friends
or sitting around a hookah, you might want to time those magic moments more
thoughtfully. I can truly state with certainty that the people with whom I work
who have reached performance milestones (Tony Awards, Grammy Awards)
are generally quite disciplined about what chemical, no matter how organic,
enters their bodies when they have auditions and production schedules ahead
of them.
Other musical mistakes would be singing the wrong piece of music for your
voice and type. Imagine yourself being on the other side of the table. What
would you want to hear yourself sing based on your vocal capabilities and
physical type? Being realistic about what's in your wheelhouse is important. You
want to come to an audition ready to inhabit a character with solid choices, tell a
story and be your most-relaxed self. We all truly want you to have a positive
experience.
The Broadway musical landscape is so varied today. What are some of the
best ways for singers to be prepared to compete in an industry that
includes musicals like Rock of Ages, South Pacific, Sweeney Todd and
Legally Blonde?

Caplan: Listening to all genres of music is so important. Traditional music
theatre productions will always be around. They represent the
infrastructure/cellular makeup of our musical education. But with the record
industry existing only peripherally today, signing only tremendously money-
making acts, Broadway is being pleasantly infiltrated with rock and pop writers
whom we've grown up listening to, as well as writers on the charts right now. It's
our job as teachers, coaches, performers to be aware of all sonic brands. Then
we must make sure our instruments can handle the vocal demands being put
on our muscles.
I would teach significantly different exercises for rock and pop shows to help the
vocal muscles meet the demands than I would for traditional musicals. The
larynx will be lower but flexible in the anchored position for rock and pop
material. The breath has to be grounded and the base of the tongue has to be
tamed. Liz Caplan Vocal Studios have apps that have specific exercises for all
vocal genres and addresses issues that might come up on a regular basis.
Contemporary musical theatre is full of rangy power ballads. When
auditioning for a piece that asks to show your range, where is the line
between finding a song that is rangy, yet appropriate?

Caplan: I would always suggest that a student sing a song that sits best in their
voice at that moment in time. What would be the use of challenging yourself in
the middle of an audition? You want to feel polished and certain of what your
voice and emotional center can produce. If you are the absolute perfect person
for the show for which you are auditioning, keys can always be adjusted. The
Actor's only responsibility is to show up at an audition prepared physically,
mentally, emotionally and vocally.

How do you feel about riffing/vocal embellishments during an audition? Is
it more impressive to show off your vocal tricks or your
control/simplicity?

Caplan: I believe that simplicity is always best. Let the casting director hear
who you really are in a stripped down "unplugged" performance. If the
singer/actor has a clear emotional connection to the song and a riff or vocal
embellishment is going to enhance the emotion, but not take away from the
core piece and it's done with vocal dexterity, then riff away. Embellishments
should be used only because you have more to say emotionally and have to let
it go. However, if one is singing a Sondheim or Jason Robert Brown piece, I
would highly recommend sticking to the score as indicated. There are
composers who take offense to people re-interpreting their score. If they wanted
more notes, they would have written more notes.

What takes priority in an audition vocal technique, story telling, hitting
the high note?

Caplan: If vocal technique has been ongoing, then it becomes easier to
concentrate on the story telling. I truly do believe that the story telling is most
important. But, if vocal health is in question, it will get in the way of telling said
story, so the two need to meet and work together harmoniously. Your voice is
your poetry, how you best express yourself. We feel your voice before we hear
it. So the story is being told with your instrument and your command of it.
There are exceptions here. I find that when coaching a student on a song and
we hit a wall, I have them speak the lyrics, find out what they mean in this
moment. We discuss why the composer might have put these words with this
melody and then discover how we can make it the students' own; it does usually
mitigate the initial vocal crisis. The way to work is what is best with that
particular student in that particular moment.
How do you advise singers on finding new material for his/her book?
Where should they begin?

Caplan: The building of a book should be a realistic view of the singers'
capabilities to date. It should contain music of all genres. Today this means
Motown songs, Sting songs, Sara Bareilles songs, Alannis Morrisette songs,
Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown, Stephen Schwartz, traditional music theatre
pieces from all eras, standards; and inside of all of the above, the most riveting
songs that you absolutely love to sing (in the right key) because that will
resonate so deeply and clearly for whomever you are auditioning. It's best to be
over prepared with music of all genres (ballads, uptempos and comic pieces),
as you never know what production might be on the horizon.
Songs should be chosen because you feel as though you had written them
yourself. The lyrics should feel like you'd speak them. The songs that get people
work are the ones that they can inhabit fully with their spirit and their
personality.
Speaking of a performer's book, how wide-ranging should a singer go? Is
it preferred to have a bigger or smaller selection of songs?

Caplan: I think it's better to not offer a large selection of music for a single
audition. It's too overwhelming for both the actor and the casting director. An
actor can have a large main book with all their music alphabetically organized,
or in some cases, organized by style, uptempo, ballad, etc. It's advisable to
carry a smaller book for each specific audition. Contained in the audition book
should be a maximum of three to four pieces appropriate for this particular
audition. You choose the first one. If you are so lucky to have piqued more
interest from the room, the casting director might ask what else you might have
for them. That's when you can offer up your other selections. They can decide
what they might need to hear to complete their idea of what they think/hope you
can do.
Do you find certain songs to be overdone? If so, are they still okay to use
in your audition if you sing and perform them well?

Caplan: I'm in a position now as teacher and coach where the calibre of
students with whom I'm lucky to work usually get material from the shows for
which they are auditioning. The "too done" songs have not been a week to
week concern of mine. But my opinion has always been that if you know a song
is overdone, in that you've heard it outside audition doors a great deal, avoid it.
There are massive amounts of material available. You could certainly find an
alternate piece that might even say more than your original choice and elevate
your audition experience.

Let's talk vocal damage. How does one keep active in the community and
audition scene if they are experiencing trouble with their vocal cords?
What do you recommend for reaching and maintaining vocal health?

Caplan: A solid regimen is so important for the individual. My questions for my
students on a daily basis are:
How are you feeling?Have you been eating well? A decent amount of
protein?How have you been sleeping?What's going on with your muscles? Any
strain in your head or neck from working out?How has your digestion been?Are
you moving your bowels regularly? (Believe it or not, constipation has
blocked/prevented many a high note from freely coming out)Then one must find
what combination of all of the above works for them. Diet, exercise, sleep,
hydration are all important factors in staying at the top of your game. I suggest
that you find an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor who can support you when you
need help. I have my favorites in New York, but most actors ask their closest
friends whom they trust.

Part of this business is networking and socializing. How does one
maintain proper vocal health, while out and about? Any tips?

Caplan: I do realize that being social is a big part of networking in order to
make one's connections in the business. But vocal health has to take
precedence over the great party or bar you were invited to - especially the night
before a big audition. I'm a firm believer in moderation. If you find you have to
show up somewhere (that is going to be loud) for political reasons, then make
an appearance. Make sure you are breathing deeply. Loud restaurants and bars
tend to make our ears accumulate more wax simply from the noise decibels. As
a result, we tend to push down on our larynx and vocal cords to a potentially
dangerous degree. And head and neck muscles lock up from loud noise or
pressure in a room.
Say something important, stay for 45 minutes max, and then go home, drink hot
tea, take a bath, bring your energy back to center. Do some gentle neck rolls
and don't forget to breathe. A state of chaos does not generally support a
successful career in any aspect of show business.
How often should a performer attend voice lessons? What do you
recommend for performers on a tight budget?

Caplan: Depending upon finances, immediate tasks at hand, and how quickly
an actor wants to move forward, I recommend lessons once a week. Lessons
can be recorded so easily now that once you take one lesson, you can repeat it
every single day. If finances are an issue at the moment (I am always hopeful
that this status will not be permanent), you can study as often as you are able. If
that's twice a month, once every three weeks - as long as you are working with
a teacher/coach whose language gels with your own understanding you will
still have an opportunity to excel. Again, my studios have apps in the Apple
store that contain wonderful information on vocal health as well as vocal
exercises for all genres.
You can also ask if the teacher of your choice, if [they are] too cost prohibitive,
has associates or people who teach the same technique. I have associates who
are licensed to teach my technique. They are highly trained by me and can offer
lessons at a more affordable rate. This is generally done by referral.
The relationship with your voice teacher/coach is sacred. Singing is so
personal, so exposed. It's important to feel a sense of trust, both with your voice
and your personage with your chosen teacher. You want to find a teacher who
has excellent qualifications and an equally stellar reputation. Always ask around
the community.
If an actor is fortunate enough to find a great teacher/mentor early in his or her
career, the rewards are fruitful and so fulfilling. I've had the pleasure of nurturing
careers for decades. It continues to be a thrill when a student gets a callback,
books a job and ultimately wins a Tony Award.
Take care of yourselves. Take it seriously. Be sure to enjoy the process.
I will look forward to hearing about your callback, you nailing the audition and
your Tony Award!
This feature originally ran in February 2014 on Playbill.com.